Global cast to film immigration drama in Australia

An international cast including Cate Blanchett and British actor Dominic West is set to film immigration drama Stateless in South Australia.

Based on a collection of true stories, the six-part series will follow individuals from very different backgrounds stranded at an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert.

Blanchett co-created the drama and is also an executive producer as well as a co-star.

Production will be based at Adelaide Studios and filming is scheduled to start in June with all-female writers and directors.

Australian companies Matchbox Pictures and Dirty Films are producing, with support from TV channel the ABC and Screen Australia.

“We were so pleased to support the development of this landmark series, with its all-female writing and directing team including some of Australia’s leading key creatives,” said Courtney Gibson, chief executive of the South Australian Film Corporation.

“We look forward to full production and post at Adelaide Studios and locations in South Australia, with SA producer Paul Ranford working alongside the team at Dirty Films and Matchbox, together with Matchbox SA’s Kirsty Stark, who is a co-producer on this major series.”

The Stateless news comes within 24 hours of the announcement that a Mortal Kombat movie will shoot in South Australia, also with a base at Adelaide Studios.

Screen production spending in South Australia has increased massively in the last few years, with the screen industry contributing just under A$120m to the state’s economy in the 2018-19 financial year.

South Australia’s Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects Rebate was launched at the end of 2017 and has supported seven different shoots over the past year.

See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in Australia.

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