Tasmania’s stellar screen industry has again been lauded with the nomination of six Tasmanian productions in the 22nd annual Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Awards.
ABC’s series Bay of Fires, documentary films Living with Devils, The Platypus Guardian and The Giants, and Amazon Prime’s original series Deadloch all received nominations, while Tasmanian comedian Hannah Gadsby was nominated for their Netflix special Hannah Gadsby: Something Special.
Minister for the Arts, Madeleine Ogilvie said it was fantastic to see so many Tasmanian productions being nominated, especially three that were supported by Screen Tasmania’s Innovation Fund.
“It is truly a credit to the amazing talent pool we have here in Tasmania, and to the dedicated work of our local screen industry,” Minister Ogilvie said.
“The Rockliff Liberal Government is proud to support local productions which bring an excellent return on investment for the Tasmanian economy.
“It is really encouraging the three productions we have supported, Bay of Fires, Living with Devils andThe Platypus Guardian have received such a strong following and critical acclaim.
“When productions are made here in Tasmania, it supports our local industry professionals, injects money into regional economies and puts our State in the spotlight.
“Not only do Tasmanian productions showcase our state’s charm and beauty to the rest of the world, they share our compelling local stories with so many people,” she said.
The awards will be announced on Thursday, 21 March 2024, at the annual Screen Forever film industry conference.
About the Tasmanian Government–supported productions:
Crime drama series Bay of Fires, an Archipelago Productions and Fremantle Australia production broadcast on the ABC, has been nominated for Drama Series Production of the Year.Produced, co-created by, and starring Tasmanian resident Marta Dusseldorp, along with Tasmanian writer, co-creator and executive producer Andrew Knight,Bay of Fires received $1.5 million in support from the Tasmanian Government. The series was shot for 2.5 weeks in Hobart and 12.5 weeks in Queenstown, Zeehan and Strahan from June to August 2022.
Documentary film Living with Devils, produced by Smith & Nasht, has been nominated for Feature Documentary of the Year. The film follows Simon Plowright, the Tasmanian writer, director, cinematographer and former presenter of Quoll Farm, as he spends a year living with the last group of healthy Tasmanian devils surviving in the wild. Shot in north west Tasmania, the production received Tasmanian Government support of $90,000. The feature will be broadcast on the ABC next year.
Nominated for Feature Documentary of the Year is Wildbear Entertainment and co-producer Tetrapod’s The Platypus Guardian. Produced, directed and filmed by Tasmanian Nick Hayward, it follows local, Pete, and his efforts to save a platypus living in the Hobart Rivulet. The film received $100,000 in funding from the Tasmanian Government and has so far garnered local and international acclaim.
