Asia-Pacific

Australian film festival gets govt fund

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-22 14:26

CANBERRA: The New South Wales (NSW) government announced Monday it would contribute an additional 2.25 million dollars (US$1.98 million) to Australia's film festival to help secure thousands of jobs and the future of Australia's film industry.

The Sydney Film Festival is in its 57th year and attracts feature-length films, short films and documentaries from Australia and more than 50 overseas countries.

"NSW boasts an incredible depth of creative and technical screen talent, accounting for nearly 50 percent of all people employed in Australia's screen industries," Minister for State and Regional Development Ian Macdonald said in a statement on Monday.

"The flow-on effects of the Sydney Film Festival should not be underestimated, both in terms of employment for film industry workers and attracting local and overseas audiences for Australian films."

The additional funds would help secure 2,300 jobs on current film productions including animated films Happy Feet 2 and Guardians of Ga'Hoole, he said.

The 2010 festival will run from June 2-14 and will visit cities and towns like Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Byron Bay, Wollongong, Newcastle, Huskisson and Bowraville.