Golden future for local movies
Soundstage supporter says FNQ will be swamped by camera crews
ONE of the Far North’s most recognisable film identities believes his industry will become such a prominent part of the economy that locals will grow tired of running into camera crews.
“We’ll get sick of areas being stopped because of filming,” Aaron Fa’aoso laughed.
“It’ll be great when we get to that kind of level.”
The creative mind behind production company Lonestar Productions and star of former crime series The Straits is wholeheartedly backing Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt’s push to build a sound stage in Cairns.
Mr Fa’aoso said the Far North was surrounded by ideal filming locations — rainforest, desert, the Reef — but lacked infrastructure to become a serious industry player.
He has just completed filming for upcoming three-part dramatised documentary Blue Water Empire exploring the historical impact of the European arrival in the Torres Strait Islands.
Shot in Cairns and the Torres Strait on a $2.3 million budget, the series will screen on ABC next year.
Mr Fa’aoso said the relative rarity of such productions — and much bigger ones — came down to costs that could be scrapped if Cairns had a sound stage.
“You have to cart everyone and everything from the Gold Coast or Sydney,” he said.
Mr Fa’aoso joined about 20 industry players at a roundtable discussion this week to formalise the sound stage plan.
The next step is to commission a feasibility study.
Indigenous stories, myths and legends, shared histories, modern day tales of life in Far North Queensland — there is a wealth of narratives just waiting to be given a voice.
The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix has also created enormous opportunity for regional productions that no longer need to be adapted to suit US audiences.
“We’re in a golden era of opportunity,” Mr Fa’aoso said.
“They’re looking for content, hungry for content, and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet in this region.”