JUNE 2008
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22 June 2008
Vogue Magazine 'Australia' Feature
- The cover of the July 2008
edition of US Vogue magazine features a stunning image of Nicole Kidman
wearing a gorgeous green gown, which was a design created by Catherine Martin
for Australia. The magazine features a gorgeous 16-page Australia
special, with several breathtaking promotional images taken by acclaimed
photographer, Annie Lebovitz. The article also features a stunning black and
white image of Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. The Vogue
website features a
gallery of photographs with accompanying comments, as well as the majority of
the text from the article. Check out the transcript of the article and
thumbnails of the sensational images here.
The Vogue website has also posted a feature centring on Nicole's Kidman's
'look' in the film in a short
slideshow featuring
more shots of Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley.
Additionally, the Vogue website is hosting an excellent video where Annie Lebovitz talks about the Australia photo shoot and how she travelled on location to give authenticity to the shots, while also consciously panning out in some of her photos so that we would remember it was a movie set. It is a contrast that I feel works remarkably well, and all of her images are absolutely stunning. My two particular favourites are the shot contrasting the beauty of Lady Ashley alongside the cattle, and of course the absolutely glorious shot of Lady Ashley and the Drover passionately embracing. Check out screencaps from the video and full scans of the article at my affiliate website, australiamovie.net.
New 'Australia' Podcast
- Check out the latest podcast which has been released as part of Apple and Bazmark's 'Set to Screen' series here. This time, the podcast focuses on Location Shooting and is narrated by Phillip Roope. The page says, "Locations Supervisor Philip Roope's career in film began as a screenwriter. Over more than two decades in the film business, he has gone on to location manage more than 25 films including Tomorrow Never Dies, The Beach, and Superman Returns." Check out the podcast for more information about the making of the film, and more stunning images from the shoot.
Lady Ashley's Shoes
- As previously reported,
Catherine Martin has designed recreations of Lady Ashley's dresses that will
soon be sold by Bergdorf Goodman. Lady Ashley Sarah's shoe designs were by
Salvatore Ferragamo, and these will too will soon be available to buy in stores.
Fashion Week Daily has posted a small article featuring pictures of some
of the character's shoes:
Ferragamo's Down Under
Adventures
Fashion Week Daily, 18 June 2008
Nicole Kidman loves her Ferragamo! As we've reported earlier, the Australian
actress called upon the company to design all the shoes for her epic Australia,
directed by Baz Luhrman. But now, the company has released all the shoe designs
that will be featured in the highly-anticipated film. Our favorite aristocratic
(to suit the character) designs are above!
Mandy Walker Receives Award
- On 17 June 2008, cinematographer Mandy Walker was presented with the Kodak Vision Award at the Crystal and Lucy Awards 2008 in Beverley Hills. Walker has previously worked with Baz Luhrmann on the Chanel No 5 film, and now, of course, Australia.
Mandy Walker - Kodak Vision Award
Variety.com, 16 June 2008
When staffing national-identity saga "Australia," it stands to reason that
director Baz Luhrmann would select a dream team of Down Under talent, from Hugh
Jackman and Nicole Kidman (playing British) to below-the-line pros like
cinematographer Mandy Walker. Walker has since relocated to Los Angeles (thereby
avoiding the 24-hour flights required whenever she was called to shoot a
commercial in some exotic corner of the northern hemisphere), but the
Melbourne-born d.p. is still very much an Aussie at heart. It was on one
globe-trotting adventure that she met Luhrmann and Kidman while shooting a
Chanel No. 5 ad spot the pair were working on. As both a homecoming and reunion,
"Australia" also marks the largest film on which Walker has ever worked, a
project designed to rival the grandeur of epics like "Lawrence of Arabia." "Baz
wanted to grab what was on location, but then have control on stage, in the
style of how they made films like 'Gone With the Wind,' but we took a modern
approach where we used bluescreen and CGI composites," Walker explains. "He
called it the 'Lucas-Lean.' We'd go and get the David Lean part (on location)
and then go onstage and do the George Lucas." For inspiration, Walker rewatched
such national classics as "The Overlanders," adding her own creative input to
Luhrmann's vision. "On set, Baz is sort of like a conductor," she says.
"Technicians who are used to just going from A to B are now working on a
different level. He draws that out of people, and they love it. I suppose
working like that brings the best out of me."
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15 June 2008
'Entertainment Tonight' Segment
- Popular US show, Entertainment Tonight, recently aired an entertaining feature promoting Australia. The segment included interviews with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman on the outback set of the film, and also a few words from Baz Luhrmann. Check out the video, along with 43 screencaps, at my affiliate site, australiamovie.net.
Kidman on Vogue Cover, Lady Ashley's Dress for Sale
- Nicole Kidman will appear on
the cover of the July edition of US Vogue magazine wearing a
dress designed by Catherine Martin, which will also feature in Australia.
Fashion Weekly has revealed that recreations of the dress will soon to be
available to buy, and even the character's shoes as well! :)
Bergdorf's to sell Oscar winner's Australia dress exclusively
Fashion Weekly, 11 June 2008
Thanks to the insane demand for Keira Knightley's green dress in
Atonement--created for the movie but not available for purchase--costume
designers learned their lesson.
To coincide with the release of Vogue's July issue featuring covergirl Nicole
Kidman, a recreation of the limited-edition dress the actress wears on the cover
and in her new Baz Luhrmann film Australia will be available exclusively
beginning June 24th at Bergdorf Goodman.
The long dress is described as a "green firebird organza silk gown." The frock
was custom made by Luhrmann's wife, two-time Oscar-winning costume designer
Catherine Martin, who also created the costumes for Moulin Rouge. On the cover,
Kidman wears leather riding boots by Salvatore Ferragamo. The Florentine fashion
house designed a collection of shoes for the epic that will hit stores this
fall.
To mark the occasion, Bergdorf will display the dress in a window on Fifth
Avenue, complete with an Australian-esque background filled with July Vogue
covers. Four of the gowns will be available for $9,850 each in a range of select
sizes. Special orders will be taken upon request.
Tourism Australia Promotion
-
The
Tourism Australia
website has launched a huge section dedicated to promoting Australia - both the
movie and the country:
"Welcome to one of the greatest promotional opportunities presented to the
Australian tourism industry in many years. This website will show you how you
can leverage the phenomenal buzz that will be created as a result of the release
of Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, slated to be released in more than 70 countries
globally. Twentieth Century Fox will support the film with a blockbuster
marketing campaign around the world. This marketing alone will reach hundreds of
millions of people worldwide. Tourism Australia’s own destination marketing
campaign: See the movie. See the country, will create additional excitement
about Australia."
When visiting the website, be sure to
click on all the links to read all of the exciting content! Tourism Australia
is planning marketing campaigns revolving around the movie that are designed
to motivate people all across the world to see the film then see the country.
The website also contains some movie information, including news that the film
will be released in 70 countries, with the DVD release to follow in around
March/April 2009.
Individual states of Australia
are also keen to promote their involvement in this massive wave of promotion.
Western Australia will put in more than $1 million into the campaign, as
detailed below:
Govt tourism campaign to boost Luhrmann film promotion
ABC News, 14 June 2008
The Western Australian Government will put more than $1 million into a national
tourism campaign, that will follow on the heels of filmmaker Baz Luhrmann's new
film, Australia. The film, which was largely shot in the Kimberley, is due to be
released in cinemas in November and Tourism Australia will unveil a worldwide
marketing campaign at the same time. State Tourism Minister Sheila McHale says
the Government has already invested $500,000 into the film. "We will be
committing over $1 million to work with Tourism Australia, to work with our
Federal colleagues to maximise the once in a lifetime opportunity, to promote
our great state," she said.
Also, the Tasmanian Government has released the following
media release, focussing
on Tasmania's role in the promotion:
Paula Wriedt, MP - Minister for Economic Development and Tourism
-
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Promotional Opportunities from Baz Luhrmann's Blockbuster Australia Movie
The Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, Paula Wriedt, welcomed the
announcement today by the Federal Minister for Tourism, the Hon Martin Ferguson
AM MP, of a major tourism marketing project designed to leverage global interest
in Baz Luhrmann’s soon to be released movie, Australia.
Speaking from Perth, Western Australia, Minister Ferguson said the release of
Australia offers the Australian tourism industry one of its greatest promotional
opportunities in many years. “Tourism Australia will put in place global and
country-specific activities designed to motivate people who see the movie, to
then visit our country,” Mr Ferguson said.
Tasmania, while not appearing as a location in the movie, is still playing a key
role in the telling of the overall story about Australia as a diverse and
beguiling destination for visitors. The Minister for Economic Development and
Tourism, Paula Wriedt, said Tasmania’s own Essie Davis plays a key role in the
movie, which stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
“With the world re-focused on Australia, we see great opportunities for
showcasing Tasmania’s special places and activities with an obvious fit with
some of the key themes of the movie including adventure, romance, transformation
and journeys,” said Ms Wriedt. “From our amazing wilderness walks and rugged
landscape, through to the Georgian streetscapes of our heritage towns, the art
and design, food and wine that make up our cultural fabric and our luxury
retreats, there will be an opportunity to showcase Tasmania to a vast
international, domestic and local audience. Tourism Tasmania will work closely
with Tourism Australia, to ensure a consistent and united voice in key global
markets. Tasmanian destination information will be included on the Australia.com
website, in consumer brochures, in travel agent education modules and also go
into newspaper and magazine supplements supporting this initiative.”
Numerous entertainment and travel media also will come to Australia from all
over the world to preview the movie. “We will be extending the world’s largest
invitation to these journalists to come to Tasmania and experience for
themselves the beauty of our amazing state,” Ms Wriedt said. Other opportunities
such as competitions, promotions and events at the movie previews are under
discussion.
Mr Ferguson said Australia will potentially be seen by tens of millions of
people and it will bring to life little-known aspects of Australia’s
extraordinary natural environment, history and Indigenous culture. The movie is
expected to be released in 70 countries from November 2008 with the Australian
launch scheduled for November 13.
Finally, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported the following article
suggesting that Australia will do for Australia what Lord of the Rings
did for New Zealand:
High hopes the Hobbit effect will hit home
Sydney Morning Herald, 14 June 20088
Middle Earth and the Hobbits recast New Zealand as a nature lover's paradise and
helped propel the islands' share of global tourism to record levels. Now
Australia's tourism leaders are turning to another celluloid extravaganza, the
movie Australia, to attract a new wave of international visitors keen to
experience the real thing.
Tourism chiefs are to unveil a deal between the film's distributor, 20th Century
Fox, its director, Baz Luhrmann and the federal tourism body, Tourism Australia,
at a tourism conference in Perth today.
The news will be seized upon by Australian tourism operators who have looked with envy at their counterparts across the Tasman. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was filmed in New Zealand, helped cement the country's image as a verdant nature wonderland and attracted the trilogy's fans in droves. After the films visits went up 22 per cent to 2.4 million a year and tourism now contributes twice as much to the national economy. Visitor numbers to Australia have grown by 11 per cent and their spending by 10 per cent in the same period. The tourism industry hopes Australia will herald a revival and shift the focus of Australia's marketing back onto the vastnesss and beauty of its landscape.
The most recent ad campaign, "Where the bloody hell are you?", focused on the Australian character and met a mixed reception. Set in the 1930 and 40s, Australia portrays the affair between an English aristocrat and a cattle drover, played by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman respectively. But from the tourism industry's point of view, the real star is outback Australia; the film takes in a sweep of Western Australia, Darwin and the Top End. Rather than using film clips, it is believed the filmmakers have agreed to global promotions and public relations initiatives, with details still to be worked out. These initiatives could involve location guides and giveaways tied to Australia and tailored to different countries. One idea is recruiting travel agents to pitch to travellers the idea of following in the footsteps of the film's stars, experience the scenery themselves and, perhaps a little of the romance as well.
"It [the film] is basically a two and a half hour ad," a Tourism Australia source source. "They [Tourism NZ] had to tell everyone that Middle Earth was in fact New Zealand. We don't have to. We have got Australia in the title." Most of 20th Century Fox's $US100 million ($106 million) marketing budget will be spent before the film's release on November 14, ensuring that regardless of its critical reception the marketing will deliver maximum awareness for Australian tourism. John Pugsley of South Coast Regional Tourism said: "There is still this mystique and vastness of our landscape that people who live in cramped conditions in Europe seek out in this country and I'm sure this film will play to that."
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3 June 2008
'Australia' Trailers
- There are currently three different Australia trailers circulating the globe. One is the 'original' version, which is available to view on the official Australia website and through Apple, then there is a 'second' version, posted by 'foxfilmnl' (presumably Fox Studios in the Netherlands) on You Tube, and also the 'Australian' version, which does not seem to have made its way onto the internet just yet, but is currently being shown in Australian cinemas in front of Indiana Jones IV. I was fortunate enough to see this 'Australian' version at a local cinema last weekend. It is truly breathtaking and, I must admit, it is my favourite of the three. The 'Australian' version focuses more on the romance in the film, with more onscreen smooching between Lady Ashley and the Drover, and many more various scenes interlaced together, which gives us tantalising glimpses of the movie as a whole. Hopefully, this version will make its way onto the internet very soon.
New Costume Design Podcast
- The fourth Australia podcast is now available to download through Apple's excellent Set to Screen Series website. This podcast focuses on Costume Design, and Catherine Martin gives us a wonderful insight into the making of the 2000 (!) costumes that will be seen in this film. Check out the gallery at my affiliate site, australiamovie.net, for a massively impressive 132 screencaps from the podcast!
The Apple Set to Screen Series website also features another exciting competition for US students, this time asking entrants to design a historically accurate costume for Lady Ashley. A photo of Nicole Kidman in character has been supplied, and entrants have until 18 June 2008 to submit their entries. Check out the website for more details, and best of luck to anyone who is fortunate enough to be able to enter! :)
Baz Luhrmann Interview
- Western Australia, where some of the filming of the movie took place,
has created its own website dedicated to the film. Check out their 'Australia
The Movie' page
here. The site features movie information, media releases, and even a
holiday planner which can help you to plan a trip to filming locations in the
region. The site also includes a link to a Baz Luhrmann video
interview. The video is
hosted by westernaustralia.tv, which features interview and also the
'original' Australia trailer
here. In
the interview, Baz Luhrmann chats with the Northern Territory's Culture and Arts
and Tourism Minister, Sheila McHale, who visited the set of the Australia while
it was being shot at Carlton Hill. The following article gives details of Ms
McHale's set visit:
Australia the Movie Set Visit
The stage is set for Western Australia's Kimberley region
to be showcased as a key international tourism destination, when Baz Luhrmann's
film epic 'Australia' is released this November. Culture and Arts and Tourism
Minister Sheila McHale visited the set to experience the enormous scope of the
film being shot at Carlton Hill, 100km west of Kununurra. Ms McHale met
filmmaking legend Baz Luhrmann to discuss possibilities for ongoing tourism
benefits for WA when 'Australia' was released internationally.
"This is a significant cultural tourism initiative and we are very excited that Baz Luhrmann agreed to film part of his feature in WA," she said. "'Australia' is one of the most anticipated movies in our recent cinema history and when it is released, the eyes of the world will be on us as a top tourism destination. The benefits to the region are enormous, apart from the excitement that comes with having Hollywood stars here, there are huge financial benefits to local business generated by a 400-strong cast and crew in town for several weeks," she said.
Ms McHale said the release of 'Australia' provided enormous potential to trigger other international film productions to shoot in Western Australia, which was great news for the local screen industry. Check out an exclusive video of the Ministers set visit at westernaustralia.tv. Australia the movie will be released 13 November 2008.
In the video itself, it is Baz Luhrmann who does the majority of the talking as he chats enthusiastically about the movie. I have transcribed the interview below:
Baz: The Kimberleys - I've been coming and going for two years and it's obviously going through an extraordinary - the extraordinary potential is very clear to everyone. It's an exciting part of the world - that's a very real statement. Water, resources, energy - it's an energetic place. I mean, on a sort of what it means for Australia level, it's very present - the potential of this place - and it's very real. Its relationship to Asia - it's an exciting place to be in. To be making a film which is about something else, it's really the canvass for that. But the idea that you're making a film and it's going to give that much more recognition around the world, that's a good thing to participate in.
Sheila: Well, that's why our government was so keen to work with you.
Baz: I mean honestly, really early on, before anyone else, they were like - they wouldn't even think about it. Yes, that is a good idea - that is something - that has such credibility - that is a genuine win-win for everyone. And that just takes a bit of guts to say yes, and that sort of led the charge, so we're very thankful for that.
Sheila: So are we. So we're looking forward to the movie and the opportunities to promote Western Australia and indeed Australia through your movie. And I know you're passionate about that.
Baz: Well, I am, and I think we talked about it the first time we spoke. I mean if you think of the - I mean it's an absolute quantum change in the understanding. In the promotion and revelation of New Zealand through Lord of the Rings, which is a marvellous trilogy and really powerful, but really it is set in a fantasy land, which is built out of Lord of the Rings. This film, if we do it half right, it's set in a very real place. If you come to Carlton Hill, it's not a CG mountain - there it is, it's real. (motioning outside) So I think that that - I think that that by the very nature of it, makes it a - I'd say it's an ad, but it's a huge invitation to the rest of the world to come and see it.
'Australia' Tourism
- Baz Luhrmann's Australia is bound to provide much international exposure for the country. As a result, the various regions where filming took place are hoping to gain tourism benefits through the anticipated success of the movie. The Australian states of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory have all been featured in tourism related media articles during the past few days.
The following article gives a detailed description of the incredible beauty of the east Kimberley region in Western Australia. As well as other landmarks, the article highlights El Questro Wilderness Park, which Baz Luhrmann "chose ... for many of the scenes in his movie Australia because of its rugged beauty, which is showcased in the movie."
Kimberley stirs all the senses
Perth Now, 3 June 2008
A whistlestop tour of Western Australia's beautiful east Kimberley left Andrea Mayes breathless.
The lush fruit and vegetable crops are laid out in perfect symmetry beside the irrigation trenches, as though someone has taken a giant ruler and painstakingly measured each one. Nearby is the impressive-looking bridge separating the diversion dam from the Ord River, the source of the irrigation that has turned what would otherwise be a dry-season dust plain into a lush, fertile food bowl. This is the scene that greets visitors to Kununurra arriving by air - an enormous patchwork of evenly spaced mango and sandalwood trees, pumpkins, melon and pawpaw spread over 15,000ha. "Welcome to the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, the Last Frontier'' proclaims the sign at the airport, and it is a description that proves entirely appropriate. This is true frontier land - edged right up against the Northern Territory border, a region of vast open spaces, of spectacular mountain ranges and hills, flat dusty plains that become flood plains during the wet months, of deep gorges and meandering rivers and all around, breathtaking natural beauty.
Kununurra itself makes a pleasant base for exploring the surrounding wilderness, with its neatly kept streets, lush verges and the tropical scent of frangipani hanging in the air. And you don't have to roam far to get a taste of the region's natural wonders. Within the township itself are two huge rock monoliths Mt Cyril and the Kelly's Knob lookout - their rich ochre colouring characteristic of the area.
By far the best way to
explore, at least initially, is by air, and scenic flights from Kununurra depart
several times a day in tourist season. This is also how you'll get the most
spectacular views of the Bungle Bungles, the dome-shaped mounds that are World
Heritage-listed. I joined one of Slingair's two-hour scenic flights, heading
south to Lake Argyle, where up to 30,000 freshwater crocodiles reside. The lake
itself is an enormous expanse of turquoise blue that contrasts vividly with the
surrounding pale-orange plains and green scrub. Long fingers of land jut out
from the shoreline and there are many islands - including one shaped like a
crocodile - giving the lake an interesting, irregular shape. Lake Argyle is
man-made, created as part of the irrigation scheme, and it is about 70km long by
40km wide.
Leaving the lake behind, we flew over snaking river tributaries and creek beds,
over the Osmond Ranges whose gradual slopes give way to sharp cliffs on the
other side, giving them the appearance of green ski slopes. But impressive
though they are, they were nothing compared with the grandeur that awaited us as
the Bungle Bungles came into view. These tiger-striped beehive formations almost
defy description. They resemble some kind of ancient civilisation, an odd-shaped
city created by unknown peoples thousands of years ago.
If the Bungles is one unmissable destination on any East Kimberley itinerary, the renowned El Questro wilderness park is the other. Its 404,700ha of pristine natural beauty stretches as far as the eye can see, and a good place to get an idea of its vastness is Wyndham's Five Rivers lookout. The confluence of rivers that give the lookout its name are impressive as they ebb towards the Cambridge Gulf, but look in the other direction, towards the Cockburn Ranges, and practically everything you see (including the ranges) forms part of El Questro.
There is so much to see in the park it's hard to know where to begin, so make sure you allow yourself plenty of time. Once again, you get an excellent overview of what's on offer from the air, in this case by helicopter, and this mode of transport is the only way to access some of the park's especially rugged gorges, including the secluded Miri Miri Falls. A helicopter will drop you there, where the 50m waterfall cascades into a deep pool. You'll have enough time for a swim and a picnic, before it drops you back at the station township. Other tours include heli-fishing, where you fly to some of the park's most secluded and best barramundi fishing spots, horse-riding treks, champagne cruises along the dramatic Chamberlain Gorge, bush tucker, birdwatching and four-wheel-drive tours.
Accommodation at the park is varied. From grassy tent sites on the banks of the Pentecost River for $15 a head, to the smart tented cabins at Emma Gorge, there really is something to suit almost anyone. And at the top of the scale, for the truly discerning, deep-pocketed guest, there is the Station Homestead, a series of connected, pavilion-type buildings that occupy prime position overlooking the steep banks of Chamberlain Gorge. Beautifully manicured gardens lead down to a swimming pool near the edge of the cliffs of the gorge, and tables are laid out at secluded locations along the cliff top for romantic dinners. The tariff, which starts at about $900 each a night, is all-inclusive, covering drinks, meals and tours, and the homestead caters for just 12 guests at a time.
Apart from the stunning landscape, one of the other features of El Questro is its staff. At a time of widespread staff shortages across the state, particularly in the hospitality industry, El Questro's staff turnover is minimal and competition for jobs at the park is intense. Everyone I met during my brief stay was friendly, knowledgeable and, above all, devoted to their work. You get a real sense that the park is their passion, and their enthusiasm is infectious. From the affable Chilli, my tour guide who showed us where key scenes of the Nicole Kidman film Australia were shot and which parts of the boab tree were edible, to Brett the helicopter pilot, park manager David Henry and Shay, who looked after me at Emma Gorge resort, the staff made sure my stay would be memorable.
A last word of advice regarding El Questro: if you're thinking of visiting, get in now. Baz Luhrmann chose El Questro for many of the scenes in his movie Australia because of its rugged beauty, which is showcased in the movie. With the film's release scheduled for November, the park's popularity is likely to skyrocket. The East Kimberley might not yet be on top of every WA tour itinerary, but it deserves to be - and soon could be.
The following article features information about Tourism Australia's plans regarding Australia, with an emphasis on encouraging visitors to head to Queensland, where some of the filming of Australia took place:
Epic lure for travellers
Sunday Mail, 1 June 2008
Tourism Australia is set to launch a multimillion-dollar gamble on the international success of Baz Luhrmann's epic movie blockbuster Australia. With hype surrounding the movie continuing to build ahead of its November 13 release, tourism authorities are hoping to cash in on a wave of renewed international interest in Australia - and in particular Queensland - as a result of the film. Such is the faith in Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, Tourism Australia is rumoured to be investing as much as $40 million in a marketing campaign centred on the film. An announcement is expected at this month's Australian Tourism Exchange conference in Perth.
Fox Entertainment, the company behind the film, is also understood to be spending $200 million to promote the movie, which will feature locations in north Queensland - most notably Bowen, used as a setting to re-create wartime Darwin for the movie. State Tourism Minister Desley Boyle hopes Australia will do for Bowen what Crocodile Dundee did for McKinlay, in the state's remote west, in the 1980s. "We are still recovering from the disastrous 'Where the bloody hell are you?' campaign, and this hopefully will be a turning point for getting our international profile back on track," Ms Boyle said. "While the Government worked hard with the local industry and the people of Bowen to attract the movie here, you cannot pay for the exposure it will give us. "People should be leaving cinemas and getting straight on a plane to Queensland, Australia. We will be telling them, 'Buy two tickets, one to the movie and one to Queensland'."
McKinlay - a tiny outback town on the Matilda Highway between Cloncurry and Winton - was made famous after scenes from Crocodile Dundee were shot at the local watering hole, now known as the Walkabout Creek Hotel. Hotel owner Paul Collins says the town is still reaping the benefits from the first movie released in 1986. "We still get 400-odd people through here each day during tourist season," he said.
Finally, the following two articles focus on the tourism and filming opportunities in the Northern Territory, where some production of Australia also took place:
Invading
film crews eye war in Territory
Northern Territory News, 2 June 2008
The Territory outback could easily stand-in as Afghanistan or Iraq for a movie
production about the war. Big budget war films set in Afghanistan could be
filmed in the Territory once Baz Luhrmann's epic Australia hits the screens. NT
Film Office director Penelope McDonald has been trying to attract the major
studios to film in the NT. She said the Central Australian desert could resemble
Afghanistan or the surface of Mars. "Films are really about deception,'' she
said. "You need to get them to believe the story, but once they suspend the
disbelief, they will enjoy the show.''
Ms McDonald said Baz Luhrmann's new film will focus on the Territory's scenery, which will catch the eye of studio executives. "This is going to be the biggest budget Australian film to date, and people will know part of it was filmed in Darwin,'' she said. The national organisation aimed at attracting international movies to be filmed in Australia, Ausfilm, recently visited Central Australia to scout potential locations for movies.
Films about the war in Afghanistan are being prepared and there is interest in using the Central Australian desert as a backdrop. Ms McDonald said the Territory had a lot to offer the film industry. "The beaches up north can double up for anywhere in the world, and we've got rainforests that are great as well,'' she said. The Federal Government offers a 40 per cent rebate on production spending for all movies filmed in Australia that focus on the local culture. Ms McDonald said this rebate is helping bring films to the Territory.
"In the past, it was
too expensive a place to film -- all the film crews are on the eastern
seaboard,'' she said. "But this rebate is making it more attractive to film on
location. I'm sure we'll see more business out here. It's a positive thing and
the public loves it when the stars come here.''
Luhrmann's Australia to draw filmmakers Down Under
ABC News, 29 May 2008
The woman who helps promote Australia as a film location to overseas directors says Baz Luhrmann's upcoming epic is likely to spark more shoots in the Northern Territory. AusFilm's Caroline Pitcher is currently south of Alice Springs scouting new locations. She expects more directors to take notice of the Territory's diverse landscapes after Australia hits cinemas. "I think it's a really exciting opportunity," she said. "I believe Australia is going to be released worldwide in November this year and there will certainly be interest - both from a tourism and a filming perspective, in Darwin in particular."
Ms Pitcher says at the moment there is a lot of interest in passing off the central Australian desert for Afghanistan. "US filmmakers are obviously not able to shoot in the real place, but there's certainly some similarities in terms of the desertscapes and some of the gorges and so on," she said.
Luhrmann's
Australia is slated for release on November 13.
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