A thriving arts, culture, media and entertainment industry

Australian actors are regular nominees at the prestigious Oscar’s ceremony, Australian art decorates walls from Austria to Arizona, Australian bands tour internationally and Australian writers have achieved success across the globe.

Film

Australian actors, including Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and the late Heath Ledger have all achieved remarkable success, both at home and abroad.

Some well-known Australian film directors include Gillian Armstrong (Little Women, Oscar and Lucinda), Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Australia), Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, 21), George Miller (the Oscar-winning Happy Feet) and Peter Weir (The Truman Show).

Diverse film locations and state-of-the-art technology

Australia is proud of its spectacular and varied filming locations, which include futuristic cityscapes, rugged deserts, vineyards, unspoilt coastlines, ethnic neighbourhoods, dusty outback towns, mountain ranges, sand dunes, northern rainforests, industrial plants and European-style villages.

Australia’s highly-skilled technical crews and world-class studio facilities make it a popular choice for offshore filming and our reverse seasons and time zones complement northern hemisphere shooting schedules.

In addition, filming costs are on average 30 per cent lower than in the US and government support by way of tax incentives also helps attract overseas productions.

Since opening in Sydney in May 1998, Fox Studios Australia has quickly become one of the world's most sought after studio facilities, boasting the largest purpose-built studio complex and the most comprehensive film lab in the southern hemisphere.

Hollywood blockbuster movies such as The Matrix and The Matrix sequels, Star Wars II, Mad Max, Crocodile Dundee, Babe, Mission Impossible II and Superman Returns were all filmed in Australia. Also produced in Australia was the Academy Award-winning animated movie Happy Feet.

Documentaries and commercial TV

The Australian film industry has also achieved global recognition for documentaries and commercial TV productions. Actors who have had great success in the US include Simon Baker (The Mentalist, The Guardian), Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under, Brothers and Sisters), Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Ally McBeal) and Anthony LaPaglia (Without A Trace).

Documentary directors include Denis O’Rourke, Bob Connelly and David Bradbury.

Australian documentaries have showcased at:

• Hot Docs, Toronto
• Sunnyside of the Doc, Marseille
• Amsterdam Doc Film Festival
• Australian International Documentary Conference

Austrade helps bring foreign buyers and commissioning editors together at the Australian International Documentary Conference.

Music

Many Australian musicians, whether classical, rock or contemporary, have achieved considerable success across the world.

Global success stories include Natalie Imbruglia, Kylie Minogue, Keith Urban, Silverchair, AC/DC, Savage Garden, Crowded House and INXS. Other bands such as Jet, John Butler Trio, The Vines and artists including Pete Murray and Alex Lloyd have also come into their own on the world stage.

On the classical front, acclaimed sopranos include Dame Joan Sutherland, Joan Carden, Yvonne Kenny and Emma Matthews.

Music festivals

Many Australian bands showcase their talent at music festivals across the globe, including the annual South by Southwest Festival (SxSW) in Austin, Texas. Several bands have had export success on the back of the festival and signed international record deals, tours or sold the rights to existing music.

Australian bands that have achieved export success from SxSW include Gelbison, End of Fashion, David Weisz Management, John Butler Trio, Shane Nicholson, Powderfinger, Wolfmother, Eleven; A Music Company Pty Ltd (Missy Higgins).

Australian bands have also performed at:

• In The City music convention and festival, Manchester, UK
• LA showcase at The Troubadour, West Hollywood, USA
• NYC Showcase at Union Pool, Brooklyn, USA
• International Folk Alliance (IFA), Canada
• Canadian Music Week
• North by Northeast, Canada

Publishing

Many Australian writers, including Nobel Prize winner Patrick White, Thomas Keneally, Kate Grenville, Nevil Shute, Peter Carey, Bryce Courtenay and Kathy Lette have achieved a huge international readership.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of independent Australian publishers are taking their works offshore and attending the major book fairs in London, Bologna, Frankfurt and the USA.

Many publishers have their own stalls at these fairs, but smaller independent publishers attend under the banner of the Australian Publishers Association (APA). Agents and publishers from overseas either buy rights to publish Australian books or order the finished product.

Performing arts

Australia has a vibrant performing acts sector including theatre, orchestras, musical shows and dance.

The Australia Performing Arts Market (APAM) is a biennial, five-day event held in Australia which showcases Australian dance, music and theatre. At this event, buyers and producers from around the world can network and buy the rights to tour Australian and New Zealand performing arts companies.

International buyers, such as festival and venue managers, also have the opportunity to see some Australian performances at Cinars, Montreal.

Visual arts

There is global interest in the Australian arts scene and artists who have achieved international reputations include John Brack, Arthur Boyd, Ken Done, Sir Russell Drysdale, Pro Hart, Sir Sidney Nolan and Brett Whiteley.

Brett Whiteley’s iconic painting ‘The Olgas for Ernest Giles’ was sold at auction in Sydney for nearly $3.5 million in June 2007. Just the month before, a work by John Brack went under the hammer for $3.3 million.

There is also a booming trade in Australian indigenous art and the work of several indigenous artists, including Emily Kame Kngwarreye, is revered across the globe.

Many indigenous artists are represented by galleries who are members of the Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association, a national organisation for galleries in the indigenous art business.

International art buyers who are interested in purchasing Australian art can join one of Austrade’s art tours. Overseas buyers can also view and purchase Australian art works at numerous world art fairs, including: The International Sculpture Objects & Functional Arts (SOFA) Expositions in New York and Chicago; Frieze Art Fair, London; Affordable Art Fair; Cologne Art Fair and Paris Art Fair.

Useful Links

Visual arts/crafts and indigenous art

www.acga.com.au - Australian Commercial Galleries Association
www.australiancouncil.gov.au - Australian Council for the Arts
www.arttrade.com.au - Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association
www.craftaustralia.org.au - Craft Australia
www.visualarts.net.au - National Association for the Visual Arts

Film

www.screenaustralia.gov.au - Screen Australia
www.spaa.org.au - Screen Producers Association of Australia

Music

www.air.org.au - Australian Independent Record Labels Association
www.aria.com.au - Australian Record Industry Association
www.immf.com - International Music Managers’ Forum

Publishing

www.publishers.asn.au - Australian Publishers Association
www.asauthors.org - Australian Society of Authors

Performing arts

www.artspresenters.org - Association of Performing Arts Presenters
www.australiadancing.org - Australia Dancing
www.performingartsmarket.com.au - Australian Performing Arts Market
www.apra-amcos.com.au - Australasian Performing Rights Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society