Lights, camera, action for Noosa Film Academy

Noosa Film Academy will receive $258,398 to help revitalise the Wide Bay arts and cultural sector with youth and community workshops, Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien announced today.
 
Mr O’Brien said the Greg Huglin Noosa Film Academy is one of 115 projects to share in more than $60 million federal funding, under the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund.
 
“Noosa Film Academy will use the funding to deliver film workshops at regional schools throughout Queensland, from Mackay to Stanthorpe; including digital entrepreneurship, online creativity, visual story-telling skills, digitally based cross art-form workshops and building scriptwriting, directing, acting and production skills,” Mr O’Brien said.
 
“The workshops will enable students to learn from Academy Award-winning cinematographer Greg Huglin, get first-hand experience using cameras and movie equipment, and present their own short films.
 
“The Noosa region has a strong and vibrant arts community, and this funding will provide critical support for the arts and entertainment sector to restart, re-imagine or create new cultural and creative activities.”
 
These grants will support the creation of around 44,000 jobs across Australia, with benefits to flow on to the tourism, hospitality, transport and freight sectors.
 
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP said the grants were an important step in securing the long-term sustainability of cultural and creative organisations in Wide Bay.
 
“The Arts and entertainment sector provides significant employment and economic benefits as well as supporting cultural expression, community and social wellbeing, and reflecting unique Australian experiences and stories,” Minister Fletcher said.
 
“Our commitment of $60 million in RISE grants is an important step in the rejuvenation of Australia’s arts sector from COVID-19. I’m pleased that 71 per cent of the total funding will be going to small to medium-sized organisations, and 21 per cent to organisations in regional areas, supporting our local communities and economies to restart.
 
“We are excited to see funding flow to a diversity of projects, which will build the long-term sustainability of cultural and creative organisations.”
 
The $75 million RISE program was announced as part of the Government’s $250 million Creative Economy Support Package to help restart activities such as festivals, concerts, tours and events once it is safe to do so.