WA’s movie set beauty attracts global location scouts, Screenwest calls for suggestions for film locations.

WA’s film industry is growing at an exponential rate as location scouts and production crews flock to the State for its movie set-beauty, grand old mansions, charming country pubs and unique outback sites. WA’s peak production body Screenwest is calling on the public to suggest new places — including their own homes — for its 1900-strong database of potential film locations. Screenwest head of production Chris Veerhuis said it would help capture next projects amid the surging interest in WA, due largely to the upcoming film studio in Malaga. Several State Government incentives had made WA the most competitive place in Australia to make a film. Mr Veerhuis said location scouts were also interested in WA because it offered new places that had not been seen on film before, many with outstanding or even otherworldly beauty, like South West beaches and The Pinnacles. Mr Veerhuis said local people who owned eye-catching homes, farms or even pubs, among other locations, could make money by offering their properties up as a potential film location. “The location fee is determined by consultants, and sometimes it is phenomenally high,” he said. While he was not aware of any phenomenal rates paid in Perth to date — with Sydney’s harbour mansions among the top earners — he said there was definitely some money to be made. But he said it was primarily about the chance for a front-row seat to a film production. Screenwest chief executive officer Rikki Lea Bestall said a bigger online-locations’ gallery on the Screenwest website boosted WA’s chance of luring new productions. “We are always looking for great locations to help sell Western Australia as a filming destination,” she said. “Having a comprehensive locations gallery will help us to attract large scale projects to deliver social, cultural and economic outcomes to the State.” The recent explosion in films produced in WA includes filming by BBC Studios Production Australia, which last week wrapped shooting for Ghosts Australia, a local adaptation of the British hit series. The series was shot on-location at Woodbridge House, near Midland, and in-studio in East Perth. Ghosts Australia producer Bree-Anne Sykes said Screenwest generously provided location scouting support to source the hero location during the development phase of the series. “Nestled on the bank of the Swan River with beautiful gum trees, a vineyard and those incredible Western Australian blue skies, the team quickly fell in love with Woodbridge House, an iconic location for our series,” she said. York, in the State’s Wheatbelt, has been a favourite spot for many movies. The quaint town was the backdrop for an adaptation of Craig Silvey’s book Runt, featuring the town’s grand heritage architecture and distinctive character at the York Town Hall, the Castle Hotel and Balladong Farm. Nearby Buckland Estate also made an appearance, while the town’s Faversham House and Castle Hotel starred in The Twelve season two. A feature film by famed director Bruce Beresford, called The Traveller, is also being filmed in York. The Goldfields has also been in healthy demand. Mystery Road: Origin, was filmed on-location at the Federal Hotel in Boulder. The 1970s tent-boxing film, Kid Snow, used Kalgoorlie’s famous two-up shed, as well as the 96-year-old Centenary Pavilion at Claremont Showground. The 1912-built Augusta Hotel featured prominently in Scrublands: Silver, which is the adaptation of Chris Hammer’s best-selling book Silver. The film featured the stunning Blackwood River as a backdrop. The historic Wellstead Farm, museum and café in Bremer Bay was a key location for Blueback, which was based on a novel by acclaimed author Tim Winton. One of the few remaining drive-ins in Western Australia — the Dongara Denison Drive-In — was a key location in Invisible Boys, a film inspired by Holden Sheppard’s debut novel. Even Derby in the North West has been immortalised on film, with the Old Wool Shed featured in Population 11, which was filmed entirely in the Kimberley region. The movie Breath, directed by Simon Baker and based on the Tim Winton novel of the same name, was filmed in the Great Southern region, including Albany and Denmark. Ms Bestall said WA had some “incredible historic locations, striking landscapes and unique attractions”. “We are experiencing a significant uplift in screen production in Western Australia, most notably in television and streaming platforms — and we expect that will only increase when the Perth Film Studios open in Malaga early next year, paving the way for more locations to be added to our database,” she said. “Many of Western Australia’s oldest buildings and sites have rich history and character that makes them workable and often impressive locations for film and television. “ Anyone can nominate a location on the Western Australian Locations Gallery. The Screenwest Production Attraction Team reviews all listings to make sure they meet requirements.