The introduction of the Production Attraction Incentive Program (PAIP) in 2022 has become a standout success, attracting large-budget productions that provide significant employment opportunities and inject substantial spending across NT goods and services sectors.

“We offer incentives to attract these productions because they bring significant economic activity to the region,” says Screen Territory Director Jennie Hughes.

The benefits are significant for Territorians. Each government dollar invested through the PAIP yields a minimum return of $4 in actual spending into the economy through screen production.

But Screen Territory is not content with taking producers’ word for it. The organisation conducts thorough audits to ensure that contractual spending commitments are met, with funds withheld if necessary to enforce compliance.

“It’s crucial that there’s transparency and insight,” Ms Hughes asserts. “We know exactly what the productions are spending, where and how.”

Beyond direct financial returns, filming in the Territory brings immeasurable benefits to the tourism industry. The region’s dramatic landscapes and vibrant cultural mix, when showcased on screens worldwide, have the potential to attract tourists to the NT.

Screen Territory works closely with Tourism NT, allowing targeted marketing campaigns to capitalise on the audience exposure to over half a billion streaming video on demand subscribers.

The power of the silver screen to boost tourism is well-documented; for instance, the neo-Western TV drama Yellowstone has led to a surge in visitors to the American state of Montana and New Zealand continues to enjoy visitation as Middle Earth, 20 years after the release of Lord of the Rings.

Attracting film productions to the Territory also nurtures the local industry, offering opportunities for growth and talent development. From producers to actors, including aspiring Aboriginal actors and crew, the industry is now thriving.

“We’ve moved from being a cottage industry to one that’s grabbing attention and yielding real results for the NT economy” says Ms Hughes. “The Territory is now on the map for screen production.

“We have highly talented actors, writers, and producers, and Territorians are now moving from one production to the next, providing continuous employment.”

One of the first productions supported by PAIP was The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, a critically acclaimed seven-part series starring Sigourney Weaver, who is now being tipped for an Emmy for her role as a grandmother caring for an orphaned girl.

With large segments filmed around Central Australia, the production, shown on Amazon Prime Video, received a $240,000 investment from the PAIP, and in return, spent $1.6 million.

“This was even better than the usual 1:4 return,” Ms Hughes sayss.

Another significant production backed by the NT Government’s attraction program is the family feature film Kangaroo, inspired by the life of Chris “Brolga” Barns, founder of the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs.

The production spent $4.4 million during filming.

“Kangaroo is a family film that highlights the positive side of Alice Springs,” Ms Hughes says.

The film’s producers include Rachel Clements and Trisha Morton-Thomas from Alice Springs based Brindle Films who also recently produced the Netflix series MaveriX.

PAIP has also supported Territory, a six-hour flagship Netflix series set to be released globally in October. The series centres around Marianne Station, the world’s largest cattle station, and the conflicts that arise within the Lawson family dynasty and their rivals.

Local Aboriginal talent Steven McGregor contributed as a writer, with Cian McCue and Samantha Alexis Laughton serving as associate producers.

The series, being directed by Greg McLean, perhaps best known for Wolf Creek, spent a phenomenal $6.8 million across employment and goods and services, and was filmed across the Top End and Kakadu National Park. A Stan production, Thou Shalt Not Steal, directed by Alice Springs-based Dylan River, is an eight-part series filmed around Alice Springs, spending $1.4 million and featuring local actors.

The series, produced by NT Indigenous company Since 1788 Productions and Ludo Studios of Bluey fame, tells the story of a young Aboriginal woman who escapes detention and pairs up with an awkward adolescent to uncover a hidden family secret.

PAIP is also supporting Top End Bub, a sequel to the highly successful Top End Wedding, starring Territorian Miranda Tapsell. Additionally, the black comedy murder mystery Deadloch Season 2 is being partly filmed in Darwin, to be shown worldwide on Amazon Prime Video.

Another of Screen Territory’s most significant achievements to date is securing Endemol Shine Australia/ Paramount Australia/CBS Studios to film two episodes of NCIS Sydney in the Top End.

“We’ve never had a show that has premiered as the No. 1 new series on a US network film in the Territory,” Ms Hughes says. “When we heard that the producers were scouting in the NT but hadn’t made a decision, we moved quickly and secured the production.”

Despite these successes, Ms Hughes, who is a highly experienced industry professional, is not resting on her laurels.

She is leading the Screen Territory team in actively pursuing further opportunities, including the establishment of a potential film studio in the Territory to increase production activity.

The studio could be used for a wide range of events and productions.

Ms Hughes is also in talks with screen industry leaders in Singapore as part of a campaign to attract Asian filmmakers to film their productions in the Territory and to collaborate with Territorian screen creatives.