Bay of Fires to boost West Coast in 2022

Elise Archer,Minister for the Arts

In a major coup for Tasmania and the regional economy on the West Coast, Archipelago Productions’ first major screen production, Bay of Fires, has been commissioned to be filmed in Tasmania in mid-2022.

The eight-part series will be filmed primarily on Tasmania’s West Coast and is expected to be the largest production ever filmed in regional Tasmania. Importantly, we anticipate the series will provide a significant boost to our regional economy and numerous job opportunities for Tasmanians, including a likely record number of senior roles, with around 80 cast and crew positions up for grabs and up to $8 million expected to be spent on Tasmanian goods and services throughout the course of production.

The series is supported by Screen Tasmania alongside financing partners ABC, Screen Australia, Film Victoria and Fremantle Australia, and is expected to be a flagship drama for the ABC that will showcase our State and the stunning West Coast to the world.

Created by Tasmanian-based Marta Dusseldorp (Janet King, Jack Irish, A Place to Call Home) and Max Dann (Siam Sunset, Dance Academy, Spotswood), alongside iconic screenwriter Andrew Knight (Seachange, Jack Irish, Rake, Hacksaw Ridge), Bayof Fires is the first major screen production offering from Marta’s company Archipelago Productions, and will be co-produced and distributed internationally by global entertainment powerhouse, Fremantle Australia. The series will be written by Andrew Knight, Max Dann and Sarah Bassiuoni.

It follows Tasmania’s recent successes with other high-quality screen productions filmed within the State, such as TheKettering Incident, Rosehaven (all five series), The Gloaming and The Tailings.

The Tasmanian Government’s $1.5 million allocation for the production through Screen Tasmania represents the largest single amount of screen project support a Tasmanian Government has ever made, comprising $1 million in production investment and a $500,000 regional production grant, in recognition of the unique expense of shooting on Tasmania’s West Coast.

This funding includes part of the $3 million we committed in the Premier’s State of the State address in March this year, to help stimulate production activity and assist the sector as it continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

Our Government’s ongoing commitment to Tasmanian screen production is assisting to build our local screen industry’s capacity to service large scale projects like Bay of Fires, ensuring Tasmania’s unique landscapes, people and culture, continue to intrigue, engage and entertain audiences around the world.

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