India Australia Film Brief 2016

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INDIA-AUSTRALIA FILM RELATIONS

A BRIEF#

The Australian film industry is considered one of the most professional and talented film industries the world over. Crucial to the ongoing success for the industry and the limitless flow-on effects for trade and tourism is the Australian film links to other countries. This briefing paper provides a snapshot of Australia’s links with the Indian film industry and its obvious benefits.

Links between Australia and India in film date back to the 1930s, when a young Australian actress, Mary Evans, became an Indian film star. As “Fearless Nadia”, Evans swiftly became one of the first franchised characters in cinematic history. For the next fifty years, Australia largely failed to capitalise on the opportunities of bringing Indian productions to our shores. Finally, in the 1990s, things began to change when Australians of Indian decent began graduating from local film schools. Anupam Sharma around this time had just completed one of the first thesis’ on Indian Cinema at UNSW. Then, in 1998, Feroz Khan, a leading Indian actor/director/producer, deliberately scripted Australia into his next feature film and hired Sharma as his Head of Production for the Australian leg of his feature film. This opened the flood gates, and since then more than 240 projects materialised between the Indian and Australian film industries, ranging from feature films, TV serials, music videos, TVCs (television commercials), seminars, and film festivals. Indian film crews are repeatedly drawn to not only working with Australia’s highly accomplished film professionals, but the immensely beautiful and richly varied locations, coupled with our superb Australian weather.

# Please read this brief with the disclaimer at the end.

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© 2015– films and casting TEMPLE – All rights reserved films and casting TEMPLE Pty. Ltd. (A.C.N. 094 313 336) FSA #6, FOX STUDIOS, 38 Driver Ave, Moore Park NSW 2021, Australia Phones: 61-2-93834150 Mobile: 0411 837 053 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.filmsandcastingtemple.com Submission 84- Attachment 1 2 of 7/

A multimillion-dollar niche, the Australian Indian film industry is now thriving with various companies working between the two countries. The most notable, is the highly successful films and casting TEMPLE pty ltd (www.filmsandcastingtemple.com); “TEMPLE”. TEMPLE has been widely credited for pioneering India-Australia film relations and is the leading film production company working nationally in Australia. TEMPLE also started the first and only Guide to Australian Film Services for India, now in its 10th edition.

As new locations started to dry up, and with no Bollywood films eligible for Australian rebates, state governments innovatively pioneered individual tie-ups with Bollywood films to benefit Australian tourism and trade, providing cash plus in-kind grants to Bollywood films. 2013 witnessed the milestone of the first ever Australian Film Fund, funding Australian stories with Indian themes for a global audience.

The Australian film industry keeps on benefiting from its relations with the world’s most prolific film industry, India. Various milestones between the two countries can be summarized below;

• 1998 - 2006 saw the popularity of Australian film services and locations rise in Indian film industry. From Bollywood to South Indian films, from TV commercials to music videos, Australia was inundated with film crews from India, at times one every nine days. These film crews provided a much-needed injection of funds into the Australian film industry, providing work for Australian crew and film services. • In 2002/2003 distribution of Bollywood films in Australia moved from small town halls and independent theatres to major theatre chains; Hoyts and Greater Union Cinemas. This was lead by MG Distribution, a new distribution company, with a

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sister company, Black Cat Productions that ended up line-producing one of the most publicized Indian films shot in Melbourne – Salaam Namaste. • In late 2006 and early 2007 Australian production company, films and casting TEMPLE structured three of the biggest financial tie-ups between state governments and Bollywood films being made in Australia, Love Story 2050, Heyy Babyy and Victory. Other notable films produced in Australia at the time include Chak De! India and Bachna Ae Haseeno. • At the end of 2008 Australia became the backdrop for India’s reality show Roadies 6.0. The telecast of Roadies hit record ratings for youth and music genre TV and brought in more publicity for Australian locations. • Australia has also been the backdrop for some leading advertising campaigns in India including Van Heusen shirts’ Autumn/Winter and Summer/Spring collection, Scorpio (the biggest four wheel drive launch in India), Thumbs Up and Bharati among others. • 2009 saw the demise of the distribution company MG Distribution and Black Cat. They were sold to Swish Group and filed for bankruptcy owing both Australian and international service providers money. • 2010 saw some major films including the Bollywood re-make of Step Mom. However these were the last of the major Indian films coming to Australia, due in large part to competitive prices elsewhere, the union’s inability to police and safeguard interests for professional persons, the rising dollar and stringent conditions imposed.

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• As the servicing of Indian films reached a plateau, the more lucrative and important chapter of India-Australia film links began - that of Australian projects made by Australians, funded in Australia, and linked to India. This included Waiting City, Save Your Legs and recently unINDIAN. • In 2010 the new wave of stronger links between India and Australia started with Tourism Australia’s ad campaign targeting Indians, directed by Bill Bennett and produced by Anupam Sharma. • 2011 saw the launch of the Australian Film Initiative with Hugh Jackman as Ambassador for the inaugural Australian Film Festival of India, showcasing Australian films in the Indian market (www.aafilminitiative.org ). • 2011 also saw the filming of the first Bollywood film with an Australian city in the title. From Sydney With Love was shot with financial assistance from UNSW. • 2012 saw another edition of AFFI (Australian Film Festival of India) with Baz Luhrmann as Ambassador. • 2012 saw the controversial investment into Australia India film links by the Victorian State Government. Contrary to claims and promises, not a single dollar worth of investment from Indian film industry came into Victoria despite money being spent on a festival. • 2012 also saw the release of the first of its kind, Bollywood Star; a reality show produced by SBS looking for talented Bollywood performers. • In addition, 2012 saw the release the feature film From Sydney with Love, shot on location at University of NSW, starting a huge overeseas craze to study at Australian universities.

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• In 2013 the Australian National Maritime museum commissioned the first documentary of its kind on Indian Aussies. The internationally acclaimed and popular documentary was installed at the museum, then travelled internationally to a number of festivals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dObC-aTAXDQ • 2013 saw the biggest investment in the Indian market by Destination NSW with the launch of the Jhappi Time ad campaign: http://www.sydney.com/jhappi-time • End of 2013 saw the creation of the Australia India Film Fund (AIFF). Headed by Anupam Sharma and tech entrepreneur, Devendra Gupta, the AIFF has committed to four Indo-Australian feature films. • The first of the four, unINDIAN, was announced in Mumbai by the Australian Prime Minister in 2014, and successfully released in cinemas Australia-wide in 2015. The film stars cricket legend, Brett Lee, and internationally acclaimed Indian actress, Tannishtha Chatterjee. • A number of Australian Indian private co- production/collaborative films are in various stages of development and include leading Australian producers and filmmakers like Bill Bennett, Anupam Sharma, John Winter, Sheila Jaidev and Phillip Bowman.

Benefits Beyond Film • The knock-on benefits from international productions include increased trade and tourism, employment of locals both directly on shoots and the supporting industries/companies, cultural benefits of having productions that finally reflect the cultural diversity of our country and showcasing Australia to India as one of the biggest consumer markets in the world.

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• There is now a constant exchange of delegations between the two countries on various theoretical, practical, and academic issues related to film ties. • With films From Sydney with Love, and unINDIAN showcasing University of NSW, the numbers of overseas students to Australian shores has significantly grown and is still increasing. • The Powerhouse Museum and National Gallery of Victoria are hosting a British exhibition Cinema India – The Art of Bollywood; a high-end, academic piece on various aspects of Bollywood as an art form, with a special section on Bollywood in Australia. • AFTRS (Australian Film, Television, Radio School) and various trade bodies are conducting seminars on how to do business with Bollywood and the Indian film industry. • Many Australian crew, specially directors and DOP’s (Directors of Photography) in TVC and stunt specialists, are now working in India on Bollywood films.

The Future With the strong foundation summarized above, the potential held for Australia into the future is tremendously beneficial and bright, not only for Australian tourism trade and the overseas student market, but also as an important tool to understanding Indian culture and Indians who now form one of the biggest diaspora in Australia. With the success of the cross-cultural romantic comedy unINDIAN, and various other Australian projects with India-centric stories, the marriage between the most film literate and professional film industry – AUSTRALIA, and the most prolific film industry INDIA, is extremely healthy and enormously promising.

DISCLAIMER: This brief was prepared as a reaction to requests for a brief on India Australia film links. The brief was prepared in good faith as summarized information paper. This brief was not funded by any agency or entity and is prepared by films and casting

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TEMPLE based on information available. As a company which has been a part of birth and development of modern India Australia film relations, most of the projects mentioned are that of TEMPLE. Through media and other available information projects by other companies have been included as well. However TEMPLE is not responsible for any inadvertent error or omission of information. This document is by no means an exhaustive document but merely provides a snapshot of current links between Indian and Australian film industry. Images used herein are from the public domain and are for informational purposes only. We do not retain any copyright on these, apart from the unINDIAN poster.

Further detailed information can be provided on request. Any requests can be directed to Lisa Walton: [email protected]

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