A new film council has launched in Perth with the aim of building stronger connections between Western Australia and India’s enormous screen industry.
The West Australian Indian Film Council (WAIFC) was officially launched by WA Premier Roger Cook this week, bringing together government, industry and diplomatic representatives at Government House.
And while the Council itself is new, Perth’s connection to Indian cinema goes back more than a century.
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A still from the Hunterwali (1935) promotional brochure.
WAIFC now wants to build a more formal bridge between the two screen industries, spanning film, television, streaming, digital media and other creative sectors.
The independent not-for-profit Council plans to connect WA and Indian producers and filmmakers, support industry delegations and networking, promote WA as a filming destination, and encourage talent exchange, education, investment and festival partnerships.
WAIFC Chair and Director Nilesh Makwana (pictured below) said WA was well placed to take a larger role in Australia’s creative relationship with India.
“WAIFC has been established around a simple proposition: that Western Australia has an opportunity to play a much greater role in the Australia-India creative relationship,” he said. “Perth is geographically closer to Mumbai than Sydney, giving WA a unique position as a gateway between Australia and India and the broader Indian Ocean region.”
India produces more than 2,000 films each year across more than 30 languages, while WA’s own screen industry is preparing for a major expansion through the new $290 million Perth Film Studios in Malaga.
Makwana said the Council hoped to create practical opportunities ranging from co-productions and filming locations to talent exchange and investment.
“India has one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic screen industries, spanning film, television, streaming, animation, visual effects and digital content,” he said. “We want to build meaningful connections between these two creative ecosystems and create practical opportunities for collaboration.”
Consul General of India to Western Australia and the Northern Territory Kajari Biswas said film could also help strengthen the wider relationship between India and WA.
“Film and storytelling have a unique ability to bring people together, deepen cultural understanding and create new opportunities for collaboration,” she said.
WAIFC says the launch will be followed by a longer-term program of industry partnerships, delegations and cultural initiatives between Western Australia and India.
Head to waifc.org.au/ for more information.
Image credit: Liang Xu/Supplied