Film Industry

The Australian film industry as we know it today has a reputation of being innovative as it produces films with unique flavor and global appeal. An example of which is the Australian Production “Happy Feet” which won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2007. Australian actors who are popularly known globally include Eric Bana, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger, Naomi Watts and Cate Blanchett.

 

Australian films started its recognition in 1906 with the world’s first feature length film, The Story of the Kelly Gang, which is story about the Australia Musiccountry’s most notorious outlaws. The film enjoyed enormous success in Australia as well as in British and New Zealand cinemas.


Australian films often reflect a down-to-earth nature. The themes and contents of the Australian films have cultural uniqueness in terms of perspective, creative approach and of personal energy, marking Aussie films as different, while maintaining a universal quality to be enjoyed across all cultures.


Film makers in Australia enjoy world-class film making facilities with highly skilled local technical crews. Film makers in Australia was able to produce in 2006 to 2007 a total of 28 feature films and 45 television drama programs which cost the film industry an amount of $270 million and $272 million respectively.


The Australian music industry on the other hand prides itself with the Australian musicians who have international recognition such as the opera singer Dame Nelli Melba, Percy Grainger and Peter Sculthorpe, the pop and rock bands The Seekers, Yothu Yindi, INXS, country singer Slim Dusty and Keith Urban. These are the musicians who have performed the music of Australia across a range of genres and styles.

The television industry of Australia is consists of 5 free-to-air television stations (ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network and SBS) and 3 pay-tv stations, two of which are government funded.