Lotterywest premieres record-breaking commitment to Screenwest

• Lotterywest's $10.7 million grant helping Screenwest share WA stories
• Funding boost will further enhance WA First Nations productions
• Grant continues Lotterywest's long-term support for State's creative industry
• Support for creative content helps attract opportunities to WA and boosts jobs

The Cook Government, through Lotterywest, has bolstered Western Australia's unique and expanding screen industry with a record funding boost of $10.7 million.

The grant, a sequel to last year's record Lotterywest support to Screenwest of $9.2 million, highlights the Cook Government's commitment to local screen productions across the State. 

This support will provide a pipeline of production for local screen practitioners, which supports jobs while enabling WA creatives to demonstrate their talents.

Lotterywest's $10.7 million funding includes:

• an increase in local production, helping Screenwest meet the demand of an additional four to five screen projects across the year;
• funding to develop stories from new and diverse voices; and
• an increase to First Nations Special Initiatives to support First Nations led productions. This will enable Screenwest to support an additional two to five screen projects per year.

Across three decades, Lotterywest has supported Screenwest with grants totalling more than $160 million.

Lotterywest is the only State Government owned and operated lottery in the country where all available profits are returned to the community.

Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:

"This significant funding from Lotterywest is giving Screenwest the stage to showcase Western Australian stories and talent to audiences worldwide.

"It is part of our latest Government support for creative content, which means more opportunities for actors, crew and beyond while attracting more investment and shows to WA which bring a boost to jobs and our economy.

"WA is unique, and the opportunity to share our diverse and important stories in a way that recognises the cultural and commercial value is something Screenwest continues to deliver."

Comments attributed to Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:

"This $10.7 million grant from Lotterywest will go a long way towards supporting more Western Australian content on our screens.

"I am so proud to be part of a Government that is supporting the creative industries through job-creating initiatives such as this. Together with the construction of the $233.5 million Perth Film Studios, our commitment to the screen industry is rock solid."