New film project to highlight Australia’s Indigenous tourism offering

Tourism Australia is partnering with an award winning team for a new film project which will see renowned Director/Cinematographer Warwick Thornton direct a three-minute film promoting Australia's Indigenous tourism experiences to international visitors.

Thornton, who directed acclaimed films such as Samson and Delilah and The Sapphires, will be collaborating with critically-acclaimed Australian director Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) on the short film. Together, Thornton and Fletcher have decades of experience making films with Indigenous people.

The project, which is an initiative of Tourism Australia (in partnership with Austrade), aims to dispel some of the misconceptions that Indigenous tourism experiences can only be found in hot, dry and remote areas.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O'Sullivan said the project aimed to bring to life the range and depth of Australia's world-class Indigenous tourism experiences on film to motivate international visitors to experience it for themselves.

"Australia's Indigenous tourism experiences are a unique and important part of Australia's tourism offering for international visitors," Mr O'Sullivan said.

"Tourism Australia is committed to bringing Indigenous tourism experiences to the fore through its global marketing of Australia."

"Having the expertise of Warwick Thornton and Brendan Fletcher to create the film will help us share the story of our 'Champion' tourism product in a very compelling way and in turn increase the interest and participation in our Indigenous tourism experiences."

Based on consumer research, the film will highlight the most popular activities for international visitors which include adventure, remote cultural immersion experiences, iconic Red Centre and outback experiences, rainforests in the tropics, and urban cultural experiences.

Speaking about the project Director/Cinematographer Warwick Thornton said, "When I first heard about the project I was incredibly excited and saw it as a great opportunity to celebrate what is so very special about this country and our indigenous culture."

"Being Aboriginal and a filmmaker I have had the opportunity to travel to a lot of different parts of our country and as part of the film project I look forward to sharing the proud stories of our people, their culture and their land so we can extend these experiences to others around the world when they are here," Warwick Thornton said.

Director Brendan Fletcher said, "For me there's no point going to some places unless you have the right Indigenous guide because they will open a door to a view that makes the place 10 times more meaning than if you explore it on your own. That's what makes this project so exciting – it's a real opportunity to open the door to that world and to share the story of our Indigenous culture through tourism and film."

The film will be shown globally through different media channels and in high traffic areas for international visitors in Australia such as Sydney Airport. Currently, 14 per cent of international visitors to Australia participate in an Aboriginal cultural experience during their visit, worth $5.6 billion annually, a figure which Tourism Australia's hopes to grown through the promotion of the country's Indigenous tourism experiences.

soruced:traveldailynews.asia