00:02Film stars shine bright in Busselton as this jury determines which Aussie film will win the
00:07country's richest cinema prize. I consider WA the Wild West of filmmaking. This is where I come from
00:14but it's also where some of the coolest, most hard-working crew I've ever worked with in the
00:19country. They all come from WA. Over two weeks, 30,000 people will attend the Cinefest Aus
00:25Festival across the South West region. And the opportunity to see great Australian film,
00:30you know, that's what we do, that's what we bring down here. This stuff is vital. This is the kind
00:35of opportunities that will keep a filmmaker going in a really, really hard climate for artists.
00:41We've got the hazy. Enjoy. Businesses say the festival brings a much-needed boost to the local
00:47economy. It gives us great stability to have something that's a bit more indoor focused,
00:52so to have both Cinefest and Margaret River open studios in a couple of weeks are a great bridge
00:59into those warmer months. And for local dedicated volunteers, it's an event not to be missed.
01:04Some have been involved for almost two decades. There's a lot of camaraderie when you see people
01:09wearing the red berets now. It used to be black. You know you're part of a club. The government
01:15says screen production in the state has doubled in the past five years, with events like Cinefest
01:20Cinefest critical, as it pushes for WA to become an international screen production destination.
01:26A place to watch on and off the big screen.
