Tourism Australia launches new Indigenous short film to increase international tourism numbers

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Aboriginal Australia Our Country Is Waiting For You - Behind the scenes at Lirrwi Tourism, Bawaka Homelands, NT.jpgTourism Australia is today launching a new, short film ‘Aboriginal Australia: Our Country is waiting for you’ aimed at encouraging more domestic and international visitors to include Indigenous tourism experiences as part of an Australian holiday.

Tourism Australia has partnered with award-winning production and post-production team World Wide Mind (WWM) and Heckler to create a film project promoting Australia’s Indigenous Tourism Experiences. The new three-minute film is co-directed by Aboriginal director/cinematographer Warwick Thornton and Australian director, Brendan Fletcher.

ur Country Is Waiting For You - Behind the scenes at DavidsonDeveloped in partnership with Austrade, the film features a diverse range of Indigenous activities, adventures and immersive cultural experiences which can be enjoyed in the Red Centre and Outback, lush rainforests and tropics as well as in cities and urban environments.

One of the misconceptions that the film aims to dispel is ntry Is Waiting For You - Behind the scenes at Lirrwi Tourism, Spear Fishing at Lonely Island, Bawaka Homelands, NT.jpgthat Indigenous tourism experiences can only be found in hot, dry and remote areas.

Australian directors Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and Thornton (best known for his work on acclaimed movies Samson and Delilah and The Sapphires), worked closely with nine Indigenous tourism operators from four States and Territories across Australia.

Says Michelle Parker, executive producer, WWM: “While the brief from Tourism Australia was a dream, the logistics of shooting with two directors, a small crew, and limited resources, could have been a nightmare but with the passion and support of a fantastic cast and crew, a like-minded client and two extraordinary directors, the shoot was in fact a dream.”

Says John O’Sullivan, managing director, Tourism Australia: “Having the expertise of Warwick Thornton and Brendan Fletcher has helped us share the stories of our ‘Champion’ tourism products in a very compelling way and in turn increase the interest and participation in our Indigenous tourism experiences.”

O’Sullivan says the film aimed to increase awareness, interest and participation in Indigenous tourism experiences across Australia.

Says O’Sullivan: “Australia’s Indigenous experiences are a unique and important part of our tourism offering. Currently, 14 per cent of our international visitors participate in an Aboriginal cultural experience during their trip, helping to inject $6.4 billion annually into our visitor economy.

Our Country Is Waiting For You - Behind the scenes at Brian Lee Tagalong Tours, Mud Crabbing, Dampier Peninsula, WA.jpg“We’re confident this new short film, and our plans to make sure it is widely distributed both in Australia and overseas, will help promote this important facet of Australian tourism and grow these figures.”

The film will be shown in Australia and a number of Tourism Australia’s key international markets, including China, Germany, Indonesia, Our Country Is Waiting For You - Behind the scenes at Uluru Aboriginal Tours, Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, NT.jpgMalaysia, South Korea, the UK and the USA where it is expected to be seen on TV, online and in cinemas by more than 50 million people over the next few weeks.

The film has already received strong backing from the tourism industry, including airports (Sydney Airport), international airlines (Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia) and hotel groups (AccorHotels Australia and IHG) who have all agreed to provide a platform to show the film to their passengers, guests and employees.

It was important that the film showcase authentic Indigenous experiences, which could take the international visitor from the urban cultural experiences in the major cities to places such as the lush green rainforests of the Mossman Gorge, QLD; to the crystal blue waters of the Lirrwi Coast, NT; and to the iconic red centre of Australia and its ancient rock art.

Says Parker: “What we have made is a special series of films which reflect the passion and commitment from everyone who contributed to the project. Not only were we able to show the incredible places and experiences available to visitors but we were also able to show how these experiences, when shared with Aboriginal guides can provide a much richer and deeper journey that will stay with you forever.”

Says Thornton: “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 but as part of this film project it has been great to share the proud stories of our people, their culture and their land so we can promote these unique experiences to others around the world and encourage them to explore a little further when they come here to visit.”

Says Fletcher: “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 meaningful than if you explore it on your own. That’s what makes this project so special – it’s a real opportunity to open the door to that world and to tell the story of our Indigenous culture through tourism and film.”

Visit www.tourism.australia.com/aboriginalaustraliafilm to view the film and find out more about the locations and products shown, the film makers and the research behind the project.

Production Company: World Wide Mind

Directors: Warwick Thornton & Brendan Fletcher

Executive Producer: Michelle Parker

Post Production: Heckler

Editor: Andrew Holmes

Post Production Producer: Ali Kennedy

Music: Alex Lloyd

Sound Mix: Sonar