Ausfilm CEO Kate Marks at Fox Studios in Sydney.Credit:Edwina Pickles
"The location fund has been really successful,but once it runs out the projects run out,"she says.
The Morrison government is expected to make an announcement on assistance to the screen industry soon,though what is in it is being closely guarded.
A spokesman for Paul Fletcher,minister for communications,the arts and cyber safety,would say only that"as the Prime Minister has indicated,the government is looking at how best to support the screen sector,to stimulate jobs and get the economy moving again".
Before COVID-19 shut production down,Australia was poised for a big couple of years in terms of foreign activity,with back-to-back Marvel films at Fox Studios in Sydney,and the TV seriesClickbait andShantaram and two fantasy films from Dick Cook Studios at Melbourne’s Docklands among the projects announced.
Fox Studios was due to host a new Thor movie once Marvel's Shang-Chi wrapped,but both now face an uncertain timeline.
Ms Marks estimates the shutdown impacted around $725 million of foreign production scheduled for 2020 and 2021.
"With everything we had going on before shutdown,if the year had gone to plan we were pretty close to capacity,"she said. But from late 2021,the dance card is relatively open.