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Games industry levels up with SA VGD rebate
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A new Australia-first rebate for video game developers launched this week by the SAFC is set to be a game-changer for the industry.
The first of its kind in Australia, the new South Australian Video Game Development Rebate (SA VGD Rebate) mirrors the SAFC’s successful PDV Rebate for Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects, by enabling video games studios to claim a 10% rebate on costs incurred to develop a game in South Australia.
Claimable on eligible projects with a minimum South Australian spend of $250,000, the rebate aims to establish South Australia as a leading location for games development by encouraging established local games studios to scale up, and by incentivising non-South Australian games studios to establish a base or undertake work in the state.
Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said the new SA VGD Rebate would give South Australian games companies a significant advantage in the global marketplace.
"The SAFC’s ground-breaking new South Australian Video Game Development Rebate will not only drive jobs growth and attract international investment in our thriving games sector, it will allow South Australia to take a bigger bite of what is a $180 billion global industry," he said.
"As the first state in Australia to launch a Video Game Development Rebate, the Marshall Government further demonstrates its commitment to advancing innovation and investment in this growing industry."
SAFC CEO Kate Croser said: "The SAFC’s hugely successful PDV rebate has led to South Australia cementing its place as an international centre of excellence for post-production, digital and visual effects, and we want this new video games rebate to do the same for the state’s games sector.
"The new SA VGD Rebate furthers the SAFC’s commitment to South Australia’s games industry, building on the support we have delivered over the last 12 months including $300,000 in development funding for 11 South Australian games projects, workshops and other industry initiatives.
"We are excited to work even more closely with the state’s thriving games sector and respond to the needs of industry as we roll out this brand new rebate scheme for Australia."
South Australia’s growing, independent games industry continues to have an international impact with worldwide hits such as Hollow Knight from 2018 Australian Studio of the Year Team Cherry, named one of the 12 best games for the Nintendo Switch by games industry bible Kotaku; Sugar Slam from 2019 Australian Studio of the Year Mighty Kingdom, which reaches more than 238 million users a day on messaging app Snapchat; and Foxie Games’ Horse Riding Tales with more than 10 million downloads and 1.5 million monthly players globally.
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Read the ABC's report on the new SA VGD rebate here.
Image (clockwise from top left): South Australian made games Sugar Slam and Conan Chop Chop by Mighty Kingdom, and Horse Riding Tales by Foxie Games.
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James Stevens visits Adelaide Studios
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Federal Member for Sturt The Hon James Stevens MP and Minister for Innovation and Skills The Hon David Pisoni MP visited Adelaide Studios this week for a special tour of the facilities.
Mr Stevens and Mr Pisoni met with Adelaide Studios creative hub tenants including digital content creators Monkeystack, screen software developers Cospective and producer Anna Vincent of SLA Films, before touring the Adelaide Studios sound stages, Dolby Premier 7.1 Mixing Theatre, screening theatre and other facilities.
Image: Federal Member for Sturt The Hon James Stevens MP, SAFC CEO Kate Croser, and Minister for Innovation and Skills The Hon David Pisoni MP.
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SAFC launches new suite of programs
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New financial support for SA screen businesses and improved career pathways for diverse screen practitioners are among the pioneering industry initiatives launched this week by the SAFC, with the official release of guidelines for its new suite of funding programs.
As well as the new SA Video Game Development Rebate (see separate story), new SAFC funding programs and initiatives launched this week include:
● Screen Business Programs: Up to six SA screen businesses will be supported to grow and attract investment through business training, mentoring and cash loans under the Screen Business Planning and Mentoring Program (BPMP) and Screen Business Accelerator Program.
● Matched Market Development Grant: Trialled earlier this year as an additional COVID-19 support measure, this new grant empowers SA producers to attract market partners for their slates and projects, with the certainty that the SAFC will match their development contribution.
● Targeted Development Grant: Also introduced as a COVID-19 support measure, this new grant supports the development of SA owned Intellectual Property (IP) by way of the advancement of ambitious and original SA screen projects that can be produced and post-produced in the state and which have the potential to deliver substantial benefits to the state’s screen sector.
● Attachment Scheme: The SAFC’s long-running attachment scheme has been split into two streams: Professional Crew Attachments, and Targeted Diversity Attachments, designed specifically to provide first on-set experiences for practitioners from groups underrepresented in the South Australian screen industry. The new approach not only ensures the ongoing upskilling of SA crew, but delivers on the SAFC’s strategic aim to diversify the pool of SA screen sector crew and build a more inclusive screen industry in the state.
● Screen Production Fund: Updated guidelines now give greater clarity to producers on the way the SAFC will support production in SA.
"After extensive consultation with industry the SAFC is pleased to deliver this suite of new funding programs and initiatives to continue our practical support of South Australia’s screen sector right across the spectrum, from the development and production of film and TV to games, and from producers and production companies to key creatives and crew," said SAFC CEO Kate Croser.
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Image: Adelaide Studios, photo by Kelly Barnes.
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Applause: accolades, awards & appointments
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● South Australian practitioners are set to shine at the 2020 Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards, scoring nominations in four of the eight non-feature categories. Nominees include Victor Ivchenko, Tom Heuzenroeder, Sam Rogers, Ryan Squires, Brendan Hill, John Simpson, Lisa Simpson, James Currie ASSG, Josh Williams, Travis Williamson, Karl Telfer, Caleb Restall, Rowan Lee, Vanessa Carr, Adrian Medhurst, Allison Chhorn and the SAFC's own Carlos Manrique Clavijo. Read more
● SA made short film The Loop is a finalist in the Representation of Disability - Non-Scripted category at the MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards, and is also a finalist in the Short Documentary category at the Athens Short Film Festival, with winners to be announced in November. Directed and written by Lorcan Hopper and Johanis Lyons-Reid, and produced by Jennifer Lyons-Reid and Carl Kuddell, the film was developed and produced as part of the SAFC's Full Tilt initiative with SBS to support SA content makers with disability.
● Jason Imms has been appointed Director of Quality Assurance at Adelaide games studio Mighty Kingdom. The Freeplay judging Chair and Tasmanian Games Development champion starts later this month. Read more
Image: Lorcan Hopper and Sam Bateman in The Loop, photo by Piri Eddy.
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