On Sunday the Australian Government and the New South Wales (NSW) State Government jointly announced support for the Netflix series God’s Favorite Idiot, produced by and starring Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. The 16 episode television series will film in northern New South Wales.

Ausfilm’s Chief Executive Officer, Kate Marks welcomes the Government’s recent announcement saying “this is the tenth international production secured in eight months, injecting over half a billion dollars of direct foreign investment into Australia since Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison, announced a top up to the Location Incentive grant in July 2020 to generate more jobs for Australia. This announcement further demonstrates the Australian Government’s commitment to supporting international productions to come to Australia,”

“The ten international productions secured through Australia’s Location Incentive program and in partnership with the NSW, Queensland, Victorian and South Australian State Governments since July, are a mix of film and television, employing thousands of talented Australians.  A number of these projects involve Australians in creative and technical roles such as directors, producers, art and production designers and visual effects supervisors,” says Marks.

God’s Favorite Idiot will receive AU$10 million from the Australian Government’s AU$540 million Location Incentive grant program, announced by the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities & the Arts, the Hon. Paul Fletcher. This is in addition to the 16.5% Location Offset scheme.

The production is also receiving support from the NSW Government’s Made in NSW fund announced by the Hon. Don Harwin, New South Wales Minister for the Arts with an estimated investment of AU$74 million injected into the Australian economy by this production.

This current level of international production activity is providing the Australian industry with exciting possibilities for growth with each production committing to training and development opportunities in partnership with the local sector. 

Marks says the Location Incentive grant ensures years of continuous high-end production work for Australian crews, technicians, cast and screen businesses like visual effects, sound stages, production, travel and legal service businesses.

God’s Favorite Idiot is a workplace comedy about a mid-level technical support employee Clark Thompson (Falcone) who finds love with co-worker Amily Luck (McCarthy) at exactly the same time he becomes the unwitting messenger of God.

INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS ATTRACTED TO AUSTRALIA SINCE JULY 2020

Screen New South Wales 

1. TV series – God’s Favorite Idiot (Netflix)

2. TV series – Pieces of Her (Netflix)

Screen Queensland

3. TV series – Australian Survivor (Endemol Shine)

4. Feature film – Thirteen Lives (Imagine Entertainment)

5. Feature film – Escape from Spiderhead (Netflix)

6. TV series – Young Rock (Universal Television and Australian based production company Matchbox Pictures, part of NBCUniversal International Studios)

7. TV series  – Joe Exotic (Universal Content Productions & Matchbox Pictures)

8. TV series – Irreverent (NBCUniversal International Studios & Matchbox Pictures)

Film Victoria

9. Feature film – Blacklight  (US Producer Mark Williams & Australia’s Lightstream Productions)

South Australian Film Corporation

10. TV series – The Tourist (BBC One, Stan and Australian Producer Lisa Scott)