Official Launch · 11 September 2026
Launch Day Speeches
The speeches
Seven voices, one morning
On 11 September 2026, ministers, diplomats, an Elder and our founders took the lectern at Government House to launch the West Australian Indian Film Council. Every speech is here in full, with a transcript that follows along as you watch.
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5:35
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0:21Good morning, and welcome to the launch of the West Australian Indian Film Council. For those who don’t know me, my name is Mike Carter.
0:29I head up International Trade and Investment at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and of recent Nilesh, God bless him, has recently dragooned me to join the International Advisory Council.
0:42So delighted to be a part of that. This morning I’m going to be your MC.
0:47And before we begin, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.
0:59And I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining us here today.
1:06I must say, ladies and gentlemen, I’m feeling really relaxed today.
1:11And I think that’s because I had an amazing yarn with Dr Noel Nannup just earlier, and we spoke about values and really what’s important in life.
1:20And it’s all about those, you know, getting real, those people to people engagements. And that’s what Creative Industries is all about.
1:29And that’s one of the reasons why I, a guy that spent some 30 years in international trade, can see the value in creative industries and bringing people together and bringing nations together as well.
1:43So just a couple of housekeeping notes. If you can please put your phones on silent. Do not turn your phones off.
1:50We encourage you to take as many photos as you like. After all, if it’s not on LinkedIn, it never happened. Right. Please note the emergency exits.
2:00And in the event of an emergency, please do take the direction of the staff of Government House. And of course, the restroom facilities are on the left.
2:11If you were to exit at the back, in other words, the way in which you came in. It really does feel like we’re at a movie event here today.
2:20Well, we are, because of the list of VIPs that are here this morning.
2:25Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge the Honourable Roger Cook, MLA, Premier of Western Australia, Minister for Defence Industries; Tourism, Trade and Investment.
2:36Roger, I don’t know when you find time to sleep, but you’re doing a fantastic job in those portfolios.
2:43The Honourable Simone McGurk, MLA, Minister for Creative Industries, Heritage, Industrial Relations, Aged Care and Seniors and Women.
2:51My dear friend, Dr Noel Nannup, who is a Noongar Elder. And very shortly, we’re going to be hearing from Noel as he delivers the Welcome to Country.
3:01Ms Kajari Biswas, who is the Consul General of India for Western Australia and Northern Territory.
3:09Madam, delighted that you can bless us with your august presence this morning.
3:15And then we have a cohort of parliamentarians that are here today, the Honourable Julie Freeman MLC, Ron Sao MLA.
3:24Yaz Mubarakai MLA, Hugh Jones MLA, Sook Yee Lai MLA, Dan Bull MLA. And we also have representation from two of the city councils,
3:34Mayor Logan Howlett from the City of Cockburn and Mayor Tanya Richardson. No event would be complete without the federal government.
3:44So we also have here Jayne Cafaro, who’s the Austrade state director here in Western Australia, and Pamela Curry, who I think I saw earlier, who’s state director for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
3:57I also would like to acknowledge the consular corps, various chambers and bilateral chambers of commerce, the film and arts, community, education, business and community organisations.
4:09Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I have a brief film-world confession to make. Right.
4:16The closest that I ever came to meeting a South Indian movie icon was in Chennai.
4:22When I was posted there as a trade commissioner, on that particular day, I went to pick up my son Rahul from an after-school party, and a very courteous gentleman answered the door.
4:37We had a pleasant chat and of course I didn’t think anything more of it.
4:42It’s only when I returned home and mentioned it to my wife Savitri, did she say to me, and I’ll use the Tamil word, “Aiyo, amma.”
4:52Do you realise that you’ve just met one of South India’s great movie legends, who’s made something like 230 films across a 60-year career?
5:03Ladies and gentlemen, that afternoon I’d actually met the screen legend Kamal Haasan. What to say?
5:16
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0:00Michael Carter, MC…without further ado, it gives me immense pleasure to welcome Dr Noel Nannup to deliver the Welcome to Country.
0:00Thanks, Michael. Kaya. We’ll give it one more go. Kaya. That’s better. Not quite the ambiance I was expecting, and I’m used to, but I’ve got to get used to it.
0:18Because I know this is going to gather momentum, and it’ll necessitate me having to go down that path of becoming more accustomed to wearing something that’s more applicable in an arena like this.
0:35I prefer smoke wafting in, nice warm fire, smelling the [Noongar] wood burning, knowing that my ancestors are right there all around the fire with me.
0:50Folks, we are the greatest and longest storytellers on the planet. And if you’re into storytelling and film and getting down this path, put your seatbelts on.
1:06You’ve opened up the most amazing orators in relation to humans on this planet.
1:21We’re not treated very well, and I’m sure you’re aware of that, but I’m not here to bellyache about that.
1:29I’m here to just purely, simply welcome you to country. Simone McGurk, I’d like to acknowledge you.
1:36You’re the only person sitting in this room from the political arena that has heard the Carers of Everything story in its complete version.
1:47Four consecutive nights she sat in Ray Avenue, Fremantle, and listened to me deliver the Carers of Everything story in two-hour allotments every Thursday night for four weeks, eight hours.
2:03Because as humans, there’s only so much we can take in and comprehend and fully understand and process. Nilesh, I’d like to acknowledge you, my friend.
2:16And I say my friend, because Nilesh and I go back a long way.
2:22He’s a super human being, and I won’t say I’ll crawl across 60 miles of broken glass just to hear you speak, but at the same time, maybe 40 miles.
2:34So as I say that, folks, I’d like you to now know and understand that our connection to this country is for me and Karla. She’s my cousin.
2:46We go back thousands of years here and thousands of generations. And my ancestors, I’ll call them in shortly, and you’ll feel their presence coming in.
3:00They’re starting to move in. They would wish for me to get to it. And so would the Premier. So, I will: [Noongar], bad spirit go away.
3:11For those of you not familiar with our language, [Noongar] means bad, [Noongar] is the spirit, and [Noongar] is to go away.
3:22Don’t come back. [Noongar], bad spirit go away. You’ll hear the silence. As you hear that. Now they’re leaving. That leaves a void.
3:44That void can only be filled by a good spirit. And I wanted to enhance your day. You’ve made the effort to be here at this hour. And therefore.
3:58[Noongar], good spirit. Come and sit with us and gently on us.
4:07In our language, [Noongar] means really, really good, and [Noongar] is the spirit itself, and it is feminine.
4:22As blokes, we have to be humble, whereas our females are so soft and gentle. On this landscape you do not even know that they were here.
4:40And she’s come in here now and brought all the ancestors with her to celebrate this incredible occasion. Congratulations again, Nilesh.
4:56I now go with the ancient way of saying welcome. Kaya, kaya, kaya. Words change. Kaya wanjoo, Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Welcome. This is Whadjuk country. Thank you.
6:13
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0:00Michael Carter, MC…it gives me immense pleasure to invite the Premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook, to make some opening remarks. Thank you, Premier.
0:00Thank you, Mike. Thanks very much, everyone, for the opportunity to be with you today, on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the traditional owners of this country.
0:09And Doctor, thank you so much for your welcome this morning. You always bring such great connection and spirituality to any event that you’re at.
0:18And we deeply appreciate your presence today.
0:21Can I also acknowledge the Governor, who couldn’t be here today, but lent us his back shed to undertake this important event today, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to be here with you all.
0:34Can I acknowledge the Chair of the WA Indian Film Council, Nilesh Makwana, and all the board members, my colleague and good friend, the Minister for Creative Industries, the Honourable Simone McGurk, and all the other MPs that are here today.
0:48It’s great to see you all.
0:50The Consul General of India, Her Excellency Ms Biswas, thank you very much for being at this event and blessing us with your presence, and all the leaders of both the Commonwealth and state public sectors that are here today.
1:07Thank you very much for joining us.
1:10And I’d like to thank our host for inviting me here to join you today, celebrating this important milestone. The establishment of the Western Australian Indian Film Council reflects the opportunities and potential of WA’s screen industry.
1:27The Indian film industry is the biggest in the world in terms of production and ticket sales, and that means the opportunities in WA are, quite frankly, enormous.
1:39Creative industries don’t only grow economies, they also drive job creation and cultural understanding in communities.
1:47Until now, there has been limited collaboration in this space between WA and India, and the 2023 Australia–India Audiovisual Co-production Agreement opened the door for more.
2:01The Western Australian Indian Film Council can be the bridge between our two screen industries, and the state government is playing our part as well.
2:11We are committed to diversifying our economy and ensuring that Western Australia remains the best place in the world to get a high-quality job.
2:21And earlier this year, we celebrated the completion of the $290 million world-class Perth Film Studios, heralding a new era of screen production in WA.
2:31This state-of-the-art facility includes four sound stages and more than 8,200m² of production space.
2:39It also boasts two annexes, workshops for set and prop construction, and the largest backlot in the Southern Hemisphere.
2:48And as someone who knows nothing about films, I don’t even know what that means.
2:53I am, in fact, however, informed that the backlot is 22% larger than the turf surface at Optus Stadium, and I guess that’s a good point of reference.
3:05It’s an investment which reflects my government’s commitment to diversifying our economy and to growing industries, particularly the creative industries that harness creativity and international engagement.
3:19So it’s very exciting to see organisations such as the WA Indian Film Council form, with the intention of creating more movie magic right here in WA.
3:31But I must say, the international market for film councils is very competitive, Nilesh.
3:37I remember in 2022 when we were in Chennai and we attended a workshop of the Tamil Nadu film industry, otherwise known as Kollywood, and we were in a smallish room.
3:51And as the workshop continued to gather pace, there were one, two, three cameras that came into the room, four, five.
4:01And as the workshop came to a completion, it was standing room only in this small little room because every film crew and television station had turned up to cover this event.
4:16I did what you do in these press conferences: nod wisely behind the person who was speaking in a language other than my own, but I had time while that person spoke to the media to count the cameras in the room.
4:30There were no less than 38 cameras and tripods, complete with camera operators and journalists travelling with them.
4:38The biggest press conference I’ve ever been to in my life. That’s the standard, Nilesh.
4:45I don’t think there are 38 cameras in Western Australia, but I reckon we should aim for that. Look.
4:53As Premier, I spend a lot of my time talking about the economic, education and cultural connections that link our state with nations around the world.
5:03And India was WA’s seventh-largest trading partner in the last financial year. Total two-way trade was worth $7.72 billion.
5:12And last year, India was our state’s top source of international students.
5:17But there are many more opportunities for collaboration between WA and India, including in cultural and creative industries.
5:26We know that screen content has an extraordinary ability to build connections between people and places.
5:34And the WA Indian Film Council has an important role to play in strengthening the important and deep cultural connections, fostering creative partnerships and creating new opportunities between WA and India.
5:49I look forward to seeing the work of the Council in the years ahead, and hopefully with a box of popcorn.
5:57So congratulations on this milestone and best wishes for the exciting journey ahead. Thank you very much, everyone.
5:58
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0:00Michael Carter, MC…great pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, to welcome Minister Simone McGurk MLA, Minister for Creative Industries, Heritage, Industrial Relations, Aged Care and Seniors, and Women. Minister, kindly.
0:00Good morning, everyone. Great to be with you. And thank you very much, Noel, for your Welcome to Country.
0:07And I remember well that time in Ray Avenue, listening to you around the campfire.
0:13And it was very important to me as an elected representative that I take the time to properly understand a little bit more, as much as I could, about our traditional owners and the incomprehensible number of years that Aboriginal people have been protecting this land, walking on this land.
0:33So thank you. And I also extend my very genuine respects to Elders past and present, and extend that to any Aboriginal people that are here.
0:43Thank you, Premier, for your words, and also to all the other dignitaries we’ve heard this morning.
0:51It’s really great to be with you, including the Consul General. Great to have you here.
0:57And of course Nilesh and all the group of the WA Indian Film Council. As the Minister for Creative Industries in Western Australia, it is an exciting time.
1:08There’s no doubt at all about that.
1:10We are putting record investments into our creative industries, and chief amongst that investment is the investment into our screen industry.
1:20As a state government, of course, there’s a very physical manifestation of that.
1:25The film studios, which were opened earlier this year, together with the capital investment and also the supporting dollars that go with attracting productions here in Western Australia: it’s the largest production attraction incentive in the country.
1:43We are sending a message that we are open for business.
1:46We have got a tradition of good filmmaking here in Western Australia, but we really want to take that up a notch, and I’m really proud of the work that the industry has done and is doing, and also the work that we as a state government are doing to back that up.
2:02And I think we can also be assured that the WA community is also enthusiastic about that work.
2:10And you may be aware that we’ve got an open day just tomorrow and on Saturday, and we opened it up for free entry.
2:21But we needed to manage the number of people coming. So we offered tickets, and those tickets were snatched up within four hours of opening.
2:32And it really does show the enthusiasm and interest that there is in our film studios, but also the work that we’re doing in screen.
2:43And then today we’ve got the Studios Careers Day.
2:47So we’ve got a huge number of schools and students coming to the studios to look at what opportunities they can pick up in terms of the work that’s going into our screen industry.
3:02So the work that Nilesh and the Council are doing to link in with the enormous screen industry that exists in India is really important.
3:13And as the Premier said, that really builds on a very solid relationship that we have here in Western Australia with the Indian community and with Indian industry.
3:26And so I think we really do have an opportunity for the total to be greater than the sum of the parts together.
3:38So I’m really looking forward to seeing what that will look like over the coming years.
3:45And if Nilesh’s enthusiasm and efforts are anything to go by, I’ve got every confidence that we will produce great things together.
3:54Can I really just also back up what the Premier has said, not only today, but since he became the Premier of Western Australia, and that is his determination to diversify the WA economy.
4:08We have got amazing assets here in Western Australia, whether it’s our physical assets as a state. And I know that… excuse me.
4:18I know that there will be interest in some of the opportunities to film on location because of our beautiful natural assets.
4:32But I think also our technical capabilities here in Western Australia really lend themselves to a fantastic opportunity to make sure that the creative industries, in particular screen, are part of our diversified WA agenda.
4:50And I also know and have full confidence that we have here in Western Australia some amazing creative talent. And our First Nations people are part of that.
5:02For, as I said, an incomprehensible number of years they have been demonstrating their connection to their own spirit, the spirit of the land, and creativity really gives expression to that, but also as a people.
5:20Something about our isolation here has really engendered some fantastic talent, and I’m really looking forward to helping steward that as the Minister for Creative Industries, and then working with partners like the WA Indian Film Council to grow that in future years.
5:40So great to be here as a representative of the state government, and I look forward to the work that we can do together. Thanks very much.
5:58
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0:00Michael Carter, MC…pleasure to introduce the Consul General of India for Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In the short time that she has been here in Perth, she’s really been making waves and driving that important bilateral trade and investment agenda. All I can say is Jai Ho when it comes to the effort that she’s undertaken. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure in welcoming the Consul General.
0:00Thank you, Michael.
0:03Honourable Roger Cook, Premier; Honourable Simone McGurk, Minister for Creative Industries, Heritage, Industrial Relations, Aged Care and Seniors, Women; Nilesh Makwana, Chair and Director, West Australian Indian Film Council; Pamela Curry, Director of the Perth Chapter of DFAT; members of the Consular Corps and Perth dignitaries from the Western Australian Parliament, government departments.
0:29Creative industries fraternity, Chambers of Commerce, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, very good morning.
0:36Kaya. At the very outset, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that we stand on and pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
0:48And thank you, Dr Nannup, for this lovely Welcome to Country.
0:52Today, it’s my honour to be present in your midst on this momentous occasion of the launch of the West Australian Indian Film Council.
1:00The Council is the brainchild and passion of Nilesh Makwana, a good friend and respected entrepreneur with a passion for the arts and culture.
1:08Its genesis is very opportune as it comes at a time when the creative industries sector in Perth is poised to launch itself to greater heights through government incentives and private enterprise.
1:21I must congratulate the Arts and Culture Trust and the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport for the success of the Perth Film Studios open day beginning today, with tickets, as the Minister was mentioning, sold out due to the overwhelming demand.
1:38Well, the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, the Directors Guild, the Writers Guild, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and Screen Producers Australia are all based in Sydney.
1:49With the centre of gravity of Australia’s film industry still located on the East Coast, the establishment of the Perth Film Studios is set to be a game changer, a dramatic shift for Western Australia. Endowed with a wide variety of topography, scenic locations and cultural landmarks, Western Australia is fast becoming a preferred location for films, both domestic and international.
2:14It’s been three years since the signing of the Australia–India Co-production Agreement that aimed to strengthen the existing ties between the Australian and Indian film industries, and assist Indian and Australian producers to reach new audiences, and audiences to connect with new stories.
2:35India offers robust incentives as well, including up to 40% reimbursement caps for qualifying international projects, movement of film and equipment and crew across borders with fewer import or export hurdles, and smoother access to theatrical markets, television broadcasters and festivals.
2:56Co-production projects encourage the telling of stories relevant to the cultures of both countries, and have long been instrumental in pooling talent, resources and knowledge of working in film industries in different geographies.
3:11India and Australia are not strangers to this mechanism, and the time has come for Western Australia and India to explore the opportunities in each other’s creative industries.
3:24The WAIFC can be that fulcrum to attract key stakeholders, new talent and international participation in this journey.
3:32It can leverage the presence of a growing Indian community in Perth, where many are organically connected to the Indian film industries in Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab through friends, family and business interests.
3:48The Film Bazaar in Goa is hungry for international businesses, and Western Australia has been sending delegations to better understand the industry in India.
3:59The WAIFC can become a key facilitator for such connections.
4:04Western Australia hosts five film festivals, and the WAIFC can seek to ensure greater awareness of, and participation from, India in the creative, production and distribution space.
4:17In short, it can become a new pivot in India–Western Australia relations. It can connect Western Australia to the world’s largest film industry in terms of the sheer number of movies made,
4:28the world’s fourth-largest box office after the US, China and Japan, with overseas box office collections that grew by 30% between 2022 and 2024, contributing about 15% of total worldwide earnings.
4:45It can connect Perth’s creators to a growing market, hungry for new experiences and new stories.
4:52At a time when the landscape of Indian cinema is being reshaped by new technologies, shifting audience tastes and the rise of pan-Indian storytelling, production houses, writers and directors are responding with unique voices, often exploring subjects that mainstream cinema might shy away from.
5:13Perth has already hosted the National Indian Film Festival of Australia in April this year, and sometime later this year I look forward to the Perth edition of the Indian Film Festival by Mindblowing Films.
5:28I am sure that the organisers will get all the support they require from the Council.
5:33I hope that such celebrations of cinema and the people who make it happen will become landmark events that will promote and enrich the creative industries in Perth, and I wish Nilesh and his team all the very best.
5:48Thank you.
1:49
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0:00Hi. Bruce Reynolds here, Lord Mayor of the City of Perth. Congratulations to the Western Australian Indian Film Council on today’s official launch.
0:08I acknowledge the Consul General of India to Western Australia and the Northern Territory,
0:13Ms Kajari Biswas, WAIFC Chair and founder Nilesh Makwana, and the many others who have worked really hard to establish the Western Australian Indian Film Council.
0:22The City of Perth is delighted to be an inaugural member of the WAIFC, and this reflects the city’s commitment to strengthening international relationships and supporting the growth of Perth’s creative economy.
0:34Perth is a natural gateway between Australia and the Indian Ocean region, with long-standing cultural, community and business connections to India.
0:42The city has embarked on a journey to become a Screenwest-accredited, film-friendly city,
0:47as we continue to make Perth an easier and more attractive destination for filming, production and post-production activity. This partnership with WAIFC will help the city better understand the expectations and opportunities from one of the world’s largest screen industries.
1:04The city is here to connect, to facilitate and to advocate as we work alongside industry, government, tourism, education and screen sector partners.
1:13We know collaboration is key to turning international relationships into practical opportunities for a city.
1:20It aligns with our broader ambitions to strengthen cultural, social and economic ties with India, and this is the beginning of a strong and mutually beneficial relationship for the city, and WAIFC, and India.
1:32On behalf of the City of Perth, I wish WAIFC nothing but success as it continues this exciting and important journey.
1:40Thank you, and we’ll see you soon in the city.
20:12
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0:00Michael Carter, MC…to tell you the story and the passion that he has put into setting up the Council.
0:00Michael Carter, MCAnd if you may allow me to indulge. I’ve known Nilesh for about ten years. In fact, ten years ago, in this very place, Nilesh launched West Tech Assemblage. What has happened in the last ten years? Well, in Nilesh’s case, he’s run so many programs with West Tech Assemblage, he’s managed the Borderless Gandhi program for a number of years, and he launched a book in 2022, in Perth and India. I lost count of how many book launches he had. I think probably almost the same number of cameras or camera crew that the Premier spoke about when his time was in Delhi. But if there’s one thing that’s been constant about you, Nilesh, it’s that you are all about bringing people together to share ideas for the common good.
0:00Michael Carter, MCI can recall at that book launch in New Delhi, I coined the phrase that best describes you: the three P’s, perseverance, passion and purpose. And of course today, with the launch of the West Australian Indian Film Council, I’d like to change that to the three C’s: connection, culture and cinema. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please put your hands together for Nilesh Makwana.
0:00Thank you, Mike. I’ve become accustomed to three P’s, and now three C’s. Can I start by thanking Uncle Noel for being here this morning? For me? And I know you had to drive such a long drive for me and wake up early. But I know you love me and I love you back. And thanks for being here. And, Greg, Karla.
0:24Robert, I think I like to see you in the front seat, because storytelling is going to start with you. And we’ve been doing it for a very long time with India, as you know. So I appreciate you guys coming in here.
0:40And also, can I thank Eric from Government House, who announced that my request to hold this event was accepted on India’s Independence Day, the 15th of August. And I truly felt independent that day, when I could hold the event on the Crown land here, you know, in the backyard.
0:59I remember the Governor attending the India’s Independence Day celebration at the Duxton Hotel. And the same afternoon, I had received the message that Government House was accepted. And I told the Governor, I said, Governor, what a great celebration of Independence Day. Thank you.
1:14And it was amazing that in a short amount of time, we were able to pull this event together with the help of PAV, the audio-visual company, which you see the big screen here, and also Galaxy Events with the decoration. And then Deva Ji, who’s from A2B Vegetarian Restaurant, helping us with catering.
1:32And if these people were not behind me, without money, I couldn’t have been able to pull this thing together. So you can see the WA spirit that people come together and try to support you when you are starting out, and this event wouldn’t have been possible without them.
1:50But I want to start by acknowledging the Premier, that you are my… as I always tell you, Lord Ganesha. I don’t start anything without him being present.
2:01And every first event I did, 2015, when Premier Mark McGowan was Opposition Leader and we were in this room right at this stage, and you helped bring him to the stage, and then you were the first politician I had taken a photo with, in 2014.
2:19I remember that event. So whenever I do something, I trouble him and I say, I need you there. And he said, but it’s not my portfolio, it’s Minister Simone McGurk’s portfolio. I said, it doesn’t matter, I need you there.
2:32And when I was new in this town, I was told that you need to be a squeaky wheel to get things done. Yeah. And also be ridgy-didge. Ridgy-didge is a slang which I learned: you need to do good and do what you say, and don’t take money and run away. Deliver.
2:49So if you are ridgy-didge and you are a squeaky wheel, you’ll get things done.
2:55And Minister, you said “partner WAIFC” a few times in your speech, which I’m very happy with, because I’m going to be a best friend with you and I’ll make sure that I keep troubling you and be a squeaky wheel until we get some projects coming here, or our people in the creative industry go to India.
3:17As the Premier said, it’s not an easy task to do. To diversify the WA creative industry is not easy, and it’s a challenge. We have taken on pressure from everybody.
3:29Three of you came on stage and gave amazing speeches and showed a lot of enthusiasm and passion, but it’s not going to happen unless the government is backing it and we are working together.
3:42So I’ll be troubling you a lot, Minister. Hopefully the portfolio doesn’t change soon. Yeah. And can I also thank Mother India, the Consul General of India. I call her Mother India because whenever she calls me, I answer, doesn’t matter when. And I say, yes, mother, tell me, what do you need? And whenever I call, she answers.
4:05And I feel that when you get supported by your own home country and our home now, Perth, my original home, it feels amazing that we have that blessing and support from both sides, the Western Australian government and also the Indian government.
4:19And when we bring those government connections together with support at the highest level, things start to happen. So there is no doubt that we have political will at federal level, both sides, and state level, to do great things with India.
4:34We’ve already been enjoying the food, chicken tikka masala and others, for many years. We’ve been enjoying the cricket as well. The cricket is going to India, to Chennai. The Big Bash is going to play. But we haven’t been enjoying that much of the film between Western Australia and India, right.
4:51So I think India is all about cricket, films, Bollywood, food, culture and the arts. And once we connect all those things then we are truly connected. The direct flight is going to be there.
5:02But we need more than a direct flight, which is the people connectivity happening: more and more people will come here and get involved with the culture, and our people going there and telling our stories in India, and they see our local people coming and going and collaborating.
5:17That’s when the real connection will happen, through culture and the arts. So I have no doubt that we will get there. Now, today wouldn’t have been possible without the support of many people behind the launch of this council.
5:38Now, Vincent Lam. They say behind a successful man there is always a woman; in this case it’s a man behind me. And Vincent is my business partner.
5:51And I haven’t done my business for the past three months since I started this council work, and I’ve been full time on this council to get it up and running. And he said, thank you, stay away from us, because if you are with us, you create more work for us.
6:06So he’s actually enjoying that I’m away from the office. Otherwise I keep bringing new projects and new ideas and new stuff, and more work happens. So his focus is on delivery, and he’s got enough work for this year and next year to be busy. And hopefully, the more I stay away, the happier he is going to be.
6:24So don’t you worry guys, I still have a business, I’m still focused on it and I’ll continue to be running that business. But he’s happy that he’s giving me the time to launch this council. So thank you, Vincent, for your support. Right. Next slide please.
6:41And who has heard this quote before in the film industry sector? Right. Little things, big things grow. I’m sure many of you have received emails over the years with that signature in there, right? Little things, big things grow. And Ian Hale is known for that.
6:58And when I had this idea — usually, you see, when you’re starting out, you need a first backer who believes in you, and it’s usually not easy to get the first, second and third support. And Ian says, mate, I believe in you. Let’s do it. Let’s get together and start the journey.
7:16And he’s like that father to me, when I was learning cycling. The father gives a push to the cycle, and then I go a little bit further and fall, because I don’t know how to stop my bike.
7:29I know how to get on the bike and start riding, but I don’t know how to stop. And then I have to learn on my own to get going further. And Ian is like that. He says, I’m here with you, get going. And then I’m on my own, but hopefully with a team. Sitting beside him is another director who has joined. He taught me
7:48what below-the-line and above-the-line production means, what the writer means, and what the incentives and offsets for locations are. Then we had Chris Veerhuis with us from Screenwest, who joined us and started giving support.
8:03So I started getting a lot of support and learning about the film industry. And when I was in the bathroom this morning, one of the producers, directors or writers was talking to me, and I hadn’t met him before.
8:16He says, what do you do? I said, I’m in IT. He said, how come you are in film? I said, well, I’m an entrepreneur first. Yeah. I know how to bring people together to solve a challenge and take up the challenge, which is to diversify the WA creative industry, and it’s not going to be an easy challenge.
8:31I don’t think the Indian production houses are going to come and use much of our studio here. They’ve got many better studios in terms of what they need in India, but definitely they will be coming when the right scripts or right stories are there, which can connect Western Australia and our locations.
8:48So it’s not just about coming here and using our studio; it’s actually about stories which need to be told between both locations. But also, at the same time,
8:57it’s about our creative people here having access to the India market, which is the biggest market in terms of OTT platforms, ticket sales, audience and distribution. When we are creating content here, we need that market to be able to go there and sell.
9:13Right. So this is the other way around. It’s not just import, it’s also export, which is bigger. So we need our creative talent to bridge the gap. In the first few weeks, another lady who was backing me up was Suzanne Worner. Many of you would know her.
9:30She’s going through health troubles, but despite going through her own health troubles, she was waking up early in the morning, right in the cold winter two months ago, and coming with me to see DFAT, the City of Perth, Austrade,
9:46everywhere. And Ian, Tim, Suzanne, Christopher Watson, all these people, they said, we believe in you. Let’s go, let’s go. Waking up that early in the morning. Suzanne, thank you. I love you for that. I know you’ve been doing your best behind the scenes, supporting everything.
10:03So these are the people who started the journey, and without them we wouldn’t be here today launching this council. Right. And that’s the spirit. Next slide. Oh, sorry, let’s stay on Investment and Trade, Premier. It’s easy for me to bring people together here, right? But in India, in Mumbai, we need support.
10:22And fortunately we have the Investment and Trade office, which was the first one to open, many years ago. And Ian Hale, I have here from The Backlot Perth, helping me.
10:33But then Dr Ian Martinus in India and his office have been helping me to connect with some of the Bollywood and cinema people, and a few other people I need help with.
10:43And that office has been doing a great job. I know we’re going to Mumbai next week, and there is a little memento to give to Dr Ian Martinus, which I’ll give to you, and I’ll bring it to Mumbai and then we can give it to him there together. That’s been a great office, which has been supporting us.
11:01So without the support of the Investment and Trade office in India, we wouldn’t have been able to create great connections. Next slide please. Next one. So this is our board. They have been supporting and helping us, and Neha has been working a full-time job but took a day off today to help us with this event.
11:18And every night, in the evenings, they’ve been working. Malav has been helping us to make sure the governance is done correctly, the budgeting is done correctly, and we have the right constitution. So there has been great support behind the scenes from a lot of people, who have been amazing.
11:33Next slide. And we have a strategic advisory council. Now, I haven’t run a not-for-profit for a very long time. I have, but not as big as this one is going to be. So we have Matt Lewis, who has been running an amazing NFP in the Busselton regional area.
11:46We have Cassandra, who is an experienced person, and Aneek, who has a tourism background and an amazing hospitality background, and who understands what I’m trying to do. So these are the people who said, go ahead, we are here to support you and guide you, and pick up the phone whenever you need. Next slide.
12:03And then we have some screen industry people. So, as we said, little things, big things grow. Ian Hale and I went on a journey, but once we started the journey, a lot of people started to join.
12:14And we’ve been very fortunate to have amazing people joining our council and bringing their expertise, whether it’s distribution, acting, festivals, locations or cinematography: people we have access to, who have an interest in helping Western Australia connect with India.
12:32They’ve been coming forward. Next slide. And Mr Jamshed Mistry, he’s an amazing man. Until I met him I thought I was working hard, but he’s close to 70.
12:43And he’s a Supreme Court advocate in India and a media and entertainment lawyer, a highly respected gentleman whom most film industry people in India would know. And he is also legal counsel for the Central Board of Film Certification. When I met him, he took me around to meet some amazing people, including Shiamak Davar, who’s our Cultural Connect Ambassador.
13:05And from early in the morning until late at night, he was with me in Mumbai, everywhere, walking around, running around, having meetings: the Producers Guild of India, meetings with a few stars and actors and directors and writers and many other associations, helping to connect the dots.
13:22Because I can rally people here in Western Australia, film industry people, but we need the same support in India to support us and connect the dots. And Mr Mistry has been great, and he brought Gayatri along the journey as well, who has worked for 25 years at Disney and Sony,
13:38and she has great experience in distribution and selecting scripts. And Rishabh Chopra is in production at Yash Raj Films, one of the biggest studios, which has produced amazing movies for Shah Rukh Khan and many others, a very famous studio, and he’s a production house specialist.
13:54So the people who have joined us in India are just the start of the journey. Over the next one or two years we’ll be making more and more amazing connections to India, which will help our creative people in this town.
14:06And you know that handsome man standing there? He used to work in India. So Mike Carter has been amazing, and he’s continued to help me. He still has a little India heart in him somewhere, and he wants to continue to connect with India. Next slide. And of course, we couldn’t do without the support of First Nations people.
14:28And Robert and Karla, I’ll rely on your guidance and support to make sure that we start in the right way every time there is a project. Next slide. And these are emerging actors from WA of Indian origin, and they are building their careers.
14:42And whenever there is an actor, or anybody from a diverse background, starting their journey, I have asked them to mentor, guide and help navigate the new people who are coming into the industry. Next slide. This is amazing, isn’t it?
14:57When you start a journey, you have these amazing people coming in and becoming inaugural partners, and when you have universities joining you, that’s a big blessing. I can’t thank enough ECU, UWA, Murdoch and the many other partners who have joined us here.
15:13When I was launching this council, I had to pay for public liability, workers’ compensation and security. Government House has a lot of rules to hold an event here, and without money you can’t do much. And some of the partners here have nothing to do with film.
15:26They came forward and said, hey, we’ll give you money. Don’t worry about the contract or the logo. We know what you’re doing. We’ll support you. Go ahead and pay the bills and launch the council. So that’s the WA spirit, with some of these organisations coming together.
15:42It’s quite humbling that we have great people around us who can support us. But at the same time, it’s scary, because there is faith and trust in this council and in me, and we have to deliver this now. We can’t just take money and run away, right? We’ll have to deliver and do a good job. Next slide.
15:58And we have strategic partners who we are going to collaborate and work with. Over the next one or two years we’re going to do joint collaborations and work out what we can achieve together, because it’s all about learning from the best, who’ve been doing it for a long time.
16:11Our council is new, but some of the strategic partners have been here for a long time, and without their support and guidance we wouldn’t be able to achieve what we want to achieve. So it’s important that we have this strategic partnership. Next slide. And then we have some supporting partners. Now, these are important ones.
16:27They are the ones giving amazing in-kind support. They may not give cash, but they give something that cash cannot buy. To launch something like this, these supporting partners put in their effort, time, money and their own resources to help the council, which we are very grateful for.
16:46And each one of them hopefully will continue for a long time to come. We are very fortunate that we have managed to bring some amazing people together, and we need to look after them as well as we move forward.
16:59Some of them are small businesses which deserve our support. Next slide. Now, what are we about to do? It’s not about co-production. It’s not about just bringing somebody to shoot here in WA. It’s about culture and the arts.
17:19Once we have the bridge between people, and we are doing more than film, which could be performing arts, music or exhibitions; once we connect the culture and learn about working with each other, then things will start to happen. And movies are part of that.
17:35But it’s more than just the movies. It’s two communities coming together through culture and the arts. And I’m happy that Mother India here is from West Bengal, and she’s quite keen on a culture and arts connection. Not every Consul General is like that,
17:50but fortunately she’s the right person at the right time, helping me make more cultural connections to India. Right. Next slide please. We do have strategic directions; we are not just here to launch. We have some ideas of what we want to do over the next one or two years.
18:06My biggest priority is to make this council sustainable. If we don’t survive, if we don’t have operational money or funding, nothing’s going to happen, right? We might do a great launch and disappear. So we have to make sure this council can survive and thrive, and has the right resources and support.
18:22And that’s where all of you in the room come into the picture. If you want to see this happen, we will need the community backing. Yeah, everything takes time, effort, money and resources. And so far it’s a great start.
18:34But to continue to thrive, we will need all of your support and community spirit going forward. Next slide please. Now, I’ve been talking quite a lot. I don’t know if what I’m trying to say is making sense, but the repeat message is: I have pressure to deliver, and it wouldn’t be possible without all of you.
18:53And I’m also grateful that a lot of partners have already come together. And these founding partners who have come together will be remembered forever. Why?
19:01Because I have a personal philosophy: if somebody gave you your first job, your first leg up, or just got you started, you never forget them. You might become successful. You might reach bigger heights. But without those people who helped you get started, you wouldn’t be where you are.
19:19And on this day, when we are launching this council, we had some amazing partners come together and support it. So we have created a clapperboard, recognising them as supporting partners and founding partners, and we invite them to come on stage, collect it and take a group photo with us.
19:38But remember, this is just the start of a journey. The actual clapboard, when the movie gets shot, might take a few years. It may not come that easily, because making films and bringing them here
19:49is not an easy journey, but we can do it collectively, together: help each other, support each other, unite together, and make sure that someday we’ll see an Indian film here actually doing a clap.
20:01Right. And so that’s the moment we are trying to capture here: all of us have a role to play, and we’ll do it together. I think I should stop now. Thank you.
Read the story of the morning
Who said what, and why it matters: our launch recap brings the speeches, the stories and the clapperboards together.