The Northern Territory's film industry is making waves on the global stage, with recent successes at the AACTA Awards and international recognition. But here's where it gets controversial... While the territory's film industry has evolved since the days of Crocodile Dundee, some argue that the industry's core elements remain the same. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Forty years ago, a movie about a knockabout croc hunter from the Northern Territory rewrote the script for shooting films in Australia's north. Crocodile Dundee smashed box office records when it was released in 1986, and put the remote NT's fledgling film industry on the map. Now, a new wave of territory films are making their mark globally — from Berlin to India, Spain and Türkiye.
New data from industry body Screen Territory revealed popular, recently-released films and television shows — like Kangaroo and Top End Bub — were also paying off for the NT economy. Alice Springs director Warwick Thornton will this week debut his new film Wolfram at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in Germany. The NT's industry also won big at last Saturday's AACTA Awards, taking home gongs for Kangaroo, Top End Bub, and two for 2025 Arnhem Land documentary, Journey Home.
Landscapes, humour, and unique cultural touchpoints are among the key elements that make NT films stand out. Journey Home charts the traditional funeral of late Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil, who was among the key figures to blaze a trail for the NT's film industry in its early days. Top End Bub co-producer and Tiwi woman, Libby Collins, said it was an exciting time for black filmmakers and creatives in the NT, describing the industry's "incredible leap" since the days of Crocodile Dundee.
The NT government is also trying to leverage tourism dollars out of films like Kangaroo, which was set in the Red Centre and based on the story of local identity Chris "Brolga" Barns. "We've got great stories, where it kind of intersects with tourism, that's what we try and work with as well," said Screen Territory director Jennie Hughes. "The Northern Territory is leading [the nation] in screen tourism." She said Screen Territory's investments of $2.02 million into Kangaroo, Top End Bub and Journey Home had brought more than $9.5 million back into the NT economy for Central Australia, Darwin and the Tiwi Islands.
