Netflix, Amazon, Disney flex Australian output ahead of content quota laws
Netflix is sometimes depicted as the villain in cultural circles. But at SXSW, one of its top local executives received a rousing reception.
Streaming video giant Netflix has at times in its history been depicted as a threat to local cultural industries, including in Australia. But when its content director for Australia and New Zealand Que Minh Luu took the stage at SXSW on Tuesday and delivered an impassioned speech about its local output and ambitions, she received cheers and applause.
“We are here to make local content, we are here to grow the sector, we are here to build capacity. So, I think that is a collective goal that we all share,” she said, rousing a room filled with industry colleagues.
At the packed out event in Sydney, the screen industry heard from executives at US streaming companies operating in Australia, including Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime Video, who made the case for why regulatory efforts directed at local content quotas should also focus on boosting the industry’s capacity to produce local content.
Minh Luu said making Australian content is about more than “throwing an Australian accent” into scripts. She said it's about ensuring there are local succession plans in place, and making sure the local industry can scale as demand for Australian content increases.
