Arts Minister Troy Grant made the announcement at the Maitland Regional Art Gallery on Saturday and said the funding would be used to assess capacity of the screen sector in the Hunter.

“The Hunter Region is busy with production companies filming television commercials and Screen Hunter is active in assisting with filming approvals, location scouting and sourcing of local crew, services and support,” Mr Grant said.

“We want to see more screen practitioners from the Hunter telling their stories and potentially also filming in the region, just as Maitland filmmaker Behren Schulz has done with his production Love Is Now.”

Set in the world of photography, Love Is Now is an intriguing drama that chronicles a summer of love along the harvest trail filmed at locations including Tocal Homestead.

“Screen NSW is backing Love Is Now through its regional Filming Fund with the production creating 103 jobs and a regional spend of more than $291,000,” Mr Grant said.

He said Screen NSW– in partnership with Screen Hunter – will establish a comprehensive three-year professional development program designed to boost the level of local production and locally created screen jobs as well as driving economic benefits for the Hunter Region.

“The program will help newcomers to the industry to tap into the existing knowledge base and encourage greater use of collaborative working relationships between emerging and experienced practitioners in the region,” Mr Grant said.

Maitland MP Robyn Parker said Screen NSW’s support for the sector was helping the industry to reach to new audiences.

“We’re helping to build local audiences by supporting festivals that make film more accessible to people across NSW,” Ms Parker said.

She said Screen NSW would also provide $5000 through its Audience Development Fund as part of its contribution to the Real Film Festival, to be held in November.

“This three-day festival fosters and showcases the art of telling the stories of real events through film,” Ms Parker said.