$233 million facility puts WA on the global stage
Perth Film Studios is Western Australia’s first permanent, purpose built screen production facility and will shine a spotlight on the local creative industry and place the state in a strong position to attract larger national and international film, television and gaming projects.
The Studios were delivered through a partnership between the WA Government and industry and provide world class infrastructure for film, television, games and digital content production. They give Western Australia the scale, flexibility and infrastructure needed to attract large national and international productions.
The WA Government has invested more than $290 million in Perth Film Studios. This includes $233.5 million for design and construction and $57 million to support operations and facilities management over the first 10 years through an agreement with Perth based operator Home Fire.
This investment supports economic diversification, creates skilled jobs and helps people build creative careers in Western Australia.
Perth Film Studios reached practical completion in December 2025 with the first screen production at the Studios in early 2026.
Further information is available on the background on the construction of the Studios
A key pillar of the Western Australian Government’s strategy to grow the screen industry is the development of Perth Film Studios. As the largest of eight initiatives under the Western Australian Screen Industry Strategy, the Studios provide the infrastructure needed to support the Strategy’s 10-year vision, including increasing production activity, building a skilled local workforce, and growing the volume of locally produced content and stories from WA creatives. Perth Film Studios plays a central role in the WA Government’s approach to growing the screen industry.
The Studios support the WA Government’s Diversify WA framework by:
Alignment with Creative WA, the state’s 10‑year vision to strengthen the creative, cultural and arts sector and grow employment across creative disciplines.
Together, these strategies position screen production as an important driver of economic diversification and future growth in Western Australia.
The Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) owns the Perth Film Studios on behalf of the State. They hold an operational agreement with Home Fire Operations Pty Ltd and oversee operational management at the facility.
Just 25 minutes from Perth’s CBD, the Perth Film Studios site is located in Malaga.
The 16 hectare site at Malaga offers the scale required for a world-class studio, proximity to the Perth CBD and airport, direct access to major road networks and alignment with current and future METRONET infrastructure. The site also provides flexibility for expansion and integration with broader precinct planning.
The Malaga site allows Perth Film Studios to operate as a fully integrated production campus capable of servicing major international projects while remaining connected to a range of filming locations across the state.
Perth Film Studios has been purpose built to meet international production standards, offering world-class facilities for local and global projects.
Designed for scale, flexibility and confidentiality the Studios have 4 sound stages totalling 8,361m2 (90,000ft2), 2 annexes with dedicated hair and make-up facilities, production offices, green rooms and meeting rooms along with a screening room and 4 workshops with lockups.
The 23,200 square metre back lot is the largest in the southern hemisphere and is larger than the playing field at Optus Stadium, providing plenty of space for filmmakers to build exterior sets for filming. This is supported by a boneyard for multifunction use as required by productions.
Each sound stage, workshop and annex can function as a separate, secure and standalone screen production operation to enable multiple screen operators to use the site whilst protecting intellectual property and production confidentiality. Alternatively, a single large screen production can hire out the entire facility.
Perth Film Studio backlot is 23,200m2
Photos by Simon Westlake
WA Government seeks proposals from private sector to locate, build and operate Perth's first ever screen production facility, through a 'market-led proposal' process.
WA Government announces its support of $106.9 million towards the cost of building the screen production facility ($105m 2021-22 election commitment, $1.9m 2023-24 budget).
Stage 1 and 2 of MLP process progresses. Announcement of film studio located in Fremantle.
WA Government invites Home Fire Creative Industries to progress to negotiations and conducts due diligence.
Change of location is announced with Malaga as the preferred site.
Delivery agreement is approved by WA Cabinet, signed by Department of Finance and Home Fire. November 2023 Home Fire is granted approval to commence forward works.
Home Fire entered into a design and construct contract with Built Pty Ltd.
November 2023 Home Fire commences forward works at the Malaga site.
Forward works are complete and construction begins.
In May 2024, the operational agreement between the Arts and Culture Trust and Home Fire Operations was signed.
Commenced first quarter 2026
Production activity at Perth Film Studios began in 2026 with Two Birds, a Stan Original series expected to generate more than $17 million for the WA economy and employ more than 100 local cast and crew.
The Studios also accommodated the production of Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay, a First Nations-led documentary series commissioned by NITV and SBS.
Western Australia has moved closer to becoming a global screen production hub with the practical completion of the world-class Perth Film Studios.
Almost $300 million has been invested in the facility, including $233.5 million in construction and a further $57 million to support management and operations over the first 10 years through an agreement with Perth-based company Home Fire.
Designed for scale, flexibility and confidentiality the Perth Film Studios has 4 sound stages totalling 8,361m2 (90,000ft1), 2 annexes, workshops, the largest backlot in the southern hemisphere and the ability to enable concurrent productions.
The project is a key initiative of the Western Australian Screen Industry Strategy, with an additional $31.9 million commitment designed to diversify the economy, attract investment and create local jobs, further adding to the $6.2 billion contributed to the State economy by creative industries in 2024.
Practical completion has been delivered on time and under budget through strong collaboration across multiple government agencies, strengthening the WA Government’s vision to grow creative industries and position the State as a leading destination for screen production.
The entry statement and yarning circle were unveiled as part of the practical completion. The artworks were created by Aboriginal artists Lea Taylor and Buffie Punch. Lea is a Wadandi, Menang, Goreng, Kaniyang and Ballardong Bibbulmun yorga and Buffie a Noongar Menang, Goreng yorga.
Lea worked with Buffie on the yarning circle which is based on a Mia Mia shelter and incorporates water and fire motifs. It is designed to age and work into the landscape.
Lea designed the entry sculpture. The sculpture depicts a flame and incorporates patterning from a banksia leaf which is native to the area. Lea often incorporates the motif of 3 in her work to represent man, woman and child.
The artists hope that the artworks drive conversations with interstate and international guests and they seek out more information about Aboriginal culture and art.
You can learn more about the artists and the story behind the artwork in the following video.
The Perth Film Studios was developed in accordance with the Government’s Market-led Proposals policy that aims to form partnerships combining the expertise and creativity of the private and public sectors. The studios are owned by the Arts and Culture Trust, on behalf of the WA Government, and operated by Home Fire. This collaboration ensures the studios will be run with creative vision and operational excellence.
The Perth Film Studio project is a key part of WA’s economic diversification strategy, designed to help grow jobs and attract investment.
Recent years have been busy for screen production in WA, with production doubling over the last 5 years.
Major productions are being drawn by our State’s natural assets, talented crews and communities enthusiastic to support and contribute to screen projects plus our competitive incentives.
WA’s Creative Industries generated 9.3% of the value of all creative and cultural activity across Australia in 2024 (up from 8.5% in 2018), with a 15% increase in film, television, post, digital and visual effects projects in WA over 12 months between 2022-23 to 2023-24.
Annual employment growth in the sector is 3.2%, well above the national average of 2.4%. Employment in WA’s Games Development Industry is one of the fasted growing areas, with a growth of 101% from 2022-23 to 2023-24.
The practical completion of Perth Film Studios is the first step in working towards the goal of establishing WA as a major creative centre for international and national film, television, and digital media production. With a world-class facility in Perth creative professionals will have access to career pathways locally, helping to keep these skills in WA. There will be opportunities for work and training for actors, camera operators, costume and set designers, sound and lighting technicians, video editors, makeup artists plus many other roles.
With the establishment of the Perth Film Studios Western Australia is expected to attract up to 10% of Australia’s annual screen productions over the next 10 years, compared to the current 1%.
While the buildings at Perth Film Studios are now finished, operational testing and commissioning is underway to fine-tune every detail and ensure the facility is fully customer-ready for the first productions in the first half of 2026.
Learn more about the Perth Film Studios via their website. You can learn more about the State’s first whole-of-government strategy to support the screen industry via the Western Australian Screen Strategy 2024-2034.