Filming and Photography in the Tweed

Why film in the Tweed?

Tweed is an ideal filming location for shooting short films, documentaries, major feature films, television series and commercials. It is also a popular location for still photography shoots. Tweed has been the location for film productions happening north of the border at the Gold Coast and south as far as Melbourne. Tweed is ideally located between Gold Coast and Byron Bay and offers a broad range of scenic rural and natural locations that are quiet and attractive to filmmakers. There are several headland coastal locations, as well as broad beach landscapes with mountains, rainforests and national parks in the hinterlands. Rural villages and farmlands have featured in a wide variety of films and photography projects. Murwillumbah, Kingscliff, Salt Village, Duranbah and Tweed Heads on the NSW/Queensland border have all been featured particularly in sporting telecasts but also documentaries and dramas.

Council encourages filming in the Tweed and recognises all of the benefits that come from hosting filmmakers in our unique destination. Along with major film producers from Australia, UK, Europe, USA and increasingly from Asia, Tweed welcomes local filmmakers, students and small scale projects. Council is required to monitor film production and it is necessary for filmmakers to fill in an application form with accurate site mapping of intended locations, times and dates of shooting, size of production and certificates of insurance. Council wants to ensure the benefits to the Shire are maximised and that film producers consider their impact on the community, residents or businesses and that public safety and environment health is well protected.

Examples of productions filmed in the Tweed:
Granada ITV I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here
Mental Productions PJ Hogan's Mental
Camp Matchbox Pictures NBCTV CAMP
TEOS Productions Patrick White's Eye of the Storm
Lou Productions Belinda Chayko's Lou
Village Roadshow Terra Nova
Sea Patrol Productions Sea Patrol
Village Roadshow Nim's Island
Arbre Films The Tree
Freehand Productions BBC Scorpion Island
ITV Studio Granada Peter Andre My Life

Filming Licences

Prior to commencing any filming, a licence and applicable fees are required for filming on council owned property including open spaces and outdoor areas such as footpaths, roads, beaches and parks within the Tweed Shire Council area. Filmmakers should, prior to applying for a film licence, read the NSW Film Protocol which has been adopted by Council. Still photography, media current affairs and news coverage does not require a permit but notification and a request to Council is required where access to Council managed land is required, this includes parks, beaches and roads.

The online filming application form, guidelines and applicable fees are available in the sidebar on this page or at Council Forms under Festivals, Events and Filming section.

For further information please contact Council on (02) 6670 2400.