BioQuest Studios among Far North Queensland screen businesses to share in enterprise funding boost

BioQuest Studios is among the latest Far North Queensland businesses to receive NQ Enterprise grants to expand their operations.The NQ Enterprise funding which comes from Screen Queensland’s North Queensland Regional Program will also support Blue Octopus Films, Platinum Talent Management and Resonant Films to grow their operations, evolve innovation and provide new career pathways.

Pete West, Technical Director of BioQuest Studios said that their initial NQ Enterprise boost in 2022 was a transformative moment for the company, supporting the purchase of cutting-edge underwater cameras and professional skills training for their team.

West advised “that investment opened the door to international opportunities, including a collaboration with Oscar-winning director Luc Jacquet in Moorea, Tahiti. We’re now his underwater filming partners on an upcoming project.

“The 2025 NQ Enterprise grant will support the next phase of equipment development for that production and allow us to expand our team. We're planning to create new technical and creative roles, and we’re exploring internship opportunities for emerging talent here in North Queensland to be part of this journey.” 

Screen Queensland’s North Queensland Regional Program is a multi-year initiative to grow the region’s creative community through opportunities for skills development, funding for local screen businesses and events to foster industry connections.  

Past NQ Enterprise recipients have included emerging production companies such as Pandamonium Films and Millstream Productions, as well as production services suppliers like FilmCrewNQ and world-renowned aquatic life specialists Biopixel.

Screen Queensland Chief Executive Jacqui Feeney said that the latest NQ Enterprise recipients highlight some of the diverse businesses that make up the screen ecosystem.

Feeney noted “This year’s cohort includes two production companies developing authentic screen stories with distinctly Far North Queensland perspectives, alongside a casting company enhancing regional production services, and the intricate technical prowess of macro underwater cinematography that helps showcase places such as the Great Barrier Reef to the world.

“Screen Queensland is continuing to invest in the many facets of screen production and screen services in North and Far North Queensland so that local filmmakers and those attracted to the region’s stunning natural beauty have access to skilled crew, responsive local suppliers and first-class facilities.”  

More information about NQ Enterprise is available via screenqueensland.com.au.

Image. Pete West, Technical Director of BioQuest Studios. BioQuest Studios is a specialist underwater cinematography company based in Port Douglas. Blending natural history and narrative filmmaking, BioQuest brings a cinematic sensibility to the underwater world, particularly at the macro scale. The studio designs and engineers custom equipment to capture highly controlled, character-driven sequences, both in the field on the Great Barrier Reef and in purpose-built wet sets.