Baz Luhrmann is putting the Gold Coast in the Hollywood spotlight, taking the city’s bold new Miami Arts Depot project to the Toronto International Film Festival.
The celebrated director is in town for a screening of his dazzling EPiC (Elvis Presley in Concert) and will use the trip to sell the creative precinct to his film industry heavyweights.
Among those he’s hoping to catch up with is Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, whose hotly anticipated Frankenstein adaptation is being showcased at the event.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who enlisted Luhrmann as a champion for the project, says the director’s influence could put the proposed Miami Arts Depot firmly on the map.
“If anyone can sell the Gold Coast’s creative vision to Hollywood, it’s Baz,” he said.
The Miami precinct, planned for the site of a former council depot, aims to cement the Gold Coast as a serious player in the international screen and creative industries.
“The vision is set to transform the suburb into an arts district as a tourism and lifestyle destination like Brooklyn’s Navy Yards in New York City and Greenwich Design District in London,” Council said.
“The inclusion of high end residential, affordable housing, retail and commercial office space as well as public realm and community facilities will enhance the eclectic urban vibe”.
The goal is to overhaul the old depot into a hub that supports the growth of creative industries and attracts investment.
It’s set to feature a mix of tech, visual effects, gaming and screen businesses, along with retail and residential uses and community facilities.
