by FIlmInk Staff
Victoria has secured another significant screen production, with feature film Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel now filming at Docklands Studios Melbourne, utilising NantStudios’ world‑class virtual production stages and reinforcing the state’s end-to-end screen capability.
Starring Academy Award® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out) and currently in its final days of filming, the production was drawn to Victoria through VicScreen’s Victorian Screen Incentive reflecting the state’s ability to support ambitious, globally financed projects led by Victorian creative talent.
Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel has created an estimated 279 jobs for Victorian screen workers and more than 250 local businesses spanning accommodation, hospitality, transport, security, catering, and specialist screen services are also benefiting.
Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel is the second feature from acclaimed Victorian writer and director Michael Shanks. Following the international success of his debut film Together, which was developed and filmed in Victoria and premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Shanks has returned home to realise a substantially larger and more complex project demonstrating the next stage of his creative evolution.
Produced by leading Victorian production company Princess Pictures in partnership with HyperObject Industries for A24, the film is an example of a growing model where Victorian‑led creative vision attracts international finance while remaining firmly rooted in the state.
Victoria’s screen industry has expanded rapidly over the past five years, earning an international reputation for its highly skilled crews, innovative creatives, and technical excellence. Securing productions of this complexity is vital to sustaining that momentum, ensuring continuity of work, deepening expertise, and supporting hundreds of local businesses year-round.
Beyond the immediate economic impact, the production is creating pathways into specialised screen roles, supporting long‑term workforce development, and strengthening the resilience of Victoria’s screen industry.
Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward said, “Every production means more jobs for Victorians. We’re backing our creative industries so local talent can build careers here and take Victorian stories to the world.”
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “Projects like Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel are exactly why we invest in the full life‑cycle of Victorian screen talent. Michael Shanks developed his first feature here, proved himself on the international stage, and has now returned to Victoria to make a significantly more ambitious film, backed by global partners but creatively anchored here. When filmmakers can grow their practice at home and scale their ideas without leaving, it creates momentum not just for them, but for crews, businessesand the whole screen ecosystem. This production shows how far that momentum can carry.”
Princess Pictures’ Managing Director and Producer of Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel, Emma Fitzsimons said, “This project is a testament to the strength of our local industry. Princess Pictures is a wholly independent company and VicScreen’s consistent support through established funding programs hasn’t just allowed Princess to grow as a business; it has enabled us to develop homegrown, Victorian projects such as Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel that will compete on a global stage and shine a light on the exceptional Victorian creative and production talent”
Image: L to R: Michael Hudson (Director, Economic and Industry Development,VicScreen), Emma Fitzsimons (Managing Director, Princess Pictures), Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward, and Mike Cowap (Producer, Princess Pictures). Credit Ben King.
