Australia's film production insurance market has long operated with limited options. Where brokers once had three or four local underwriting markets to approach, consolidation has reduced that to effectively one. HDI Global Australia is now moving to change that, launching a modular Film Production Insurance Package that covers the full spectrum of the industry - from major studio productions to independent filmmakers and freelance content creators.
Chris Milne, Underwriting Manager for Contingency and Entertainment at HDI Global Australia, has been close to the market's evolution.
“Brokers have been telling us they are looking for an alternative solution in that market,” he told HRD. “They're not only getting an alternative, but one with international capability and the ability to provide a more efficient transaction.”
The package is structured across six sections of cover, designed to be taken in any combination depending on a client's needs.
Film Producers Indemnity addresses death, accident, or illness causing the non-appearance of key cast or crew - a risk that sits at the heart of any production schedule. Production Media cover protects against damage to shot footage or recorded media, while Extra Expense cover responds to physical damage to locations, equipment, or facilities that causes delays and results in financial loss or additional costs.
The Production Property section encompasses technical equipment, props, sets and wardrobes, office contents, and motor vehicles used in front of camera. A Money section covers petty cash on set, and a Liability section spans the broad range of exposures facing production companies, contractors, and individuals working in the industry.
Critically, the package is modular. A large production company might purchase all six sections for a specific production; a freelance cameraman might need only equipment and liability cover. Both can be accommodated under the same wording, tailored to whether the policy is production-specific or written on an annual basis.
That modularity extends beyond the film package itself. Productions frequently generate ancillary insurance needs - motor fleets, aviation charters, marine cargo, accident and health cover for cast and crew - lines that can be difficult to place in isolation. HDI Global's existing capabilities across each of these classes mean brokers can consolidate what would otherwise be a fragmented placement with a single carrier.
The product's genesis lies directly in broker feedback. The consolidation of two previously competing underwriting markets effectively created a single dominant player. Brokers reported that as competition disappeared, so too did flexibility. Coverage terms tightened, and transactional costs and fees increased substantially.
HDI Global's response is not that of an outsider entering unfamiliar territory. The group has been writing contingency and entertainment lines for over 30 years globally. The Australian branch, now in its fourth year of operations in this space, has recorded significant portfolio growth and brings established underwriting expertise to what is, locally, a new product line.
The timing of HDI Global's entry reflects more than a gap in the insurance market - it reflects genuine momentum in Australia's screen production industry. Australia has long been an attractive destination for both domestic and international productions, underpinned by Federal and state government incentives, favourable exchange rates, and a well-regarded pool of creative and technical talent. Major streaming platforms have increasingly looked to Australia as a production base, commissioning both local content and using Australian locations and crews for broader international projects.
Infrastructure investment is adding to that appeal. Western Australia's state government is backing a significant new production facility, signalling long-term commitment to growing the state's screen industry alongside already well-established hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Queensland. Screen Australia data consistently shows the industry contributing billions of dollars annually to the national economy, with both the volume and value of production rising in recent years.
Film production insurance draws on disciplines that HDI Global already applies across its contingency portfolio, but combines them in a more intensive way. The liability component mirrors the approach used for live events. The property section is more akin to marine underwriting - focused on security, transportation, and usage conditions. Non-appearance underwriting considers the age of cast members and contractual arrangements.
What distinguishes film production, Milne notes, is the pace at which risk can change.
“It's a very transactional class,” he added. “A production might decide to do something that wasn't originally agreed and be doing it in four hours' time. They need a decision in two or three hours.”
That reality places a premium on local underwriting authority and in-time zone availability - precisely the model HDI Global operates. Where an MGA may need to refer to capacity providers in the UK or Europe overnight and may require a 24-hour minimum turnaround, the Corporate & Specialty insurer can respond within hours.
The same logic applies when things go wrong. HDI Global handles claims locally and maintains established relationships with specialist loss adjusters and risk management consultants – resources that matter most when a production is mid-shoot and a delay is measured not in days but in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Being a direct international insurer also opens doors that localised insurers cannot. HDI Global's ability to write multinational programmes means it can accommodate productions that span multiple territories - a capability that is increasingly relevant as streaming platforms commission content across the Asia Pacific region.
The film production package is available from 1 April 2026.
“For brokers who have spent recent years telling clients there is no alternative, that answer has changed,” Milne told HRD.
This article was created in partnership with HDI Global.
