Location: Cairns - Filming in FNQ

You won’t find many places in the world quite like the Cairns region in Far North Queensland as a destination for filming.

We have an unparalleled quality and variety of landscapes, infrastructure, creative talent and amenities. In 2024, we will also have a state-of-the-art 6500-square-metre film studio by Screen Queensland.

Cairns is best known as an Australian tourist city in the middle of two World Heritage-listed areas – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest – but we have so much more than that.

Drive for just a half an hour out of the city and you can be in deep jungle rainforest or sitting under a coconut palm on a picture postcard beach.
Another 30-minute drive will take you to the top of rolling green hills that are either dotted with dairy cattle, tea plantations or volcanic crater lakes.
Hop in the car again and drive for another hour or so, and will be n the red dust of the outback, or wandering through a dystopian-looking ghost town.

Finding the right location

As a film-friendly Council, we want to make it as easy as possible for filmmakers, location scouts and production crew to find the right locations in our region.

Our digital film location guide and the image galleries on this page showcase the variety and extent of locations in and around Cairns. Images can also be found in Screen Queensland's locations database.

Council's Film Liaison Officer can assist with filming permits and logistics in the Cairns region, as well as referrals to local location scouts for set-specific information and requests.

Contact Council's Film Liaison Officer Apply for a Filming Permit

A snapshot of locations in and around Cairns

Islands, beaches + Great Barrier Reef

Tropical North Queensland has hundreds of islands, picturesque palm-lined beaches, five star-resorts, rustic beach cottages and the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef.

See more beach locations

Cityscapes + suburbs

Modern high rises, historic buildings, laneway graffiti and striking restaurants, cafes, arts and retail precincts make up our city centre. A mix of architectural styles can be found in our suburbs.

See more city locations