Atkinson, who joined the Screen Queensland board in February, officially takes over from former Queensland MP and attorney-general Linda Lavarch, who has served on the board and as chair since 2018.

Atkinson’s appointment comes as movie-mania is set to hit the state with the world premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s re-imagining of the Elvis story being held on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

New Screen Queensland chair Roslyn Atkinson.

Fresh from a screening at the Cannes Film Festival, that earned a 12-minute standing ovation, the Gold Coast premiere of Elvis will see movie royalty walk the red carpet including Luhrmann and stars Tom Hanks, Austin Butler and Olivia de Jonge.

Elvis was the first big production to base itself in Queensland as the pandemic began to grip the world in 2020.

Despite a six-month delay as Hanks recovered from Covid, shooting and the year-long post-production process for the Elvis biopic was completed at the Gold Coast, with Luhrmann even moving his production company Bazmark Inq headquarters from New York to the Gold Coast’s Miami beach.

The making of the movie is estimated to have injected around $100 million into the Gold Coast and Queensland economy and contributed to the soaring reputation of the state as a “safe” location or filmmaking during the pandemic and Australia as a “new Hollywood”.

Following Elvis, Queensland has continued to be a magnet for the international film industry with Screen Queensland supporting 37 films, series and games that generated almost $300 million in production expenditure and 3750 jobs in 2021.

Among the most recent films to be shot in Queensland is George Clooney and Julia Roberts’ Ticket to Paradise filmed from Hamilton Island in the state’s north to the Gold Coast.

Ron Howard’s epic Thirteen Lives was also filmed on location on the Gold Coast.

Media and entertainment giant Disney has also begun filming its big-budget, high-end production of Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo on the Gold Coast. The 10-part series called Nautilus is slated to inject $96 million into Queensland’s economy and create around 240 jobs for local cast and crew, as well as around 350 extras.

Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said Atkinson’s broad range of experience would help steer the government-owned screen agency through a vital next phase that would aim to make the industry more inclusive.

“Ms Atkinson’s years of demonstrated leadership, interest in the state’s creative sector and commitment to diversity action makes her exceptionally qualified to helm the Board of Screen Queensland,” Munnich said.

“This year, we will be creating our new three-year strategic plan, as well as an environmental sustainability roadmap.

“In addition, our Equity and Diversity Taskforce is working with us to produce an inclusion plan for the agency and the screen industry.”

Atkinson was a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland for 20 years from 1998, Chair of the Queensland Indigenous Justice committee, and Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission for 12 years.

She was also the inaugural President of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, as well as a Hearing Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission.

“I have been a long-time admirer of the exceptional number, quality and reach of Queensland-made films, series and games, so it is a joy and great responsibility to be part of funding local, interstate and international projects and actively steering our industry towards a more inclusive future,” Atkinson said.