Box office flop: Why filmmakers have deserted Queensland News Limited catches all the stars at the Australian launch of Baz Luhrmann's movie spectacular, The Great Gatsby. AS NEW South Wales claims the spotlight as the box-office star of Australia's film industry, Queensland has become little more than a non-speaking extra. The industry nationwide has been hampered by the high rate of the Aussie dollar for several years in efforts to lure lucrative overseas projects. But Screen Australia's recently released "Drama Report" shows that total spending on feature film and TV drama production hit a five-year high of $752 million. Although $430 million of that was spent in NSW, and $223 million in Victoria, a meagre $23 million was invested in the Sunshine State. The report shows that Queensland's share of the production pie has shrunk from 30 per cent to just three per cent since 2009-10. Foreign production investment in Australia climbed to $130 million last financial year - the highest level in three years - but none of it was spent in Queensland. Angelina Jolie on set for Unbroken, some of which was filmed in Queensland. Television and film professionals have followed the work south, creating a brain-drain which industry veterans say will be very difficult to reverse. In the five years to 2012, the number of people employed in production and post-production of film, television and digital games in Queensland slumped by 54 per cent as those in NSW and Victoria each rose by more than a third. Many of those who remain in the Sunshine State have to supplement their entertainment industry work with second jobs. The taxpayer-funded industry body Screen Queensland's strategic plan for the next three years sets a goal of bringing interstate production companies here with a company attraction incentive Watch the official trailer exclusive for The Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman Sydney is now the country's undisputed film capital, with NSW-based firms generating 80 per cent of all production and employing six in 10 industry workers. Screen Queensland invested $6.75 million in projects last year, resulting in total production expenditure of $33 million. But their interstate counterparts have been far more successful in leveraging their spend - turning $4.6 million into $100 million of productions. The NSW Government has also been willing to pump in millions more through trade and investment incentives, which with Federal Government tax offsets, have helped secure projects such as The Great Gatsby, The Wolverine and Mad Max: Fury Road. Newly-appointed Screen Queensland chairman Professor Peter Little said: "Queensland has a great track record in producing international TV and film. However, it is true that everyone in film is experiencing a downturn in foreign production - clearly the strength of the Australian dollar has not been helpful. Screen Queensland is moving forward. The organisation has developed a new strategic plan and is seeking a new CEO through a recruitment process. This plan will help me and the board achieve our goals and deliver great outcomes.