Launceston's first film studio wants to 'create art, create opportunities'

The first time she watched actors in a film, she thought, "I could do that"; soon after, to their chagrin, she was directing her family in home videos. Then it was working on web series; then it was studying at UTAS.

"People knew I was dramatic before I even knew I was dramatic; acting was a calling for me," Kalisch said of those formative years.

Now it's her job to help others perfect their calling, and to have opportunities to pursue it.

In early May at IO Performance's Cimitiere Street home, the young writer and director officially opened Kalisch Studios, Launceston's first screen acting and film studio.

The production house has been a background project for years and a pipedream for Kalisch. Now with the launch, the fantasy is reality.

"It means so much to me," she said.

"With the name Kalisch, which is obviously my last name, I think that shows how important this is to me: it's like giving a bit of my heart to everyone while I achieve."

The studio's founding was influenced by Kalisch's acting forays into independent filmmaking - particularly with a smaller company in Malaysia - where the production was more "about the love of film" rather than economics.

"That's where Kalisch was born, in that idea of creating art, creating opportunities," she said.

Kalisch hopes her studio can springboard into creating short films before larger projects while "shaping and growing" Tasmania's arts scene on the screen.

The studio will emphasise filming and showcasing local talent in Tasmania, but it also has a second facet: providing private acting coaching - something the city hasn't seen on a regular basis before.

Aside from the occasional workshop - the last by Launceston's own Kettering Incident writer and Logie winner Vicki Madden - Launceston has offered few opportunities for screen-actors.

The studio hopes to open up projects - short films before longer, full-scale features - in the near future.