Western Australia is set to play host to three major screen productions this year, with two films and a television series to be filmed in the state.

Wonderful Unknown will be a major Hollywood production, produced by Mason Novick, who made cult hit Juno and romantic comedy 500 Days of Summer.

It follows an American housewife trapped in a failing marriage who decides to embark on a road trip across the Australian outback with her wild and adventurous best friend to scatter her mother's ashes.

The other productions are the screen adaptation of Tim Winton's Miles Franklin Award-winning novel Dirt Music and a six-part, yet to be named, television series.

Wonderful Unknown is in final discussions with a Hollywood actor for the lead role of Annie, with filming to take place in Kununurra, the El Questro Wilderness Park and on the Gibb River Road.

$16m boost attracts US filmmakers, Government says

The productions will be supported by the WA Regional Film Fund, which will make $16 million available for regional films over the next four years.

The State Government said the productions provided a significant opportunity to market Western Australia to the United States, as well as an economic boost to the regions.

"The productions that are going to be made in Western Australia will very much help put WA on the map internationally," Culture and Arts Minister John Day said.

"Both from a tourism point of view and screen industry point of view.

"We expect there will be a $14-million boost to the state just from these three productions.

"That is leading to higher employment and also skills development in the screen industry in WA."

Screenwest chief executive Ian Booth said the fund, which comes out of the Royalties for Regions program, was attracting interest from interstate and international film producers.

"The launch of the WA Regional Film Fund in July last year put us in a better position to be able to compete against the other states for appropriate projects," he said.

"We've also had some great films come out of WA ... Red Dog and Red Dog: True Blue, Paper Planes, Bran Nue Dae, Satellite Boy, ... which have put a spotlight on our locations and the professionalism and talents of WA crew."

It is expected the three projects will spend 51 weeks in the state, including pre and post-production.