Monday 2 May, 2016

A Screen Industry for the Future

The people who make Australia’s favourite film and TV shows have called on the Prime Minister to work with them to “future-proof” Australia’s screen industry.

The industry wants to ensure that Australians continue to see themselves reflected in screen content across all platforms into the future. That means confronting head-on the challenges of changing technology, copyright law and open world markets.

The Australian Screen Industry Group (ASIG), which unites the industry’s organisations, together representing more than 15,000 screen industry professionals, is seeking:

  • - no further cuts to the ABC, SBS, or Screen Australia;
  • - permanent increases to the tax incentives that encourage offshore and localfilm and television production; and
  • - extension of Australian content minimums to new platforms, such as onlinestreaming services.

The ASIG consists of: Australian Directors Guild (ADG), Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), Australia Screen Editors (ASE), Australian Writers Guild (AWG), Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS), Australian Production Designers Guild (APDG), Australian Screen Sound Guild (ASSG), Equity, Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), Screen Producers Australia (SPA), Women in Film and Television (WIFT) and the Visual Effects Society (VES).

Zoe Angus, director of Equity said “The government plays a vital role in ensuring that Australians continue to see themselves reflected on screen.”

Kingston Anderson, CEO of the Australian Directors Guild said “As some of the most innovative professions in Australia, screen content makers have been quick to respond to new technologies that impact our industry.”

Matthew Deaner, CEO of Screen Producers Australia, added, “Never before has there been a more exciting time to working in our industry. Audiences are flocking to our screen content and we are providing economic, cultural and diplomatic returns to our nation as the best and brightest stars and technicians travel our nation and the world working on the most exciting screen content being made here and across the globe.”

“We however must not take our success for granted and much work has to be done if we are to continue to succeed. There is much at stake. We need to see screen policy positions and frameworks from all political parties that are ambitious and deliverable in order to ensure our industry’s ongoing health and success.”

ASIG has also developed an overview of the matters that a comprehensive screen policy should address. Please see the attached Policy Proposal from the Australian Screen Industry.

Kingston Anderson 

CEO
Australian Directors Guild
0419 635358, kingston@adg.org.au

Matthew Hancock

Manager, Strategy and Operations
Screen Producers Australia                                                                                                                     0408 975 982, matthew.hancock@ screenproducers.org.au

Zoe Angus

Director
Equity
0478 121 914, zoe.angus@meaa.org
ASIG logos