AFC NEWS MAY 2003 |
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Welcome to the May edition of AFC News. This issue includes the recent budget announcement that the AFC will be integrated with ScreenSound Australia, and the
latest on the AFC Budget allocation and recent AFC trade submissions and seminars.
To ensure that Australian filmmakers are kept up-to-date on the current trade negotiations which might affect film and television content, the AFC will be emailing a Trade Bulletin when new developments arise.
Subscribe to Trade Bulletin
We welcome feedback so let us know what you think of AFC News, by email: afcnews-editor@afc.gov.au
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The AFC to integrate with ScreenSound Australia
As part of the Commonwealth Government's 2003 budget it has been announced that ScreenSound Australia, the national screen and sound archive, and the AFC will be integrated. The government has identified an opportunity to coordinate complementary elements of the film industry by bringing together the functions of the two organisations. The integration will enable the continuation of the important work of collecting, documenting, preserving and providing access to the national film and sound archive, alongside an enhanced program of screen culture activities for all Australians.
AFC Portfolio Budget Statement
The AFC has received an additional $2m in this year's Budget, as part of the government's September 2001 film package, to enable increased investment in the AFC's development programs. The AFC will substantially increase its level of funding to documentary production, in particular, in the next financial year. The Budget announcement also contains the AFC's second round of production funding commitments from the government's Broadband Content Fund ($2.1m over three years from 2002/03), helping to ensure that Australia's digital content creators remain at the cutting edge in this globally competitive and rapidly growing area.
AFC calls for cultural exemptions in trade agreements at Cannes Film Festival
At a briefing for the international film and television industry and journalists at the Cannes Film Festival, the AFC again called for explicit recognition in trade agreements of the special status of culture. The AFC briefing coincided with the commencement in Hawaii of a further round of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States.
AFC industry briefings on trade treaties
Australia's Chief Negotiator and Lead Negotiator for Services addressed industry briefings hosted by the AFC on Australia's current trade negotiations with the US and their possible affect on the Australian film and television industries. Over 100 industry stakeholders attended in both Sydney and Melbourne to hear Australia's key negotiators speak along with AFC Chair Maureen Barron and media and communications law expert Jock Given. The briefings were convened by Professor Mark Armstrong of Network Insight
- Maureen Barron's briefing
- Download AFC information on current trade and cultural issues (pdf 48k)
Dramatically Black, a new Indigenous drama initiative
The AFC's Indigenous Unit is to commission up to six new half-hour dramas for broadcast on SBS. The unit is inviting applications from Indigenous filmmakers with at least one short fiction film credit. Deadline 4 June 2003.
AFC/AFTRS confirm SPARK will continue in 2004
Following the success of the inaugural SPARK script development workshop earlier this year, there will be a new intake of applicants in 2004. New application forms will be available in July 2003. Deadline 29 August 2003.
AFC Submission to Senate's Inquiry into the General Agreeement on Trade in Services and the US Free Trade Agreement
Read about trade and culture and the issues for Australia in current negotiations.
AFC Submission to Senate's Review of Advancing the National Interest
The AFC continues to promote the interests of Australia's audiovisual sector in key areas of foreign and trade policy.
Get the Picture Online: industry statistics updates
- Release success of Australian productions: Academy Award® nominees and winners; Australian films selected for screening at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.
- Cinema industry: screens and theatres by state and exhibitor; cinema audiences (Val Morgan data).
- Video industry: wholesale sales; retail sales of videos and DVDs; top titles 2002; VCR penetration; DVD player sales.
- Free-to-air-TV: financial performance; advertising revenue.
- Interactive media: games market; retail sales; top hardware and software.
Issues Paper: Towards a Protocol for Filmmakers Working with Indigenous Content and Indigenous Communities
Submissions are sought by 30 June 2003.
Upcoming Production Report
Now includes short features as well as features, TV drama and documentaries shooting in Australia now and in the next few months.
Latest AFC funding approvals
Film Development: April 2003.
Industry and Cultural Development: March 2003.
Round closing dates for Film Development funding
A reminder to all filmmakers that the following funding strands will be
closing very early in the new financial year:
Feature and Short Feature Film Production: 11 July 2003
Strand B (Feature Development): 4 July 2003
Strand L (Shooting Time-Critical Material for Documentary, formerly known as Quick Response): 4 July 2003
Strand J and K (Documentary Development): 18 July 2003
Strand N (Documentary Production): 4 July 2003
Professional Development, Internship (formerly known as Consultant/Mentor Program): 27 June 2003. Please note that this strand was not previously assessed in rounds. It will now be assessed in five rounds each year with a turnaround time of approximately five weeks. The first round is closing at the very end of this financial year, Friday 27 June, and the next round closes Friday 3 October 2003.
Please check the Film Development Funding Guidelines for further details of these strands.
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AFC-funded documentary to star in SBS's week of the horse
A Girl, A Horse, A Dream (w/d: Rachel Landers, p: Ian Iveson, Rachel Landers), which recounts the provocative story of Australian women jockeys and their
battle to compete with men on the track, will screen on SBS on 2 November, the Sunday before the Melbourne Cup, and launch a week of programming on the
horse.
target=_blank>Sydney Film Festival highlights AFC-funded films
The Sydney Film Festival (6-20 June) is strong on Australian content this year and will feature exciting new AFC-funded projects including the documentaries
Becoming Julia (w/d/p: Ruth Cullen), Molly and Mobarak (d/p: Tom Zubrycki) and Wildness (w/d: Scott Millwood, p: Michael McMahon); short
features The Forest (w: Jo Kennedy, Christine Rogers, d: Jo Kennedy, p: Clare Sawyer), Preservation (w/d: Sofya Gollan, p: Della Churchill),
starring Jacqueline McKenzie, The 13th House (w: Shaun Duncan, Scott Richards, d: Shane McNeil, p: Kristian Moliere), starring Damon Gameau; and
feature Watermark (w: Georgina Willis, Kerry Rock, d: Georgina Willis, p: Kerry Rock).
A Year on the Wing glides into China
A Year on the Wing (w: Nell White and Meme McDonald, d: Kate Clere, p: Nell White), the AFC-ABC Documentary Online project that tracks the journey of two million wading birds as they attempt their annual migration from Siberia to Australasia, has reached China.
Cinematographers awarded the prestigious Golden Tripod
Laszlo Baranyai, Director of Photography on the AFC-funded short feature Roy Höllsdotter Live (w/d: Matthew Saville, p: Trevor Blainey) won the Golden Tripod Award (telefeatures, TV drama and mini-series category) at the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) National Awards for Cinematography in Adelaide on 10 May. The film is also a finalist in the Dendy Awards on 6 June 2003. Jo Rossiter also won a Golden Tripod for the animated short Tales from the Powder Room (w/d: Darren Burgess, p: Richard Chataway) which was funded by the AFC.
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Research and Information
The following appointments have been finalised: Carla Austin as Research Coordinator, Rebecca Mostyn as Unit Coordinator, Jessica Talbot as Data Verifier and Liz Crosby, Sophie Harper, Amanda Ladds and Leah McGirr as Research Assistants. Amanda will be Acting Unit Coordinator and Rebecca Acting Senior Researcher while Karina Aveyard is on leave until September 2003.
Film Development Administrative Officer
Sarah Runcie has been appointed Administrative Officer in Film Development. Sarah has years of
industry experience, and has worked in administrative and production roles for several production companies both in Australia and internationally including renowned filmmaker Sally Potter's London office.
Position vacant
Legal Assistant (temporary vacancy) - closing 30 May 2003.
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Big Screen 2003
Regional Australia will have a rare opportunity to experience some of Australia's new and old favourite films with the Big Screen 2003 travelling film festival. Big Screen is a joint project between the AFC and ScreenSound Australia.
Message Sticks (Sydney)
20 May - 2 June 2003
A celebration of contemporary Indigenous arts, including screenings of Indigenous shorts in New Blak Films.
Write Your Documentary (Melbourne)
20, 27 May; 3, 7, 10 June 2003
OPENChannel, 13 Victoria St, Fitzroy
Making your idea sound original and compelling on the page is the first crucial step in securing finance. This course will discuss how to prepare your documentary script for shooting and how to develop your ideas for a professional production. Tutor Dennis K Smith is an award-winning and highly respected documentary scriptwriter whose projects include the AFC-funded and Logie Award-nominated Rainbow Bird and Monster Man.
What's On in Film
The AFC sponsors this monthly national guide to screen events across Australia: awards, competitions, exhibitions, festivals, screenings, seminars and workshops. This calendar is currently being prepared and the deadline is 23 May 2003. If you have a screen culture event, or a deadline for festival or awards entry which falls between 1 July and 31 December 2003, please email David Michôd at davidm@if.com.au with details.
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Sydney Film Festival (Sydney)
6-20 June 2003
Filmspeak (Sydney)
11-19 June 2003
Sydney Film Festival forums free and open to the public.
X|Media|Lab (Sydney)
11-14 June 2003
Think tank, concept laboratory and production workshop with a conference for new media people working in film, interactive media, games, entertainment, advertising, arts, media, music, communications and information technology.
15/15 Film Festival (ACT, NSW, VIC)
8 March - 30 August 2003
Streaming Worlds - Fifth Digital Art and Culture Conference (Melbourne)
19 May - 19 June 2003
Conference on interactive and streaming media.
Australian Teachers of Media ATOM Awards (Melbourne)
24 May 2003
St Kilda Film Festival (Melbourne)
27 May - 1 June 2003
Melbourne Underground Film Festival (Melbourne)
3-13 July 2003
Melbourne International Film Festival (Melbourne)
23 July - 11 August 2003
Digital Dialogues: Sideshow (Melbourne)
23 July - 10 August 2003
Series of forums taking place as part of Melbourne International Film Festival.
Brisbane International Film Festival (Brisbane)
25 July - 4 August 2003
AWGIE Awards (Sydney)
date to be confirmed.
Popcorn Taxi (Sydney, Melbourne)
Weekly screenings and Q&As with filmmakers.
Arts Law Centre of Australia (Sydney)
January-December 2003
Lectures and seminars.
Darwin Film Society Exhibition Program (Darwin)
January-November 2003
dLux media arts (Sydney)
January-December 2003
Experimenta 2003 (Melbourne)
January-December 2003
ACT Filmmakers' Network Seminar Series (Canberra)
February-December 2003.
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*New Directors, New Films, US (26 March - 6 April 2003)
Short Before the Movie - Janet Merewether
*London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, UK (2-16 April 2003)
Blow - Marie Craven
Contact - Kieran Galvin
High Street Love Story - Rob Leggo
Intersex Exposition: Full Monty - Shorona se Mbessakwini
Walking on Water -Tony Ayres
The Visitor - Dan Castle
*European Media Arts Festival, Germany (23-27 April 2003)
Shocked - Danielle Karalus
Soon - Jen Jamieson
*Hot Docs, Canada (25 April - 4 May 2003)
Homeless - Six Cities, Six Stories, Six Lives - Trevor Graham, Rosemary Hesp and Rob Wellington
*Tribeca Film Festival, US (3-11 May 2003)
Cane Toad - David Clayton
Desiree - Max Walker
The Inside Story - Robert Sutherland
Placement - Bill Chen
Urine Therapy - Russell Vines
Vows - Ana Djordjevic
The Wannabes - Nick Giannopoulos
*Cannes Film Festival, France (14-24 May 2003)
In Competition: Cracker Bag - Glendyn Ivin
Un Certain Regard: Japanese Story - Sue Brooks
Directors' Fortnight: Unit #52 - Tony Krawitz, Watermark - Georgina Willis
See also:Media Releases: 23 Apr 03, 25 Apr 03
*International Short Film Festival Hamburg, Germany (4-9 June 2003)
International Competition: The Life of Lee F Achman - Nassiem Valamanesh
The Rotting Woman - Joel Anderson,
Short Before the Movie - Janet Merewether
No Budget competition: Excursion - Christopher Jones
Three Minute competition: CH Jones - Ben Tiefholz
The Golden Ration - Amanda Sykes
*New Fest NY Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, US (5-15 June 2003)
Nina - Rolmar Baldonado
Gillian - Van Sowerwine
*Banff Television Festival, Canada (8-13 June 2003)
Children's and Youth Programs: Worst Best Friends - Arnie Custo, Steve Jodrell, Kate Woods
Popular Science and Natural History Programs: Ted's Evolution - Lou Petho
Sports Programs: Height of Passion: Argentina - Rod Hay
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*Créteil International Women's Film Festival, France (21-30 March 2003)
Best Short Film and Distribution by Canal +: Pending - Anna Tow
Best Foreign Short Film: Dancing in the Dust - Jenny Lowdon Kendall
*San Francisco International Film Festival, US (17 April - 1 May 2003)
Golden Gate Award for Best Narrative Short Film: The Way Back - Samuel Macgeorge
Best Documentary Short: Painting with Light in a Dark World - Sascha Ettinger-Epstein
See Festival Profiles for information on over 50 key international festivals including screening histories of Australian films.
See also Award Winners in Get the Picture online
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