• The 2004-05 Federal Budget was announced on Tuesday 11 May.  The Portfolio Budget Statements can be found on the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) website. A joint Ministerial statement can also be found at DCITA's website. The announcements include:
  
  New incentives will be offered for high budget television productions made in Australia under an extension of the refundable film tax offset scheme. Click here for a fact sheet;
  
  A merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) and the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to establish a new media and communications regulator: the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA);
  
  Additional funding for the ABC was also announced.

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• The AFC in association with ABC New Media and Digital Services, Tasmanian Electronic Commerce Centre (TECC) and the Telstra Broadband Fund recently announced funding of $1.8 million to the first four projects to be produced under the landmark Broadband Production Initiative: The Dog and Cat News, Dust on my Shoes, The Life, Times and Travels of the Extraordinary Vice Admiral William Bligh and The Pure Drop


• UsMob was announced as the fifth production to gain funding under the AFC and ABC New Media and Digital Services Broadband Initiative. It is the first Indigenous project on the BPI slate


• If you are a filmmaker interested in learning how to market your short film, a series of seminars travelling around the country are geared specifically to you


• The Friday 4 June deadline for Strand O Fully Funded Documentary has been postponed. The revised date will be published in the Film Development Funding Guidelines on Thursday 1 July. Please check the AFC website after this date for the new deadline


• Anita Heiss, Paula Maling and Rima Tamou speak of their experiences at the Indigenous Writing for Series Television Workshop


• In conjunction with the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) Annual Conference, the Women Working in Television Project hosted a breakfast at Fox Studios on Thursday 8 April to promote the 2004 theme of Doing Leadership Differently. Panellists Michelle Guthrie (Chief Executive of Star TV), Posie Graeme-Evans (Director of Drama at the Nine Network), Cathy Payne (Chief Executive of Southern Star Sales) and Dana Strong (Chief Operating Officer at AUSTAR) recounted their experiences and responded to questions from a capacity audience of 200, with assistance from MC Deanne Weir (Group Director Corporate Development and Legal Affairs for AUSTAR)


• A joint venture between the New South Wales Film and Television Office (FTO), Film Victoria and the Australian Film Commission (AFC) in partnership with the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and ScreenWest, Enterprise Australia the workshop designed to provide producers with the skills to make their companies globally competitive, has been a success


• AFC Film Development funding approvals


• AFC funding deadlines

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• Cate Shortland and Anthony Anderson's first feature Somersault, starring Abbie Cornish and Sam Worthington, has been selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival


• The Federal Member for the Wangaratta district Sophie Panopolous was deputised by Senator the Hon Rod Kemp, Minister for the Arts and Sport, to launch the Big Screen touring program on Friday 19 March in Wangaratta, Victoria. Big Screen's launch created much fanfare for special guest Adam Elliot and his assistant animator Michael Bazely, proudly accompanied by their Oscar for Harvie Krumpet. Harvie screened with the Australian feature Love's Brother


• Budapest, Beijing and Malta - the Embassy Roadshow keeps on moving. Full to overflowing houses were achieved in most sessions for both Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta (January) with the majority of the audience being students and local film buffs. Jakarta was particularly successful at spreading the word through press, radio and television and it is hoped both will become annual events


• May/June deadlines are approaching for the following international film festivals: Locarno, Montreal, Sheffield, Toronto, Uppsala, Valladolid, Venice and Videobrasil. Find out about other recent international awards and screenings

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• The TV market MiPTV and interactive program market MILIA were held in Cannes, 29 March - 2 April. This is the second year that these two distinct but complementary markets were held simultaneously in adjacent venues and participants felt that each market was much enhanced by their co-location. The AFC again arranged for a large representative stand for queries about Australia and for Australians to work from, catering for an ever-increasing contingent of participants with enhanced facilities and new features. In addition to providing meeting and viewing booths, internet access and reception facilities, the AFC for the first time produced and distributed a booklet, Australians at MiPTV and MILIA 2004, listing all Australian companies present at the markets with their contact details, projects or programs and co-production interests. This booklet turned out to be much in demand and will become a regular feature at the Australian stand. Download the booklet online or contact publishing@afc.gov.au for a hard copy. Overall, producers with projects reported that the TV market was quite lively with rebounding interest from broadcasters in all areas of programming

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• The AFC's Submission to the Board of Taxation's Post-implementation Review supports the Australia Council's submission, which argues that all professional artists should be exempt from the non-commercial losses provisions in the Income Tax Assessment Act, because the division does not adequately take into account the actual circumstances of individual artists and the commercial practices of the arts industry generally


• The AFC's Submission to the Copyright Review Committee's Reference on Crown Copyright supports the retention of Crown Copyright to retain as much flexibility as possible in order to fulfil the AFC's statutory functions

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• New documentary series Moulin Rouge Girls begins screening on ABC TV at 9.30pm on Tuesday 18 May


• AFC marketing short films seminars will be held around the country commencing in Melbourne on Monday 24 May


• St Kilda Film Festival is screening in Melbourne 25-30 May


• The ASDA Awards dinner will be hosted in Manly, Sydney on Monday 31 May where Ray Lawrence will receive the ASDA Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award for his work in the Australian film industry


• The 15/15 Film Festival provides filmmakers from a diverse section of both the Australian and wider-world community with an opportunity to produce their own short films and engage with the film industry. It is touring from March-August


• The Big Screen 2004 regional tour of Australian films heads to Warrnambool in Victoria and Ulladulla in NSW in May/June


• REAL: life on film is the only Australian festival dedicated to screening local and international documentaries to a national audience. It's touring to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in May. Visit their website for screening dates and times


• A Sydney Film Festival FORUM on Feature Film Development is being hosted by the AFC on Monday 21 June from 2.30 pm to 4.30pm in the State Room of the State Theatre in Market Street, Sydney


• At the Sydney Film Festival, 11-26 June, d>art04 showcases the best Australian and international interactive digital media art


• The thirteen finalists for the Dendy Awards have been announced including three AFC funded films: Helen's War directed by Anna Broinowski; Cracker Bag directed by Glendyn Ivin and Harvie Krumpet directed by Adam Elliot . For screening times and ticket sales visit the Sydney Film Festival website


• The Over the Fence Comedy Film Festival Tour travels to more than 30 venues around regional, remote and metropolitan Australia until 30 June. Selected films have been announced


• The AFI Awards has announced its 2004 call for entries. Deadlines June/July depending on genre


• The Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Conference and Awards will be held in Melbourne, 2-4 July


• The ReelDance International Dance on Screen Festival is touring in August-September. Submissions are now open for the general program and the ReelDance Awards


• Digital Salon invites all digital media artists working or experimenting with interactive media, VJing, non-linear filmmaking, DVD, electronic music and projection arts to take part in their regular meetings, held the last Tuesday of each month in Sydney


• Ozdox will host a seminar on Early Documentary Work from Feature Film Directors, in Sydney on Thursday 10 June


• The Australian features Love's Brother, Strange Bedfellows, Thunderstruck and Under the Radar are being released April-July so keep an eye out for them at your local cinema


• IF magazine's What's On in Film January to June 2004 guide to screen events is sponsored by the AFC


• Other AFC-supported activities and events

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• Read articles on AFC-funded publications including the newly launched Hands On, a guide to film, TV and new media technology by Marcus Gillezeau and Australian screen publications Inside Film, Metro, RealTime and Senses of Cinema


• Are you looking for details of a particular Australian film title - feature, short, TV drama or documentary? The Searchable Film Database includes Australian and co-produced features, TV drama and documentaries from 1990 and shorts from 1998. It is now updated on the AFC website each month


• The AFCs Guide to Australian Feature Films 2004 was published in May and will soon be available to view online. To obtain a hard copy contact publishing@afc.gov.au


• Also published in May was the Recent Australian Feature Films Catalogue. Click here to download a copy online or contact publishing@afc.gov.au for a hard copy


• Read about the latest AFC-funded success stories including Astray, Clutch, Desperate Man Blues, Lennie Cahill Shoots Through and Preservation


• Upcoming Production Report


• Latest updates to Get the Picture Online industry statistics

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• The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Darryl Williams, has decided not to re-contest the Federal Seat of Tangney, a seat he has held since 1993. He will continue as Minister until the next election due at the end of the year/beginning of 2005. A media release is available at www.darylwilliams.dcita.gov.au


• The AFC recently announced the appointment of Avviso Public Relations to replace outgoing publicist Tracey Mair. Read the media release for contact details


• Welcome to Accounts Officer Lutfi Balfas, Legal Officer Stephen Boyle, Manager Technology Services Newton Braga, Legal Officer Erin Driscoll, Director's Assistant, Policy, Research and Information Carolyn Haywood, Management Accountant Mohammad Khalid, Finance Officer Raj Rajeswara and Administration Assistant, Film Development Shauna Wine


• Farewell to Publishing Manager Michelle Webster, Legal Coordinator Ryan Loewy and Corporate Liaison Assistant and Receptionist Nicole Saunders


• Positions vacant: Big Screen Project Manager, deadline Friday 14 May; Services Support, Registry - Temporary, deadline Friday 14 May and; IT Infrastructure Manager, deadline Friday 28 May

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• The AFC's Industry and Cultural Development Program helps provide opportunities for potential audiences to access Australian and international programs by funding many short film festivals. Such festivals are a great place for emerging filmmakers to test their films on audiences and to engage with other filmmakers. Winning an award at FLiCKERFEST or Sony Tropfest can be an indicator to other festival directors and sales agents that you are a filmmaker to look out for. Whatever type of films you are making - environmental, hip hop, B-grade horror - there'll be a festival that caters for you.
  
  Read our profile of Australian short film festivals

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