• On 20 March the AFC hosted a reception at Parliament House Canberra to congratulate the film industry on its achievements in 2006. Australian actors Brooke Satchwell, Jack Finsterer, Tara Morice and Justine Clarke joined other industry figures and politicians from both Houses of Parliament to celebrate the critical and box office success of recent Australian films. AFC Chair Maureen Barron said that despite recent success, the Australian film industry faced significant ongoing challenges, with low levels of production and falling levels of private investment. Media release.


• Applications for two significant AFC practitioner support initiatives close in the next month. The brand new Television Internship Initiative aims to assist talented and committed emerging TV producers and writer/producers to gain hands-on professional development and experience in the TV industry. Deadline: 4 May. Details. The annual Bob Maza Fellowship is awarded to an established Indigenous actor to further their professional development, provide longevity in their career and raise their profile internationally. Deadline: 20 April. Details.


• Congratulations to director Clara Law, producer Sue Maslin and writer/co-producer Eddie Fong for the two awards won by their new feature in development, The Messenger, at the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). The team won the HAF Award for creativity of project synopses and the Technicolor Thailand Post Production Service Award for highest potential for co-financing. They received cash and post-production services. Details. The AFC joined a delegation of Australian companies attending the Hong Kong FILMART to promote the Australian film industry and build business opportunities with our Asia-Pacific neighbours.

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• Applications for jtv docs2 close on 30 April. An AFC/ABC TV Arts, Entertainment & Comedy initiative, jtv docs2 seeks fresh approaches to half-hour and one-hour documentaries that will explore contemporary issues, ideas and culture through the eyes of generations X, Y and Z. The documentaries will screen on ABC TV and ABC 2, and will have cross-platform potential via the jtv website. The initiative is designed to support one-off, stand-alone documentaries for production and post-production.


• On 4 March, the AFC's Industry & Cultural Development Division received 23 funding applications, including 15 Events & Activities Fund proposals, two applications to the ICD Interactive Media Fund and six New Project Fund submissions. The applications will be assessed by the ICD Funding Manager and two external assessors. The total request for AFC funding at this round is $432,453.


• AFC funding deadlines - April to early May 2007:
  
  FILM DEVELOPMENT
  5 April
  Strand T2 - Pilot/Trailer Production
  Strand T3 - Animation Series Production
  
  13 April
  Strand B - Seed Feature Funding
  
  20 April
  Strand F2 - IndiVision Single-draft Script Development
  
  27 April
  General Development Investment (GDI)
  Strand L - Shooting Time-critical Material
  
  30 April
  jtv docs2
  
  4 May
  Strand D - Draft Funding
  Television Internship Initiative
  
  
  INDIGENOUS BRANCH
  27 April
  Documentary Development
  
  
  INDUSTRY & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
  24 April
  National Touring Exhibition Fund
  
  
  TRAVEL GRANTS
  4 April (extended deadline)
  Type B (market experienced producers) and Type C (producers developing market experience) for MIFA Animation market, run in conjunction with Annecy International Animated Film Festival. 13-15 June.
  
  1 May
  Type B (market experienced producers) and Type C (producers developing market experience) for Sunny Side of the Doc documentary market, La Rochelle, France. 26-29 June.
  
  Download travel grant guidelines and application forms here.


• AFC funding approvals.

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• The NFSA came to the recent Sydney Harbour Bridge 75th anniversary party with a special present in hand: a newly discovered 10 minute film of the 1932 opening ceremony. Curator of Moving Image, Graham Shirley, said that the visual quality of the film was exceptional. The film was shot as a newsreel for American Paramount pictures, and has probably not been seen in Australia since its original distribution over 70 years ago. It includes a striking on-the-spot commentary of the day's happenings.


• Last year the NFSA's Centre for Scholarly and Archival Research (CSAR) opened its doors and called for applications from researchers. The result was overwhelming. From 39 applications worldwide, 14 Research Fellowships have been awarded for 2007. Three Fellows from the ACT will undertake their research at the Archive. The other 11, including international scholars from Italy, the US and Japan, will be accommodated throughout the year in the Residence Building on the NFSA grounds, which has undergone a major refurbishment. The NFSA held a launch to celebrate on 3 April. Details.


• In a special ceremony held recently at the NFSA, Director Paolo Cherchi Usai handed back copies of archival sound and moving image recordings to a delegation of elders from the Martu peoples of the Western Desert. The recordings, relating to Martu cultural heritage, were recently deposited by the Martu community in the NFSA's Indigenous Collection. The NFSA digitised the material as a contribution to the Martu History and Archive Project, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa. The digitised material will be made accessible through dedicated computers in each Martu community.


• Held annually in Canberra over the Easter weekend, the National Folk Festival is a huge gathering of Australian and international musicians and appreciative audiences. The National Film and Sound Archive National Folk Recording Award for the best recording made by an artist appearing at the Festival will be presented for the seventh year. The NFSA will also host the Performers Signing tent and there will be a special video program of folk music gems from Australian TV of the 60s.


• April at the NFSA will see a special program of Telethèque: New Looks at Landmark Television and Sounds from the Collection Live, every Thursday night, 7.30pm, from 12 April to 28 June. On 12 April AFI Raymond Longford Award-winner and screenwriter Ian Jones will present episodes from his groundbreaking historical mini-series Against the Wind and The Last Outlaw. On 19 April the NFSA's sound archivist Graham McDonald will present Live-To-Air: The Lost Era of Live Music on Television, a showcase of musical gems from the collection. Full April program.


• "I suppose you can say I began as a cataloguer and ended up as a cataloguer. And loved it." After more than 22 years with the NFSA, Sue Terry, Manager of Information Management, recently retired. She saw the Archive go from a small group of around 30 staff at its inception to the internationally acknowledged centre for audiovisual preservation it is today. Full story.

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• Congratulations are due to many AFC-funded/supported filmmakers this month:
  
  Documentary Big Dreamers (p/d Camille Hardman & p/w John Fink) - after its world premiere at the Big Sky Documentary FF, Montana, USA, it screened at the Byron Bay International FF, the Revelation Perth International FF, the Heart of Gold FF and the Film Critics Circle Awards. It also screens at the Palm Beach International FF, USA, in April.
  
  At the 13th Annual Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) Awards in March, the online interactive game Chiko Accidental Alien won the Best Children's Award and jtv won the Best Cross-Platform Content or Content Integration Award.
  
  Death's Requiem (Marc Furmie and Tim Maddocks) has been selected to screen at the Newport Beach Film Festival in California this month, and then at the St Kilda Film Festival in June.
  
  The films from the AFC/SBSi Podlove initative are doing very well internationally. Our Brilliant Second Life (d Shelley Matulick) has been invited to the Aspen Shortsfest and the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, where the 3G of us (d Akhim Dev) is also screening as well as AFC-funded short The Girl who Swallowed Bees (d Paul McDermott). In addition, Virtual Freedom (d Gef Senz) will screen at the 2007 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, New York, in June.
  
  Anthony Mullins' Elvis Goes to Parkes has also been selected for competition at the Aspen Shortfest.
  
  Salt, written by Priscilla Cameron & Heather Phillips, won the AWG's INSITE Competition for Unproduced Screenplays at the Adelaide Film Festival last month.


• On the AFC's eight Regional Digital Screen Network (RDSN) cinema screens, the new feature Razzle Dazzle opened simultaneously with metro releases on 17 March. Bra Boys headlines a weekend of Australian films on the RDSN beginning on 30 March. Also included in the program is the Academy Award-nominated live action short The Saviour, a Gregor Jordan double bill featuring Swinger and Two Hands, Like Minds (starring Toni Collette and Richard Roxburgh) and Suburban Mayhem. Unfolding Florence and multi-award winning short Small Boxes complete the program.


• Big Screen visits Yamba for the first time 26-29 April to celebrate the history and development of surf culture in Australia. The festival includes a specially curated selection of newsreels from the collection of the NFSA, marking 100 years of surf lifesaving, from a time when swimming at the beach was illegal, to the Queen mother watching surf carnivals, to surf lifesavers reaching iconic international status. New releases Bra Boys and Razzle Dazzle are complemented by classic Australian films from the NFSA, Crystal Voyager and Strictly Ballroom. Short films Black Beach and Us Deadly Mob by Indigenous directors and shot in Northern NSW bring a unique local perspective to the festival. Due to popular demand there will be four free screenings for primary and high schools in the area.
  
  The Big Screen year started with a bang in Mildura with over 2700 people attending. Special guest Mick Molloy introduced his films BoyTown and Crackerjack to an adoring audience and had his photo taken with nearly every person in Mildura! The Festival culminated in almost 600 people turning out for the final night's outdoor screening of Kenny. Thank you, Mildura!


• In April the Embassy Roadshow travels to Bangkok, Thailand, and crosses the globe to Moscow, Russia, then on to Seoul, Korea. The Embassy Roadshow is a travelling film festival program presented through Australian embassies overseas, showcasing a selection of contemporary Australian films to people around the world. It is an initiative of the Australian International Cultural Council, and is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the AFC.


• The Australian film Burke and Wills is opening in April. Bra Boys, Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance and Happy Feet are still screening so keep an eye out for them at your local cinema.

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• The following AFC publications have recently been updated and are available online, or contact publishing@afc.gov.au for a hard copy:
  Television Internship Initiative Guidelines
  Australians at MIPTV and MILIA 2007
  Australian TV Drama & Documentary Catalogue March 2007
  Documentary production in Australia: A collection of key data
  Podlove 2 Guidelines
  jtv docs2 Guidelines
  AFC Info Guide: Information for Filmmakers - Jan 07
  AFC Info Guide: AFC Resources for Documentary Filmmakers - Jan 07
  Australian Short Films 2006/07
  Australian Feature Films Mini Catalogue January 2007
  Industry and Cultural Development Funding Guidelines
  Interactive Digital Media - AFC Info Guide
  
  
• 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 updated on the AFC website each month.


• Latest updates to industry statistics in Get the Picture Online.

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• Welcome to Megan Rowe, Executive Assistant, NFSA; Sarah Maslen, Archive Shop Assistant, NFSA; Trisha McGrath, Project Coordinator, Industry & Cultural Development, AFC; Nicholas Death, Despatch Officer, NFSA; Vaughan Bromfield, Database Development Manager, AFC.


• Farewell to Georgie Zuzak & Sally Anne Osmond, Film Development; Elizabeth Jamieson, Wendi Blaaow and Nelson De Sousa, Collection Access, NFSA; Michael Bailey, Canberra Public Programs, NFSA; Susan Terry, Collection Information, NFSA.


• Positions vacant: for current vacant positions at the AFC.

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• revelation 10 - the Perth International Film Festival/Conference (12-22 July) seeks progressive, individual and signature-driven work from the international film community across all genres, formats and durations. This year's program will feature an international kid's component, music clips, animations from Tezuka, special bar and club screenings across Perth and Fremantle, international guests, a screen conference packed with cutting-edge master classes and seminars. Deadline for submissions is 13 April. Details.


• The AFC's Industry and Cultural Development Division proudly supports the following upcoming workshop:
  Wide Angle Tasmania - One day DV camera intensive
  28 April
  info@wideangle.org.au
  
  
• The next free ACT Filmmakers Network Productions Briefing is about Australian documentary production with Mark Hamlyn, Head of Production, Film Australia. 18 April, 7-9pm. Griffin Centre, Genge St, Canberra. More details: 02 6162 5160 (10am-2pm) or email admin.actfilmmakers@netspeed.com.au


• Check Metro Screen's website for details of all their programs. They have a new scholarship course to train students in all aspects of cinema projection. The course runs 30 April - 18 May and is funded by the NSW Dept of Education & Training. Deadline: 12 April. They are also running a weekend workshop, 13-15 April on producing for TVS (Sydney's community TV network). $532/$626 non-members.


• Popcorn Taxi, a regular film event where filmmakers and film lovers can meet, watch films of all types, and discuss the filmmaking process all year round runs in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Darwin. For further information and screening details visit the Popcorn Taxi website.


• mo:life monthly is an informal gathering on the second Monday of every month, that offers the opportunity to discuss the latest advances and opportunities in mobile media technology and culture. Find out about the various players and networks and what they offer, explore the capabilities of the latest handsets, and see what others around the globe are doing with this new format. Contact d.opitz@metroscreen.org.au


• ScreenWest and PAC Screen Workshops have announced the PAC Script Lab initiative, rehearsed readings of West Australian feature film scripts on the last Sunday of each month. The aim is to hone West Australian scripts and increase the profile, quality and awareness of West Australian film projects.


• IF Magazine's What's On in Film guide to screen events is sponsored by the AFC. The Jan to June 2007 calendar is now available as a PDF on the AFC website.


• Other AFC-supported activities and events.

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DAN EDWARDS, Managing Editor of the AFC's Communications branch, attended the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) 2007 in Adelaide at the end of February.

AIDC this year was the usual high-energy confab of ideas, hand wringing, frantic meetings, official on-stage pitches and unofficial pitches in the corridors of the Hilton. The AFC had representation on several panels, covering everything from an initiative launch to discussion of philosophical issues like 'who owns our history' in relation to audiovisual archives. The AFC also worked hard behind the scenes, maintaining an information stand throughout the conference stocked with AFC publications (including the just-published Documentary Production in Australia report). We also ran MeetMarket jointly with the AIDC to facilitate meetings between Australian documentary makers and buyers from around the globe.

Having attended AIDC in Adelaide two years ago, it was fascinating to see how rapidly many of the radical changes to the documentary sector predicted at that event have already come to fruition. Almost every project pitched at AIDC 2007 took an online component for granted; the more savvy producers were talking in terms of multi-platform extravaganzas involving films, websites, games, real-world components and viral marketing campaigns.

UK rights revolution
AIDC wouldn't be AIDC without some controversy, and things got off to a heated start with this year's keynote by PACT Chair Alex Graham (PACT is the UK equivalent of SPAA). His speech focused on the massive changes to the terms of trade between broadcasters and independent producers that have underpinned a boom in UK factual program-making since 2004. Rather than giving broadcasters ownership of programs they finance, the new terms of trade simply give broadcasters UK television rights for 5 years. Further rights must be purchased on a commercial basis. This arrangement, argues Graham, potentially provides producers with an ongoing revenue stream, and gives those with the most to gain from a program's widespread exposure (the producers) a financial incentive to make sure sales are maximised across different platforms and territories. It also gives producers the incentive to pursue spin-off products such as books. This is in marked contrast to the terms of trade employed by funding bodies and broadcasters in Australia, where producers are generally required to assign all rights in exchange for finance that rarely covers the entire cost of production.

Graham's speech generated considerable interest and debate among delegates, and earned a rebuke from the ABC Head of Television Kim Dalton during his own speech at the conference's opening night drinks. No doubt the discussion will continue well beyond the confines of AIDC. Perhaps the most useful point to emerge from Graham's keynote was that the changes to the UK industry were the result of years of patient, unified lobbying of government by the UK production sector.

Podlove
After the debates around funding structures and terms of trade on day one, it was refreshing to open the second day by hearing from some filmmakers. The Podlove launch saw 5 five-minute documentaries unveiled that look at how technology has affected our lives and relationships in the first years of the 21st century. The films were funded through a joint AFC-SBSi initiative and have been screened on SBS TV. They are also available on the Podlove website.

All the projects are gems in miniature, ranging from an amusing tale of obsessional, slightly deluded romantic love in Sarah-Jane Woulahan's I Love Like Blood, to the deeply moving tale of a Burmese dissident whose only contact with his homeland is through Google Earth in Gef Senz's Virtual Freedom. Three of the five filmmakers were present to discuss the process of creating their mini-docs with the SBSi team. Series producer Beth Frey, SBSi Commissioning Editors Trevor Graham and Warwick Burton, and AFC Acting Head of Film Development Lori Flekser were on hand to provide background on the initiative and announce Podlove 2, which will see two half-hour documentaries funded for production (see the AFC website for details).

Read the whole article.

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