25 August 2008

NEW CEO FOR SCREEN AUSTRALIA

On 15 August, Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced the appointment of Dr Ruth Harley as the first Chief Executive Officer of Screen Australia. Dr Harley has been the CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission since 1997 and has over 20 years experience in the film and television industries.

Read the Minister's release.

PRODUCTION INVESTMENT APPROVALS

25 projects were approved for production funding in August, with a total production value of $86 million. This includes four feature films, one adult television drama, four childrenÕs dramas, 13 documentaries (four of which are series), one commissioned production and two projects from Screen AustraliaÕs Indigenous Branch.

Read the media release
Full list of projects

IMPORTANT UPDATES TO PRODUCTION INVESTMENT GUIDELINES

Producer Offset Margin: The Screen Australia board has approved a policy which addresses the Producer Offset Margin previously offered by the FFC to producers accessing the offset. When applying for Screen Australia finance, producers will only need to include the bondable (and therefore bankable) level of the offset (most often 85%) in their finance plan. When the total offset is eventually received they will share the difference with Screen Australia after paying back their cashflow loans.

Evaluation Door and Letter of Intent: New eligibility requirements will apply to applications through the Evaluation door between now and the end of the year.

Download these August updates - Offset Margin for Producers and Evaluation Door and Letter of Intent - as well as the July update on Co-investment with the Offset, on the Investment Guidelines page of the Screen Australia website.

EVALUATION - A NEW TEAM

Tristram Miall and Glenys Rowe have joined Screen Australia as interim Evaluation Managers in the Production Support & Investment Division until 31 December 2008.

Tristram and Glenys will replace Tait Brady, who has been appointed as Screen Australia's Executive Director of Marketing Support and Promotion, and Scott Meek, who is leaving Screen Australia but will remain as a consultant to supervise his existing projects.

Tristram is one of the most highly regarded producers in the Australian film industry. His credits include Producer of Strictly Ballroom, Children of the Revolution and The Black Balloon, as well as Executive Producer of Looking For Alibrandi. He has also been an Executive Producer and Acting General Manager of Film Australia, as well as Chair of the AFTRS.

Glenys is highly respected in the industry. She left Australia and the film industry for the UK in 2006 and has established a global e-marketing and distribution company. Prior to her five years as General Manager of SBS Independent, she produced the award-winning Feeling Sexy, as well as the Australian feature films Dogs In Space and Idiot Box.

CREDITING SCREEN AUSTRALIA ON FUNDED PROJECTS

Producers are reminded that productions with funding from Screen Australia's predecessor agencies delivered after 1 July should credit the new agency rather than the AFC, FFC and/or Film Australia. This applies to both film credits and marketing materials (print and web).

If film credits have already been completed with predecessor agency logo/s they can remain. However, if you can change them to credit Screen Australia at no cost, you should do so. Refer to the Screen Australia Credits Guide for required wording.

Marketing materials produced after 1 July should credit Screen Australia even when film credits have been completed with AFC, FFC or FAL logos. If marketing materials are in process or it's possible to update them at no cost, the Screen Australia logo should be used.

Please contact your Screen Australia Executive Producer, Investment Manager or Project Manager to clarify and confirm.

You can download logo files suitable for film, print or web, as well as the Screen Australia Credits Guide, from the Screen Australia website.

SCREEN AUSTRALIA PRODUCTIONS IN THE MARKETPLACE

Projects with Screen Australia production investment:
- recent awards and festival screenings
- latest sales

Commissioned documentaries
- recent awards and festival screenings

UPCOMING DEADLINES

Production Investment
Applications accepted until 12 September for:
- Feature films (Market Attachment)
- Distinctly Australian Children's Drama Fund
- Documentary - domestic and international

Applications accepted until 23 September for:
- Feature film (Evaluation); note that special eligibility requirements apply

Applications accepted until 2 October for:
- Special Documentary Fund

Commissioned Production
26 September
Proposal deadline for Australia's Immigration Story - from 1901 to Now (National Interest Program)

Project and Practitioner Development
5 September
Keep Your Wits About You
Animation Development and Pilot Production
Short Animation Production
Experimental Production (Professional Development Strand)

12 September
IndiVision Single-draft Script Development
Documentary Production (Professional Development Strand)

19 September
Shooting Time-critical Material
Indigenous Branch - Drama Development
Indigenous Branch - Documentary Development
Screen Business Venture Program

12 September
Business Support Strand

Industry and Cultural Development
25 August
New Projects Fund
ICD Interactive Media Fund

Marketing
1 September
Type B: Market attendance

Back to newsletters