The Writers' Resource

Yes, I am sure it seemed like a good idea to put Peter Garrett, rock star and motormouth, in charge of the arts but to date he has made some pretty cretinistic moves which are guaranteed to suck the life out of musicians and artists throughout Australia.  Firstly, the churlish closing down of ANAM and then the delaying of arts royalty payments till July 2009.  Listen Pete!  That money isn't coming out of YOUR pocket.  Unless you profit by selling off some of your Pro Harts for a whopping profit.

I think Pete, you need to get your latest act together.  You can't just stand like a turkey, wave your arms around and shout words nobody can understand without cover notes while you're in politics.  Those ginormous inflatable/promotional tube men seen at car yards are making more sense than you at the moment and the similarity is so spooky that I am wondering if you are actually moonlighting and that's why you are making decisions that reflect someone too darn tired to do the reading and research  required prior to making a ruling.

People are really disappointed in you Pete, because moves to date are so indicative of your own poor taste and lack of understanding of fine arts that they are beginning to regret letting you have a seat at all.

Which part of a film, play, book, radio-play, TV show etc. etc. is most important?  The script of course!  And i t is where Aussie productions have been most lacking  IMHO over the last years.  Or scripts are turgid and crappy for the most part.  I am sure they would improve with practice, though there is something to be sadi for the fact that comfy societies don't really have interesting stories to tell.

But it is disturbing to see that Screen Oz is not getting behind the writers with some big bucks to help development in that area.

[Press Release by AWG follows]

The Australian Writers' Guild has expressed alarm at Screen Australia's draft guidelines and the impact they will have on the future of Australia's film industry.
 
One of Australia's most successful screenwriters, Oscar nominated Jan Sardi (Shine, The Notebook, Mao's Last Dancer) says "Far from taking the Australian film industry in a new direction, Screen Australia's proposed guidelines spell disaster for an industry already on its knees."

If the proposed draft guidelines of Screen Australia are put into practice, future funding eligibility requirements for screenwriters will be so high they will exclude all but a handful of professional writers and force others into potentially unproductive partnerships before the first draft is even written.

Funding for first-time and emerging screenwriters will also be completely abandoned and a total disregard is shown for the basic rights of writers through the proposed early transfer of copyright without any mandated protections.

In initial consultations Screen Australia acknowledged the importance of quality scripts in the creation of outstanding films and television programs, and expressed a commitment to supporting writers with the time and money necessary to write them. Their proposed guidelines however show an abject failure to fulfill these commitments.

"Abandoning emerging screenwriters and inflicting shotgun weddings on experienced writers, directors and producers reeks of a government bureaucracy all too eager to divest itself of responsibility and accountability for where Australian taxpayers money goes - it is not the way forward," says Sardi.

Australian Writers' Guild Executive Director, Jacqueline Woodman, says "In their eagerness to establish sustainable businesses and let the marketplace develop and promote projects, Screen Australia appears to have forgotten that before there can be a project to be developed, a script must first be written."

The Australian Writers' Guild demands that Screen Australia respond publicly to the proposals outlined in their recent submission and intends to actively campaign against the adoption of the federal agency's proposed guidelines that attack the status and rights of Australian screenwriters.

The Australian Writers' Guild full submission to Screen Australia is available from www.awg.com.au.

There are so many film festivals in the world now (at last count nearly 1000) that it is almost overkill.  Predictably, films are grungey, made on the sniff of a dab of eucalyptus on a hanky, involving druggies and the worst aspects of cutting edge society.  So, it was with a bit of a sucked in breath that I fronted up to the Chadstone Hoyts complex last night for yet another fest.  This one is titled 'Heart of Gold International Festival' and comes from, for heavens sake, Gympie, known for its nuts , pineapple and the fact that I can drive a short distance to visit my favourite aunty. Beside the point. 

We arrived and were greeted with smiling faces of the HoGiFF people and ushered in for wine and the most amazing Macadamia nuts and cheese (local industry nuts from Suncoast Gold suncoastgold.com.au) and we noticed many happy people waiting to go in, including Noni Hazelhurst who is a jury member.   Getting down to the event, there was a very warm welcome speech and Noni did her eloquent two cents worth on the rationale of this festival which was about uplifting the human spirit.  Heard that before, I thought.  Yet there was something about the heartfelt and sincere way that Noni extemporised (something she does brilliantly, by the way if you are ever looking for a keynote speaker - that is, if you can get her.)

And then the films began.

They were just terrific.  Not your shoddy, unentertaining  lot, but each film a gem of sweetness and a meaningful comment on the human condition.  Our favourite for the night was called 'Big Girl' (Dir.: Renuka Jeyapalan, 2005) which dealt with the problem of divorce and new partnerships being put to the test by a little girl.  Staggering acting there from young Samantha Weinstein whose beautiful face will haunt me for years.  Can she ever take a closeup!?  There was also the funny Aussie film, 'Bloody Footy' (Dir.: Dean Chircop, 2005) and 'Estranged' (Dir.: Nick Bufalo, 2005) and every film just brought the warmth in the theatre to the fore.   Nicely programmed all round!  98 minutes of shorts in all but not flagging in interest except maybe the little dog animated film which was really just an exercise in minimalism.  While some films strung out, to some degree, the one joke that is always the spine of a short film, it was always done in an interesting or beautiful way, even 'Fancy' (Dir.: Lori Grossman Elberg 2005) which came, I am assuming, from the joke that ran around the internet some years back.  But that's OK.

So really, I just wanted to say to the organisers 'Well done' and to the potential audiences, 'Get out there, get off the couch and take your parents and your kids as this is a fest that spans all generations.' (for a change.)

Check out the website for details and go down to Chaddie in Victoria and other states have their releases as well.  A very worthwhile event put together by real professionals in their attitude and style (so don't believe them when they say they haven't done this kind of thing before - they are great organisers and have terrific taste and feel for what audiences want to see as well)

http://heartofgold.com.au/

On now at Chadstone till next Tuesday (ie. Thurs 20 - Tues 25 November).  Don't miss it!

Mary and Max, the new vehicle for the talents of Melbourne creative/left-brain/right-brain wunderkinds - Mel Coombes and Adam Elliot - is set to open the prestigious 2009 Sundance Film Festival.  This fully Melbourne-created wonder is the first ever Australian film to be the opener at the great freeze-fest.

Supported through Film Vic's Production Investment program, the animated feature MARY AND MAX was produced entirely in Melbourne and took almost two years to create.  It has provided invaluable opportunities for local animators, technicians and crews to work on an animation of great calibre, length and complexity. 

MARY AND MAX has been pushing technological boundaries as well, with an innovative filming technique that allowed the film to be produced at high speed and on a modest budget.

Congratulations to the team on MARY AND MAX for all their hard work.