Our CEO, Matthew Deaner has called for reasoned industry discussion around the Review of the Temporary Work (Entertainment) visa (Subclass 420), saying that the industry must decide on what kind of future it sees for itself.
The question the industry needs to ask itself is whether it wants to be a small inward-looking industry or an ever expanding industry, proudly creating Australian screen content for the world, Mr Deaner says.
The key here is AUSTRALIAN CONTENT. The world is increasingly looking to us as they see a vibrant industry bursting with talent both in front of and behind the cameras.
Sensible reforms that reduce red tape will help us to grasp the opportunities at hand while at the same time, keeping in place those other existing safeguards that ensure Australian content and Australian actors remain front and centre on our screens.
Mr Deaner said that Australian producers are keenly aware that Australian audiences want to see Australian stories and Australian actors on their screens.
The Significant Australian Content test under the Producer Offset, the Australian Content Standard and Screen Australia's investment processes will continue to ensure that the vast majority of roles in Australian screen productions go to Australian actors, just as they ensure that roles behind the cameras are dominated by Australians, Mr Deaner said. As well, Australian producers are astute and know their market. They know their audiences want to see Australian actors on their screens. That is not going to change.
What these sensible proposed reforms will do is remove unnecessary uncertainty. The reality is that the current system is fickle and annually puts at risk hundreds of thousands of dollars of production investment.
There are layers of red tape that producers need to navigate not required by any other industry. For example, the Subclass 420 visa is the only visa subclass that includes a legislative requirement for union consultation.
Mr Deaner said that the Australian screen industry clearly benefits from international engagement, with international investment providing highly skilled jobs and career development opportunities across the sector.
Australian actors, directors and other technicians are much sought after all around the world. Hundreds of Australians are working everyday on overseas productions. We all benefit from the expertise they bring back to Australia, in terms of the quality of product on our screens and they jobs they generate when they return home to work.
The Screen Producers Australia submission to the Review states that: On occasion the creative and commercial demands of a project warrant the use of international talent. But the current process is not efficient, progressive or effective. Changes to this process will create more opportunities for employment and career advancement, increase production levels and decrease commercial uncertainty. This will guarantee that the public continues to have access to a diverse range of distinctive Australian screen content in more competitive global environment.
The regulation and guidelines must be clear, transparent and easily understood, responding to contemporary practice and accurately reflecting the crucial role of foreign investment in Australian screen content.
Mr Deaner pointed out that he Subclass 420 visa is not used widely or lightly, and that this is unlikely to change: Out of more than 13,000 full-time equivalent people employed annually by the independent production sector, there were just 114 foreign actors, or far less on a full-time equivalent basis, certified by the Arts Minister with a Subclass 420 visa for film and television production in 2013/14, and more than 80% of those stayed less than 27 days.
For media enquiries and interviews: Tracey Mair, TM Publicity for Screen Producers Australia Ph: 0419 221 493
Download the media release here.
Asia, Australia & Oceanic Stories
24/04/2024
SBS marks Earth Day as The Cook Up with Adam Liaw becomes first Australian show ...
24/04/2024
Save money every day with SBS's Ricardo Gon alves and Peggy Giakoumelos on n...
24/04/2024
24 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia celebrates Australian projects bound...
23/04/2024
Social entrepreneur Hedayat Osyan wins Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition
23 April, 2024
Media releases
The prestigious award is now in its third yea...
22/04/2024
SBS marks Earth Day with Australian TV milestone as The Cook Up with Adam Liaw b...
18/04/2024
Alone Australia goes from strength to strength
18 April, 2024
Media releases
The program again delivers for SBS with significant uplifts in digital BVOD vi...
18/04/2024
18 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Dynamic Television announce new Scripted Initiative
Savage River
Screen Australia and Los Angeles-based telev...
16/04/2024
ABS Agility Beyond Space announces Appointment of Mark Rigolle as its Chief Ex...
11/04/2024
Alone Australia Ep 2 reaches over 1m Australians
11 April, 2024
Media releases
The program continues to consistently grow week-on-week in linear audience w...
11/04/2024
11 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Meta launch fourth year of First...
10/04/2024
10 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $2.3 million for nine documentaries
Guardians of the River
Screen Australia has announced nine doc...
09/04/2024
Groundbreaking NITV documentary series Our Law expands across Australia from Thu...
09/04/2024
Techtel, the creators of inflo, today announced that a new speech to text transcription engine from openai called Whisper, is available to inflo customers who a...
04/04/2024
Manu Feildel, Miranda Otto and Pat Rafter join life-changing new season of Who D...
04/04/2024
Alone Australia season 2 continues to redefine Australian TV viewing through on-...
27/03/2024
Living Black, the longest-running Indigenous current affairs television program ...
26/03/2024
Crime is relative in SBS's new Canneseries nominated crime-family drama with...
25/03/2024
SBS gears up for Season 2 of Alone Australia with the creation of Alone Cologne...
22/03/2024
SBS Learn partners with the Islamic Museum of Australia to support classrooms in...
21/03/2024
21 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $1.6 million in support of the games industry
Which Way Up: Galaxy Games
Screen Australia has anno...
18/03/2024
18 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative
LTR Denise Eriksen, Esther Coleman Hawkins, Caroline Pitcher, K...
15/03/2024
15 03 2024 - Media release The Creators 2024 Participants Announced
The Creators program recipients. L-R Thomas Duncan-Watt, Vanessa Gazy, Sarah Lambert, Lea...
14/03/2024
SBS to mark Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr with all Australians
14 March, 2024
Media releases
Content in 22 languages*, a collection of movies to stream free on d...
14/03/2024
March 14,2024
-- KDDI Corporation
KDDI Corporation resolved at a meeting of the Board of Directors held today to change (newly appointed, retire) a director ...
13/03/2024
13 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces dramas Critical Incident and Sunny Nights for Stan
Critical Incident: Akshay Khanna and Zoe Boe. Photo c...
07/03/2024
Explore the afterlife with SBS podcast Grave Matters'
6 March, 2024
Media releases
Most of us are woefully unprepared for one of life's few certai...
06/03/2024
Multi-award winning electronic music duo to represent Australia at this year'...
06/03/2024
Developing Lunar 3GPP Mobile Network Technologies for Moon Exploration
GITA...
04/03/2024
SBS announces new development fund to discover Australia's biggest and riski...
28/02/2024
Yumi Stynes returns for season two of SBS podcast SEEN'
26 February, 2024
Media releases
Eight new trailblazers join feminist Australian icon Yumi Sty...
28/02/2024
28 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $810,000 in development funding for 29 projects
Willy
Screen Australia has announced 23 feature fi...
27/02/2024
27 02 2024 - Media release Michael Ebeid AM appointed as new Screen Australia Chair
Michael Ebeid AM and Megan Brownlow
The Hon. Minister for the Arts, Tony...
26/02/2024
Supporting AFEELAs entertainment experience and global launch with a communicati...
21/02/2024
21 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Australians in Film Announce App...
21/02/2024
Aiming to deliver new video-related solutions utilizing 5G SA this year
Son...
21/02/2024
Support the team with gifts while enjoying AR games in the stadium
KDDI COR...
21/02/2024
KDDI CORPORATION
February 21,2024
-- Tokyo, February 21, 2024 From February 2...
20/02/2024
KDDI CORPORATION
February 20,2024
-- KDDI announces that its consolidated subsidiary, SORACOM, INC. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Ken Tamagawa, herei...
15/02/2024
Alone Australia Season 2 Returns 27 March | Meet the Cast
15 February, 2024
Media releases
Smash hit series Alone Australia returns Wednesday 27 March on S...
15/02/2024
NITV's flagship footy show Over the Black Dot returns Tuesday 5 March, live ...
15/02/2024
15 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $560,000 for crew and gamemaker skills programs
Liz Keogh Palmer (Australian Production Design Guil...
13/02/2024
2024 is a landmark year for SBS's award-winning current affairs line-up, cov...
13/02/2024
22 01 2024 - Media release Six Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US
Audrey, Birdeater, The Moogai
Six Australian screen projec...
12/02/2024
12 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and YouTube Australia Launch Skip Ahead 9
Uncovering Street Dance: Australia from Skip Ahead 8. Photographed by Ry...
08/02/2024
08 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce Bay of Fires is back for season two
Marta Dusseldorp as Stella in Bay of Fires
ABC, Screen Austr...
07/02/2024
4 in 10 Australians battling sleep issues as nation's sleep crisis grows
7 February, 2024
Media releases
Dr Michael Mosley and the sleep scientists fro...
06/02/2024
Six screen creatives selected for the 2024 SBS Emerging Writers' Incubator i...
02/02/2024
SBS Scripted TV Lunch sessions return for another year of connecting with creati...
02/02/2024
February 2,2024
-- KDDI Corporation
KDDI announced the financial results for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 2024.
Summary In the third q...
Our CEO, Matthew Deaner has called for reasoned industry discussion around the Review of the Temporary Work (Entertainment) visa (Subclass 420), saying that the industry must decide on what kind of future it sees for itself.
