24 04 2018 - Media release Screen Australia provides $3.3 million to local festivals and events
Warwick Thornton at the Opening Night of the 64th Sydney Film Festival in 2017 / Rocket K Photography
Screen Australia today announced triennial support for 17 key screen industry festivals and events from across the country, sharing $1.1 million per year from 2018/19.
Funding has been allocated to major film festivals in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, as well as those dedicated to serving regional areas and national promotion such as Cin festOZ and the Flickerfest National Tour. Festivals supporting diversity in front of and behind the camera have also been supported including the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival, plus those championing emerging creators and career promotion like Tropfest.
As always, we received far more applications than we could possibly fund. In such a rapidly changing environment in terms of how content is consumed, we have prioritised festivals and events that offer the greatest opportunities for Australian drama and documentary creators, said Graeme Mason, CEO of Screen Australia. These opportunities range from access to large festival audiences, reach outside of a niche audience, substantial professional development, significant prizes that garner international attention, Academy Award accreditation or the ability to showcase diverse screen stories and creators.
We're particularly excited to support the reimagined Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) which, with the support of Screen Queensland, will now be hosted by the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art's (QAGOMA) Australian Cin math que. This is an Australian-first a cultural institution taking on a film festival. With invaluable resources, industry connections and infrastructure at their disposal, we have no doubt BIFF will become a premier screen cultural event.
The application process was highly competitive, with the total ask on Screen Australia of $7.1 million over three years from 41 applications, including significant new asks due to the Adelaide Film Festival becoming annual and BIFF returning to the market. Despite budgetary reductions in other program areas across Screen Australia, the same total amount of overall funding has been allocated to festivals and events. The agency retains the right to amend the three year commitment in the event of further funding cuts.
There is no doubt the festival business is a hard slog, with event organisers needing to become increasingly entrepreneurial in accessing corporate funds and minimising their reliance on government support, recognising that the landscape they work in has fundamentally changed. Those that are targeting younger and new audiences, including new formats and moving away from traditional models of engagement are wisely seeking to future proof themselves, and for this they should be congratulated, concluded Mason.
The funded events and festivals are:
AACTA Awards, honouring excellence and celebrating the achievements of the Australian screen production sector. It is being funded in recognition of the unique role it plays in bringing the attention of the industry to the fore domestically.
Access All Areas Film Festival contains four short film program strands that reflect the lived experience of people with a disability. Established in 2015, the festival has quickly expanded from NSW into Tasmania, Victoria, ACT, Queensland and the NT, and through the tour and screenings in schools also aims to raise awareness about cinema access for people with a disability.
Adelaide Film Festival is an internationally recognised screen event incorporating features, documentaries, shorts, interactive work and art. The newly annualised event has a reputation for innovation and launching the careers of Australian practitioners, and offers a $1 million film fund to commission new projects.
Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Melbourne is Australia's premier industry event for documentary, factual and unscripted content, featuring a marketplace, forum and screening program. It will be supported to offer business, networking, technical and craft development opportunities, as well as provide a forum for industry debate and discussion.
Brisbane International Film Festival will now be hosted by QAGOMA's Australian Cin math que, offering a program showcasing the work of leading Australian and international filmmakers. In partnership with other venues it will offer a program of new release titles alongside screenings with live music, conversations, panel discussions, gala events, industry workshops and more.
Cin festOZ in the South West region of WA is a celebration of Australian filmmaking that includes premieres and events in the region's cinemas, wineries, small bars and galleries. The festival offers a lucrative film prize of $100,000 the largest in the country and has cultivated a reputation as both an industry event and film festival destination.
Darwin International Film Festival is the biggest event in the Northern Territory with a program of films and special events, several outdoor gala events and a strong focus on showcasing local, Indigenous and South East Asian content.
Flickerfest Film Festival is an Academy Award and BAFTA accredited competitive international short film festival, held in Bondi Beach, Sydney. The festival's official accreditation provides local filmmakers with an Australian link to top tier international awards, and has a reputation for kick-starting the careers of emerging filmmakers.
Flickerfest National Tour takes highlights from the short film competition to over 52 venues across Australia, including all states and territories. The tour provides audiences in regional Australia the opportunity to engage with internat
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24 04 2018 - Media release Screen Australia provides $3.3 million to local festivals and events 
