Screen Australia announces latest documentary trends, challenges and new projects

Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason opened the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Melbourne this morning with a keynote speech based on the findings of Screen Australia's documentary research, which was published today. In his speech, Mason commented that changes in the sector, particularly around audience behaviour, the rise of VOD and the digital space, and the need for alternative and innovative financing models, are not imminent they are already here. Mason said that the challenge now is to adapt in order to survive.

We here today know the cultural value of what great storytelling can bring to the nation is endless, he said. We need to ensure we are targeting our investment in unique content that our audiences wouldn't otherwise have access to particularly stories that matter to Australians, and our cultural identity. The need to adapt to audience behaviour and embrace new ways to produce, fund and distribute documentaries in 2016 is beyond urgent.

NEW SERIES: A MOMENT IN HISTORY

Mason announced a new collaboration with NITV/SBS on a slate of documentaries with tremendous cultural value: A Moment in History. This series of bold, innovative, and compelling documentaries will explore the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia in the months leading up to the proposed 2017 Referendum on Indigenous Constitutional Recognition. This exciting series is an example of filming excellence and landmark storytelling from some of our leading Indigenous filmmakers and reflects the power of documentary to shape national discourse.

PARTNERSHIPS IN SOCIAL IMPACT DOCUMENTARY

Mason's speech highlighted recent achievements of the social impact documentary genre with support from platforms including GOOD PITCH Australia, which allows filmmakers to pitch projects and their associated outreach campaigns and forge strategic partnerships. Many of the 13 social impact documentaries that shared in more than $6m in philanthropic partnerships during the 2014 and 2015 period have gone well beyond their TV/cinema releases to reach new audiences. Documentaries including That Sugar Film, Gayby Baby, Call Me Dad, Frackman and Prison Songs have found these wider audiences through community education and workplace screening programs.

In his speech, Mason commended the documentary form for its power to help us understand issues including poverty, climate change, politics, gender inequity and racial divisions. We are looking for ways to understand these and other often complex issues, and connect with others to share their experiences. And documentary often starts where current affairs ends allowing us a deeper more expansive look into otherwise unseen worlds, he said.

LATEST DOCUMENTARY DATA

While change is upon the sector, to date the impact of the constrained financial environment has not impacted on Screen Australia's overall support for the documentary sector. The industry continues to produce a high volume of very successful content, increasingly for newer platforms. As the latest figures show:

On average, 432 hours of Australian documentaries are produced annually, to the value of $144m;

Most documentaries (singles and series) are made for less than $500,000 an hour;

348 hours of first-release documentaries were screened on free-to-air TV in 2015;

7 local documentaries were released in Australian cinemas in 2015;

A growing number of Australian docs are finding their audiences online;

46% of producers, 34% of directors, and 38% of writers working on documentary projects in Australia are women.

For the Screen Australia documentary trends infographic, click here

To read Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason's AIDC speech, click here

LINK:	http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/news_and_events/2016/mr_160229_docot...
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