Australian films are getting a boost of financial support. Already rising in prominence in the United States, Australian filmmakers are poised to take advantage of a new film funding plan that provides the Australian film industry with an additional $283 million dollars to pursue its cinematic ventures.

In addition, the government there will soon introduce a 40% tax rebate to encourage the production of Australian feature films, and a similar tax rebate of 20% for television productions. In addition, the location rebate for foreigners interested in filming in Australia will increase to 15%, thus boosting incentive for producers to fund large-budget overseas projects.

Essentially, the Australian film industry is getting a facelift. In addition to the previously mentioned financial support, the government package also includes the installation of the Australian Screen Authority to replace the previous film funding review groups: Australian Film Commission, Film Finance Corporation and Film Australia.

Through this arts package, the government hopes that this step forward will aid in not only improving the Australian film industry but also contribute to economic and cultural growth.

Get more information from MSN News:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=265777&rss=yes

Contributed by Christina Chen,
UC Berkeley student

The latest news from one of Australia’s critical financing sources:

THREE of Australia’s best known filmmakers, Phillip Noyce, Scott Hicks and Adam Elliot, are set to make new films at home next year. The Film Finance Corporation has approved funding support for Hicks’ The Boys are Back in Town and Oscar-winner Elliot’s first full length animation, Mary & Max.

The FFC also issued Noyce with a letter of intent, indicating finance will be given for his version of Tim Winton’s love story Dirt Music subject to the film’s producers’ meeting certain conditions.

Rachel Weisz, Oscar winner as Best Supporting Actress this year for The Constant Gardener, is expected to be one of the international cast in Dirt Music.

…

New television projects include The Falls, directed by Peter Andrikidis, the 13-hour mini-series Underbelly (an expose of the Melbourne gangland wars), and a six-part ABC series East of Everything co-written and co-produced by Deb Cox, of SeaChange.

Read the full story at the Courier Mail’s website www.news.com.au
This link takes you there http://tinyurl.com/yybssf

Adam Elliot

Australia’s Channel 9 network
listed their picks for the Best Aussie Movies:

	20. Muriel’s Wedding
19. Wolf Creek
	18. Babe
17. Chopper
	16. Romper Stomper
15. Storm Boy
14. Strictly Ballroom
13. Young Einstein
	12. Shine
11. Puberty Blues
10. Sunday Too Far Away
	9. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
	8. My Brilliant Career
	7. Man From Snowy River
6. Breaker Morant
	5. Mad Max
4. Picnic At Hanging Rock
3. The Castle
	2. Crocodile Dundee
	1. Gallipoli

http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au

Australian stories drown in sea of American films

“WHILE many are talking about the resurgence of the Australian film industry, revenue from overseas sales has slumped.” …

“The soaring number of “independent films”, produced cheaply with international stars outside the Hollywood system, had made it harder for Australian releases to attract attention overseas.” …

“Under the Government’s review of film funding, the corporation has lobbied for a new tax offset that would attract more private investment to the industry.

It has also argued that the existing tax offset for higher-budget productions be increased from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent to rival the incentives offered by other countries chasing offshore Hollywood productions.”

Garry Maddox, Film Writer, Sydney Morning Herald, October 27, 2006