A new documentary screening on Foxtel’s Aurora channel and community TV this September asks what is wrong with Australian films.
Since the 1980s Australian films’ total share of the local box office has fallen steadily from over 23% to below 4%. Today the government funds most local films, as well as locally produced Hollywood fare. Yet in spite of the government’s involvement, and spending hundreds of millions on marketing and production, the box office slide has continued unabated, leading to concerns for the future viability of the industry.
A group of industry insiders and corporate executives have formed an initiative called Pure Independent Pictures, dedicated to supporting independent filmmaking.
The doco is a product of the initiative and includes experts in marketing, economics, finance and filmmaking who debate what is to blame for the dearth of successful Aussie films in recent years.
