The Federal Government has released its draft amendments to the Australian Screen Production Incentive - i.e. the offsets, inviting public comment until the end of this month.
In a welcome move for industry, the Federal Government has backtracked on its decision to harmonise the Producer Offset for film and television, announcing on Sunday that the offset will remain at 40 per cent for theatrical features.
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher has doubled down on criticism of the ABC for its response to potential local content obligations, but has sympathised with other industry views on the green paper – namely the call for streaming platforms to spend 20 per cent of their local revenue on Australian content.
The Documentary Australia Foundation is urging the Federal Government to treat documentary distinctly from drama as it proceeds with reform to the Producer Offset.
"The Minister should acknowledge and encourage our home-grown creatives too. The Australians working on local stories and projects, generating IP, creating jobs and running small businesses as they tell our stories; stories that must be told," write Shadow Minister for the Arts and Industrial Relations Tony Burke and Shadow Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.
Back in July, when every cinema around the country was shut, Sue Maslin took a leap: she committed to a three month marketing and P&A campaign for feature documentary Brazen Hussies.
Australia's leading children's TV producers today called on the Federal Government to review its planned media reforms, warning that abolishish the free-to-air broadcasters' children content quotas will result in thousands of job losses.
Many feature producers fear the Federal Government's sweeping media reforms will spell the death knell of Australian features, forcing them and some writers and directors to focus on content for streamers or free-to-air broadcasters.