The campaign for a new, custom-built headquarters for the National Film and Sound Archive is gaining momentum among a wide section of the screen industry.
Producer Tony Buckley got the ball rolling when he wrote to Arts Minister George Brandis and NSW Premier Mike Baird urging both governments to fund a new home for the institution, preferably in Sydney.
A former council member of the NFSA and a screen industry practitioner for 60 years, Buckley points out the NFSA is the only federally-funded arts museum/ archive that has never had a purpose-built home.
The initiative is being backed enthusiastically by some heavyweight players in the screen industry.
David Seargeant, CEO of Amalgamated Holdings Ltd., which owns Event Cinemas, Greater Union and Birch, Carroll & Coyle, told Buckley this is “a great initiative which we totally support – even more particularly through our relationship with the Archive and the collection both ourselves and Fox donated. If you are thinking of putting together a working group we would be happy to nominate someone from AHL.”
Mike Selwyn, MD of Paramount Pictures Australia/New Zealand, said, "This is a very timely intervention and certainly something that the industry as a whole could get behind. It does bring to mind the various initiatives to create a Cinematheque here in Sydney and perhaps we can find a way to bring it all together. There are plenty of empty buildings that could be adapted for a joint Cinematheque, incorporating the NFSA.”
AFI | AACTA chairman Alan Finney said, "On behalf of the AFI-AACTA we give you our support as this is a very encouraging suggestion and we offer to assist however we can.
“We are working on a number of revival screenings of Australian classics with NFSA and agree the cannon of Australian production achievement could and should be more discoverable / accessible, and that a dedicated site such as in Sydney could be tremendous.
“Our new AFI AACTA program at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction has quickly achieved a sizable regular following, indicating a significant appetite for ongoing Australian screen events.”
Producer Sue Milliken said, “I support Tony's initiative in principle and I will write to the relevant politicians. The Archive certainly needs to be positioned politically; it is the poor relation among museums. And when you think how the Howard government pumped money into NIDA, why not the repository of the work of all Australian artists in the media? You have to start somewhere. It would be good to get all the film associations to support.”
Buckley has suggested the heritage-listed White Bay Power Station as the ideal venue, funded as a Federal/ State initiative with financial support from the screen industry.
NFSA CEO Michael Loebenstein and chair Gabrielle Trainor met with Buckley in Sydney on Tuesday and said they received his proposal with great interest. They are having ongoing discussions with Buckley and an array of other industry stakeholders.