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ABC expands triple jtv docs program

By Simon de Bruyn

ABC TV has decided to lift the funding for the fourth round of its triple jtv docs initiative by $100,000 to $400,000, a jam packed room of emerging producers was told at the Australian International Documentary Conference yesterday.

In an extension of the ABC funding announcements made by ABC head of television Kim Dalton at the opening of the conference, a panel of previous and current jtv funding recipients dissected what it all meant for producers.

One of the panel speakers, Cath Moore was the writer and co-director on 2008 jtv project Hairtales. She told INSIDEFILM it was great to have a financing stream that was flexible according to the content and requirements of the filmmaking teams.

Hairtales was fully funded by the jtv initiative. The ABC was very supportive, allowing us to make the best film we could,” she said.

“They gave us constructive criticism and made us justify our decisions but let us go and make our film; that sort of support is important as an emerging practitioner in developing your sense of self as a filmmaker.”

Overall, ABC TV’s budget has more than trebled for independently-produced documentaries to an expected $30 million for 2008/09.