Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner has issued a rallying cry in his opening address at this year’s Screen Forever on the Gold Coast, calling on the industry to join together and fight for continuing ownership and creative control of its stories amid the government’s impending streaming reform.
With just over three months to go until the deadline for the content quotas that were promised as part of the National Cultural Policy, anticipation continues to build within the sector as to the details of the policy and the level of obligation that will be imposed on streaming businesses.
Deaner, whose organisation has long lobbied for a 20 per cent obligation for the services, said a decision felt “closer than it ever has”, but acknowledged that finding compromises in contested policy settings was not easy.
“Until the last vote in Parliament, I can promise you right now, my team and I will keep working to support the industry to keep fighting as hard as we possibly can to get the best outcome we possibly can for you and for our industry,” he said.
“Whatever the government comes up with, we will be judging it to make sure it delivers sustainable growth for our industry through stable investment, in Australian stories.
“The stakes are pretty high, and this means that sometimes, the things that divide us are at the fore.
“But when our industry is united, we are at our greatest strength.”
To emphasise his point, he used the example of how the NSW government’s proposed cuts to the state’s screen funding programs last year were reinstated on the back of the industry’s response, noting the sector had “mobilised and quickly united to speak to the government with a clarity of voice”.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that those few days were a major crisis for our industry. Non-stop calls from members facing the possibility of collapsing projects, potential bankruptcy, and a bleak future – not to mention the tsunami of frantic emails,” he said.
“[It was] a reminder of the fragility of much of the sector; that we are each walking our tightropes, full of risk, anxiety, and uncertainty.
“A flashback to the COVID days. Everyone scrambling to respond, for the right voice, the right tactics, [and] the right tools to address.
“But it is in those moments that the strength of SPA as an organisation shines – its strength is because of its members and the combining of skills they are willing to invest in through SPA for their greater benefit.”
Deaner identified “Australia’s cultural trade imbalance” as a key priority for his organisation this year, noting that the country was “failing when it comes to screen exports”.
It comes after SPA released the results of its second annual commissioning survey last year, revealing that of the 110 respondents that worked with streaming services between 2020 and 2022, only 40 per cent agreed their deals were fair in relation to overall budgets, deliverables, terms of trade, and rights retained.
Deaner said it was time for “a serious reality check and some frank conversations”.
“It gives me little pleasure to continue to point out that Australia is failing when it comes to screen exports,” he said.
“We lack a strategy and a resourced commitment to address this.
“So we have much work to fix this so more of our Australian screen stories reach the global audience that is ever hungry for more.”
Screen Forever will be held until March 21.