Screen Australia has decided to postpone the introduction of the revised documentary programs from July 1 until 2021, to the dismay of some factual filmmakers who wanted the new regime to happen sooner.
The Australian International Documentary (AID) group is urging Screen Australia to increase funding of single one-hours and feature documentaries.
After 45 years as a documentary filmmaker, Pat Fiske has some simple advice for aspiring practitioners: "Have many strings to your bow if you want to survive."
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has broadly welcomed Screen Australia's proposed overhaul of documentary funding guidelines but fears low budget productions will suffer from the scrapping of the Producer Equity Program (PEP).
More than 250 filmmakers have co-signed an open letter calling for a "radical overhaul" of government policy in order to sustainably support the independent documentary sector now and into the future.