Amid the ongoing US Writers’ Strike, Australian Writers’ Guild executive director Claire Pullen reflects on the landscape for writers locally.
A group of more than 20 Australian Writers Guild members armed with signs gathered outside the NBCUniversal office in Sydney on Wednesday to take part in a global day of solidarity with US screenwriters.
Two days after the Writers Guild of America was able to secure protections against the use of artificial intelligence in scripting film and television content, the Australian Writers' Guild made its own stand against the technology.
Since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban last August, a group of Australian filmmakers have been working to aid friends and former colleagues now in danger.
The screen industry guilds have submitted their joint recommendations to the Federal Government's National Cultural Policy, expressing cautious optimism about the road ahead while also stressing the need for quick implementation.
As the US writers' strike stretches into a third week, the Australian Writers Guild is urging local writers to show caution and keep the lines of communication open about any opportunities where there is ambiguity or concern.
"Let’s make no bones about it - this is a disaster."
In the lead up to the federal election, the fight to regulate streaming services looks poised to get noisier: Australian Directors Guild executive director Alaric McAusland told Screen Forever Tuesday that the industry was currently "way too polite" to government on the issue.
New ADG executive director Sophie Harper speaks to IF about the priorities for the guild going forward.