The Make it Australian campaign is heading back to Canberra for the first time since the federal election, restating its case for local content requirements to be placed on digital platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Netflix has publicly cautioned the Australian Government against imposing local content obligations on its Australian service, warning of its disruptive effect.
Netflix may be inching closer to becoming a “local” media company, with an increased presence in our small but profitable national market. What might this mean for local screen producers?
"The Minister should acknowledge and encourage our home-grown creatives too. The Australians working on local stories and projects, generating IP, creating jobs and running small businesses as they tell our stories; stories that must be told," write Shadow Minister for the Arts and Industrial Relations Tony Burke and Shadow Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.
Thanks to Australia’s careful management of the pandemic, the industry is in the midst of a production boom. The government hopes to support the sector to leverage both this “once-in-a-century” opportunity and the global demand for content in the years ahead, writes Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher.
Screen industry groups have welcomed a new parliamentary inquiry into the growth and sustainability of Australian film and TV as an opportunity to address “long-term systemic issues.â€
With two parallel yet overlapping inquiries under way into the Australian screen sector, what can the industry realistically hope will be the outcome?
SPA has again taken the Federal Government to task for its proposed Streaming Services Reporting and Investment Scheme, labelling the next steps in the media reform agenda as "weak" and "lacking in a vision or plan".