The Australian Writers' Guild Applauds Screen Australia's Change In Focus

7 November, 2011

The Australian Writers' Guild applauds Screen Australia on their change in focus from auteur expression to a more audience driven model and we congratulate the government funding body for it’s continued dialogue with the Guild regarding these matters.
 
In their recently released 2010-2011 Annual Report Screen Australia Chairman Glen Boreham writes that changes in Screen Australia have been driven from multiple angles.
 
"Firstly, diversity and storytelling craft are seen as critical. We were determined that the agency should work collaboratively with writers, directors and producers to ensure that the language of script craft was pervasive. Significant increases in the amounts awarded to writers were seen as essential in underpinning a professional scriptwriting culture."
 
The AWG Board and Feature Film Committee along with Executive Director Jacqueline Woodman have spent several years consistently lobbying Screen Australia for these changes (see this article from The Australian dated 23rd January 2008) and are extremely pleased to see that their hard work on behalf of AWG members is starting to pay off.
 
AWG President Jan Sardi said that
 
"It's reassuring to see that the obsession with auteurs of recent years is on the decline and that there is a long overdue acknowledgement of the importance of the screenwriter's craft. Hopefully this signifies a real shift in the industry."

The AWG has regularly questioned the industry bias towards financing feature films by writer/directors, many with little experience in either field, whichresulted in a very limited range and type of film. As part of our fight for writers to be afforded equal regard to directors and producers, we have always highlighted just how vital the screenwriter's craft and experience is in the filmmaking process, and how important it is to have a properly funded, well developed screenplay that can reach an audience.

We congratulate Screen Australia for recognisingthat the foundation of any good production is the script, and for determining that the best way to strengthen these foundations is to invest in writers.