AWG backs screen industry research

15 April, 2016

The Australian Writers’ Guild has thrown its weight behind a new initiative to measure just how important the screen industry is to Australia’s economic, cultural and social wellbeing.The research, headed by Screen Australia, is supported by the Australian Screen Industry Group (ASIG), an alliance of the AWG and nine other guilds and organisations representing key sectors in the screen industry.It is envisaged that the research will quantify and explain what the screen sector contributes to the economy, as well as evaluate what local screen content provides to Australian audiences, taxpayers and other beneficiaries.Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason says Australia is increasingly seeing the value of its screen culture to international diplomacy efforts.“The recent appointment of actor Chris Hemsworth as new global ambassador for Tourism Australia shows just how potent our screen stars are for international relations,” he says.In 2013, Screen Australia undertook the “Hearts and Minds” research into the impact of local film and television in fostering national, cultural and social identity and is now looking to assess it in broader cultural and economic terms, taking into consideration the technological advancements in recent years.AWG executive director Jacqueline Elaine says the research will highlight just how vital Australian writers and their stories are to the nation’s screen industry and how important the screen industry is to Australia’s national and cultural life.Deloitte Access Economics and Olsberg SPI have been commissioned to produce the research report, which will be launched at a Cultural Roundtable and Showcase event in Canberra on 21 June 2016.Screen Australia says the event will be an opportunity for senior representatives from the screen industry to meet with policy makers to discuss the findings of the report and the challenges facing the production and delivery of Australian screen content in 2016 and beyond.