The Australian Writers’ Guild celebrates Communications Minister Paul Fletcher’s announcement that the feature film producer offset will be retained at 40%. Last September, the Morrison Government indicated that it would be reduced to 30% and harmonised with the TV offset, which will increase from 20%. This is a win for the industry and for our writer-producer members.

Last week, Australian Writers’ Guild President Shane Brennan and former President Jan Sardi AO campaigned at Parliament House, Canberra, for the protection of Australian feature film production and the overdue regulation of streaming services. They lobbied alongside industry leaders and representatives from SPA, MEAA and ADG, under the banner of Make It Australian.

​Leading Australian actors, crew, writers and producers are in Canberra this week in a united push to convince Parliament to introduce local content requirements for booming digital viewing platforms and make other necessary reforms to ensure a bright future for Australian screen stories.

It was a scaled down affair due to some pandemic or other, but the ancient tradition of writers and actors battling with bats (and balls) continued for a 40th year on Sunday 28 February at Princes Park, with the MEAA team comfortably retaining The Credit, but with the AWG putting up a strong fight and battling right til the end.

SBS, in partnership with Screen Australia, state and territory agencies Film Victoria, Screen Canberra, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screenwest and the South Australian Film Corporation, and with the assistance of the Australian Writers’ Guild, are launching the Emerging Screenwriters’ Incubator: a new, nationwide initiative to support the development of diverse fiction writing talent in the Australian screen sector.