2012 Year In Review
Dear Members
On behalf of the Ausfilm Board and staff, have a safe, restful and fabulous holiday season. We look forward to working with you refreshed and engaged for the challenges ahead in 2013.
This year has been one of significant achievement and ongoing challenge so thank you for your continued support, sage advice and extraordinary work throughout 2012. The Board and the team both in LA and Sydney greatly appreciate your passion and commitment to the work of Ausfilm.
2011 ended with the passing into legislation of the 30% PDV Offset (effective 1/7/2011) which has attracted significant international PDV work for our members; and while we are still awaiting a decision on the extra 13.5% to bring the Location Offset to 30%, the one-off investment package (equivalent to a 30% Location Offset) for The Wolverine provided significant work opportunities and investment for our members.
This announcement also generated considerable interest from major international productions to again look to Australia as a possible location, if 30% Location Offset was possible. Meanwhile there continues to be considerable interest in accessing the benefits of the Producer Offset whether out of LA or through our other international markets, including the significant response to our mission in the UK.
Importantly, in July this year the Hon Bob McMullan took on the role of Ausfilm’s first independent Chair. Bob is currently based in London and has already made a significant impact in the short time he has been in the Chair. Bob is an excellent advocate for our industry and attended both our major missions this year. At the Board meeting in October in LA, Catherine McDonnell was appointed Deputy Chair for a further term and we welcomed Zareh Nalbandian as the new corporate representative and Bryan Lowe, CEO Screen Queensland, to the Board.
We also farewelled Alaric (more than once) and thanked him for his excellent term (and a bit) as Chairman.
The event highlights for the year were the Ausfilm Week London and Ausfilm Week LA missions, incorporating one-on-one producer delegation meetings, publisher pitching sessions, an Australia summit and PDV showcase in LA and an Australia/UK mini expo focussing on co-production for the London mission. Major activities also included continued support for and participation in the second Australia-China Forum in Beijing; attendance at Cannes International Film Festival and Market and Strategic Partners Co-production Market, Halifax; support for major events in Los Angeles - G’day USA and AACTA international awards in January; Tropfest Las Vegas & Los Angeles (March & June); and AFCI Locations Trade Show in June. Our activity in the Asia-Pacific region continued with attendance at the Goa Film Bazaar in November and the Asian Film & TV summit (with Screen Singapore) in December. Thank you to members and State and Federal agencies for your participation in these events.
Ausfilm has continued to nurture key industry relationships in Los Angeles together with targeted events for members and clients. Ausfilm also hosted a number of inbounds in the past year working with the state screen agencies to assist in securing international productions. On top of the traditional inbounds, Ausfilm also supported the Raising Your Game program as part of the SPAA annual conference and Equity Foundation’s Casting Hothouse.
Throughout the year Ausfilm continued its significant research and advocacy in support of the extra 13.5%, commissioning Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) to update the 2010 PwC Impact Study for the Location and PDV Offsets. This Study has been a critical source of information in presenting to government an accurate picture of the significant value of the sector to the economy.
In 2012 we said goodbye to Laura and hello to Caroline Raffan in April as our Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Roslyn Van Vliet also joined us in February, on secondment from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), on a part-time basis for almost 12 months. Unfortunately for us Ros returns to ACMA in January. We also said goodbye to our part-time bookkeeping team of Virginia & Kate in August and welcomed new bookkeeper Jenny Brooks.
I want to again acknowledge the excellent work of the Ausfilm team both in LA (Tracey, Michelle & Vivien) and Sydney (Kristy, Michelle, Ros, Caroline & Annie), for their passion and commitment to Ausfilm and advocacy of its members. A special mention to the ‘&’s Annie and Vivien for their tireless work.
With your help, Ausfilm will continue to connect the international industry to Australia, developing international partnerships, marketing and promoting Australia’s incentives, innovative talent, unique locations and world-class filmmaking facilities and capabilities world-wide.
Best wishes for the holiday season!
Debra Richards
CEO
Ausfilm's office holiday closures
Ausfilm's Sydney and Los Angeles offices will be closed over the holiday period from Monday 24 December 2012 and will reopen on Monday 7th January 2013. We look forward to catching up in the New Year. |