NEW SOUTH WALES FILM AND TELEVISION OFFICE | ANNUAL REPORT 2003-2004 1 O 34 2 somersault the oyster farmer mission to foster and facilitate creative excellence and commercial growth in the film and television industry in new south wales thunderstruck n New South Wales Film and Television Office Level 7, 157 Liverpool Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Telephone 612 9264 6400 Facsimile 612 9264 4388 Freecall 1300 556 386 Email [email protected] Web www.fto.nsw.gov.au Hours of Business 9.00am–5.30pm Monday–Friday The New South Wales Film and Television Office is a statutory authority of, and principally funded by, the NSW State Government. ISSN 1037-0366 02 contents 03_letter to the premier 05_message from the chair and chief executive 08_members of the board 10_organisational chart 12_financial overview 14_charter 15_development 17_project development 20_new feature film writers scheme 22_aurora 24_young filmmakers fund 26_industry & audience development 28_regional cinema initiatives 30_new media initiatives 33_investment 36_distribution 37_production liaison 45_profile 49_fto as an organisation 53_performance indicators 55_financials 56_agency statement 57_auditor general’s report 58_financial statements 70_appendices 87_index 03 The Hon RJ Carr Premier of New South Wales Minister for the Arts and Minister for Citizenship Parliament House Sydney NSW 2000 letterDear Premier Pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 of the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 (NSW), we have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the New South Wales Film and Television Office for the year ended 30 June 2004 for tabling in Parliament in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Yours sincerely Shane Simpson Jane Smith Chair Chief Executive 04 the oyster farmer 05 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE This year has been a time of consolidation for many of the FTO’s initiatives. It has also seen dividends paid on one of the FTO’s great strengths – our strategic and innovative approach to industry development. Several of the FTO’s programs have produced some impressive achievements. New collaborative partnerships have resulted in a number of significant professional development projects, all contributing to a sustainable Industry consultation and feedback is an film and television industry in NSW. important part of the FTO’s deliberations about its programs and future directions. The New Feature Film Writers Scheme DEVELOPMENT (NFFWS) has been operating for two years. The FTO’s innovative script development In order to provide targeted script feedback program Aurora celebrated some outstanding to the shortlisted applicants who did not successes this year, with the first two projects make the final cut for recent NFFWS rounds, from the inaugural round being financed. the FTO ran the first NFFWS scriptwriting Somersault, the first Aurora production to workshop weekend in November, in be completed, screened to a standing ovation conjunction with the Australian Writers’ Guild as part of Un Certain Regard at the Cannes and script consultant Belinda Chayko. International Film Festival in May. Somersault also opened the Melbourne International Film The Young Filmmakers Fund (YFF) supports Festival and screened as part of the Sydney the innovative work of new and emerging Film Festival and has been invited to both filmmakers, and has proved to be a successful the Toronto Film Festival and the Edinburgh springboard for many directors and International Film Festival. Reflecting the producers. As part of reviewing YFF, the FTO festival success, Somersault has achieved ran an open forum at the Chauvel Cinemas in some strong sales in key territories. March to seek feedback from filmmakers and stakeholders to inform changes to the policies Little Fish, the next Aurora project to be and operation of the fund. produced, is due to shoot later this year with Cate Blanchett confirmed to star. YFF projects continue to achieve considerable critical acclaim, both at home and overseas. As part of the FTO’s strategic development The Scree was selected for the Berlin approach, a number of funding bodies have International Film Festival and Deluge took joined together to share resources and provide out the Special Jury Prize at Clermont-Ferrand a range of exciting new opportunities International Short Film Festival, and a jury for filmmakers. prize at the Granada Short Film Festival, as well as competing in this year’s Dendy Awards Arista Australia, coordinated in partnership at the Sydney Film Festival. A Wonderful Day with Film Victoria, the New Zealand Film won two audience awards at the Mardi Gras Commission and Screen West, offered Film Festival and Best Australian Short Film practical and theoretical assistance to NSW at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, project teams, story editors and writers in the and screened at gay film festivals in Bendigo, form of residential workshops. The project is Brisbane, New York and San Francisco. based on an established and well-respected European development model. The Digital FX Traineeship Scheme has an enviable success rate with over 90% Enterprise Australia provided an intensive, of trainee digital artists working in the advanced workshop for experienced industry. Three trainees were placed with Australian producers to develop and expand Ambience Entertainment and Animal Logic their business skills, focusing on sustainable this year, and had the opportunity to work business models, diversification and the on a range of projects including feature films formation of strategic industry partnerships. such as Happy Feet (a large budget, fully The workshops were led by UK-based animated feature), television commercials consultant Jonathon Olsberg and have and corporate branding and design. already yielded positive outcomes for the filmmakers involved. By joining with the New The FTO continues to assess the future Zealand Film Commission and Film Victoria, of content in a digital, interactive, the FTO was also able to secure a place multichannel world. The FTO supported for one NSW project at the No Borders the second XMediaLab in February, which independent film co-production market in the provides intensive development opportunities US, providing a unique opportunity for NSW for participating convergent media projects. filmmakers to meet with international buyers, The Lab used new media experts from investors and agencies. around the world as mentors for the projects. 06 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE (CONTINUED) somersault farscape down the line WESTERN SYDNEY & REGIONAL NSW PRODUCTION SECTOR CRITICAL ACCLAIM 07 After the great response to Shooting West at The FTO continues to promote and position Projects assisted by the FTO received 31 the Casula Powerhouse last year, the FTO Sydney and NSW as the preferred centre for nominations and 6 awards at the 2003 organised a second industry day at Penrith film and television production in Australia. Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, 12 Regional Gallery in April, in partnership with This year saw the overall level of production nominations and 4 awards at the Film Critics Metro Screen and SWITCH Multimedia Access in NSW rise strongly after a down turn in the Circle of Australia Awards and 16 nominations Centre. The program complements the FTO’s previous year. However, local feature and and 7 awards for the IF Awards. support for film and multimedia agencies in television drama production is still slow. Western Sydney, encouraging greater The effect of the additional funding from Painting with Light in A Dark World won Best awareness of the opportunities and resources Government will be in the coming financial year. Direction in Documentary and Best Editing available for young and emerging filmmakers. in a Non Feature Film at the 2003 AFI Awards Launched by the Hon David Campbell, Major international productions such as and also picked up Best Short Documentary Minister for Regional Development, Small Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith, at the 2003 IF Awards. Gettin’ Square won Business and the Illawarra, over 300 Mask II: Son of Mask and Stealth based 5 IF Awards including Best Script and Best Actor. participants gathered in Penrith for a diverse themselves in Sydney, reinforcing the state’s program of short workshops, script and reputation as one of the best production Helen’s War was awarded Best Documentary production-focused seminar sessions, and post-production centres for complex, in this year’s Dendy Awards at the 51st screenings and a filmmaker in-conversation. high-budget film projects. Sydney Film Festival. So Close To Home (which received assistance under the Family A number of other important activities were Further work is being done on improving Matters initiative with SBS Independent) won supported this year. Metro Screen’s Mobile the filming conditions in NSW. A draft protocol the Community Relations Commission Award, Unit provided video, editing and multimedia has been prepared for State agencies and for which Deluge was also nominated. Deluge training programs for new and emerging there will be a review of the Local Government (a YFF short drama) was also nominated for filmmakers in Holroyd, Campbelltown and protocol. The purpose of these protocols the Best Fiction Under 15 Minutes. Hurstville, and for regional communities in is to make it easier for filmmakers to access Young, Bega and Wollongong. locations by streamlining permit processes Eight NSW films, including Rachel Ward’s and to have an agreed criteria for setting