Credit Where it’s Due: Jason Kent – lifting the lid on the Australian movie scene
In a new regular column Mumbrella recognises the best people and work in the industry. This time it’s Jason Kent for daring to ask tough questions of the Australian film industry.
It seems to be increasingly rare for people to put their head above the parapet and question their peers. Too often, industries – and not just this one – close ranks, watch each other’s backs and fail to address issues that are holding back progress.
So take a bow Jason Kent, the founder of Pure Independent Pictures, who is behind a documentary which aims to lift the lid on why Australia’s film industry is struggling at the box office.
In the 1980s, Australia was churning out some enormously successful movies. Look no further than Mad Max and Crocodile Dundee, which generated substantial returns at the box office. Back then, Australian films contributed more than 23 per cent of local box office takings. Yet in the intervening 30 years, that impressive number has shrunk to less than 4 per cent, despite a lot of support from movie critics.
Clearly then something needs to change, especially as Screen Australia is facing large budget cuts, making money harder to come by for would-be film makers.
But as Kent told Mumbrella last week, the film industry has for too long ignored the decline and continued in a blinkered “crisis, what crisis?” mindset.
“Some people are trying to pretend as if there is no problem. I see articles every year saying everything is great, but the opposite is true,” Kent said. “But if we don’t do something about it and if someone doesn’t at least start by saying ‘hey, there’s a problem’ and ask the questions about what is wrong, then nothing will improve.”
He is well aware that the documentary, What’s Wrong With Australian Films, could cause a stir, recognising he could be at risk of being ostracised by the film making community for making such a documentary.
But causing a stir, stimulating debate and tackling the reasons behind the slump are precisely what his intentions are. Not in a mean spirited point and laugh way, but as a means to force a much needed debate out into the open and build a self-sufficient commercial film industry. The talent is certainly there for it.
Credit Where it’s Due is all about generating positivity about our fantastic industry. While we welcome positive and constructive comments, anonymous or otherwise, this feature a snark-free zone so please bear that in mind when commenting.
Here’s an Australian film I may actually watch! Looks great, well done to the filmmakers exploring this topic.
To me, the biggest problems with Australian films is the lack of genre and the inherent, and at times far too overbearing, Australianess of our movies.
On the first point, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- we make three films in this country: bogan comedies, gross out horror and dry dramas. Nothing else. Where’s the action films? A fun adventure film? A fantasy or Sci fi? Something for kids? A superhero movie? These are the genres that are selling at the box office, both here and abroad, but it’s not what we’re making.
On the second point, we need to stop having such culturally cringeworthy films. Enough with everything being so overtly Australian. Start making films on merit and ideas and talent not on how much it showcases Australia or the Australian way of life.
Finally, we need a better funding system. The amount of overseas productions that have been scared away due to the lack of funding or tax breaks be pulled is staggering. We should be emulating Canada, which is like a second Hollywood for many TV shows and movies or thinking outside the box like England, which until recently used money raised from national lotteries to fund films. If we can get overseas movies made here we can build up our own industry and start to compete.
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+++++1 Bem! completely agree!
Hollywood want to work with Australia yet the film industry has this chip on their shoulder.
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Jason you can track almost everything that is wrong with the Australian film industry back to the long standing requirement that there be a Market Attachment before Screen Australia financing is enabled. If you can’t see the connection you are like most people in the industry who don’t know much about the potentialities of real creative and commercial freedom.
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