Aussie taxpayers are subsidising talent R&D of US studios: Ginnane

According to the president of the Screen Producers Association of Australia, Antony I. Ginnane, the lack of investment in mid-range films and the subsequent brain drain of creative talent means that Australia is subsidising the work of US studios.

“Films like Wasted on the Young, Griff the Invisible and Red Hill have turbo-charged the careers of their creators. Talent is being forced to move to the US, so Australia’s taxpayer is funding ‘research and development’ of talent for US studios,” said Ginnane.

Ginnane spoke at today’s Sydney session about SPAA’s proposed Producer Distributor Film Fund. Providing an historical context for the fund, he explained that the success of Australia’s film industry in the 1930s and 1970s was based on distributors acting as creative/financial partners from inception.

“Since then, we’ve had exceptional years, but most years we struggle to get five percent of the local box office, with a tabloid-driven impression that there is a problem with the industry,” said Ginnane.