Film-maker James Ricketson stages ‘Occupy Screen Australia’ protest against ban
James Ricketson
Film-maker James Ricketson is staging a one-man protest in the offices of Screen Australia today.
The stunt – which Ricketson is calling ‘Occupy Screen Australia’ – is the latest move in a long campaign waged against the government funding body.
He claims he has been unfairly banned by Screen Australia, which he says has effectively ended his film career in Australia.
Ricketson has today delivered a letter in person to Screen Australia’s management team on William Street in Sydney, and has said that he will wait inside the building until he has a response.
Ricketson was banned from making any contact with Screen Australia in May, the funding body alleging “harassment and intimidation” of SA staff.
He took legal action against Screen Australia the following month, claiming that SA had not provided a good enough reason from banning him.
Ricketson wants to see evidence of written correspondence in which he supposedly harassed or intimidated staff, which is the main reason for his protest today.
The ban, which includes removing the ability for Ricketson to make an application for film funding, will mean that he will lose an international pre-sale deal on his film Chanti’s World, he claims.
Ricketson’s legal claim was thrown out of the Supreme Court of NSW because he did not complete the claim correctly. He was acting without a lawyer.
Ricketson, who has used his blog to back his campaign in recent months, including letters to the Prime Minister, has said that if the protest does not go his way today, he will re-file his claim.
Screen Australia declined to comment.
After five months of asking, Ruth Harley has hand-delivered to me in the foyer of Sydney’s Screen Australia’s offices copies of my correspondence with the segments highlighted that she believes to bear witness to my having intimidated and placed at risk members of her staff. I will publish some of them on my blog shortly so that anyone interested can see for themselves if I am guilty as charged. In the meantime, for anyone interested in context:
http://jamesricketson.blogspot.....creen.html
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There could be a series in this … I must get my funding application in!
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Yes, John, there’s no shortage of humour and even some tender moments.
Sitting here in the foyer at Screen Australia and feeling in need of some coffee, who should arrive at my side with a big smile but Nick Coyle (Screen Australia’s FOI officer) to ask me if I’d like a cup of coffee., He was just zipping across the road to get one. Fiona Cameron’s shout. Very sweet of Fiona.
No one here is acting as though I pose any kind of risk to their well-being. Indeed, everyone is very friendly.
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It is 4 pm and Graham, in charge of security for the Screen Australia building, has just arrived and asked me to leave:
http://jamesricketson.blogspot.....ction.html
I am not going anywhere!
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james why not publish ALL the extracts given to you, exactly as given to you? Otherwise you could be accused of hiding something.
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Phillip
The only problem with publishing all of the highlighted sections is that sometimes there is only one phrase in an entire letter. However, I will, in the next coupe of hours, be publishing the very worst example of my tendency to ‘intimidate and place at risk’ members of Screen Australia staff. I will be posting the entire letter so that the offending extracts can be read in context.
cheers
James
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