Disappointed that Labor didn’t take up loan fund: Ginnane

The Screen Producers Association of Australia presented its initiative for a $60m, five-year loan fund for mid-range production simultaneously to both parties, but only the Coalition responded to it.

“We’re disappointed that Labor didn’t see the fund as something appropriate to take up in the run up to the election, but we’re terribly happy that the Liberals have embraced this policy.” said SPAA president Anthony I. Ginnane.

“We’ve always felt that support for the industry has been historically bi-partisan in Australia, so we presented it to both the Labor Government and the Liberal opposition at virtually the same time; we had significant discussions with the relevant Ministers and their departments. We’re pleased that Shadow Arts Minister Steven Ciobo and the Liberal party have taken up this initiative,” he explained.

The president of SPAA said that “it’s hard to say” if the Coalition’s announcement of this fund – which would match dollar-for-dollar the financial commitments made by distributors on projects budgeted at $7-30m, with loans ranging from $2-10m – as part of its arts policy would influence the screen industry’s vote next Saturday.

“On one hand you could make an historical analysis of the support for the Australian film industry over the years, and a significant proportion has come from Liberal governments; from the original set up of film funding under John Gorton and the 10B and 10BA tax concessions, to the Producer Offset (John Howard).

“Many people in the industry have an intellectual and philosophical affinity with Labor, but everybody has to pay their mortgage, and everybody wants to see the industry develop as well. It’s complex; individuals will take individual choices as they always do, but it’s a very close election,” said Ginnane.

According to Ginnane, this proposed production fund – which was originally meant to be $90m over three years – would make a significant difference in the Australian film industry, supplementing Producer Offset funding and incoming funding from the commercial distributors.

“It’s about the additional numbers of movies that wouldn’t have otherwise been made, with a consequent increase in the number of jobs… and the more times audiences have a good experience with an Australian movie, the more likely they are to go back with a positive attitude to the next one that comes out,” he said.

Ginnane dismissed suggestions that this fund would jeopardise production of low budget productions: “If funding continues for Screen Australia in its current form, the agency could focus more acutely on cultural activity and on young and incumbent filmmakers, working as a talent incubator,” explained Ginnane.