Film-maker James Ricketson takes legal action against Screen Australia
Australian film-maker James Ricketson is taking court proceedings against Screen Australia in the Supreme Court of NSW.
Ricketson claims that Screen Australia has not provided a good enough reason from banning him from talking to the funding body – which it did in May.
Ricketson wants Screen Australia to produce documents that show how he has, as SA’s CEO Ruth Harley has stated in a letter to Ricketson, “harassed, intimidated or placed staff at risk”.
Ricketson, who is suing for $1 in compensation, believes he has done nothing wrong.
Suing Screen Australia for $1? Still, that’s a dollar more than most of us have gotten out of them…hehe
Is he seeking $1 (one dollar) or $1m (one million dollars) in compensation???
If he is just seeking $1, well that’s hilarious!
@Alison_F
Why so? At what point between $1 and $1m does it begin to lose its hilarity ?
Not everything is about large sums of money.
Principles and one’s personal standing are usually worth more than any amount of mere money.
In any case, don’t you think that suing for a million dollars in a similar situation, could invite the suggestion that the claimant was simply attempting to get the production funding by whatever means possible?
Dollar, dollar is all I need!
Don’t forget to factor in interests and inflation to that $1 🙂
Suing for $1 is a process used to resolve a dispute without money being the issue. Effectively he is using the legal process to draw a decision as to whether his story or Film Australia’s is correct. If the court gives directions to proceed (permits the legal action) then he can subpoena the documents.
@Richard Moss… While I see your point, don’t you think there could also be an argument against clogging up the courts all in the name of personal standing? I guess it would still be hilarious at $10, $100 is still quite funny… $1000 begins to lose it’s comical qualities as does $10,000 and up – just to answer your question…
Its hard to tell from this article but he is entitled to these documents. SA have no rights to make claims or Ban anyone, they are funded by the Tax payer no differently than the councils, or Ausindustry etc. We all know Sa fund what they like for their mates, no wonder Aussie movies are so cr*p! How many Aussie movies have made commercial benefit or have returned to Tax payer or the investors money. It’s a poorly run operation. He has a right, but I am not saying he is right.
Dear Tim
For the second time Encore has published a statement relating to my
complaint against Screen Australia that is not correct. On 11th May
Encore reported:
“James Ricketson has been conducting a lengthy campaign complaining
that the organisation has unfairly declined to fund his documentary
project Chanti’s World.”
I wrote to Encore immediately to correct this error:
“To set the record straight, ENCORE, I have NEVER complained about my
documentary project not receiving funding.”
You declined to publish my comment.
On 19th July Encore reported: “In the past, he has been campaigning
against Screen Australia for what he claims was unfairly declining to
fund this project. Screen Australia rejects this claim.”
Again I wrote to you:
“A quick correction is in order. I have never once complained that
Screen Australia has declined to support my documentary project
CHANTI’S WORLD. Not once!”
Encore has been publishing comments all day but not mine.
I have never, in 40 years of filmmaking ever once complained about not
receiving funding. If you do not believe me, ask Screen Australia if
it has any statement on record from me that could be construed as my
complaining about not receiving funding for CHANTI’S WORLD. What I did
write, in my comment of 11th May that you declined to publish, was…:
“I did, however, complain that in the process of assessing a
development application 2 years ago, Screen Australia (by its own
admission) failed to view the ‘promo’ that contained, in 8 minutes, 15
years in the life of the central character in the documentary. Instead
of apologizing for this oversight Screen Australia decided to place on
file statements that were demonstrably untrue. When I asked Screen
Australia to produce the correspondence it claimed I had written it
refused to do so. And so began a 17 months battle with Screen
Australia to get it to act in accordance with the precepts of
transparency and accountability appropriate to the organization. This,
in turn, has led to my being banned from making any applications at
all to Screen Australia for funding of any kind.”
Why, Tim, does Encore twice frame my dispute with Screen Australia in
a way that is incorrect and twice refuse to publish a correction?
cheers
What happens next? Has Screen Australia filed a defense?
Pops, the matter is listed to be heard in the Supreme Court of NSW on 5th Sept.
More, as always, to be found on my blog for you are interested:
http://jamesricketson.blogspot.....4978061660
And how much is this little exercize in the Supreme Court going to cost us?