More “damaging” funding cuts hit Screen Australia

Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner has criticised further funding cuts to Screen Australia announced yesterday.

The government has cut Screen Australia’s budget a further $10.3 million over 4 years as part of the Mid-Year Economic Outlook.

While the latest move represents a 3% cut, total reductions to Screen Australia’s budgets since the 2014-15 Budget now amount to $51.5 million.

“For the third time in 18 months there has been a funding cut to Screen Australia,” said Deaner.

“This efficiency dividend comes after almost $4 million was cut over the forward estimates earlier this year, on top of $38 million the year before. In the five years to 2018-19 this will total more than $50 million in combined cuts across budgets. This hacking at the base of Screen Australia through isolated cuts is damaging to the industry.

“Disappointingly, the cut comes a week after the Prime Minister’s launch of the Innovation and Science Agenda where the screen industry’s contribution to innovation was recognised with a commitment to ‘reviewing the Location Offset designed to attract major motion pictures to be produced in Australia and provide jobs in our creative industries.’”

They also follow new Minister for Communications and the Arts Mitch Fifield telling Screen Forever conference delegates “I’m here to listen to you, to learn from you as a new Minister.”

“The attraction of foreign fee-for-service work, co-production and domestic production are inextricably linked to inward investment to our sector and ultimately innovation in production businesses, processes and financing structures,” said Matthew Deaner.

“We need to ensure that the engine room of local production is not disadvantaged. Screen Australia needs to continue their search for operational efficiencies, as hard as this might be, because every cut to Screen Australia’s programs is a cut to business confidence. We need holistic policies that encourage more inward investment, more economic growth and more jobs through the ongoing production of projects of scale, be they under domestic or foreign control.”

Of the government’s $52.5 million in cuts to the Arts and Communications -including the end of the Book Council of Australia- Treasurer Scott Morrison will redirect $47 million of it to Thor and Alien sequels filmed in Australia.