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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'In the late 1960s, the Australian film industry was in crisis: audiences were turning
to television programmes, in part because they offered more Australian content, and
the commercially successful screen comedies of the so-called Ocker were perceived to
be damaging the image of Australia abroad. In the 1970s, realizing the potential of
cinema as a cultural flagship, the government invested heavily in the film industry
through the establishment of the Australian Film Commission (AFC) for the purpose
of promoting of high-quality productions. This article examines the main polices of
the AFC, and argues that its role in transforming the film industry from a 'cottage
industry into a business' (Murray 1990: 14) has been overestimated by Australian
cinema scholars such as Dermody and Jacka, David Stratton and Tom O'Regan. The
AFC's role as a government body meant that the Commission was more accountable
to the government than to film industry professionals, such as producers and filmmakers.
The final section of this article examines the producers' reactions to the
AFC's policies, and argues that their role within the revival of the Australian film
industry has been overlooked and, possibly, underestimated.' (Author's abstract)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Last amended 28 Jun 2012 13:13:38
43-57
When It All Started : Politics and Policies of the Australian Film Industry from the Revival to the International Breakthrough
Studies in Australasian Cinema
Subjects:
-
Hollywood,
Los Angeles,
California,
cUnited States of America (USA),cAmericas,
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