ABC Open
Filmmakers in regional communities are invited to produce and publish videos, photos, stories and sound through the ABC’s Open programme. People of all skill levels are welcome to contribute and the ABC has a team of five producers based in regional towns around the country to help with ideas and skills along with free workshops and events.
Arts NSW
Arts NSW is a branch within NSW Trade & Investment and is the NSW Government’s arts policy and funding body. The organisation aims to develop greater participation in the arts, a flourishing arts sector and spaces across NSW to celebrate the arts. Highlights of the current agenda include supporting creative industries, helping towns transform empty spaces into arts precincts, working with the Aboriginal arts community and engaging Western Sydney audiences.
Australian Cinematographers Society
The ACS is a non-profit organisation formed in 1958 to provide a forum for cinematographers to develop their skills. Originally the exclusive domain of film cameramen, the ACS has since opened its doors to all types of cinematographers. It produces Australian Cinematographer, a quarterly magazine, and offers a range of services to members including regular newsletters, technical and networking events, and runs state and national annual awards in categories from student cinematography to news, documentaries, cinema and television.
Australian Copyright Council
The Australian Copyright Council is an independent, non-profit organisation founded in 1968 to represent the peak bodies for professional artists and content creators in Australia’s creative industries and major copyright collecting societies. The council advocates for the contribution of creators to Australia’s culture and economy and works to promote understanding of copyright law and its application, lobby for appropriate law reform and foster collaboration between content creators and consumers.
Australia Council for the Arts
The Australia Council for the Arts is the government’s arts funding and advisory body, supporting arts through funding and developing the arts sector. The council delivers more than $160 million in funding for arts organisations and individual artists across the country.
Australian Directors Guild
The ADG is an industry association representing the interests of film, television and digital media directors, documentary makers, animators, assistant directors and independent producers throughout Australia. ADG has 700 members nationally and works to promote excellence in screen direction, to encourage communication and collaboration, and to provide professional support for its members. Membership benefits include discount tickets to events, free membership to the Australian Screen Directors Collecting Society, eligibility to enter the annual ADG awards, concessions to cinemas and theatres, and weekly e-news.
Australian Film Institute / Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts
The AFI was established in 1958 when it ran Australia’s first film excellence awards – the AFI Awards – and has since remained committed to connecting Australian and international audiences with great Australian film and television content. AFI launched the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts in 2011 to recognise and celebrate film and television excellence through the nation’s highest screen accolades – the AACTA Awards (the Australian equivalent of the Oscars and the BAFTAs).AFI membership is open to all and provides the Australian public and international audiences a unique opportunity to connect with and show their support for the Australian screen industry.
AACTA serves as Australia’s most prestigious film and television member body, and is overseen by AACTA president Geoffrey Rush, and a council comprising more than 50 of Australia’s most outstanding film and television practitioners and performers.
AACTA membership is granted to screen industry professionals through an accreditation process.
Australian Guild of Screen Composers
This industry association represents Australian screen composers and members need to have at least two screen credits for film music composition. The guild’s aims include developing employment opportunities, promoting the role of Australian music in screen productions, and protecting the legal, economic and moral rights and interests of its members.
Australian Institute of Professional Photography
The AIPP celebrated its 50th year in 2013 and is Australia’s leading membership association for the professional photography community. The organisation launched a Video Producers member category earlier this year and is offering an accreditation process, an awards system, and events and workshops to its growing membership.
Australian Production Design Guild
Design professionals in the Australian film, television, theatre, interactive media and event industries have been without a voice for many years. The APDG, established in 2009, aims to redress this and is striving to establish fairer and more productive working relationships in production design and its related industries. The non-profit guild is committed to raising the profile of stage and screen design, drawing attention to professional standards, recognising excellence through its annual awards and granting accreditation to outstanding Australian designers.
Australian Screen Editors Guild
The ASE aims to promote, improve and protect the role of editor as an essential and significant contributor to all screen productions. Formed in 1996, the guild includes professional screen editors and assistants working in disciplines from feature films and documentaries to commercials, corporate videos and multimedia. It offers an accreditation process, annual awards, a monthly e-newsletter and online resources to members.
Australian Screen Sound Guild
The ASSG represents the profession of screen sound in film, television, multimedia and other related audio industries, and was formed in 1988 to allow greater communication practitioners of the various craft areas of screen sound. The guild aims to recognise and promote original and creative work, encourage high standards through its annual awards, and to facilitate research into the techniques and technology of screen sound production. It also acts as a forum for creative development with members participating in discussions, forums and seminars on screen sound, and to the TV and film industries.
Australian Short Films
This independent website is dedicated to promoting short film in Australia. The website includes a database of short film scripts by young and emerging writers, a range of links related to short filmmaking in Australia and information about the people involved in Australia’s short film industry.
Australian Teachers of Media
ATOM is an independent, non-profit, professional association promoting the study of media. Membership mainly comprises teachers and lecturers at all levels of education but also includes media, education and government organisations and, increasingly, interested members of the public. ATOM provides professional development and resources, and organises film screenings for teachers. The association holds a national conference every two years and recognises excellence in more than 30 categories of film, television, animation and multimedia at its annual awards. It has established international links with similar groups in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, Wales and the Philippines.
Federation of Australian Movie Makers
The Federation of Australian Movie Makers Limited is the umbrella organisation for assorted movie and video maker clubs throughout the country. The non-profit group runs a convention every two years and produces a newsletter-style quarterly magazine called Australian Film and Video.
Film and Television Institute (WA)
A member of Screen Network, FTI provides an alternative pathway to the film and television industry through education, exhibition, equipment and production resources and is supported by its membership, corporate partners, ScreenWest and Screen Australia. Its mission: to develop an innovative and diverse screen culture in Western Australia.
Film Victoria
This state government agency provides strategic leadership and assistance to the film, TV and digital media sectors of Victoria by investing in projects and people, and promoting the state as a world-class production destination. It works closely with industry and government bodies, and reports to the Minister for Innovation.
Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance
The MEAA is the union covering everyone in the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries, Its 20,000 members include professionals working in TV, theatre, film, journalists and photographers. It was created in 1992 through the merging of the unions covering actors, journalists and entertainment industry employees, and runs professional programme activities, campaigns on issues affecting its membership and lobbies governments in policy issues such as performers copyright, press freedom issues and tax regulations.
Media Resource Centre (South Australia)
The MRC formed in 1974, making it one of the longest established members of the screen development national network. The MRC has more than 1000 members and runs a huge range of production and exhibition activities with programmes ranging from drama to animation, documentaries to games. It offers training, production opportunities, screenings, professional advice and networking opportunities as part of its goal to foster the creation of exciting, unique and engaging content across all screens.
Metro Screen (New South Wales)
The leading independent screen learning and development hub in NSW, Metro Screen provides broad support for emerging and professional talent in the Australian screen industry. Its activities include training programmes, hire and production services, and regular events for content producers, filmmakers and multimedia developers to learn, meet, and develop networks. In 2012 Metro Screen invested more than $170,000 in new productions along with production subsidies, mentoring and support for film and content makers in NSW.
National Film and Sound Archive
The NFSA is a living archive, collecting, preserving and sharing the country’s audiovisual heritage with a collection of more than 1.9 million works including films, TV and radio programmes, videos, audio tapes, records, compact discs, phonograph cylinders and wire recordings as well as documents and artefacts such as photographs, posters, lobby cards, publicity items, scripts, costumes, props, memorabilia, oral histories and vintage equipment. You can search the collection directly online for information about works, and the NFSA also operates australianscreen, a free promotional and educational resource providing worldwide online access to information about the Australian film and TV industry. Other activities include exhibitions, performances and screenings at the Canberra HQ or through its Big Screen touring programmes.
Open Channel (Victoria)
In its earlier history Open Channel acted as a key advocate for the development of community television and was instrumental in establishing the successful community television consortium Channel 31. The organisation provides training, equipment and facilities hire, production support, and member benefits to aspiring, emerging and mid-career filmmakers under the Screen Network umbrella. Its production initiatives, such as Raw Nerve, aim to ensure new talent is being developed to create a robust and innovative Australian screen and new media industry.
QPIX (Queensland)
A founding member of Screen Network, QPIX is the state’s development centre for the screen and media industries, and is dedicated to the development of independent or early-career screen professionals. It offers advisory and training services, and equipment and facility hire. QPIX’s future has been in doubt following the withdrawal of funding via Screen Queensland at the end of 2013 under premier Campbell Newman and a subsequent loss of federal funds through Screen Australia, but is committed to developing a new model for its continued operation.
ScreenACT
ScreenACT is the ACT office of film, TV and digital media, supporting the growth of the local screen industry and providing support to visiting productions. Established by the ACT government in 2004, the office was outsourced in 2007 and is now run by the Canberra Business Council.
Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the key federal government direct funding body for the Australian screen production industry. Its functions are to support and promote the development of a highly creative, innovative and commercially sustainable Australian screen production industry. Screen Australia was created under the Screen Australia Act 2008 and from 1 July 2008 took over the functions and appropriations of its predecessor agencies: the Australian Film Commission (AFC), the Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) and Film Australia Limited. Across various departments it supports the development, production, promotion and distribution of Australian screen content.
Screen Hub
Screen Hub is a daily email news and jobs service for the Australian film and television industries. A $96 annual subscription keeps you up to date with news, jobs and industry opportunities.
Screen Network
Screen Network is the collective term for the screen resource organisations in each state. Collectively, the network engages regularly with more than 35,000 screen practitioners in film and TV, interactive media and related fields and delivers two national initiatives: Raw Nerve short film funding (24 films per year) in partnership with Screen Australia, and the Holding Redlich National Pitch Competition held annually in conjunction with the SPAA conference.
Screen Network members play a key role in providing screen industry aspirants and professionals with opportunities, knowledge, networks and representation to help them into, and through, screen industry careers.
Screen NSW
An entity within NSW Trade & Investment, previously called the Film and Television Office, established to foster excellence and growth in the film and television industry.
Screen Producers Association of Australia
The SPAA has supported the interests of screen businesses in their production of feature films, television programs, interactive content and games across all genres and formats for more than 50 years. Its core areas of focus for its members are: providing leadership on policy issues that relate to the supporting frameworks of government, terms of trade and strategic domestic and international alliances, negotiating industrial agreements and commercial arrangements, and hosting Australia’s biggest media and entertainment conference for local and international content creators as well as a series of professional development opportunities throughout the year.
Screen Tasmania is the state government agency responsible for supporting and developing Tasmania’s film, television and multimedia industries. It provides loans, grants and equity investments in the development, production and marketing of projects including short films, drama, documentaries, feature films, TV series and digital media.
Screen Territory
Screen Territory is the Northern Territory’s screen industry agency for supporting and developing the film, TV and digital media industries through funding, events and training.
Screen West
ScreenWest is Western Australia’s screen funding and development agency, and works in partnership with WA’s screen industry associations to ensure new developments and funding initiatives best represent industry needs to develop, support and promote film, television and digital media production in the state.
South Australian Film Corporation
In 1972, the SAFC was established under an act of parliament by then Premier Don Dunstan, who sought ways “to stimulate and encourage the formation and continued development of the South Australian film and television industry”. The corporation achieves this end through a blend of commercial enterprise and industry development with responsibilities including film production, the provision of resources, information services, education, and research.
Wide Angle Tasmania
Established in 2005, WAT is the state’s screen development organisation, a not-for-profit outfit principally funded by Screen Australia and Screen Tasmania. It nurtures local talent with advice, training, access to film production equipment and production initiatives as well as screenings. WAT produces a free monthly newsletter, and offers a membership package that includes discounts and a listing in its crew and company databases.