Australia Amends Film Co-production Rules To Attract Big Ventures

Australia is looking for more international ventures in film co-production. Hoping to attract more film and TV co-ventures, Australia has simplified its official co-production guidelines and programmes by removing "complex and inflexible" elements from the rule book.

Some details of the new guidelines were highlighted to Australian and international producers in London, at the the Ausfilm Week deliberations in London. Addressing film producers, Graeme Mason, CEO, Screen Australia said Australia hopes that the simplified guidelines would "increase the ambitions of projects by aiming for bigger budgets, bigger returns and bigger audiences."

Mason noted that the current environment in film production is one of managing reduced funds for making good screen content. So, it is logical to make things easier for Australian screen practitioners for collaborating with international partners and vice versa.

Bilateral Production Treaties

Australia has ongoing bilateral co-production treaties with United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Singapore and South Africa and MOUs with France and New Zealand. The MoU with South Korea will take effect once the Korean-Australian Free Trade Agreement is active. The CEO added that advantages of relaxed rules will be that the industry will get access and support from both countries. It will also give a fillip to the the ambitions of projects by raising the scale in terms of bigger budgets, bigger returns and bigger audiences", reported Hollywood Reporter.

Rebate For Co-productions

Highlighting Australia's strengths, Mason said, "Australia has a lot to offer in terms of splendid locations, talented writers and directors, skilled crew, world-class performers and a 40 percent rebate for feature films made as official co-productions."

Among the simplified guidelines are relaxing the application requirements for a project's provisional approval making submission of a project easy for assessment as official co-production even before the financial agreements are finalised. The agency has updated the Screen Australia's website outlining the key terms of various co-production treaties, with a summary of the choices available and methods to monitor a project's eligibility status. Mason said the revised guidelines will follow industry consultations around the definitions of Australia's creative contribution to a project.

Aussie-U.K. Treaty

Australia's has a 25-year-old treaty with the U.K. in film production. The famous co-productions include the BBC TV series "Banished" and "The Railway Man". According to Mason, "co-productions are the right way to extend audience opportunities for film and television content, particularly with partners like the U.K. who also face the challenges of English-language markets dominated by U.S. products."

Variety.com Reports that one of the important changes in Australian rules in co-production will be scrapping the formality on producers to seek a 'Letter of Preliminary Compliance.' Mason said more changes will come over in the way Screen Australia evaluates 'Australian creative contribution'. Right now, a points test of Australian personnel is followed and also assessing the Australian spend. This will be changed and will be done in a better way.

"Strong co-productions can extend audience opportunities for film and television content, particularly with partners such as the U.K. who share the challenges faced in the English-language markets dominated by U.S. product," added Mason.