Climbing Everest: the ‘national’ and ‘international’ in low budget feature film

ABSTRACT

Australian cinema is defined as simultaneously national, international and transnational. This paper takes these defined characteristics and applies them to the low budget, independent feature sector. It argues the sector mirrors the orientation of the wider industry. Given the instrumental role the national screen agency, Screen Australia, plays in influencing the direction of the industry, the relationship between low budget filmmakers and the agency is explored. The federal agency's focus is on the apex of the industry pyramid; high budget films appealing to the global market rather than low budget films. However, the high volume of low budget features in Australia is argued to play an important role in replenishing the Australian screen industry. Not only do they contribute to industry innovation, but low budget productions are also instrumental in practitioner career development. Despite these virtues, Screen Australia continues to pursue policies that threaten, rather than support this dynamic component of the screen sector. In considering these issues, the article uses a case study methodology drawing on interviews with key creatives of four low budget features, Bilched, A Lion Returns, Juvenile Delinquents and A Boy Called Sailboat.

KEYWORDS:

• Low budget feature film
• Australian cinema
• Screen Australia
• national
• international
• transnational

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Producer Offset operates under tax legislation and therefore tax secrecy provisions apply, meaning Screen Australia cannot disclose amounts received by projects.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Glenda Hambly

Dr Glenda Hambly is a screenwriter, director and producer. She teaches screenwriting at Monash University and film and television at Melbourne University. Her most recent film, the feature documentary Homeland Story, was released in 2019.