CNM Newsmakers

A key event for new media producers visiting Australia was the Adelaide International Film Festival held in late February. The festival has been the recipient of millions of dollars from the South Australian Film Corp., which also has a small broadband fund to commission original interactive media works. The festival and the funding agency have been heavily supported by the government of South Australia, and particularly by South Australia premier Mike Rann, an admitted film buff. Canadian NEW MEDIA editor Jeff Leiper spoke with Rann at the event. This is an edited transcript of that interview. Jeff Leiper: How would you describe the opportunities that exist for Canadian new media producers in Australia? Mike Rann: We’re different from the other states. Sydney, Brisbane, Queensland, they really want to be the back lots of New York or Los Angeles. Essentially, the film industry is really built around trying to be an annex of the U.S. film industry. The tradition in South Australia has been quite different. Our tradition has been that we do independent, challenging films that kind of push boundaries that don’t necessarily have happy endings, ones that deal with some of the most difficult issues facing our society, like indigenous issues. What we’ve said to the (Adelaide International Film) Festival and the (South Australian Film) Corporation is that the film is changing. There’s new media, there’s digital, there’s a whole range of other things. If we’ve been cutting edge in feature films for years, let’s now be cutting edge in other areas. And so, one of the things we did, we’ve have a process called Thinkers in Residence. (Canadian filmmaker) Peter Wintonick is down here. We invite people from around the world to spend three months in Adelaide and South Australia doing master classes and collaborations. We also got a group from Nottingham University that were really kind of a fusion of IT and arts using new media. And they spent three months here part of the Adelaide fringe (festival). What we’re trying to do through this film festival, the Adelaide Film Festival is quite different from any other in Australia, and most of us in the world by having the ability to commission films rather than just screen them. But, we also want the film festival to explore new media, not just have everyone saying, ‘wow, great feature films and documentaries from around the world.’ The reason that I’ve given (the Adelaide International Film Festival) two million dollars, which is massively more than any other film festival in Australia, is that we want it to explore collaborations in the area of new media. The most successful films that we’ve done have been in collaborations with others. My strong view is that for too long Australia has looked toward the United States, and it doesn’t make sense. Canada and Australia have almost identical constitutions. We have very similar political systems…and we face very many similar issues. So, one of the things that I’m really determined to do is forge much better links with Canada. For instance, with the United States, every year there is the U.S./Australian dialog where senators, congressmen, secretaries of state, premiers, prime ministers, foreign ministers, business leaders, all in off-the-record way meet for two or three days a year to discuss common issues, common interests such as the U.S./Australia free trade agreement. I have proposed to Premier Gary Doer in Manitoba, that the Canadian premiers and the Australian premiers should meet and maybe we could have a Canadian/Australian dialog, because it seems to me that we’re mirror images of each other. I think what would be fantastic, being that here in South Australia we don’t want to be an annex of the U.S. film industry, that we do want to be different, is to actually forge a link through film between Canada and the Australia. Film, features, documentaries, new media. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert but I’m prepared to back it strongly because it seems to me that we have similar issues. It’s time that Australia and Canada looked at each other and embraced each other a bit more. JL: The money that you’ve put into SAFC has been very generous and created a lot of interest on the part of Canadian producers to try to take advantage of some of that funding through co-production which is obviously something that you’re encouraging. Are there any other systemic hurdles to Canadian/Australian cooperation that you can help solve? MR: I can’t see any hurdles. We’ve got feature film directors who have been making films in collaboration with French and German backers and so on. I’m an ex-New Zealander and I’ve been talking to them, saying New Zealand’s now producing some wonderful films. There’s a natural fit between Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Wouldn’t it be great to do some fabulous films that are life-changing where we work together on collaborations? I can’t see any impediment. If people come up with some good ideas, we’ll back them. JL: What is your view on the potential in a full privatization of (incumbent telecommunications company) Telstra to create content funding requirements? MR: We in the Labour party are opposed to the privatization of Telstra. It’s been partially privatized and we think that in the public interest, particularly for regional Australia, that there needs to be some government stake in Telstra. We think that that will encourage them even more to do the sorts of things that we’re talking about. JL: One of the things that the Canadian producers are noticing is that a much smaller number of Australians have broadband access than back home. So, the potential for Australia as an export market might be less attractive. Do you have any thoughts on what could be done to encourage the rollout of broadband in Australia? MR: One of the things that we’re doing here is I chair the state science and research council, and we’ve been basically introducing CyberNet and also massively increasing broadband access through the city. It’s not just for the film. CyberNet is about supercomputer capacity, which is great for the film industry, but also for the defence electronics industries. And also, funny enough, for the car industries. JL: Is this state-built? MR: I’m part funding it with universities and with the industry. So, again, it’s a collaboration. Canadian NEW MEDIA spoke with several officials in Australian governments, funding agencies, producers, broadcasters and telecommunications companies while in Australia traveling with the trade mission. A comprehensive report on our findings about the market opportunities will be available to CNM subscribers within about five weeks. CNM’s travel was supported by the Bell Fund, Canadian Heritage and the Canadian consulate in Sydney.

CNM Newsmakers

Broadcast | March 22, 2005

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