‘The damage has been done’: Film and TV producers escalate campaign against cuts

More than 170 film industry employees gathered in Sydney to launch a campaign against cuts in this week’s NSW budget which they say threaten 85 film and television projects and almost 30,000 jobs across the state.

The screen industry employees, who are part of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, met on a sound stage at Disney Studios on Wednesday to unanimously authorise a union campaign seeking to restore funding, in a significant escalation of the budget dispute between the Minns government and the film sector.

The state budget halted two programs credited with bringing films and television series, including Hollywood productions, to the state and supporting visual effects production and digital games development.

The programs formed part of a network of state and federal incentives and rebates utilised by international studios and local producers to create a pipeline of film investment to the state worth hundreds of millions of dollars. All applications have been placed on hold.

More than 170 members of the MEAA endorsed a campaign to reverse screen funding cuts. Credit: Steven Siewert

Screen Producers Australia said the lost funding was worth $45 million to the industry and the withdrawal of a source of funding with no warning appeared “reckless to the fate of these businesses and the people they employ”.

Twenty-seven film production houses responsible for such shows as Mother and Son and Colin from Accounts have also written to the NSW premier and treasurer, warning children’s content would be disproportionately affected.

The cuts also imperiled First Nation’s filmmaking, a central plank in the federal government’s new cultural policy, they said.

“The union is now planning a series of public actions to wind back the effects of the cuts.

“Our first step will be targeting MPs, and enlisting audiences and screen industry families and small businesses to point out the necessity of reversing the cuts and the importance of the screen industry to NSW,” MEAA’s chief executive Erin Madeley said.

Logie-award winning Colin from Accounts.

“We hope to make the most of government deliberations around the mid-year economic budget review in December, if not before.”

NSW Arts Minister John Graham has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and restored $5 million for the most critical projects affected. He has promised to work through stranded submissions on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with the sector.

In a letter sent to industry figures on budget day, Graham assured the sector he was working hard to “fix the damage” which he blamed on “secret cuts” made by the former Coalition government 17 days before the election in March this year. The NSW Opposition says government should own its cutbacks.

Graham said he was looking to continue to support the NSW screen industry and ensure it could continue to tell local stories. The NSW sector represents almost half of Australia’s film and production businesses.

Visual effects studio Cumulus, operating in Ballina, said the cuts could jeopardise a pipeline of projects supporting 42 local jobs and much-needed economic stimulus in the flood-hit Northern Rivers region.

Founder Will Gammon said he had spent more than 10 years building up a crew and infrastructure in regional NSW capable of working on Hollywood blockbusters, such as Elvis, based on receiving rebates from the NSW government.

Many companies like his had been notified within days of the cuts being flagged that clients were reconsidering bringing their work to NSW.

“The damage to confidence has already been done,” he said. “Even if the cuts were restored tomorrow it would take years to build back confidence back in the industry.

“We took a huge risk coming to this region, and now provide pathways to jobs never seen in the region, including highly skilled computer graphics jobs for young people straight out of school, and all that is now at stake.”

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