Australian filmmakers urge government mandate for more local content produced by streaming services

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australian filmmakers are urging the federal government to mandate more local shows and movies be produced by streaming services. It is hoped that such measures would actually help revive an industry that suffered from changes to local content quotas for free-to-air television networks.

Transcript

00:00From Kath and Kim to Dance Academy and Bluey, Australia has really delivered when it comes

00:07to iconic shows and movies. But, the filmmakers behind them say the rules that ensure media

00:12platforms make enough Australian productions, known as content quotas, need to be improved.

00:19David Gurney is one of many filmmakers who lost work when content quotas were changed

00:24in 2020, making it less attractive for free to air networks to invest in local drama and

00:29children's programs.

00:30The permanent staff got laid off, all the actors, the other contractors who worked for the company,

00:41we weren't able to employ them anymore. And the studio had to physically close down. People

00:47saving up to buy a house who then couldn't.

00:49It's not just the people behind the scenes who've been affected.

00:55The auditions are few and far between because there are just less guest roles, for example,

01:01because there are less shows being produced.

01:04Australian filmmakers argue that ensuring streaming platforms also have to produce Australian content

01:09content would help revive the industry. In 2023, the federal government said content quotas

01:15on streaming platforms would be introduced from July 2024. But over a year later, the legislation

01:21hasn't moved forward.

01:22And Screened Producers Australia says nearly 80% of its members feel impacted by the delay.

01:28This goes to the entire confidence they have to effectively get up every day and go on and

01:34do great work in our sector and for Australians to receive. So when they're this affected, it is

01:42a significant concern.

01:44The ABC sought responses from a range of streamers, including Netflix, Foxtel, Disney and Stan. Only

01:51Netflix responded. It said it doesn't oppose regulation and is already investing heavily in

01:57making quality Australian content. Local filmmakers say legislated streaming quotas would provide

02:05certainty for the sector.

02:07All these people would be able to come back into jobs and it just would be, it would be

02:12a revitalisation of our industry.

02:14It could actually give us potentially an even bigger industry than we had before.

02:21In a statement, Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke says he's been pushing for streaming quotas

02:25for more than a decade and he'll continue pushing for deadlines for their introduction.

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