Annual Report - Screen Australia

RECOUPMENT AND
PROJECT PERFORMANCE
THE FILM FINANCE
CORPORATION AUSTRALIA
RECOUPED $9.1 MILLION IN
2007/08 FROM THE SLATE OF
PROJECTS IN WHICH IT HAS
INVESTED. APPROXIMATELY
$0.8 MILLION OF THIS AMOUNT
WAS PAID TO PRODUCERS AS
PART OF THE PRODUCER
INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THIS RESULTED IN A NET
RECOUPMENT TO THE
ORGANISATION OF $8.3
MILLION. THIS REPRESENTS AN
INCREASE OF $1.5 MILLION ON
LAST YEAR’S NET RECOUPMENT.
TOTAL NET RECOUPMENT
FOR THE FFC
FROM INCEPTION TO
JUNE 30 2008 WAS
$274.2
MILLION
The level of recoupment to the
FFC depends on the quality and
marketability of the finished
product, the level of presales,
the degree of subordination
by the FFC to other investors
and how lucrative the territories
are from which the FFC recoups
its investment. Despite the tight
international marketplace and
the strong Australian dollar, the
FFC achieved an increase in net
recoupment from last year.
Over two-thirds of the total
recoupment for 2007/08 was
generated by projects contracted
in 2000/01 (8.2%), 2004/05
(12.1%) and 2005/06 (51.5%).
The FFC’s older titles are still
recouping with 14% of this year’s
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recoupment coming from the
projects contracted from 1988/89
through to 1995/96. Feature films
generated $6.19 million (68%)
of the FFC’s recoupment for the
year; adult television drama
provided $0.47 million (5%);
children’s television drama
provided $1.25 million (14%) and
documentary titles generated
$1.15 million (13%).
Overseas sales represented
75.3% ($6.81 million) of the
FFC’s recoupment for the year.
Australian-sourced revenue totalled
$2.24 million.
Qualifying for the Producer
Revenue Entitlement scheme
during 2007/08 were the
documentaries Iraq, My Country:
NET RECOUPMENT FOR PREVIOUS FINANCIAL YEARS
An Exile’s Return to Samawa
for Philippa Campey; and Shell
Shocked for Jane Ramsey and the
feature film Clubland for
Rosemary Blight.
A number of producers also
received monies under the
FFC’s Producer Recoupment
Split initiative during the year.
The scheme allows for the
producer to share in the FFC’s
split of recoupment funds from
first dollar. It applies to all projects
financed after 30 June 2004
except for Evaluation projects,
which fall under the PRE scheme.
This initiative supports producers in
building viable businesses.
PROJECT PERFORMANCE 2007/08
FEATURES
Top FFC–financed performer at the
Australian box office for the year was
Black Balloon, achieving over $2.2
million at the box office. The other
notable performer was Clubland,
with a box office of $1.5 million.
Lucky Miles screened at various
festivals around the globe. The film
won the Best Film award at the St
Tropez Antipodean Film Festival, the
Jury Award for Best New Director at
the Middle East International Film
Festival, the Best Script award at the
Asia-Pacific International Film
Festival, and the awards for Best
Film and Best Producer at the Asian
Festival of First Films.
The Home Song Stories received
numerous awards both
domestically and internationally.
Domestically, this included eight
AFI awards – Best Direction,
Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actress,
Best Cinematography, Best Editing,
Best Original Music Score, Best
Production Design and Best
Costume Design; five IF awards -
Best Director, Best Actor, Best
Actress, Best Cinematography, and
Best Production Design; and three
Film Critics Circle of Australia
Awards (FCCA); Best Actress, Best
Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
The film also received the FIPRESCI
International Jury Award at the
Brisbane International Film Festival.
Internationally, the film was
awarded Best Original Screenplay
and Best Actress at the Golden
Horse Awards (known as the
‘Asian Oscars’); won the award for
Best Feature and Achievement in
Acting Award at the Hawaii
International Film Festival, and the
Best Actress award at the Torino
Film Festival. The film also screened
at numerous other film festivals
around the world.
Romulus, My Father took home
four AFI awards – Best Film, Best
Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor
and the Young Actor Award; two
Film Critics Circle of Australia
Awards (FCCA) – Best Actor in a
Supporting Role, and Special
Acknowledgement (Kodi
Smit-McPhee). The film also
received the award for Best
Australian Film at the Movie
Extra Filmink Awards.
Clubland won the Jury Prize at the
Valenciennes International Film
Festival and the Audience award at
the St Tropez Antipodean Film
Festival. Emma Booth picked up
the AFI award for Best Supporting
Actress for her performance as
well as the FCCA award for Best
Actress in a Supporting Role. She
was also named Best Australian
Newcomer at the Movie Extra
Filmink Awards.
Noise scooped the FCCA awards,
winning six including Best Film,
Best Director, Best Actor, Best
Cinematography, Best Editing, Best
music score. It also won the AFI
award for Best Sound. The film
was judged Best Australian Film at
the Australian Film Critics
Association (AFCA) Awards, and
received two IF awards for Best
Editing and Best Sound.
Internationally, it took home the
Best Actor award at the St Tropez
Antipodean Film Festival.
Black Balloon won the Crystal
Bear award for Best Feature (gen
14+) at the Berlin Film Festival.
Unfinished Sky won the Audience
award at the Brisbane International
Film Festival, and received the Jury
Prize for Best Picture at the
Method Fest (USA).
The feature documentary
Forbidden Lie$ screened at a
number of festivals, winning the
prize for Best Documentary Film
at the Rome Film Festival, the
Golden Award – Best Feature
Documentary at the Aljazeera
International Documentary Film
Festival, the Special Jury Prize at
the San Francisco International Film
Festival, and the Documentary
Screenplay award at Silverdocs
(USA). It also received the AFI
award for Best Documentary,
the FCCA award for Best Feature
Documentary, and Best
Documentary award at the
Australian Film Critics
Association Awards.
TELEVISION
A number of FFC adult television
dramas had their premiere screenings
during the year. The two outstanding
ratings performers were Sea
Patrol (series 1 and 2) and the
mini-series Underbelly (which
consistently achieved audiences of
well over one million viewers
despite not airing in Melbourne).
On the international front, the
mini-series The Circuit was
awarded the Silver Hugo – Mini
Series at the Hugo Television
Awards (Chicago, USA), and
Answered by Fire won the award
for Best Picture Editing at the
Annual Gemini Awards (Canada).
Domestically, the telemovie Curtin
was awarded the Silver Logie for
Most Outstanding Drama Series,
Mini–series or Telemovie. The
Circuit took home the AFI award
for Best Guest or Supporting Actor
in Television Drama (David
Ngoombujarra), and received a
Logie for Most Outstanding New
Talent (Tammy Clarkson). The
mini–series Bastard Boys received
an AWGIE for Best Television
Mini–Series (Original), won the
Television Script award at this
year’s Queensland Premier’s Literary
Awards, and picked up two AFI
awards for Best Screenplay and
Outstanding Achievement in
Television Screen Craft.
FFC children’s television drama
continued to be recognised with
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