Screen News in Brief: Dollars flying everywhere, but what does it mean?

BUDGETS & FUNDING

• Budget 2021: useful money and dangerous holes for the screen sector 
  The 2021-22 budget costs the tax rebate changes and provides useful piecemeal support to fix the Covid blow, but government broadcasters are snubbed again.
• 30% Federal tax offset for videogame development announced 
  Australia’s first-ever nationwide tax offset for game development was included in the Budget, supercharging the local videogame industry.
• Victoria to get $288 million to support arts sector following challenging 2020 
  Victoria’s creative industries will see some relief in the form of a $288 million investment from the State Government in 2021/22.
• VICSCREEN to boost Victoria’s screen industry with new $191 million strategy 
  Victoria’s screen industry, encompassing film, television and videogames, today received a large investment commitment as part of a four-year strategy to help the state compete internationally.

SCREEN DEVELOPMENT

• Screen Australia invests $1.3 million across five online originals, including a Youtube series about the Emu War
  Five Australian online productions have shared $1.3 million in funding from Screen Australia, including a YouTube series about Australia’s fabled emu war.
• SAFC and Stan announce a joint development fund for original scripted series
  The South Australian Film Corporation and Stan have partnered up to offer SA producers funding and matched funding to creating new original scripted series.

Read: Queer TikTok series ‘Scattered’ builds audience before launch

FILM AND CINEMAS

• Making Mortal Kombat – The South Australian Blockbuster 
  Director Simon McQuoid recounts how he found himself directing a video game adaptation he didn’t want, and how the film pioneered large scale production in Adelaide.
• Box Office: June Again shines through with domestic stars
  Yet again, the audience is telling the sector that local is best when it comes to marquee names. Pity the bankers don’t get it.
• Film Review: June Again adds lucid wit to a tale of second chances
  Warm, wise and playful, this polished debut features yet another great performance from Noni Hazlehurst, says critic Mel Campbell.
• Film Review: Bloodshot Heart is Giallo all the Way
  A drunken Australian step-cousin of 1970s European and American cinema, Parish Malfitano’s debut is a rich minestrone stew of cinephilic allusions, says Adrian Martin.
• How does Palace Cinemas see itself? 
  Benjamin Zeccola, CEO of Palace Cinemas, reflects on the evolution of the exhibition side of the tightly knit family enterprise.

TV AND STREAMING

• ABC’s Natalie Edgar joins SBS in Channel Manager role
  Experienced television professional Natalie Edgar will cross over from the ABC to SBS as Channel Manager, SBS and SBS VICELAND.
• ABC iview will soon require personal details to feed its algorithm
  The national broadcaster will soon ask you for your personal details in order to continue using its on-demand video service.
• Paramount+ streaming service coming to Australia with local content, replacing 10 All Access
  Streaming service 10 All Access is being replaced by Paramount+, and getting an injection of new local and international original content.
• Streaming Sector’s War on Residual Incomes
  Making a living is tough for creatives, but residuals can be a long term income source. Now the streaming companies want to kill the whole idea.
• Teen Movies, ‘Moxie’ and Me
  In the wake of Amy Poehler’s eager-to-please Moxie on Netflix, Adrian Martin considers a long love of the genre and its oddities.
• TV Review: How to Stay Married defies TV trends for Season 3
  Peter Helliar’s family sitcom is unashamedly mainstream, a rare stayer with solid comedy cast and cozy, reliable character
• See What You Made Me Do? SBS tackles Domestic Abuse Crisis
  Jess Hill’s gripping and essential documentary series spearheads SBS programming during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month

VIDEOGAMES

• How does the Digital Games Offset fit into Australia’s screen incentives? 
  Is a $500k minimum spend punishingly high? Is a 30% offset enough? What’s different for film and TV? Game developers, welcome to the fight for federal screen support.
• Simon Boxer’s personal Ring of Pain: The long road to games success
  Ring of Pain is one of Australia’s recent videogame successes, thanks to FIlm Victoria and Humble Games. But Simon Boxer’s road to this point has been long.
• Game Review: New Pokémon Snap is picturesque, approachable, and fatally incurious
  This adorable redux offers plentiful opportunities for cuteness, but not imagination, writes Jini Maxwell.
• Game Review: Returnal is the natural evolution of arcade
  Housemarque’s foray into the roguelike genre feels like the natural progression of their high score-chasing arcade roots, writes Chris Button
• Assassin’s Creed publisher Ubisoft sees record sales during pandemic year
  Ubisoft, the videogame publisher known for Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, has recorded its highest-ever sales in the last year.
• ‘Apex Legends’ performs strongly for Electronic Arts despite weaker financials
  EA’s numbers are slightly down from last year, but its lauded free-to-play shooter Apex Legends has broken records.
• Tribeca Festival introduces first ever videogame award on its 20th anniversary
  For the first time in the famous film festival’s history, Tribeca will bestow a videogame with the inaugural Tribeca Games Award.
• Australian games label leads IGF award nominations with ‘Genesis Noir’, ‘Paradise Killer’
  Fellow Traveller, an Australian game publishing house, has earned a number of nominations at the Independent Game Festival awards.
• Nintendo has most profitable year on record, Switch becomes fourth-best selling Nintendo console
  Nintendo has posted its highest financial year profits ever, thanks to strong sales of Animal Crossing and the Nintendo Switch.

EXHIBITIONS

• Katrina Sedgwick brings the magic back to winter 
  ACMI’s first major exhibition since reopening is a crowd-pleasing blend of history, art and technology, says CEO Katrina Sedgwick about ‘Disney: The Magic of Animation’.
• Discover the photographer behind Australia’s most iconic moments 
  [Sponsored] NFSA celebrates the 60-year career of the prolific Indigenous photojournalist Mervyn Bishop with an exhibition in Canberra only until August.

Moana, 2016. Lisa Keene, Concept Art, digital painting. From ‘Disney: the Magic of Animation’ at ACMI.

CAREER

• Learning to leave – new programs to engage creatives with the world 
  In response to a globalised industry, become a professional nomad. Here’s two support measures which reflect fundamental changes in the sector.
• Bystander Intervention for Freelancers
  How do you speak up for the rights of others when you don’t have job security? Media Mentor Esther Coleman-Hawkins enlists some experts for advice.

PODCASTS

• Have you listened to… the Strong Songs podcast? 
  Content director George Dunford enthuses about Strong Songs, the goofy music podcast that unpacks the method behind the hits.

REVIEWS

• Film Review: June Again adds lucid wit to a tale of second chances
  Warm, wise and playful, this polished debut features yet another great performance from Noni Hazlehurst, says critic Mel Campbell.
• Film Review: Bloodshot Heart is Giallo all the Way
  A drunken Australian step-cousin of 1970s European and American cinema, Parish Malfitano’s debut is a rich minestrone stew of cinephilic allusions, says Adrian Martin.
• Game Review: New Pokémon Snap is picturesque, approachable, and fatally incurious
  This adorable redux offers plentiful opportunities for cuteness, but not imagination, writes Jini Maxwell.
• Game Review: Returnal is the natural evolution of arcade
  Housemarque’s foray into the roguelike genre feels like the natural progression of their high score-chasing arcade roots, writes Chris Button
• TV Review: How to Stay Married defies TV trends for Season 3
  Peter Helliar’s family sitcom is unashamedly mainstream, a rare stayer with solid comedy cast and cozy, reliable character