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30-499: The book Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music by Clinton Walker was published by Pluto Press in 2000. The Film Australia documentary was directed by Andy Nehl , written by Walker, and narrated by Kev Carmody . The 2-CD set Buried Country: Original Film Soundtrack ( Larrikin Records ) produced by Walker contains 45 classic and rare tracks featured in the book and film. Buried Country has also been produced as

60-825: A century of Australia's history. This unique archive of footage and stills is made available to the production industry. Film Australia Digital Learning creates projects targeted to the developing market for educational resources, primarily for delivery online. It draws largely on the materials in Film Australia's Library, and creates opportunities for documentary filmmakers and multimedia producers in education and new media production. Film Australia Distribution markets both National Interest Program productions and independently produced documentaries to Australian and international broadcasters, and to libraries, schools, universities and community groups. Film Australia Studios in Sydney

90-468: A result of the quotas. The ABC was only commissioning very small amounts of children's drama during those years and most of its shows, other than its in-house productions such as Play School and Behind The News , were imported. In 2006 the ACTF publicly highlighted the opportunity afforded by the switch to digital television to provide a much better media service for Australian children, calling for

120-639: A ten-part series on Australian history was provided by the Government from 2005. Film Australia was the executive producer of these productions, drawing the creative and technical talent needed to produce them from Australia's independent documentary production industry. The company also provided support to the Australian documentary sector through a range of services and facilities, under its Community Service Obligations. The Film Australia Library manages over 5000 titles and 150,000 photographs, reflecting

150-649: A touring stage show that had its premiere at the Playhouse in Newcastle, New South Wales in August 2016, starring surviving elders of the tradition and a younger generation of singers and songwriters. It continued to tour the festival circuit until 2018. It featured a rotating cast of the original artists, with backing band the Backtrackers. Film Australia Film Australia was a company established by

180-411: Is a national non-profit children's media production and policy hub. The ACTF helps develop children's television policy; distributes and pays for Australian children's television series; supports new children's media; and develops screen resources for the education sector. The ACTF provides funding and support to independent Australian producers and writers of children's programs. The founding director of

210-430: Is a purpose-built film and television production facility and provides screening venues, a sound stage, sound post-production facilities, a film laboratory, production offices, editing and transfer suites. These are used by many Film Australia and low-budget independent film and television productions, and by long-term tenants who operate production facilities and service companies. Film Australia's Digital Resource Finder

240-543: Is a quick, convenient and easy-to-use search engine for teachers and educators. It features FREE FOR EDUCATION video clips from Film Australia's remarkable archive—one of the nation's largest and most historically significant collections. Clips are matched with print-friendly two-page resource sheets that include background information and engaging student research and classroom activities written by leading teachers. Australian Children%27s Television Foundation The Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF)

270-500: Is generally regarded as Australia's finest railway film. Film Australia also created one of Australia's most successful children's television programs, Johnson and Friends , which ran for four series. The program sold to over 50 territories and ran from 1990 until 1995. This venture also lead to the creation of further children's programs, including The Girl from Tomorrow / Tomorrow's End , Boffins , Escape from Jupiter / Return to Jupiter and Spellbinder / Land of

300-772: The Government of Australia to produce films about Australia in 1973. Its predecessors were the Cinema and Photographic Branch (1913–38), the Australian National Film Board (1939–1955, under different departments), and the Commonwealth Film Unit (1956–72). Film Australia became Film Australia Limited in 1988 and was consolidated into Screen Australia in 2008. Administration of the Film Australia Collection

330-532: The ABC and supported by the ACTF from 2009 include My Place 1 & 2, three series of Dance Academy , several series of Nowhere Boys , three series of Bushwhacked , and more. The history of Australian children's television and the ACTF are inextricably linked, with the ACTF playing a pivotal role in supporting distinctively Australian programs, and advocating for the support mechanisms required to produce those programs. The ACTF continues to receive funding from

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360-566: The ACTF could be established Lacy lost his Parliamentary seat at the election held in 1982. Patricia Edgar then turned her attention to funding support from the Commonwealth Government with the support of Dame Beryl Beaurepaire who was President of the Liberal Party. Ultimately, the ACTF was established with Commonwealth Government support collectively matched by all the state governments except Queensland with Edgar as

390-602: The Arts Ministry staff to steer the project, provided office space and establishment funding, and won the support of NSW Education Minister Paul Landa with whom he co-chaired the early steering committee meetings. In early 1981, Lacy addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts arguing for the strategic and national importance of a Commonwealth commitment to recurrent funding for

420-615: The Australian Children's Television Foundation, Patricia Edgar AM , was the driving force behind its establishment. As the chair of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal's Children's Program Committee for five years, enforcing children's program standards and the children's drama quota Edgar argued that quality programs would not be made without a not-for-profit production company creating exemplary programs. Patricia Edgar's arguments caught

450-618: The Cinema and Photographic Branch (also known as the Cinema Branch) was created in Melbourne under cameraman Bert Ive , after he had been appointed government photographer and cinematographer . The Branch was administered by a number of Commonwealth government departments during its existence, changing the focus of the photographs and films, including the promotion of Australian merchandise, tourism, and immigration. When it came under

480-687: The Commonwealth Film Unit) produced a movie titled One Man's Road which prominently featured Aboriginal Australian activist Clive Andrew Williams , in which he shared many stories about his life. Upon the film's release, Williams was dismayed to discover that the Australian Department of Territories had been using the movie as propaganda to promote the cultural assimilation of Aboriginal people, something which Williams opposed. In 1973 Film Australia gained its first female producer, Suzanne Baker , who in 1977 became

510-688: The Commonwealth Immigration Office in 1921, the Cinema Branch was expanded, and by the end of the Silent era (1927 onwards), it was making a film a week. Lyn Maplestone , production manager from 1926, directed many of the films made by the Branch in the 1930s. The Cinema and Photographic Branch wound up in 1938, Ive died on 25 July 1939, and Australia was at war with Germany two months later. The Cinema Branch moved into

540-464: The Commonwealth and all States and Territories ( Queensland is now included). Each State and Territory Government has the right to nominate a member of the board, and the Commonwealth Government may nominate three members.Those ACTF Board members may elect up to three independent board members. There is a long and distinguished list of people who have been on the board over its 35-year history, but

570-669: The Dragon Lord . Before becoming Screen Australia, Film Australia was one of the nation's leading producers of television documentaries and educational programs. Film Australia produced programs under the National Interest Program: a contract with the Australian Government to devise, produce, distribute and market productions that deal with matters of national interest or illustrate and interpret aspects of Australian life. Additional funding for

600-595: The Film Australia Collection was transferred from Screen Australia to the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) on 1 July 2011, and the Film Australia Library became the Film Australia Collection. The Australian Children's Television Foundation became distributors for Film Australia's children's catalogue, with the exception of Boffins , maintained by the NFSA. In 1967 Film Australia (then

630-913: The Prix Jeunesse, a Japan Prize, a Banff Rockie Award, a Grand Jury Prize at the New York Festival. Production value exceeded $ 100 million. After Edgar stepped down to produce Noah and Saskia for the ABC and the BBC, Jenny Buckland was appointed CEO in July 2002. Major productions that the ACTF was involved with between 2002 and 2008 included Holly's Heroes , Mortified , Double Trouble (with CAAMA ) and two series of Lockie Leonard . Mortified won more national and international awards than any other children's program in FFC history. All those series were commissioned by commercial broadcasters, as

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660-757: The attention of the Victorian Minister for the Arts Norman Lacy , who invited her to work with him. They agreed to join forces to promote the proposal for the establishment of an organisation to achieve their shared objectives. Lacy then used his ministerial membership of the Australian Education Council and the Australian Arts Ministers' Conference to initiate the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation. He appointed Edgar to

690-557: The establishment of a dedicated digital public channel for children. Ultimately the ACTF joined forces with the ABC to champion this idea, which received support from the Howard government during the 2007 Australian election campaign. The Rudd government gave the ABC funding which saw it establish its children's destinations on ABC2 (for pre-schoolers) and ABC3 (for school-aged children) in 2009. ABC3 attracted new entrants and original programming ideas. New programs commissioned by

720-540: The first Australian woman to win an Academy Award , for Best Animated Short Film , for Leisure , animated by Bruce Petty . Some of Michael Thornhill 's first films were short documentaries made for the Commonwealth Film Unit, including The Esperance story (1968) and Cheryl and Kevin (1974). One of Film Australia's most successful films is A Steam Train Passes . It has won many awards and

750-564: The fledgling Foundation. The Senate Standing committee report Children and Television Revisited recommended the establishment of an independent children's television production unit, which was the impetus for the foundation of the ACTF, to be funded by the Australian Government with contributions from state and territory governments . Lacy's political advocacy and practical support coupled with Edgar's intellectual capacity and lobbying skills eventually won through, but before

780-707: The inaugural Director. She served in this role for 20 years, effectively kickstarting the Australian children's television production industry. Her programs include Winners , Kaboodle , Touch the Sun , Round the Twist , Lift Off , The Genie From Downunder , Sky Trackers , Crash Zone , L'il Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers , Yolngu Boy , Noah and Saskia and the ground breaking Kahootz . Her programs won more than 100 national and international awards including four AFI Awards, two Logies, an International Emmy Award,

810-443: The most extraordinary contribution of all is that of Janet Holmes à Court . Janet joined the board as a representative for Western Australia in 1983. She was elected chairman of the board in 1990 and has been re-elected every year since. She is now an independently elected member of the board. The headquarters of the ACTF are on Smith Street in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy . Notable television series developed or assisted by

840-665: The new Department of Information (DOI), becoming the Australian National Film Board (also referred to as the Film Division, created in order oversee coordination of government and commercial filmmaking , and to engage film production in the war effort and based in Sydney ). From 1950, the division came under the Australian News and Information Bureau , until 1955, and from 1956 until 1972 it

870-677: Was the Commonwealth Film Unit. By the late 1940s all film production took place in Sydney, and the Melbourne branch closed in 1954, after continuing to process some non-theatrical film until this time. Stanley Hawes was the Producer-in-Chief from 1946 to 1969. In June 1973 the unit was superseded by Film Australia, which became Film Australia Limited in 1988. The operations of Film Finance Corporation Australia , Australian Film Commission , and Film Australia were merged as Screen Australia in July 2008. Administration of

900-444: Was transferred from Screen Australia to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia on 1 July 2011. The mission of the organisation changed through its earlier incarnations, but from 1973 its aim was to create an audio-visual record of Australian culture, through the commissioning, distribution and management of programs that deal with matters of national interest or illustrate and interpret aspects of Australian life. In 1913

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