SYDNEY -- Australian feature films earned $63.5 million at the local B.O. in 2001 -- 8% of the total.
This is just one of the stats in the sixth edition of "Get The Picture," the Australian Film Commission's biennial reference book for the Oz industry -- accessible online for the first time.
Most of the information has been published elsewhere. But Kim Dalton, CEO of the government-backed commission, said: "I am not aware of any other publication in the world that provides such a comprehensive overview of a national film and TV industry."
The nature of any resource book is that it can spin quickly out of date. Its list of top five films in Oz as of December 2001, includes "Titanic," "Crocodile Dundee," "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace," "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "Babe." Bumper returns for "Fellowship of the Ring" have surpassed "Harry," still going strong, and bumped "Babe" from the top five.
Regardless, it remains relevant for those wanting to track trends in local cinema, TV, production, finance industries.
The relatively small Australian film and TV biz lends itself to thorough documentation, something Dalton sees as a bonus when it comes to analysing how local filmmakers have managed to make such a significant international impact. He's fielded interviews from around the world following the strong showing of Aussies at the Golden Globes and Oscar nominations, now, he says, he can direct them to the Web site.
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