Oz kudos hit the road
AFI hoping to attract more members
Kudos are still three months away, but the Annual Festival of Australian Film, a two-week event held in each of Australia's seven capital cities, was beefed up this year in a bid to reverse the organization's flagging membership and to re-ignite interest among voters.
Each city hosted a gala opening night and two or three screenings of each of the eligible movies, and the AFI unspooled a trailer it hopes will lure new members from both the industry and general public.
For A$55 ($40) a year, members receive discounts at some cinemas, invitations to special events including a party with the stars at the AFI Awards, and gain entry to all 16 eligible movies during the Festival of Australian Film.
But some distributors have an issue with this last incentive, saying the AFI is using its compulsorily supplied prints of films, many of them currently in release, to lure members to the AFI.
Every dollar counts with Australian films, which can release on as few as 15 screens, like Gillian Armstrong's docu "Unfolding Florence." "Kenny" is screening on 90 screens, "Jindabyne" on 85, "48 Shades" on 50 and "Ten Canoes" on 58.
For the same reason, some distributors withhold pics from the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane film festivals, which take place from June through August, despite the promotional platform they might receive.
Organizers of the Brisbane Film Fest, which wrapped Aug. 13, have issues with the AFI staging another festival just two weeks after its closing night. Brisbane's a small city and both events receive public subsidy -- AFI is backed by the Victoria state government and the federal government through the Australian Film Commission.
Distributors who spoke to Variety say they're waiting to raise the issues with new AFI topper James Hewison, who just started the job last week. Org has been in caretaker mode under board member Jennie Hughes since Geoffrey Williams was dumped late 2005.
In recent years, distributors have complained about the strict AFI compliance that saw too many films releasing in the weeks before noms deadline. Some withheld their titles from competition in protest. This year, there are six Aussie pics in release.
AFI chairman Morry Schwartz is surprised to hear of disgruntlement among key stakeholders, insisting that they all "seem to be thrilled."
"Our only agenda is to get people involved with Australian film," he says, describing complaints of box office erosion as mean-spirited.
Schwartz says the AFI primarily wanted to boost its industry membership rather than lure non-pros, but distributors don't read it that way.
This year's event will be broadcast by Nine Network on Dec. 7.
The choice of Russell Crowe as last year's host was able to help garner a broadcast deal with Nine after the awards were not broadcast the previous year. Schwartz promises a top Australian thesp again this year, with smart money on Hugh Jackman.
