The future of the sector depends on bringing experienced creatives home, and building the careers of local screen people, and the [legendary] “emerging” storytellers. Antony I Ginnane, President of SPAA, and a veteran, wonders provocatively if all the players should be on the same board.
At a Cinema Pioneers dinner in Melbourne last month veteran Melbourne director Fred Schepisi was guest speaker. My business partner Ann Lyons and I were at Fred’s table. Also at the table were sundry other musketeers from the 1970’s: Jill Bilcock – Academy? award-winning editor; Jill Robb – former CEO of Film Victoria; animator Alex Stitt and chair of the night Rob Copping – former partner of Tim Burstall, David Bilcock and Alan Finney in the trailblazing 1970s production company Hexagon. Many other long time Melbourne-based film practitioners were in the room, as well as the usual group of older exhibitors and distributors who attend pioneers functions.
