Screen Aus: last initiatives for Gender Matters

Screen Australia recently announced the final two steps of its Gender Matters program, Better Deals and Attachments for Women.

Better Deals is a $1 million pilot program that will create a new incentive for distributors considering quality female-driven feature film projects and open to all projects that satisfy the ‘Three Tick Test’ (female writer, director, producer and/or protagonist).

Attachments for Women is a program run in conjunction with the existing Production Investment Programs. It requires that all scripted drama projects that receive more than $500,000 from Screen Australia to have a compulsory, paid female attachment position built into the budget. This $1 million scheme will provide production experience for women who want to break into long-form storytelling, extend their production experience or take the next step in their career either as creatives or crew.

Last month Screen Australia announced 58 successful recipients of Brilliant Stories (45) and Brilliant Careers (13)  that will share in more than $3 million in funding for story development or business infrastructure.

“We are seeking to address issues in opportunity, marketplace support, access to experience and credits for talented women. This is about creating opportunities, and removing the false perception that female films are more risky. These are interventions that focus on women at the supply and also the commercial distribution end of the value chain,” said Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason.

Screen Australia COO Fiona Cameron said: “We think that Gender Matters is the circuit-breaking scheme that we need to make a real change in this industry. Gender Matters is a world first, providing opportunities to bridge the divide between education and occupation. A greater female perspective behind and in front of the camera provides balance, diversity and commercial sense.”