Cirrus@Austlit

'International markets have in recent years become a critical component of the business model for Hollywood cinema, opening up a renewed interest in the global dimensions of film diffusion. Smaller film-producing nations such as Denmark have similarly emphasised global distribution as a key component of the industry's success. Typically, however, claims for Australian film industry success rely almost exclusively on a film's domestic box office performance. This paper considers the possibilities for an expanded approach to measuring success and failure in the Australian film industry. Adopting analytic methods from cinema studies, cultural economics and geo-spatial sciences, this paper will examine the international theatrical circulation of Australian films using a unique global database of cinema showtimes. This data set captures all formal film screenings in 47 countries over an 18-month period ending 1 June 2014 and enables detailed empirical study of the locations visited by Australian-produced films. In conjunction with relevant box office data and contextual critical commentary, we propose a revised and expanded ‘film impact rating’ for assessing the reported performance of Australian films.' (Publication abstract)

'Queensland's film sector is currently in the midst of significant change. Organisations at the centre of the state's industry, such as Screen Queensland, have undergone substantial and ongoing changes in the last five years. Other organisations funded by Screen Queensland, such as QPIX, Queensland's only film development centre, have recently closed. The Brisbane International Film Festival has been restructured to become the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival as of 2014. In an uncertain industry currently characterised by limited funding and diminishing support structures, local emerging filmmakers require significant initiatives and a sophisticated understanding of how to best utilise fledgling distribution models as part of a tailored strategy for their content. This essay includes interviews with emerging Brisbane filmmakers who have used a combination of traditional and contemporary approaches to exhibition and distribution thus far in their careers. It argues that for these filmmakers, while film festivals do function as crucial platforms for exposure, in the current digital market they cannot be relied upon as the only platform in securing further mainstream or commercial release. They can, however, be incorporated into an alternative distribution model that shows awareness of the contemporary situation in Australia. The research findings are arguably indicative of the challenges faced by filmmakers statewide, and suggest that further support strategies need to be considered to revive Queensland's film culture and provide immediate support for emerging filmmakers.' (Publication abstract)

'As a consequence of the opportunities provided by international film festivals and the perceived limitations of conventional distribution, Australian independent producers find new ways to engage audiences through film festival involvement and targeted use of social media. This article examines this phenomenon with a case study of Closer Productions' 52 Tuesdays. With investment from the South Australian Film Corporation and the Adelaide Film Festival, and awards from Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, 52 Tuesdays secured US distribution prior to its Australian release in May 2014. Central to the interest generated in 52 Tuesdays is the approach Closer Productions took to marketing, which replicated the game-like challenge, the film-makers imposed upon the making of their own project. This article suggests that while traditional roles of intermediaries – sales agents and distributors – in the independent sector are shifting to accommodate the growing status of festivals, they are far from disappearing, and the liberating impact of digitisation on film production in providing more control to film-makers is yet to be realised.' (Publication abstract)