Independent filmmaker and journalist Courtney Dawson launched a new teaser trailer (via YouTube) and on the film’s website for the Advance Australian Film (AAF) Project, a new indie documentary that aims to understand why Australian audiences are turning away from homegrown films. A fascinating and worthy exploration to be sure, but they need your help to secure funding.
It has been 20 years since an Australian film, Strictly Ballroom, topped the local box office in 1992, and it has struggled to reach these heights since. In 2010, only 4.5% of the total Australian box office was for local productions.
According to press for the film, although Dawson managed to produce the trailer with the help of friends, funds will be needed to create the final full-length film. Her hope is that people who believe in the project will donate to her Pozible Campaign (www.advanceausfilm.pozible.com) – gifts will be rewarded for contributions. Metro Screen are also supporting the film through their Jump Start scheme which provides some equipment use, but funds are still needed for crew and other important expenses such as archival footage and music licensing.
Dawson says “I started to talk to people about our national cinema, and came to the realisation that many of my friends did not actively support Australian films – in fact, a couple of people said that they would refuse to watch a film if it was Australian. At that point I knew I had explore this further”. She adds “After undertaking a few preliminary interviews for the trailer with both industry professionals and the Australian cinema-going public, it is clear that people are passionate about making a change”.
Courtney Dawson also runs www.moviemag.org, and you may recall that she was one of the people featured on the roundtable when we interviewed J.J. Abrams last year.
For more information:
www.facebook.com/advanceaustralianfilm
www.advanceausfilm.pozible.com
Twitter: @advanceausfilm
