International film marketing agency Ausfilm lost both Fujifilm and Kodak from its membership base last year.
The film manufacturers both withdrew as cinematographers turn to digital formats and exhibitors upgrade their 35mm projectors to digital. At the same time, the local industry is struggling to attract offshore productions to shoot in Australia with the local currency trading at about $US1.07.
Ausfilm chief executive Debra Richards said both Kodak and Fujifilm remain supportive of Ausfilm’s efforts to promote Australia as a screen location.
Kodak has also faced corporate issues, filing for Chapter 11 in the bankruptcy court in the US although the company said international subsidiaries were not affected by the decision. Nonetheless, Kodak's Australian film division has retrenched several people over the past year as film sales have fallen. Fujifilm’s diversified product base, including storage and recording products, has continued to underpin its film division.
Ausfilm is continuing to lobby the government ahead of the budget in an effort to get the Location rebate doubled to 30 per cent, which would bring it in line with the recently doubled post, digital and visual effects production (PDV) rebate. “We had an increase in the number of enquiries immediately,” Richards said of last year’s PDV increase.
Membership of Ausfilm, which also receives government funding, is understood to cost about $16,000 a year. Platinum members include Panavision, Deluxe Australia, Iloura and Fox Studios Australia. Warner Bros Australian Productions, which is overseeing several Australian productions including The Great Gatsby, also joined Ausfilm last year. The full list of members can be found here.
Contact this reporter at bswift@www.if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.