Sydney Film Festival

The US Studies Centre is proud to sponsor the 55th Sydney Film Festival, 4 - 22 June.

The Centre's partnership with the Sydney Film Festival extends beyond the June festival to develop programs that generate new insights about the US, provide entertainment to the Australian public, and build linkages between the Australian and American film industries.

Cinema, the largest and defining US cultural export, is a rich opportunity for our two organisations to examine emerging issues in American society and to promote mutually beneficial collaboration between Australia and the United States.

The Centre is pleased to co-host an industry workshop during the festival on Positioning Australian Screen Content in the US Marketplace.

Bob Pisano, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Motion Picture Association of America, will deliver the keynote address. Ben Goldsmith, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at AFTRS will discuss the history and positioning of Australian content. Courtney Gibson, Executive Head of Content Creation, ABC Television, will provide a case study on Summer Heights High and the sale to HBO. Rosemary Blight, a producer, will provide a case study on the sale of Clubland to Warner Independent.

Ruth Neave from the Arts Liaison Office of the Hon. Frank Sartor, MP, Minister for the Arts will then facilitate a workshop on new strategies and tactics.