PICTURE PRIZES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1929, Page 2

PICTURE PRIZES

AUSTRALIAN FILM INDUSTRY. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ACTION. CANBERRA, May 31. The decision of the Federal Government to give £IO,OOO in prizes for the purpose of stimulating the production of good cinema pictures in Australia represents quite a new departure. Governments the world over are accustomed to giving assistance, in one way and another, to stimulate trade, but art, literature, and the drama (and the modern film embraces all these) are rarely thought worthy of assistance. The business of picture production, however, whilst it calls for dramatic, artistic, and literary skill, has developed into a great industry, and from that point of view it ia entitled to

assistance just as much as other Industries which are of value to the country. In America the film industry has developed into a thing of huge proportions, and in the capital involved and employment given it ranks not far behind that of motor-car manufacturing. In Great Britain, too, it is now coming on apace, and with the introduction of “talkies” it is considered that it will not he very long before the British picture industry will leave its competitors behind. But in the realm of the silent picture—for we have not the great producers and dramatic artists that they have on the other side of the world—there is no why Australia should not take a leading place. A representative of one of the chief film companies in Melbourne has expressed tho opinion that the piizes I offered by the Government aro not ! sufficient, and he has pointed to the expense involved in the production of such pictures as “ For the Term of his Natural Life” and “The Adorable

Outcast.” It is said that the former cost something like £40,000 to produce. It is not to be expected, however, that the Government should do more than give fair encouragement. That is, all it does in the case of any other industry, whether by subsidy or otherwise. The chief value of its offer is in the great advertisement it will give to the winning pictures. There has been some confusion as to what it is exactly that the Government offers. A Press statement in Melbourne the other day, which was telegraphed all over Australia, intimated that the Minister for Customs, Mr Gullett, had said two prizes of £oooo each were to he given .one for the host - picture produced in Australia and the other for the best scenario. Mr Gullett has said nothing ol the kind. As a matter of fact, be lias made no official announcement at all up to the present time. It was Mr Walter Marks, M.P., who was chair- ■ man of the Royal Commission, whose

recommendations have been accepted almost in toto by the Government, who made an announcement —a premature announcement —on the subject. But even Mr Marks did not make the statement referred to. Mr Gullet is at present in Melbourne whither he was called some days ago owing to the serious illness of his wile’s mother, who has since died, but it is expected that lie will make a full announcement regarding the prizes and conditions when he returns to Canberra next week. The actual proposal of the Government, the writer has been given to understand is that the sum of £9OOO will be offered in prizes for the actual production of pictures, and £IOOO for the best two scenarios— CoOO lor each scenario, one lor the best written by an Australian on any subject, the other for the best one dealing with Australian liie anil Australian scenes. ' In regard to the actual production of pictures it is proposed that there

shall b(‘ tliree prizes—lst, .l'o(KH); 2nd £2oO(); .‘ird, L'l *>()!). The dale has not yi*fc boon lixod either for tin* receipt of scenarios oi for the production of the pictures. The money, however, is being allocated in 1929-30, so that the competition may lie expected to close some time before June of next year. The judges wiii probably not. la* selected for some time to come. The money for the prizes offered by the Government will come out of the increased duty of a farthing per loot on foreign films.