SCREEN PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA—ACT CHAPTER

The ACT Chapter of the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) was launched on October 25 at the National Gallery of Australia.

SPAA is an industry body that represents Australian independent film and television producers on issues affecting the business and creative aspects of screen production. Its membership includes television, film and interactive media production companies as well as services and facilities providers such as post-production, finance, distribution and legal companies. The ACT Chapter will help to raise the profile of the local screen industry and offers a mechanism for the Territory’s screen producers to input into issues at the national level.

The launch of the ACT Chapter of SPAA also provided an opportunity to present awards to the ScreenACT Project Pod winners. The aim of Project Pod is to increase capability and capacity in screen project development in the ACT and to support a group of targeted projects through to a market ready stage. Project Pod was possible thanks to the generous support of Screen Australia and Enterprise Connect.

The quality and diversity of the work produced during the first Project Pod is a clear demonstration of the depth and mixture of screen industry talent available in the ACT, and of the capabilities of the Territory. Judged by an industry panel, originally four grants were being handed out, but thanks to the support of the Australian Children's Television Foundation, a further grant was able to be awarded for a total grant pool of $25,000.

The 2010 Project Pod winners are:

  • Marisa Martin, Geraldine Martin, The Della Morte Sisters – a gothic steam punk animated children’s TV series
  • Michael Kraaz, The Great Unsigned  – a hard rock documentary
  • Lucas Li, D’Orks – live action and 3D animation children’s TV series
  • Phil Selby, Seeing Things – animated adult supernatural TV series
  • Belinda Barancewicz, And They’re Off – feature mockumentary about fashions on the field

ScreenACT plans to continue with the Project Pod initiative, noting that it is providing an avenue for building the capacity of screen practitioners in the Territory. 

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