State of Play: Documentary Policy and Advocacy

Featuring a panel of industry experts at the forefront of documentary policy and advocacy, this is a vital session discussing the mechanisms to ensure a robust and sustainable future for Australian documentary – beginning with the forthcoming regulation of streaming services in 2024.

As streamers increasingly replace traditional platforms as the place Australians go to consume screen content, what role can they play to support the pipeline of documentary production?

In February last year, the screen sector welcomed a commitment by the Australian Government in the National Cultural Policy—Revive to introduce requirements for Australian screen content on streaming platforms. However, in November, news broke that documentary had been omitted from the Government’s proposed regulatory models.

Join Stephanie King (Documentary Australia) and a panel of industry leaders including Matthew Deaner (Screen Producers Association), Rebecca Barry (Media Stockade) and Grainne Brunsdon (Screen Australia), as they dissect the state of play for the regulation of streaming services in 2024, and what this means for documentary and documentary practitioners into the future. In the face of surging production costs and diminishing licence fees, how are these advocates working to ensure streamers invest meaningfully in the local sector and support the sustainability of documentary production?

 

Image Credit: Surgery Ship (Media Stockade, 2014)