''Filmnews'' was a monthly newspaper that covered independent film production, distribution and exhibition in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and the federal and state government policies and practices that supported them. Produced in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, it was distributed around Australia, containing news, reviews, interviews, articles and some gossip on the local film community. It ran from February 1975, from government startup grants over 1973–74, to 1995.

History

''Filmnews'' first issue appeared in February 1975. Published in St Peters' Lane,

Darlinghurst Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney. I ...

, Filmnews began as a newsletter with screening and meeting information and catalogue of the Sydney Filmmakers Co-op. In August 1975 filmmaker Aggy Read complained that it was "flabby and indulgent with very little meaningful news/info/dialogue", which galvanised the newspaper into transforming into a legitimate newspaper for the filmmaker/worker community. In 1981 the Co-op’s cinema closed as its funding from the AFC ceased. The AFC, however, supported the Co-op’s move to new premises in Pyrmont, and pushed for more aggressive marketing and distribution policies. This put the Co-op’s under pressure, and the AFC then determined to fund only one body, the AFI leading the Co-op had to fold. A short and poorly planned relationship with a commercial proprietor (Encore)—selected by the AFC—followed before FilmNews was allowed to become its own entity. Filmnews moved to Metro TV (now Metro Screen) in the

Paddington Town Hall The Paddington Town Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall building located at 249 Oxford Street in the inner eastern Sydney suburb of Paddington, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Sir Henry Parkes ...

complex several years.

Content

''Filmnews'' advocated strongly for women’s films and women filmmakers, questioning existing training practices and criticising Short-term programs in sydney and Melbourne.

References

{{reflist Film magazines published in Australia Defunct newspapers published in Sydney