ABC TV Announces New Documentary Initiative

SYDNEY, February 26: At the Australian International
Documentary Conference in Adelaide, public broadcaster ABC TV launched an
A$800,000 ($635,000) initiative with the South Australian Film Commission to
produce a landmark special or series for a prime-time slot.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for some bold and
ambitious ideas,” said Kim Dalton, the director of ABC TV. “It can be any genre,
any format but should aspire to create debate, challenge preconceptions and tap
into the national agenda or simply revel in the everyday.”

In addition, ABC TV and the Australian Film Commission (AFC)
will provide a further A$300,000 ($238,000) for young documentary makers,
continuing the jtv docs initiative announced last year. Available to filmmakers
under 35, the initiative provides funding for several one hour or half-hour
documentaries aimed at younger audiences. Last year, three long-form documentaries
were produced from this fund. The first, Words from the City, will have its world premiere at the Adelaide
International Festival on March 2, and will screen on ABC TV later this year.

The final date for submissions to the ABC TV/SAFC initiative
is April 13. Guidelines are available on abc.net.au/tv/documentaries. The
deadline for submissions for the jtv docs initiative is April 30.

In related news, the AFC and ABC today launched The Pure
Drop, an online music documentary available
at thepuredop.com.au. The project is the last to be launched from a slate
funded under the AFC/ABC Broadband Production Initiative (BPI). The 11-episode
series features a mix of video content like interviews and performances, MP3
audio content, links to external resources and notes for teachers. “The
Pure Drop will become an essential resource
for music lovers and educators as well as an online destination for people with
a passion for documentary," said Carolyn MacDonald, the acting manager for
co-productions and business development at ABC New Media and Digital Services.