Graeme
Mason &
Members
of the Screen Australia board
Screen
Australia
Level 7, 45 Jones St
Ultimo 2007
1st May 2017
Dear Graeme and SA board members
re
“Ships in the Night”
I have received no response to my
letter of 18th April re “Offending Women”.
Given my
inability to earn a living as a filmmaker, as a result of the ban you have
placed on me, I have no choice but to accept Channel 7’s offer.
As the 5th
anniversary of the SA ban on me approaches – next week – I must use this money to
commence legal proceedings to obtain the evidence I have been asking for this
past five years of my having intimidated and placed at risk members of Screen
Australia’s staff with my correspondence prior to May 2012; of the ‘highly
offensive conduct’ that has led to the May 2014 and May 2016 bans on me.
I am
writing this letter in relation to another project of mine, “Ships in the
Night” - a low budget feature set almost entirely inside a taxi; with a small
ensemble cast:
I cannot
apply to SA for any form of development money for “Ships in the Night” as this
would, you attest, place SA staff at risk.
And I cannot meet with SA staff to go through the process of accessing
the Producer Offset in the way other producers can for the same reason – this would
place staff at risk.
Jane
Supit suggests that I and my creative collaborators could meet with her (Head
of Legal) to discuss the Producer Offset. To do so would carry with it both my own
and my collaborator’s implicit acceptance that I do indeed pose a risk to SA
staff. This would serve to further entrench, within the film industry, the
notion that I am a person who both intimidates and places at risk members of SA
staff: a forced confession of guilt.
In the
absence of any evidence that I pose a risk to SA staff (and none has ever been presented
to me) I am entitled to follow the same procedures that my fellow filmmakers
follow in their dealings with Screen Australia; to meet with relevant staff as
I have with all film funding bodies in Australia this past 44 years.
There
are four options open to me vis a vis producing “Ships in the Night”:
(1) James
Ricketson as producer, director and screenwriter.
(2) James
Ricketson as director and screenwriter – a second person producing.
(3) James
Ricketson as screenwriter – a director and producer attached to the project.
(4) James
Ricketson, in all key roles (including playing the lead actor) producing the
film for a miniscule budget and applying to Screen Australia for
post-production funds to complete the film.
Are
there any circumstances in which option (1) is possible as far as Screen
Australia is concerned? If you are seriously concerned about the safety of
Screen Australia staff in a meeting with me in person (to discuss both
development funding and the Producer Offset), perhaps the meeting could take
place via skype or in a conference call?
If I am
the director and screenwriter only, option (2), would it be possible for the
producer to meet with SA staff in person – with myself on skype or conference
call?
Option
(3). Could the producer and director of “Ships in the Night” meet with SA staff
to discuss both development funding and the Producer Offset? If I am the
screenwriter only, would there ever be a need for SA staff to meet with me?
If none
of these three options is acceptable to Screen Australia, I can pursue option
(4). This would entail self-funding (perhaps with some crowd-funding) the
production. From the footage shot a ‘trailer’ could be prepared and presented
to Screen Australia for consideration as a project worthy of post-production
funding. There would be no need for any member of SA staff to meet with me as
the ‘trailer’ would speak for itself of the feature film’s merits and sales
potential?
It is
your custom not to respond to any correspondence from me but I would appreciate
it if you could make an exception in this case so that I know what parameters I
can work within as regards Screen Australia’s possible involvement with “Ships
in the Night”. If none of the four options I have mentioned is acceptable to
Screen Australia it would be good to know this now; to be clear where I stand.
best wishes
James Ricketson
cc Senator Mitch Fifield, Minister for the Arts
Mr Colin Neave, Commonwealth Ombudsman
Ms Louise Vardanega, Australian Government Solicitor
(acting)
The Australian Director’s Guild Board
The Information Commissioner
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