I have talked before about the Aussie tendency to self-deprecate, and the tall poppy syndrome that leads them to chop down anyone who achieves international celebrity status.  It also makes Aussies tear apart their own films before they are ever even released, occasionally while they are still only screenplays.  It leads to the countless questions I get as to why I, a hopeful filmmaker, would rather be here than in LA.  And it keeps Aussies from seeing the huge filmmaking advantages they have right at their fingertips.

One of those advantages is government support.  People might not agree with all the decisions the state and countrywide film commissions make.  They might see favoritism triumph over quality in the films they choose to support, but that is no different than what you will find in Hollywood funding.  Favors and mutual back scratching are rife in the film industry, regardless of country.  But to have the country itself support filmmakers, is a rare gift.  Unfortunately, the Australian film commissions suffer from the same itchy rash that all their filmmakers do.

I’ve heard enough now to be sure that almost every development grant, almost every program created to support up and coming Australian filmmakers, sees at least some, if not all of its money to go the film industry in LA.  Script assessors in LA are hired over Australian ones to consult on development.  American filmmakers are flown out to give short talks at a cost that would probably support several Australian filmmakers for week long seminars.  And high priced internships are set-up to send young filmmakers to LA to learn the “tricks of the trade.”  No one seems to realize the detrimental message this is sending to Aussie filmmakers countrywide.  The government itself is practically shouting at the top of its lungs; “We’re just not good enough!”

That message is so deeply ingrained into minds of the filmmakers who would be receiving those grants, that most of the conversations I had this week sounded something like this:

Me – “The Australian government is basically paying to support California’s dying economy.”

Aussie – “Maybe the idea is to come back with all the knowledge from working in LA and apply it to Australian film.”

Me – “$50,000 for six months in LA!  Who are they kidding?  You’re never coming back!”

Aussie – “Probably not.”

Or this gem:

Me – “The government shouldn’t be giving away loads of money to spend overseas.”

Aussie – “No, it would be better spent paying the experts to come here.”

Me – “What!  That’s still spending money somewhere else.  That’s still saying that LA has something that you can’t get here.”

Aussie – “The government would probably spend more money here, if Australian films weren’t so bloody bad.”

Me – “You don’t think a bad film has ever been made in LA?  GAH!”

(There may have been a few drinks involved with that conversation)

LA may be where the film industry started, but that is by no means where it ended.  Film is an international art, reaching audiences worldwide.  And in places like India, China, Korea, Europe and the UK, filmmakers function in entirely autonomous filmmaking communities.  Sure, some French filmmakers probably want an Oscar as much as everyone else does, but do you think the French would ever say “better learn how to make movies in the US, they’re better at it.”

The vision, the passion, the talent and the money to make the world’s best movies, all exist in Australia.  The only thing holding Australian filmmakers back, is themselves.  The best thing they can learn from Los Angelinos is the self-important attitude that makes reality TV stars think they’ve accomplished feats worthy of a Nobel peace prize.  If Australians do go to LA, it shouldn’t be to learn, but to teach Los Angelinos what humility actually means, and how to just generally tone it down.

I am watching Baz Luhrmann’s Australia as I write this.  I won’t argue that it’s filmmaking genius, and it’s certainly not to everyone’s taste, but no one would disagree that it’s a sumptuous film of epic proportions.  It’s undeniable evidence that Australian filmmakers can go so far beyond believing “we’re just not good enough” that they gain the ability to say “I can make any film I bloody well please.”  It’s about time Aussies start approaching film as they do sport, with voracious attitude and no fear of losing a few teeth.  I know they can do it, and if they don’t believe me, maybe they’ll believe Oprah.  Thanks for visiting Queen O.  Here’s hoping you inspired a few other people to aim to light up the harbor bridge one of these days.  I know I will, after all, I’m an egocentric American girl from LA.

So, naturally I was happy to find some like minded souls to endure the process with, and to find out that the permit issues, schedule setbacks, budget constraints and general insanity of the filmmaking process seems to be international.  This is a language I speak fluently.   But in Oz I do run into something new; a general question that even if not asked out loud I can see in people’s eyes when I explain where my accent came from.  “What are you doing here?”  True, I was born and raised in LA, the world capitol of filmmaking and I just spent ten years in NY, its not-so-little sister in “the industry.”  So yes, all of my connections (if you can call them that) are back in NY and all of the kids I grew up with who didn’t become lawyers found positions in the business that is Hollywood.  Most of the filmmakers I meet here are trying to get over there, so they can’t really fathom why I went the other direction.

I could write an entire dissertation about the many reasons I came all the way to Oz, life experience being chief amongst them, but everyone already understands those.  What I can’t seem to get people out here to see, is what an amazing filmmaking resource they have right here on their native soil.  The big studios set up shop in Hollywood because California offered almost every environment imaginable within one state and surrounded by a nice temperate climate.  Australia has that!  So what else do films require?  Money, for one, and there isn’t much of that in California or even NY these days.  But Australia has that!  Out here I’ve seen more opportunities for grants from each state and from the entire country than there are people to snatch them up (at least for a worthy film).  And what about a solid source of acting talent?  Hmm, well since a surprising amount of Hollywood’s biggest starts are Australian, and received their training in Australia at one of the most acclaimed acting schools in the world, I think it’s safe to say that Australia has that too!

So why isn’t the country crawling with wanna be directors and people who just happen to have a copy of their latest screenplay in the trunk of their car?  Why are the few people who dream in 16:9 trying to slap their storyboards down onto the overcrowded conference tables on Wilshire Boulevard?  It probably doesn’t help that, generally speaking, Australians tend to hate their own films.  I have yet to figure out why this is, but I’ve read several articles about how badly the home grown films do out here as opposed to when they are overseas.  And the filmmakers I recently met all seemed to agree.  They don’t like those “same old gritty stories.”  Aussie’s also have a lukewarm relationship with their biggest stars.  There are always current favorites and tabloid darlings, but Russell Crow’s and Nicole Kidman’s heydays have long past.  Gee, I’d still give them leading roles.  I just hope nobody badmouths any of Baz Luhrmann’s films around me, I might just deck them.

But if any of my fellow Aussie filmmakers were to ask for advice from someone with a little experience begging for jobs in the other hemisphere, I would tell them to ignore those snooty know-it-all American’s for a while.  The world does not need another cop drama set in NYC, another show about the spoiled and vapid in LA (think about what you have done to yourselves Los Angelinos!) any more reality TV stars, another heart-felt drama about a middle class American family, or any more parts that would be just perfect for George Clooney (Do you ever take a break, man?).  Take a page out of my favorite Australian’s book, and make your own movie, your own way.  Grab some of that money your country is so desperate for you to use to make them look good, take your camera out into the middle of nowhere (it won’t take long for you to get there) and film some of that great undiscovered talent that is going to sweep the Oscars one day.  You have everything you need right here, so use it!  I know you can do much better than re-making Mad Max (remember, that was a snooty American’s idea).

Hmm, maybe I ought to take my own advice.