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The Code. . Shelley Birse has taken out the top prize at this year.s Awgie Awards, winning the Major Award for the second season of ABC cyber-thriller The Code..

The first season of The Code also took out the Australian Writers. Guild Major Award in 2014. This year.s award makes it the only series to have been recognised by two Major Awards for both of its seasons. The Code also received the Awgie Award for the Television: Miniseries — Original category.

Overall, more than 25 Australian writers —.from radio, television, film, theatre and interactive media — were honoured at this year.s Awgie Awards, held in Sydney on Friday evening.

Andrew Knight and Osamah Sami.s Ali.s Wedding took out the award for most outstanding script for an original feature, while Shaun Grant and Craig Silvey received the award for most outstanding feature adaptation for Jasper Jones.

Samantha Strauss was honoured for her original telemovie,...

Film Victoria is investing $1.14 million in three features and five TV projects through its new assigned production investment program.

Combined these projects will create employment for around 400 creatives, cast and crew and generate an estimated $11.8 million in production expenditure in the State, according to CEO Jenni Tosi.

.Under our assigned production investment program, which came into effect in July, Film Victoria.s equity, copyright and recoupment position is assigned to the producer, giving screen production businesses access to an increased level of returns and a greater financial capacity to develop new ideas and expand their output,. she said.

.The diversity of projects in this round reflects the significant production activity taking place in Victoria right now . activity that is being driven by our talented local screen practitioners." The projects are: Downriver, Happening Films Jannine Barnes, producer Grant Scicluna, writer/director

The plot follows a teenager, James (Reef Ireland) who serves...

While a lively debate over the 13 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for The Great Gatsby rages on social media, TV viewers have given their verdict on the Network Ten telecast.

The delayed two-hour show, which started at 8.30 pm, drew an average audience of 400,000 in the capital cities and a peak of 540,000. That was better than last year.s one-hour telecast which had 331,000 viewers. To be fair the AFI confirmed Ten as its broadcast partner only a couple of weeks before that so there was a lack of promotion last year.

The show, which had a weak lead-in from Jamie Oliver's new series Save with Jamie,. was beaten by Person of Interest on Nine and Bones on Seven.

On Facebook and Twitter there was a pronounced backlash against The Great Gatsby.s domination over The Rocket. Kim Mordaunt.s low-budget Lao-set drama got 12 nominations, two fewer than Baz Luhrmann.s opus,...

The decision by the AFI/Aacta to maintain seven awards for non-Australian films while combining the best TV comedy and best light entertainment series into one category has been challenged by several producers.

They question why money and resources are being poured into the Aacta International Awards in Los Angeles when the AFI/Aacta is struggling financially due to lack of sponsorship and screen industry support.

Other producers defend the International Awards as a way for the organisation to build the brand and strive to make the awards more valuable to private and government sponsors

AFI/Aacta CEO Damian Trewhella tells If it is simplistic and wrong to believe that ditching the international categories would free up more money for the Australian awards. He says the international awards subsidise the Oz awards.

Producer Anthony Buckley decries .the absurd pomposity of seven international awards. while financial constraints forced the organisation to...

Seven film projects have been selected to be put in the shop window at this year’s Screen Producers Association of Australia conference.

SPAAmart, which runs alongside the Spaa conference features projects which are in an advanced state of production.

The criteria for being featured is that they are “well developed, distinctive, fresh and with the potential to be highly attractive to their intended audiences.”

The conference takes place in Sydney from November 13 to 16.

The seven selected projects are:

The Room Producer Matt Carroll; Directors Ian Watson and Andrew Hellen My Mistress Producer Leanne Tonkes; Director Stephen Lance Uno Producer Stuart Scowcroft; Director Giotto Barbieri Wake Up Dead Producers Joel Cohn and Josh Butt; Director Joel Cohen Red Car Producer Tony Leach; Director Paul Elliott Boys Club Producers Karin Altmann and Sue Maslin; Director Marcus Cole Alex And Eve Producer Murray Fahey; Director Peter Andrikidis

SPAAmart director Julie Marlow said:...

More than 84 Australian documentary filmmakers have signed a petition asking Prime Minister Julia Gillard “to confirm publicly Australia’s commitment to freedom of political comunication”, in support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

They’re being coordinated by Carmela Baranowska, as part of a broader petition started on the ABC’s website and incorporating more than 500 signatures.

The petition has been signed by:

Carmela Baranowska – director, journalist Sharon Connolly – producer Bree Mckilligan – filmmaker Jono Van Hest – director Sarah Zadeh – filmmaker Joan Robinson – director Kerry Negara – director, producer Rebecca McLean – director Daryl Dellora – director, producer Sharyn Prentice – producer Fabio Cavadini – director, producer Mandy King – director, producer Sally Ingleton – documentary filmmaker Trish FitzSimons – filmmaker Georgia Wallace-Crabbe – producer, director Lana Schwarcz – puppeteer, filmmaker Tim Anderson – filmmaker Nick Torrens – director, producer Deborah Szapiro – producer Liz Burke – producer Nicholas Hansen – director, producer Philippa Campey – filmmaker Marsha Emerman – director, producer Trevor Blainey – producer Gil Scrine – distributor and...