Screenrights has announced distribution of more than $42.8 million dollars to more than 4,400 individual members in the 2017/18 financial year.
Other highlights of the year include the accelerated take-up of Screenrights’ educational streaming service, EnhanceTV, with the service now reaching 20% of Australian primary schools; the launch of a new Cultural Fund, which will make available up to $200,000 in 2018/19 for initiatives designed to explore innovative approaches to the creation of screen content for the education sector; and a 267% growth in Screenrights’ Disbursements Administration Service, with $2.1 million collected for distribution to filmmakers and investors in 15 film and television projects.
Screenrights Acting CEO James Dickinson said that, over the past year, the organisation has also grown the number of titles registered by members to 1.66 million, up a significant 11.4%.
“Screenrights collected over $49.5 million from Screenrights’ education licences in Australia and New Zealand, retransmission licences, licences for copying by government, international collections and collections from the new disbursement service,” Mr Dickinson said. “All of this has been achieved with a collections to expenses ratio of 15.9%.”
At its AGM held at the company’s office in Sydney last night, Screenrights also announced Board election results.
Elected to the Screenrights Board are Jonathan Carter, the Head of Legal, Corporate & Policy Division at APRA AMCOS, and Georgina Waite, Head of Business Affairs at the ABC. Jonathan recently filled the casual vacancy that arose when Dean Ormston resigned from the Board.
Re-elected to the Screenrights Board are Kim Dalton OAM, Jack Ford, and Chair Jill Bryant.
Screenrights Chair Jill Bryant said: “We are delighted to welcome Jonathan and Georgina. The Board represents a broad range of skills and experiences. Together we will continued to advocate for a strong and fair copyright regime that supports the ongoing viability of screen production as well as facilitates access to the content our industry creates.”
“During the past year, both Dean Ormston and David Anderson resigned from the Board. Dean became CEO of APRA AMCOS and David Anderson is currently Acting Managing Director of the ABC, leaving little time to focus on Screenrights’ busy agenda. Both have been very valuable members of the Board, bringing considerable industry knowledge and were generous with their time and bringing their skills to the Board and Screenrights. I am grateful to them both and will miss their presence in the Boardroom.”
Ms Bryant also acknowledged the contribution of Screenrights’ long-serving Chief Executive, Simon Lake, who resigned in July 2018 after more than 20 years at the helm.
“As Chair, I have worked with Simon for 10 of those years, and I will miss his genuine desire to deliver the very best organisation that members and licensees deserve. He leaves with the very best wishes of the Board and Management,” she said.
ABOUT SCREENRIGHTS: Screenrights is a non-profit member organisation that licenses various uses of screen and radio content and distributes money from these licences to rightsholders. The money collected is paid based on agreements in place – rightsholders can include producers, broadcasters, distributors, writers, composers, music publishers, directors, artists and others. Screenrights is a leader in the audiovisual industries, forging dynamic connections between screen industry and screen audiences. www.screenrights.org
Media enquiries: Jillian Heggie, TM Publicity Ph: 02 8333 9070 or 0434 618 555
