The
Hon George Brandis MP
Minister
for the Arts
Commonwealth
Parliament Offices
Level
361 Eagle St
Brisbane QLD 4000
27th Jan 2014
Dear
Senator Brandis
Further
to my letter of 6th Jan.
On 6th Jan I wrote also to Screen Australia’s new
Chief Executive, Graeme Mason regarding a screenplay I co-authored about
the famous Sydney eccentric Bea Miles.
In it I included the following:
“In the meantime, in order to take
advantage of one filmic opportunity open to me, I will rewrite THURSDAY’S CHILD
as an American story – set in New York and with the working title BAG LADY. The
Australian Film Commission is the major investor in the project. However, given
the ban placed on me and the impossibility now that THURSDAY’S CHILD can be
made as an Australian film, please accept this letter as a formal request that
Screen Australia write off its investment in THURSDAY’S CHILD and thus enable
me to pursue the project unencumbered by the debt accrued through the AFC’s
development of the project. In the event that Screen Australia is not prepared
to write off its investment please let me know how much it will cost the
production to repay the debt owing to Screen Australia and I will arrange for
this sum to be paid as soon as possible.”
I have received no response from
Mr Mason. In the meantime I have received a concrete offer of money to re-write
THURSDAY’S CHILD as a US story. I will take up the offer on the presumption
that Screen Australia has written off its investment in this project – just as
it has, in its high-handed manner, with no qualms and with not even the pretense
of transparency and accountability, written me off as a Australian filmmaker by
banning me.
In the event that BAG LADY goes
into production in the US some contractual arrangement will clearly need to be
arrived at between the production company and Screen Australia regarding the
AFC’s investment in the development of the screenplay to date.
yours sincerely
James Ricketson
cc Members of the Screen
Australia Board
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