The Australian Film Development Corporation was an organisation created and funded by the Australian Government in the 1970s, intended to allow filmmakers in the Australian film industry to create movies for everyone to see. In 1975 it was replaced with Australian Film Commission.
History Creation of the Corporation The AFDC was created so that Australians could create and distribute high-quality Australian films, for everyone to see.
In 1970, Prime Minister John Gorton asked five people to become a part of the AFDC. Those people were John Darling, Ronald S. Elliott, Talbot S. Duckmanton, Denys E. Brown, and Barry Jones. John Darling IV was the chairman of Darling & Co., as well as a member of the Australian National University Council. Ronald S. Elliott was a General Manager for the Commonwealth Development Bank. T. S. Duckmanton the General Manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. D. E. Brown was the Producer-in-Chief for the Film Division of the Australian News and Information Bureau, as well as a member of the Australian National Film Board. Barry Jones was a lecturer in history, a member of the Australian Council for the Arts, and a governor of the Australian Film Institute.Gorton, John. "Australian Film Development Corporation". No. 84, The Australian Government, 1970 The AFDC was brought to the Australian House of Representatives in March 1970. The House of Representatives did not hesitate to pass the Corp, which had bipartisan support.“Australian Screen.” Curator's Notes Samson and Delilah (2009) on ASO - Australia's Audio and Visual Heritage Online, 2018, ASO - 1970s.
Tom Stacey was the manager of the corporation.David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p14
AFDC Replacement: Australian Film Commission In 1975, the Australian Film Development was replaced by the Australian Film Commission.Australian Film Development Corporation Act 1970 accessed 2 Oct 2012 This was partly due to the fact that the Australian film industry is a fast-paced environment, which endures change quite often.Alony, Irit, et al. "Sharing tacit knowledge: a case study in the Australian film industry." Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, vol. 10, 2007, p. S41+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A199195043/AONE Another reason was that the Australian Film Commission made a point of focusing on cultural and artistic excellence, rather than economic success. With the change to the Australian Film Commission, directors were given more funding in order to create better quality films for the public.
Films funded Among the films in which the AFDC invested were:"Ozmovies - Australian Film and Television Database." Ozmovies, www.ozmovies.com.au/ Devlin (1971) Stockade (1971) Stork (1971) Marco Polo Jnr Spyforce Private Collection (1972) Sunstruck (1972) The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) Night of Fear (1972) Libido A City's Child Boney Seven Little Australians (1973) Homicide (1973) Alvin Purple (1973) Avengers of the Reef (1973) Naturally Free (1974) Promised Woman (1974) Petersen (1974) Inn of the Damned (1974) Stone (1974) The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) The True Story of Eskimo Nell (1975) The Man from Hong Kong (1975) The Great Macarthy (1975) The Devil's Playground The Removalists
References
External links Australian Film Development Corporation at IMDb