Two different versions of a similar theme appear in "The Age" and "The Australian" this morning. John Polson, director of the Siam Sunset and Swimfan is back in town to promote his latest film, Hide and Seek. Jim Schembri, from "The Age" hears that he would love to make his next film back in Australia, but the major problem lies with "the script...We have a writer problem in this country....Whenever I get scripts from Australia they're not good enough. Our scripts have got to get better, our development has got to get better, not just with more money but smarter. Maybe we need smarter people actually giving the notes to filmmakers, maybe we need better film schools."
In a similar vein, "The Australian" reports on "Writing Courses in Crisis", referring to undergraduate course for playwrights in Australia. In a nutshell, there aren't any. Actors are doing well on the international stage and screen (think of Mel Gibson, Cate Blanchett and Judy Davis who came though the National Institute of Dramatic Art), but writers are not anywhere near as visible. The few programs that are starting up, such as the Premier's Drama Award in Queensland and Blueprints in Sydney, have to exist in a world where TV and film dominate and live theatre venues are closing around the country.
