Writers & Directors Worldwide Support Australian Screen Directors' Fight for Fair Remuneration

The international, not-for-profit organisation, Writers & Directors Worldwide (W&DW), today expressed their support to the Australian Screen Directors Authorship Collecting Society (ASDACS) in calling for an “inalienable right of remuneration” for Australian screen directors.

At the Writers & Directors Worldwide Executive Committee Meeting held in Brussels today, writer and W&DW Chair Yves Nilly also called on governments to support the organisation's proposals.

“It’s a global issue but we already have the solution in the effective protection of authors’ rights. We just need governments to recognise and enforce them,” he said.

“The objective for all industry stakeholders is to build a sustainable creative economy that stimulates great work, allows directors to make a living and encourages exciting new artists for the benefit of culture and for the public.”

Joined by the Australian Directors Guild (ADG), the three organisations will work together to combat the ongoing exploitation of screen director’s films and build an international awareness campaign to put the independent creators’ plight into the public spotlight.

“Australian directors make a vital contribution to culture, diversity and economic growth with film adding $AU5.8 billion (€4.1bn) to the country’s GDP in 2013,“ said Sabiene Heindl, ASDACS Director of Corporate Affairs/Legal and the campaign’s leader.

“Yet for close to 50 years, these creators have been denied any meaningful ‘ownership’ of their works and as a result, the majority still earn less than the minimum wage.”