From January 1, 2014, QPIX, Queensland’s filmmaker development centre will no longer receive government funding to deliver its professional development services to the early-career sector of the screen industry throughout the State. QPIX has been advised by its principal funding sources, Screen Queensland (and, as a result, Screen Australia) that its funding will not continue. Both agencies have agreed to provide some transitional funding to allow QPIX to complete its teaching obligations in 2013 and to produce its final funded slate of 3 Raw Nerve dramas under QPIX’s broadcast agreement with ABC 2 and 5 Indigenous documentaries under its broadcast agreement with NITV/SBS.

QPIX is currently exploring ways in which it can continue to operate through focusing on its leading work in training, which combines experience in production with teaching by advanced professionals from the industry and from the ABC.

“QPIX was advised on 21 May that Screen Queensland would not be funding QPIX from 2014 on”, says QPIX CEO, Kerry O’Rourke. “Screen Australia’s decision just follows that of the State agency because of its matched funding policy”. O’Rourke says QPIX is grateful to the screen agencies and their predecessors for the whole 16 years of support to date, adding that there has been a delay in letting Queensland filmmakers know as negotiations continued over the transition and final production funding.

Apart from its large training production slate, QPIX has professionally produced over 320 films – shorts, low-budget features, documentaries, music videos, and micro-series – since it began production. QPIX’s dramas and documentaries have been broadcast on ABC TV, ABC 2, SBS, Austar, NITV, Channels 10 & 9, Fox, FTV (Germany), Indigenous Channel (Canada) and the History Channel.