It has been a while since I have been blown away by an Australian film.

I think the first one that really stuck in my mind (Apart from Storm Boy - although that was really the book) was a great thriller piece called Dead Calm. (I almost spelled that Dead Clam . I don't think I realised that "real" films were made in Australia until I saw that. Tight drama that was heightened by the minimalist cast and locations.

There were some other classics like Bad Boy Bubby and Romper Stomper that showed we could make films with the best in the world. But that all seemed very short lived.

We then fell into a phase of pandering to the rest of the world. We made a nice little piece called Strictly Ballroom that was a good film, but light and fluffy. This became the template for all future films that would necessarily come out of Australia. So we worked to that form and there were some good films. But then the funding dried up for all but those type of films. And when the world tired of those sort of films the Australian film industry went all introverted and hasn't made a world wide hit ever since (Excluding kids movie Happy Feet).

Maybe it is the shame that comes from our little brother New Zealand turning out the Lord of the Rings Epic? Or maybe some failing of our film industry or the government sponsorship of such. Perhaps there can be some reprise? The government is putting forward new tax incentives for film and television production. This article tells us that: "The new measures include a tax rebate allowing producers to offset their investment against profits or get a refund. They can claim up to 40 per cent of production costs for film and 20 per cent for TV". Now that might be incentive enough if you are a script writer in Australia to get up and write that film you've been mulling over. There may actually be a chance that great idea gets made.

If this doesn't get more and better movies made in the Great Southern Land, then I might have to take up a more practical career like painting or sculpture!