AFTRS

 

40 YEAR TIMELINE

 

The Australian Film Television and Radio School has been delivering advanced training for the screen arts and broadcast industry since 1973 and this timeline summarises the School's key milestones, from inception in 1964 to the official announcement in 1972 through to the present day; June 2012.

NOTE: Members of Parliament included in this timeline have been referenced with their titles as they were at the time, current honorifics appear at the end...

 

1964

• Working party formed to consider establishment of Film and Television School [FTS]

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1968

• PM John Gorton calls for report on FTS

• UNESCO recommendation for establishment of FTS

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1969

• Film Committee: Peter Coleman, Philip Adams, Barry Jones begin tour of international film schools

• UNESCO resolution passed

• Film Committee calls for Interim Council

• PM John Gorton accepts recommendation

• Interim Council appointed under Peter Coleman

• First meeting of Interim Council

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1970

• John Martin-Jones appointed Acting Executive Officer

• Film Committee tours international film schools

• FTS moves into first premises at Spring Street, Chatswood, Sydney

• First report of Interim Council tabled

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1971

• Relationship with CILECT [International Association of Film and Television Schools] begins

• Second report of Interim Council tabled

• PM John Gorton departs; future of FTS in doubt

• Philip Adams resigns from Interim Council over continuing prevarication by Government on FTS

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1972

• Third report of Interim Council tabled

• Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts Peter Howson announces establishment of FTS

• Peter Coleman appointed Chair of FTS

• Storry Walton appointed Interim Director of FTS

• Labor Party elected into government

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1973

• Interim training Scheme commences at Help Street, Chatswood

• PM Gough Whitlam's second reading speech

• New Council members announced

• First meeting of the Statutory Council under Chair Barry Jones

• Jerzy Toeplitz appointed Foundation Director of FTS

• Film and Television School Act passed by Parliament

• Act given assent

• Bill enacted to bring FTS into existence

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1974

• Open Program activities begin

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1975

• First Indigenous training course [radio]

• Inaugural intake for three-year full time program

• FTS opened at Lyonpark Road North Ryde, by PM Gough Whitlam

• Liberal/National Party government elected

• John Morris appointed Acting Chair of FTS

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1976

 

• FTS becomes Australian Film Television School [AFTS]

• AFTS admitted as full member of CILECT

• Training programs for women begin

• PM Malcolm Fraser visits the School

• Tom Jeffrey appointed Chair of AFTS Council

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1977

• National Graduate Diploma scheme [NGDS] launched

• Inaugural one-year screenwriting course commences

• AFTS Victorian Office opens

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1978

• First graduation from full-time program

• Full-time course accredited as Diploma of Arts [Film & Television]

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1979

• AFTS Director Jerzy Toeplitz retires

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1980

• NGDS accredited with Graduate Diploma in Media

• New building promised by PM Malcolm Fraser

• Storry Walton appointed Director of AFTS

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1981

• Technical Trainee Scheme commences

• First full-time radio course begins

• New building design approved by Federal Cabinet

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1982

• Open Program active nationally

• David Ferguson appointed chair of AFTS Council

• AFTS hosts 21st CILECT Congress

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1983

• Labor Party elected to government

 

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1984

• Full time program accredited with degree status: BA [Film & Television]

• Specialist training commences in directing

• On the job training scheme for women begins

 

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1985

• New building construction begins

• Joe Skrzynski appointed Chair of AFTS Council

• Anne Deveson appointed Director of AFTS

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1986

• AFTS becomes Australian Film Television and Radio School [AFTRS]

• Foundation stone laid for new building in North Ryde

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1988

• One-year specialist extension course begins
• Industry Training Fund for Women [ITFW] established
• Pilot two-year TV directing course begins
• New building in North Ryde opened by PM Bob Hawke
• Queensland office opens

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1989

 

• John O'Hara appointed Director of AFTRS

• AFTRS/TAIMA three-year video production course begins

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1991

• Robin Hughes appointed Chair of AFTRS Council

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1993

• ATSI strategy commences

• Full-time Koori TV Course implemented

• Federal review of AFTRS begins

• Kenneth B Myer Trust established to fund annual scholarships for AFTRS

 

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1994

 

• Lucienne Joy appointed Head of Radio

• Federal review is positive

 

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1995

• Composer in Residence Scheme initiated

• Inaugural SummerSkill program held in Sydney

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1996

• Rod Bishop appointed Director of AFTRS

• Liberal/National Parties elected to government

• Digital Training Centre opened by Senator Richard Alston

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1997

 

• Post graduate accreditation: Graduate Diploma, MA and MA [Hons]

• Documentary Unit established

• Annabelle Sheehan appointed Head of Teaching

• Tristram Miall appointed chair of AFTRS Council

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1998

• SummerSkill program implemented nationally

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1999

• Graduate Diploma in Television Producing [Non-Drama] offered for first time

• The Cyberport Research project, the first online course, launched

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2000

 

• Daniel Gilbert appointed Chair of AFTRS Council

 

• Annabelle Sheehan appointed Head of Film & Television

• Steve Ahern appointed Head of Radio• SummerSkill program begins in Tasmania

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2001

• Harvey written/directed by Peter McDonald first AFTRS film to screen at SIGGRAPH

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2002

 

• AFTRS Honorary degree is established with the inaugural recipients being:
  Jan Chapman (producer)
  Don McAlpine (cinematographer)
  Freda Glynn (co-founder CAAMA)

• Dojo written/directed by: Nicholas Price first AFTRS short shot on High Definition [HD]

• A.V. Myer one-year Indigenous Scholarship launched

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2003

• AFTRS short Inja written/directed by Steve Pasvolsky, nominated for an Academy Award®

• Malcolm Long appointed as Director of AFTRS

• Screen Composition established with Martin Armiger as Head of department

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipients: John Maynard and John Seale

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2004

• AFTRS short Birthday Boy, written/directed by Sejong Park wins: Best Short Animation at SIGGRAPH, a Dendy Award (Sydney Film Festival), an AFI Award, a BAFTA award and isnominated for an Academy Award®

• Graham Thorburn appointed Head of Film, Television & Digital Media

• Macquarie Bank Indigenous Scholarship for emerging indigenous filmmakers commences for a three-year period

• AFTRS commenced application process to become a Higher Education Provider

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipient: John Clark AM

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2005

• Commonwealth Government grants AFTRS permission to relocate to a central Sydney location

• AFTRS approved as a Higher Education Provider, allows students to access FEE-HELP

• The Centre for Screen Business [CSB] established. David Court appointed as Head. Officially launched by Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp

• The Laboratory of Advanced Media Production established

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipient: Anthony Buckley

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2006

• FOXTEL scholarship for Exceptional Talent established

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipient: Ben Gannon

• AFTRS Indigenous Fellow: Wayne Blair

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2007

• Peter Ivany AM appointed Chair of AFTRS Council

• AFTRS short The Saviour written/directed by Peter Templeman is nominated for an Academy Award®

• Part-time Graduate Certificates are offered in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane

• Minister for the Arts and Sport, Geroge Brandis delivers key note address at gala dinner

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipient: Dr. George Miller

• Macquarie Bank Foundation provides funding for three years for Indigenous training courses

• Sandra Levy appointed CEO of AFTRS

• Labor Party elected to government

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2008

• AFTRS relocates from North Ryde to the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, next to Fox Studios - the new building is officially opened in May, by Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipient: Baz Luhrmann

• Review of Award Course Program commences

• Research & Education Division established Professor Katherine Blashki appointed Director of Division

• Friday On My Mind - a free weekly public program for students and the industry - commences

• Jeffrey Katzenberg visits the School

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2009

• Michael Smellie appointed Chair of AFTRS Council

• New award course program implemented:
  - Beginner Level (Foundation Diploma)
  - Intermediate Level (Post-Graduate Certificates)
  - Advanced Level (Post-Graduate Diplomas)
  - Master of Arts by Research

• Mark Collier appointed as Director of Radio Division

• First issue of LUMINA, Australian Journal of Screen Arts and Business published

• AFTRS short Dead Boring written/directed by Dave Edwardz first 3D student film shot in the world

• Major collaboration between AFTRS and the National Institute of Dramatic Art [NIDA] on feature-length film, Before the Rain

• Official launch of Tjamu Tjamu the monumental indigenous artwork by Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaljarri installed at AFTRS

• Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett delivers keynote address at graduation

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2010

• Inaugural AFTRS Creative Fellowship awarded to Lynette Walworth

• The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) graduate program for Foundation Diploma graduates commences

• Wim Wenders visits the School

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2011

• Professor Catherine McConaghy appointed Director of Education Division

• Three-year partnership with New York University/Tisch School of Arts commences

• AFTRS Television Industry Research project commences

• Neil Peplow appointed as Director of Screen Content Division

• Creative Fellowships awarded to Angelica Mesiti and Christopher Frey

• Redesigned Open Program implemented

• Television Unit established to meet the skills and training requirements of the industry, focusing on non-fiction programs

• Three students and the Head of Cinematography Kim Batterham participate in the Brother Win Cup International Originality Design contest - trekking across the Gobi desert in China

• AFTRS Honorary Degree recipient: John Edwards

• Minister for the Arts The Hon. Simon Crean delivers keynote address at graduation

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2012

• Master of Screen Arts introduced

• Friday on My Mind commences in Melbourne

• Kim Williams AM provides The David & Joan Williams Documentary Fellowship to AFTRS to enable a masterclass by acclaimed international documentarymaker Joe Berlinger

• Cinéma des Antipodes, a free non-competitive program for the general public, at Cannes includes a dedicated session for AFTRS shorts comprised of:
  Moth, co-written/directed by Meryl Tankard (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2010) Playground, written/directed by Ricardo Skaff (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2010) Emily, written/directed by Ben Matthews (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2010) Inferno, written/directed by Stephen McCallum (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2011)
  The Last Match, co-written/directed by Julian Shaw (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2011)
  The Love Song of Iskra Prufrock, written/directed by Lucy Gaffy (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2009)

• AFTRS short Emily written/directed by Ben Matthews (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2010) selected for 2012 Student Academy Award®

• AFTRS celebrates 40 years with a special edition of LUMINA includes a survey of graduates, a list of feature films worked on by AFTRS alumni and 40 years of AFTRS shorts wins at festivals