APSA's distressing near non-media

The last major film event of the year, the Brisbane based combo of the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards and the Brisbane Asia-Pacific Film Festival has been and gone, finishing in early December. I've looked for any media reports including from those whom you might expect to cover it as a matter of routine, Inside Film and Urban Cinefile. But...near to nothing. The only report thus far is from stalwart supporter of BIFF and its strategies in the sadly ended Anne Demy-Geroe era,  Julie Rigg.  You can find her fine report at http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s4151557.htm It gave me some personal pleasure that she chose to focus some attention on the terrific film that won the APSA doco award, 1001 Apples.

It may or may not be a good thing but it has to be said that media coverage of film events often has to be bought. Journalists cant afford to pay their own way to the regions, i.e. outside Sydney, and editors aren't interested in paying to report on events outside their bailiwick either. And remember if a paper or website or TV program doesn't report on one event, it has another one or two or three to have a crack at next week. Coming up, for example, the French Film Festival - 60 films or so, 140,000 admissions or so, at $17 or so ATP, all boosted by the French Government paying for journos from the major media to travel to Paris for bespoke interviews and viewings to give the ever-increasing all-media PR a huge kickalong.