Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight.s The Water Diviner won the top prize and the gong for best original feature at the 2015 Awgie Awards.

It was the first time a feature collected the Australian Writers' Guild's Major Award and the gong for original feature since 2012 when Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson won with The Sapphires.

The prize for feature film adaptation was shared by Brendan Cowell for Scarlett Productions'. Ruben Guthrie and Tommy Murphy for Matchbox Pictures' Holding the Man.

Matchbox and Full Clip.s Deadline Gallipoli was named best original TV miniseries, acknowledging the work of writers Jacquelin Perske (also script producer), Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant and Cate Shortland.

FremantleMedia.s Wentworth Season 3, Episode 3 The Governor.s Pleasure by Stuart Page shared the TV series award with Endemol Australia.s Offspring Episode 511 by Michael Lucas. Jan Sardi and Mac Gudgeon took the award for best miniseries adaptation for...

Screen Australia.s decision to hand back the rights of 1,200 titles to the producers, effective July 1, is likely to result in the reissue on DVD and pay TV of some films and TV productions that have long been out of circulation.

While few if any producers expect to get rich from regaining the rights, the move has been widely welcomed.

The agency has clarified that the concession applies to all projects, including features, miniseries, tv series and telemovies funded by the Film Finance Corp. and during Screen Australia.s first year, that were released or broadcast in the seven years prior to December 31 2008.

The handover has been brought forward by six months.

Producer Matt Carroll is looking forward to exploring the potential of new revenue sources for Passion, his 1993 drama about composer Percy Grainger, which starred Richard Roxburgh. Beyond Films handled the film directed by Peter Duncan.

The topic may...

Producer Tony Buckley has challenged the Government to verify the economic benefits it claims will be generated by the Walt Disney Co. shooting 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo in Australia.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Tony Burke said the production would create up to 2,000 jobs and utilise goods and services from nearly 1,000 local businesses when they announced a $21.6 million incentive to Disney in April.

Buckley, who has produced more than 30 films, telemovies, miniseries and documentaries in a career spanning 50 years, describes those claims as .absolute arrant nonsense..

He said the biggest offshore production in Australia, Steven Spielberg.s HBO miniseries The Pacific, employed approximately 480 contractors and freelance workers. He estimates that no more than 40 or 50 businesses, including post production houses, benefit from any single production.

"I believe the figures just don.t add up and this places a question mark over the validity of the information being circulated,...

From drama to reality and factual – meet the production house powerhouses responsible for Australia’s greatest television.

Andrew Denton

Owner/ Creative guy

Zapruder’s Other Films The Gruen Transfer, Hungry Beast, Country Town Rescue, Randling

With producers Anita Jacoby and Peter Thompson, Andrew Denton’s Zapruder’s Other Films is known for intelligent and often funny television.

Denton came to prominence as the host of ABC’s 1988 comedy show Blah Blah Blah and was quick to get involved behind the scenes. His first executive producing credit came in 2001 when he gave The Chaser team their break with The Election Chaser.

Denton is responsible for adland favourite The Gruen Transfer, with five series including Gruen Planet and Nation under its belt. The show is one of the ABC’s highest rating formats attracting international interest.

Denton’s great skill is fostering young talent with his 2008 Project Next experiment resulting in Hungry Beast.