Andrea Dawkins MP, Greens Arts spokesperson
Today's announcement of the impending closure of Wide Angle Tasmania is devastating for Tasmanian arts community.
Wide Angle Tasmania provide our budding filmmakers with training, advice, access to equipment and online production.
There is a very real fear within the arts community that this is a taste of what's to come under Liberal governments.
Treasurer Gutwein needs to open up the vault and make sure we don't lose this vital player in Tasmania's creative industries.
We know Tasmania was gifted a GST windfall of $560M. The Treasurer needs to invest, what would be a small portion, in Wide Angle Tasmania.
The collaboration between Breath of Fresh Air film festival and Wide Angle, which screened 14 Tasmanian films at this year's festival, is clear evidence of the state's burgeoning film industry.
With 800 members, the closure of Wide Angle will leave a big hole in Tasmania's cultural offering.