Filmmakers have honed their skills and many have achieved critical and popular success at home and abroad, as have actors and other crew. American filmmakers and companies have found it cheaper to make films in Australia because wages and salaries are lower, tax rebates have been attractive and the expertise in most areas of filmmaking is comparable to that of anywhere in the world. At the same time, Australian audiences still enjoy watching Australian films, making some of them profitable, even if this is a small profit when considered in Hollywood terms. New Zealand filmmakers, cast and crew have shown that they are equal to the world's best in making films with international themes, while other films have shown that the world is interested in New Zealand narratives and settings. Increased support for Maori filmmakers and stories has had a significant impact on production levels and on the diversity of stories that now reach the screen. It has also helped create more viable career paths for those who continue to be based in their home country. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Australian and New Zealand Cinema contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on leading films as well as many directors, writers, actors and producers. It also covers early pioneers, film companies, genres and government bodies.

Screening Science removes the science fiction genre from considerations of monsters and aliens, to an examination of humans and their relationship with science, technology and change. The book is structured in two parts. The first examines the genre of science fiction, the contextual elements of history and culture, and the film industry. The second analyses the nature of science and its representation in western culture, narrowing to an attempt to detail the cultural representation of science in science fiction films, especially in the fifties when the film medium assumes significance for the genre. Vieth examines the growth in the influence and power of the scientific paradigm in the fifties through an examination of film in which such science was discussed, distorted, debated, denigrated, demonized and deified. This exploration reveals a great deal about the concerns of the time, as well as the science that figures so powerfully in the web of culture of the fifties.

Whether it was Jane Campion's The Piano, Mel Gibson in Mad Max, Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee, or The Lord of the Rings saga, we have all experienced the cinema of Australia and New Zealand. This book is an introduction and guide to the film of Australia and New Zealand. With entries on many exceptional producers, directors, writers and actors, as well as the films indicated above and many others, this reference also presents the early pioneers, the film companies and government bodies, and much more in its hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries. Through a chronology that shows how far these cinemas have come in a short time and an introduction that presents them more broadly, a clear portrait of the two countries' motion pictures emerge. The bibliography is an excellent source for further reading.

Film in Australia is a groundbreaking book that systematically addresses the wide-ranging output of Australian feature films. Adopting a genre approach, it gives a different take on Australian films made since 1970, bypassing the standard run of historical texts and actor- or character-driven studies of Australian film. Comedy, adventure, horror, science fiction, crime, art films and other types are analysed with clarity and insight so the reader can recognize and understand all kinds of Australian films, whether they are contemporary or older features, obscure gems or classic blockbusters. Film in Australia explains how particular types of films work, identifies sub-types, and surveys the work of local film makers in the different genres. Authoritatively argued for film studies courses, and based on the authors' deep and extensive knowledge of Australian film, it is also enjoyable and accessible for the general reader. A must-read for all students of Australian film.