Australian (Inter)national Cinema: The Royal Commission on the Moving Picture Industry in Australia, 1926-1928, Australasian Films Ltd. and the American monopoly

Despite Australia being one of the most robust and progressive film industries during the early years of moving pictures, it experienced a significant decline in film production from 1915. Whether this decline was a direct result of poor government policy is something that the Royal Commission on the motion picture industry in Australia 1926-1928 investigated. Marking a significant, yet terribly neglected moment of Australian film history, the Commission surveyed a variety of issues which had stunted the development of the national Australian cinema. By surveying the early period of the Australian cinema, in this article I will discuss how the Royal Commission's recommendations pushed for the national industry to become more active within the Hollywood world cinema model