There’s nothing preventing Australians from making excellent films. For each of its component parts, we have the talent, expertise and energy. We’re also innovative: Eric Miller patented the fluid tripod head in 1946; Jim Frazier won an Oscar in 1997 for his lens system; both these innovations revolutionised the international film industry. The weak point, if there is one, is usually the screenplay. There are reasons for that. Our films tend to be a battleground on which our national identity is fought, although perhaps this was more the case in the twentieth century than the twenty-first. Also, directors aren’t necessarily…