The RMIT Australian Screen Research Collection (ASRC) is fast emerging as a leading institution for Australia's most significant film archives, following a string of high-profile acquisitions that are transforming opportunities for students, staff and researchers.
After reaching out to the Stratton family recently, RMIT was delighted to confirm the David Stratton Archive will be donated to the ASRC. This will make the collection accessible to scholars, educators, historians, researchers and film enthusiasts. The donation honours one of the nation's most respected film critics and historians, preserves Stratton's rich legacy and ensures it continues to inform scholarship in Australian cinema, film criticism and film culture for generations to come.
RMIT has also proposed establishing the RMIT David Stratton Film Research Fellowship to support outstanding film research inspired by ASRC's collections. The University will contribute $5000 and seek additional funding for the fellowship. The Fellowship will support outstanding film research inspired by the ASRC's collections.
The proposed Stratton Archive will join substantial donations already held by the ASRC, including recent additions such as the Fred Schepisi Collection and materials from acclaimed producer of The Dressmaker, Sue Maslin. The ASRC is also the current custodian of the Australian Film Institute Research Collection, the Crawford Collection and the Australian Screen Plays collection.
Together, these collections position the ASRC as a significant hub for Australian screen history, practice and commentary.
More about the recent donations:
The Sue Maslin Collection
This collection houses the work of one of Australia's most influential producers and advocates for gender equity in the screen industries. The RMIT University alumna's career was recognised through AACTA Awards, Screen Producers Australia Awards and multiple national honours. Her donated collection encompasses production documents, correspondence, photographs, scripts, posters, digital files and ephemera spanning the 1980s to the 2020s.
Housed at ASRC, the collection supports practical course study and research in film production, gender studies and media studies. Students can look at the lifecycle of film projects from concept to distribution, study how successful collaborations contribute to award-winning work and how advocacy is embedded in professional film practice.
The Fred Schepisi Collection
The Fred Schepisi Collection captures the creative trajectory of one of Australia's most prominent filmmakers. Throughout his career, which began in advertising, Schepisi has been honoured by the Australian Film Institute, Chauvel, the Golden Globes and the Emmys.
Comprising around 25 boxes of scripts, correspondence, shooting schedules, photographs, posters and memorabilia, the collection covers a body of work that includes The Devil's Playground, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Roxanne, Evil Angels (A Cry in the Dark), Six Degrees of Separation and Empire Falls, as well as material relating to unfinished projects.
This collection provides a rich foundation for practice-based learning, archival research projects and interdisciplinary study across film, history and cultural policy. It offers insights into screenwriting, directing and the practicalities of international co‑production. The archive showcases Schepisi's exceptional craft as a writer-director and is particularly valuable for studying adaptation, performance direction and industry history.
The David Stratton Archive
The David Stratton Archive will bring the life's work of Australia's most celebrated film critic and historian to the ASRC. Stratton's career includes directing the Sydney Film Festival, pioneering film classification reform, decades of criticism for The Movie Show and At the Movies, and his extensive writing for Variety, The Weekend Australian and beyond. Honoured with the Centenary Medal, Longford Life Achievement Award, honorary doctorates and membership of the Order of Australia, Stratton helped shape national conversations about cinema, censorship and culture. His archive of reviews, festival programming notes, correspondence, interviews and book manuscripts - including Australia at the Movies - provides a long-term view of Australian and international screen culture.
Made publicly available through the University, the Archive will become a cornerstone resource for students and scholars of cinema studies, journalism, media and cultural history. Embedding the archive across curricula and research, particularly through the proposed RMIT David Stratton Film Research Fellowship, will ensure that Stratton's legacy actively informs new generations of critics, scholars and practitioners.
