Although Australia had a vigorous film industry in the silent film era, it was stifled in the 1930s when United States and British interests bought up the Australian distribution channels and closed down the indigenous industry. However, the industry and film study have undergone a renaissance since the advent of the Labor government in 1972, which brought increased funding for the arts and education. Among recent Australian films, several ("Picnic at Hanging Rock,""The Last Wave," and "My Brilliant Career") have become well-known to American audiences. Australian directors such as Peter Weir and Fred Schepsi are also becoming well-known outside of their country. Film study in Australia varies from one film center to another, with each center holding different philosophies and using different approaches--from the strictly semiotic through the broad humanitarian to the strictly professional. Australian film journals range from the small, scholarly "Australian Journal of Film Theory" to the large circulation "Cinema Papers," which combines the attributes of a scholarly journal with those of "Variety." (Author/FL)