Australian Directors Guild

What Australian Directors Guild does

The Australian Directors Guild (ADG) is a not-for-profit industry association founded in 1981, operating as the recognized guild and union representing over 1,000 screen director members working across film, television, streaming, and digital media in Australia. Headquartered in Ultimo, NSW (16 employees), the ADG delivers a portfolio of services centered on tiered membership subscriptions ($88–$550 AUD annually), the annual peer-judged ADG Awards across 19 categories, standardized rate cards for scripted television (first comprehensive such document in over 25 years), a searchable online member directory, and a suite of professional development programs including Credit Maker (4 women/non-binary directors per year), ADG-40 First-Hand Mentoring (40 group sessions), Directors' Deep Dive symposiums, and Director Attachments. The organization also processes 408 Temporary Activity Visa consultations for international directors at $550 per application.

The technology stack is modest and operational rather than differentiated: the membership platform runs on Wild Apricot software, with an online members hub for accessing rate cards, contracts, and recorded mentoring sessions, supplemented by event ticketing via Eventbrite, an email newsletter infrastructure, and a searchable online directory with advanced filters (genre, specialization, cultural background, location). The business model is diversified across four revenue streams — recurring membership subscriptions, per-transaction visa fees, event ticketing, and corporate awards sponsorships from partners including DSM, The Post Lounge, Matchbox Pictures, Screenrights, and Screen Territory/Northern Territory.

Operationally, the ADG maintains international alliances with Directors UK, the Directors Guild of Canada, and the Directors Guild of America for rate card benchmarking, and is closely intertwined with the Australian Screen Directors Authorship Collecting Society (ASDACS). In 2024 the guild underwent a leadership transition installing new officers and Vice Presidents, and has subsequently implemented a cost reduction plan including staff redundancies in response to acknowledged financial hardship, while simultaneously launching new advocacy (National Cultural Policy submission, AI policy positioning) and program initiatives.

Name

Australian Directors Guild

Legal name

Australian Directors' Guild

Website

https://adg.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Australian Directors Guild is a not-for-profit industry association and recognized union founded in 1981 representing over 1,000 screen director members in Australia across film, television, streaming, and digital media, delivering membership services, standardized rate cards, the annual ADG Awards, professional development programs, and 408 Visa consultation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Guild / Industry Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)

Keywords

• Professional guild services
• Director industry advocacy
• Screen industry union
• Professional membership association
• Creative industry rate cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from established, emerging, retired, associate, and student members provide recurring revenue. Full Established membership at $550/year, Emerging at $275/year, Associate at $132/year, Retired at $110/year, and Student at $88/year.
2. Visa Consultation Services: The ADG processes 408 Temporary Activity Visa applications for international directors seeking to work in Australia, charging $550 per application. This is a per-transaction service fee for assessment and consultation.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from in-person and online events including the Business of Directing webinar, Directors' Deep Dive series, and awards ceremonies. Some events are free for members while others have paid ticketing.
4. Awards Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including DSM, The Post Lounge, Screen Territory/Northern Territory, Matchbox Pictures, and Screenrights contribute to funding the annual ADG Awards ceremony.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Australian Directors Guild is a not-for-profit professional guild and registered union providing tiered membership subscriptions to over 1,000 Australian screen directors, alongside advocacy, industrial representation, standardized rate cards, peer-judged awards, professional development programs, and a regulated 408 Visa consultation service for international directors. Core deliverables include the ADG Awards, the Scripted Series Rate Card, an online member directory, and programs such as Credit Maker, ADG-40 First-Hand Mentoring, Directors' Deep Dive, and Director's Attachments.

Product overview

The Australian Directors Guild (ADG) is a not-for-profit industry association representing over 1,000 screen director members working across film, television, streaming, and digital media. The organization operates as a unified professional guild rather than a software product company, offering a portfolio of membership services, professional development programs, awards, and advocacy initiatives. Core offerings include the ADG Awards (annual peer-judged recognition), the Directors Rate Card (standardized industry fees and rights), the searchable member Directory, and membership tiers (Full Established, Full Emerging, Associate, Retired, Student). Professional development programs include Credit Maker, Directors' Deep Dive symposiums, ADG-40 First-Hand Mentoring, Director's Attachments, Screenworks Director Pathways, and the Business of Directing Seminar. The Guild also provides 408 Visa consultation for international directors and advocates for directors' rights and cultural policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ADG Membership (Established, Emerging, Associate, Retired, Student) Tiered annual membership for Australian screen directors and industry professionals, providing advocacy, networking, professional development access, legal and industrial guidance, rate cards, awards eligibility, and access to the member directory. Established $550/yr, Emerging $275/yr, Associate $132/yr, Retired $110/yr, Student $88/yr (all inc. 10% GST).
• ADG Awards Annual peer-judged awards celebrating outstanding achievements by Australian directors across 19 categories including feature films, documentaries, television, animation, commercials, music videos, and interactive/immersive projects. Held as a gala ceremony attracting industry professionals, sponsors, and media coverage.
• ADG Directors Rate Card for Scripted Series 2025-26 Standardized fee bands and rights protections for scripted television directors, linking minimum fees to project budgets and reflecting international best practices from Directors UK, Directors Guild of Canada, and Directors Guild of America. Distributed as a publicly available PDF document.
• ADG Directory Searchable online database of ADG members allowing producers to find directors using advanced filters including name, role, specialization, genre, cultural background, location, experience level, and attachment availability.
• ADG Credit Maker Program High-calibre initiative supporting women and non-binary directors to attain career-defining credits on scripted productions through mentorship and placement programs. Places 4 directors per year on Australian scripted productions.
• ADG-40 First-Hand Mentoring Program Group mentoring program providing 40 free moderated Q&A sessions with established Australian directors, distributed as recordings through the member hub for on-demand member access.
• Directors' Deep Dive Series Professional development symposium series featuring Australian and international directors in conversation, partnered with UTS School of Media & Communication, covering topics on craft, career, and industry issues.
• Director's Attachments Program High-level career-building attachment opportunities providing on-set experiences working with Australia's leading directors across all screen platforms.
• Business of Directing Seminar/Webinar Online business, legal, and industrial issues webinar covering director rights, contracts, moral rights, royalties, and contract negotiation. Free for members, presented in partnership with Media Super.
• International Directors 408 Visa Consultation Service Visa consultation service for overseas screen directors seeking to work in Australia under the Subclass 408 Temporary Activity Visa, including application assessment and processing with 3-5 day turnaround. Priced at $550 AUD per person including GST.
• Screenworks Director Pathways Program Professional development program for directors living in regional Australia, designed to increase skillsets and industry experience with tailor-made career plans. Delivered in partnership with Screenworks and Create NSW.
• ADG Metro Screen Fellowships Competitively-funded fellowship opportunities for directors providing career advancement support.

Quantifiable outcome

• First comprehensive Scripted Series Rate Card in over 25 years introduced in 2025-26
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Screen AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Screen Australia partnered with ADG on the Credit Maker program under the Gender Matters umbrella, supporting 4 women and non-binary directors annually to attain directing credits on scripted productions.
• Australians in Film (AIF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIF's Talent Gateway program is an initiative for established Australian practitioners including directors to expand skills and connect with key US decision-makers. ADG is a partner in this initiative alongside Screen Australia.
• ScreenworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADG partnered with Screenworks and Create NSW on the Director Pathways Program, a professional development opportunity for directors living in regional Australia with tailor-made career plans.
• The Equity FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Screen Diversity Showcase comprising career development panels, filming opportunities, and script workshopping for diverse writers, directors, and performers, culminating in an industry showcase.
• ASDACS (Australian Screen Directors Authorship Collecting Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASDACS collects and distributes royalties for screen directors from screening of their works. ADG and ASDACS share a close mandate with ADG members elected to ASDACS board. ASDACS supports ADG in advocacy for greater rights for directors.
• University of Technology Sydney (UTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADG partners with UTS on the Directors' Deep Dive series featuring Australian screen directors in conversation, held at UTS Bon Marche Studio and UTS 'Rizzo' Theatre. UTS School of Media & Communication co-presents events.
• Screen CanberraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADG partners with Screen Canberra, UTS, Screen NSW and ACT Government's Office of LGBTIQA+ Affairs on the +SCREEN STORIES Mentorship Program for LGBTIQA+ screen storytellers.
• National Film and Sound ArchiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFSA serves as venue partner for the +SCREEN STORIES Symposium and Networking Party, part of the mentorship program for LGBTIQA+ screen storytellers.
• Media SuperminorOthersMedia Super is the industry super fund for print, media, entertainment and arts industries. They partner with ADG on the Business of Directing webinar, providing superannuation education to members.
• Directors Guild of America (DGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational guild alliance for benchmarking on rate cards and industrial standards. DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter participated in ADG in-conversation event with Corrie Chen in Sydney and Melbourne.
• Writers & Directors WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network driven to achieve inalienable and un-assignable right to remuneration for authors. ADG and ASDACS are part of this international movement for directors' rights.
• Directors UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish directors' guild used as benchmark for ADG's Scripted Series Rate Card 2025-26 development, aligning Australian standards with international best practice.
• Directors Guild of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian directors' guild used as benchmark for ADG's Scripted Series Rate Card 2025-26 development, aligning Australian standards with international best practice.
• Directors Guild of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican directors' guild used as benchmark for ADG's Scripted Series Rate Card 2025-26 development, aligning Australian standards with international best practice.
• Screen NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADG partners with Screen NSW on the +SCREEN STORIES Mentorship Program, providing up to $800 in travel support to each NSW-based LGBTIQA+ recipient.
• DSM (Digital Picture Studio)minorOthersPrincipal Awards Partner for the ADG Awards 2024, providing sponsorship support for the annual awards ceremony.
• The Post LoungeminorOthersGold Awards Partner for the ADG Awards 2024, providing sponsorship support for the annual awards ceremony.
• Screen Territory/Northern TerritoryminorOthersBronze Awards Partner for the ADG Awards 2024, supporting the annual awards ceremony.
• Matchbox PicturesminorOthersBronze Awards Partner for the ADG Awards 2024, supporting the annual awards ceremony.
• ScreenrightsminorOthersBronze Awards Partner for the ADG Awards 2024, supporting the annual awards ceremony.
• WIFT Australia/VicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Australian Cinematographers Society and WIFT Australia on Solidarity with Ukrainian Filmmakers webinar. WIFT Vic co-presents events with ADG.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Australian Writers' Guild: The AWG is the parallel Australian screenwriters' guild, operating the same membership, advocacy, and industrial-standards model for a directly adjacent creative profession. Both guilds coordinate on authorship rights and jointly appear in National Cultural Policy submissions.
• Directors Guild of Canada: The DGC is the Canadian directors' guild with a near-identical guild structure, advocacy mandate, and rate card function. ADG cited DGC as one of three primary international benchmarks in developing its Rate Card.
• Directors UK: Directors UK is the British equivalent of the ADG, representing UK screen directors with a comparable advocacy, collective bargaining, and rate card mandate. ADG explicitly used Directors UK as a primary benchmark for its 2025-26 Scripted Series Rate Card.

Others

• Screen Producers Australia: SPA represents Australian screen producers and is the natural counterparty in ADG's rate card and contract negotiations. Its industrial position is directly shaped by ADG's advocacy outputs, making it both a peer and a stakeholder in the same industrial ecosystem.
• International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers: CISAC is the global federation for authors' collecting societies. ASDACS (closely tied to ADG) participates in CISAC's broader framework, making CISAC a relevant institutional peer for ADG's rights-collection and international remuneration advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Writers Guild of America: The WGA is the US screenwriters' guild that shares ADG's model of minimum agreements, residuals, and authorship rights advocacy. ADG's joint involvement with WGA in Writers & Directors Worldwide demonstrates close functional and ideological alignment on authorial rights.
• Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists: SAG-AFTRA is the US performers union that shares ADG's collective bargaining model, minimum standards advocacy, and strike-based industrial leverage. It illustrates the scale and impact a craft-based screen union can achieve - a roadmap for ADG's long-term trajectory.
• Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance: MEAA is Australia's largest media and entertainment union, covering journalists, actors, and performers. It is the closest Australian analog for a unionized advocacy model in the screen sector and operates with broader industrial reach than the ADG.
• Directors Guild of America: The DGA is the largest and most established directors' guild in the English-speaking world, representing over 19,000 film and TV directors. ADG explicitly benchmarks its Rate Card against DGA standards and shares international advocacy on Authors' Rights through joint events (e.g., the in-conversation with DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter).

Regional players

• Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand: SDG NZ is the closest geographic peer - a New Zealand directors' guild with an identical membership/advocacy function across the Tasman. Several ADG members (including Jonathan Brough) work trans-Tasman, and the two guilds are natural allies for Australasian standards-setting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-directors-guild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Directors Guild