WA's Film and Television Institute could close

The FTI, which moved from Fremantle to the State Library in May, - to allow the roof at its home at the old Fremantle Boys School to be renovated - was told by Screen Australia late last month its funding would cease in mid-2015.

FTI CEO Paul Bodlovich said the $240,000 funding was about 10-15 per cent of the institute's annual income.

"It's disappointing, because it's a significant amount of funding," he told Fairfax Media.

"We have to be realistic and closing down the organisation is one option.

"The other options are to evolve and build the organisation or something in between and have a simple business model."

Mr Bodlovich said it was too early to say whether programs would be cut or jobs lost.

He said the federal government didn't understand how important the FTI had been in churning out filmmakers for the screen industry.

A number of FTI graduates, including filmmaker and Oscar nominee Peter Templeman and director Zak Hilditch ­– whose latest flick These Final Hours is playing in cinemas now – cut their teeth at the FTI.

"The industry needs new blood coming in and FTI is a really important part of that," Mr Bodlovich said.

Mr Bodlovich said the FTI would lobby the federal government over the coming months to get it to reverse the decision.

Meanwhile, Mr Bodlovich said the FTI was still undecided if it would move back to the port city if its financial woes improved.

"There is always the possibility of going back there," he said.

Fremantle mayor Brad Pettit said he would be "disappointed" if the FTI didn't move back into the council-owned, former boys' school next to Clancy's Pub.

"They would always be welcome, but I have learnt to be philosophical about these things," he said.

Dr Pettitt said the city could turn the area into a theatre and film hub.

"Murdoch [University] is interested in moving its film school there and we have had talks with West Tv as well, which would be great," he said.