The Australian Directors Guild (ADG) is now without an executive director following the surprise departure of Drew Macrae but the organisation will not invite applications for the role until after the next board meeting in early February.

'We have been rebuilding for 18 months and are still in the process of that We are still deciding what is most important in terms of the whole staffing structure,' said ADG president Ray Argall.

It is unclear exactly why the former policy executive for the Australian Film Commission has left the job less than five months into his contract. In a statement, Macrae said that it was to pursue other career opportunities and that he enjoyed his time at the guild. He did not return Screendaily's calls.

'We are very sad to lose Drew as he was coming up with great ideas and I think he was enjoying it,' said Argall.

The ADG is the main organisation representing Australian directors but independent producers are also part of its membership. In the last year it has revamped its awards and examined whether the events and assistance offered was appropriate to the current and future needs of professional directors, particularly given that training and information about filmmaking is now so easily available.

Argall said one of the key issues for the ADG was the structure and construction of Screen Australia, the new super agency that takes over from the Australian Film Commission, Film Finance Corporation Australia and Film Australia from July 1. The election of a new government on November 24 has also raised a raft of other policy issues.

The ADG has about 600 members and is a member of the Screen Council, which aims to speak with one voice on industry matters. Macrae replaced Richard Harris who is now chief executive of the South Australian Film Corporation.

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