High-profile filmmaking couple Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward, and Australian Film Commission (AFC) chief executive Kim Dalton, met with 45 government backbenchers to argue that 'culture' should be excluded from a free trade agreement with the US.

It was yet another attempt to prevent constraints being applied to Australian film and television production under a free trade agreement.

The industry is concerned that subsidies and the Australian content rules on television will be used as bargaining tools in the current negotiations with the Americans.

Brown emphasised that preserving current assistance levels was not enough. Australia must be able to increase or adjust existing programs and introduce new ones. If a "standstill" arrangement had been struck before television was introduced there would now be no local content on the small screen.

"We want the opportunity for Australian stories, Australian people, Australian ideas, within the area of entertainment, of film and television, to go forward with the rest of the world," Brown said.

Asked if Australia could compete with the US, Brown replied: "Mate, there's 250 million of them. Are you joking'"