Production has started in the Philippines on Filipino-Australian artist James J. Robinson’s debut feature, First Light, starring Ruby Ruiz.
The UK’s Independent Entertainment is representing global sales, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Bonsai Films will distribute the film theatrically in Australia and New Zealand.
Ruiz, known for Lulu Wang’s Expats, stars alongside veteran Filipino star Maricel Soriano, whose credits include Mother Nanny. Rounding out the cast is Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz and Kidlat Tahimik.
It is set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, where the death of a young construction worker forces an elderly nun to...
The UK’s Independent Entertainment is representing global sales, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Bonsai Films will distribute the film theatrically in Australia and New Zealand.
Ruiz, known for Lulu Wang’s Expats, stars alongside veteran Filipino star Maricel Soriano, whose credits include Mother Nanny. Rounding out the cast is Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz and Kidlat Tahimik.
It is set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, where the death of a young construction worker forces an elderly nun to...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Multi award-winning Filipina actress Ruby Ruiz has landed her first major screen role following her appearance in Amazon’s “Expats.” She will lead “First Light,” the feature directorial debut of James. J. Robinson.
Principal photography is now underway on the Australian-Filipino co-production, which comes with funding from Screen Australia. Veteran actress Maricel Soriano (“Mother Nanny”), Rez Cortez (“Bukal”), Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”) and Kidlat Tahimik round out the cast.
Set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, “First Light” sees the death of a young construction worker force an elderly nun to confront the muddied ethics of an institution she has dedicated her life to. The script, also by Robinson, is a deeply personal story exploring the intersection of duty, faith and institutional power.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” Robinson said. “To be able...
Principal photography is now underway on the Australian-Filipino co-production, which comes with funding from Screen Australia. Veteran actress Maricel Soriano (“Mother Nanny”), Rez Cortez (“Bukal”), Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”) and Kidlat Tahimik round out the cast.
Set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, “First Light” sees the death of a young construction worker force an elderly nun to confront the muddied ethics of an institution she has dedicated her life to. The script, also by Robinson, is a deeply personal story exploring the intersection of duty, faith and institutional power.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” Robinson said. “To be able...
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Australian streaming service Stan has struck a television development alliance with Hollywood mini-studio Lionsgate. The deal is in addition to the content supply agreement that the pair hatched last year.
Stan and Lionsgate announced the megachurch family drama series “Prosper,” drama series “The Geography of Friendship” and outback comedy crime series “Population: 11” as the first three titles to flow from their development deal.
Separately, Stan announced an expansion of its originals-production activity with other partners and suppliers in Australia. The company says that the new slates put it “on track to deliver 30% of its premium first-run slate from original productions.”
The local slate includes: drama series “Black Snow,” a cold case mystery series set in Far North Queensland; “Last Light,” starring Matthew Fox and Joanne Froggatt; and “The Jump,” a series about the power of friendship and the ways our sadness can unite us.
Also announced is the absurdist comedy feature film “Nude Tuesday,...
Stan and Lionsgate announced the megachurch family drama series “Prosper,” drama series “The Geography of Friendship” and outback comedy crime series “Population: 11” as the first three titles to flow from their development deal.
Separately, Stan announced an expansion of its originals-production activity with other partners and suppliers in Australia. The company says that the new slates put it “on track to deliver 30% of its premium first-run slate from original productions.”
The local slate includes: drama series “Black Snow,” a cold case mystery series set in Far North Queensland; “Last Light,” starring Matthew Fox and Joanne Froggatt; and “The Jump,” a series about the power of friendship and the ways our sadness can unite us.
Also announced is the absurdist comedy feature film “Nude Tuesday,...
- 3/23/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Screen Australia has unveiled 13 titles that will share in $3.7 million of production funding, with six documentaries to be supported through the Producer Program and seven projects via the Commissioned Program.
They include a feature documentary from Stranger Than Fiction that follows an Indigenous figure skater from Western Sydney, Harley Windsor, on his quest to compete in the Winter Olympics; a series going inside the Sydney Opera House for the ABC; and a feature documentary about a grandmother with dementia who became an internet sensation in Everybody’s Oma.
Screen Australia head of documentary Alex West said the documentaries were a testament to the talented filmmakers creating local stories with great impact.
“These projects will explore contemporary social issues including how First Nations artist Richard Bell’s work uses art to effect change in War & Order, as well as the complexities of teen parenting in Kids Raising Kids,” he said.
“They...
They include a feature documentary from Stranger Than Fiction that follows an Indigenous figure skater from Western Sydney, Harley Windsor, on his quest to compete in the Winter Olympics; a series going inside the Sydney Opera House for the ABC; and a feature documentary about a grandmother with dementia who became an internet sensation in Everybody’s Oma.
Screen Australia head of documentary Alex West said the documentaries were a testament to the talented filmmakers creating local stories with great impact.
“These projects will explore contemporary social issues including how First Nations artist Richard Bell’s work uses art to effect change in War & Order, as well as the complexities of teen parenting in Kids Raising Kids,” he said.
“They...
- 11/2/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) have announced the participants for the Talent Gateway and the Global Producers Exchange, both designed to connect Australian creatives with key US decision-makers.
The delegates chosen for the Talent Gateway program are Vanessa Alexander, Jon Bell, and Samuel Van Grinsven, as well as teams Alice Foulcher and Gregory Erdstein, and Naomi Higgins and Humyara Mahbub.
Each participant or team will receive a grant of up to $20,000 to enable them to take part in the initiative, which runs from this month until June 2022. Funding is also available to develop, refine and market the IP on their slate that receives positive interest, in order to quickly engage international partners.
A total of 12 delegates from six production companies will take part in Global Producers Exchange, a scripted development lab that features a series of roundtables and masterclasses with key US-based decision-makers and mentors.
The recipients comprise...
The delegates chosen for the Talent Gateway program are Vanessa Alexander, Jon Bell, and Samuel Van Grinsven, as well as teams Alice Foulcher and Gregory Erdstein, and Naomi Higgins and Humyara Mahbub.
Each participant or team will receive a grant of up to $20,000 to enable them to take part in the initiative, which runs from this month until June 2022. Funding is also available to develop, refine and market the IP on their slate that receives positive interest, in order to quickly engage international partners.
A total of 12 delegates from six production companies will take part in Global Producers Exchange, a scripted development lab that features a series of roundtables and masterclasses with key US-based decision-makers and mentors.
The recipients comprise...
- 9/22/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Justin Kurzel’s Nitram has added another award to its festival run, crowned the winner of the $100,000 CinefestOZ film prize on Saturday evening.
The story about the lead-up to one of the darkest events in Australian history beat out Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, anthology feature drama Here Out West, and Jennifer Peedom’s River for the honour, which was announced at the Closing Night Gala at Orana Cinema in Busselton.
It comes after star Caleb Landry Jones won best performance by an actor at the Cannes Film Festival in July, where Nitram became the first Australian film to premiere in competition in a decade.
Scripted by Kurzel’s frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, the film also features Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony Lapaglia.
CinefestOZ jury chair Nadia Tass, who has supported the festival virtually from Melbourne, said the compelling thriller was found to...
The story about the lead-up to one of the darkest events in Australian history beat out Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, anthology feature drama Here Out West, and Jennifer Peedom’s River for the honour, which was announced at the Closing Night Gala at Orana Cinema in Busselton.
It comes after star Caleb Landry Jones won best performance by an actor at the Cannes Film Festival in July, where Nitram became the first Australian film to premiere in competition in a decade.
Scripted by Kurzel’s frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, the film also features Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony Lapaglia.
CinefestOZ jury chair Nadia Tass, who has supported the festival virtually from Melbourne, said the compelling thriller was found to...
- 8/30/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Justin Kurzel’s Nitram left an indelible impression on critics following its premiere at Cannes Film Festival on Friday, with many singling out the film’s tone and performances for praise.
The pre-Port Arthur massacre portrait of perpetrator Martin Bryant – who is not named in the film – is the first Australian feature to screen in competition at the French festival since Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty in 2011. In the same year, Kurzel’s debut Snowtown, about a series of murders committed in Adelaide between 1992-1999, screened in Critic’s Week.
Like Snowtown, Nitram is also based on true events and penned by Shaun Grant. However, the reviews that followed last week’s screening drew only broad stroke comparisons between the two films while commending Kurzel for his storytelling choices.
Writing for Variety, Jessica Kiang described Nitram as “ostensibly similar” to Snowtown, but noted the former represented “a far more mature...
The pre-Port Arthur massacre portrait of perpetrator Martin Bryant – who is not named in the film – is the first Australian feature to screen in competition at the French festival since Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty in 2011. In the same year, Kurzel’s debut Snowtown, about a series of murders committed in Adelaide between 1992-1999, screened in Critic’s Week.
Like Snowtown, Nitram is also based on true events and penned by Shaun Grant. However, the reviews that followed last week’s screening drew only broad stroke comparisons between the two films while commending Kurzel for his storytelling choices.
Writing for Variety, Jessica Kiang described Nitram as “ostensibly similar” to Snowtown, but noted the former represented “a far more mature...
- 7/19/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Nitram star Caleb Landry Jones has won best performance by an actor at the Cannes Film Festival.
In the Justin Kurzel-directed film, the American actor portrays the gunman who committed the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which killed 35 people and wounded 23 others.
Starring alongside are Judy Davis as his mother, Anthony Lapaglia as his father, and Essie Davis as a woman who befriends him.
Scripted by Kurzel’s frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, the film focuses not on the events of the massacre itself, rather the lead up, in an attempt to understand how and why it occurred.
As well as the Cannes recognition, Jones’ portrayal of the murderer has been hailed by critics in early reviews.
Writing in Deadline, Todd McCarthy says the actor “nails the kind of over-friendly, manically aggressive type people want to avoid.”
“The performance certainly will accrue him fresh admiration and attention.”
Variety’s Jessica...
In the Justin Kurzel-directed film, the American actor portrays the gunman who committed the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which killed 35 people and wounded 23 others.
Starring alongside are Judy Davis as his mother, Anthony Lapaglia as his father, and Essie Davis as a woman who befriends him.
Scripted by Kurzel’s frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, the film focuses not on the events of the massacre itself, rather the lead up, in an attempt to understand how and why it occurred.
As well as the Cannes recognition, Jones’ portrayal of the murderer has been hailed by critics in early reviews.
Writing in Deadline, Todd McCarthy says the actor “nails the kind of over-friendly, manically aggressive type people want to avoid.”
“The performance certainly will accrue him fresh admiration and attention.”
Variety’s Jessica...
- 7/18/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: It was 10 years ago that Justin Kurzel’s debut feature Snowtown became one of the most talked about films at the Cannes Film Festival when it played in Critics’ Week that year. Critics and buyers alike praised the Australian filmmaker’s distinct, hard-to-watch psychological thriller based on infamous serial killer John Bunting, a story starkly familiar with Australians but one that many international audiences had only just been introduced to.
This year, Kurzel will touch down on the Croisette again for the third time (after Snowtown and 2015’s Palme d’Or contender Macbeth) with Nitram, another raw account of a dark memory in Australia’s history. The film, which is playing In Competition this year, takes a look at the events leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania, which caused 35 deaths and injured another 23. The mass killing horrified the country and prompted a quick transformation in gun control legislation in Australia.
This year, Kurzel will touch down on the Croisette again for the third time (after Snowtown and 2015’s Palme d’Or contender Macbeth) with Nitram, another raw account of a dark memory in Australia’s history. The film, which is playing In Competition this year, takes a look at the events leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania, which caused 35 deaths and injured another 23. The mass killing horrified the country and prompted a quick transformation in gun control legislation in Australia.
- 7/7/2021
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Justin Kurzel’s Nitram will premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in July, the first Australian film to do so in a decade.
Scripted by Shaun Grant, the film stars Caleb Landry Jones as a loner who later goes on a shooting rampage.
It is understood to be based on the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, but depicts the events leading up to rather than the murders themselves. It does not mention the gunman’s name, though Nitram is ‘Martin’ backwards.
Judy Davis and Anthony Lapaglia play his parents, and Essie Davis a woman who befriends him.
Nitram was shot in Geelong, rather than Tasmania. The film’s initial announcement proved highly divisive, with many calling for it not to proceed.
Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell are the producers.
Cannes announced its first 61 titles today, 24 of which are in competition. Four of the competition films are from female directors,...
Scripted by Shaun Grant, the film stars Caleb Landry Jones as a loner who later goes on a shooting rampage.
It is understood to be based on the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, but depicts the events leading up to rather than the murders themselves. It does not mention the gunman’s name, though Nitram is ‘Martin’ backwards.
Judy Davis and Anthony Lapaglia play his parents, and Essie Davis a woman who befriends him.
Nitram was shot in Geelong, rather than Tasmania. The film’s initial announcement proved highly divisive, with many calling for it not to proceed.
Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell are the producers.
Cannes announced its first 61 titles today, 24 of which are in competition. Four of the competition films are from female directors,...
- 6/3/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
A comedy-drama about a teen boy’s quest to take part in his rural home town’s debutante ball as his drag queen persona will receive development support via the Aacta Pitch: Regional Landscapes initiative.
Announced on Friday, Katie Huggins’ The Deb was named as this year’s winner of the national pitching and screenwriting program, held in partnership with Screenworks, among a field of seven finalists.
Huggins pitched her feature film idea about a town’s response to a boy’s search for identity and recognition to a judging panel that included actress Pallavi Sharda, producers Virginia Whitwell and Isabel Stanfield, Event Cinemas general manager Claire Gandy, and Melbourne International Film Festival industry director Mark Woods.
Speaking at the Screenworks Regional to Global Screen Forum in Lennox Head, she said she felt “compelled” to make a submission after seeing a brief on Facebook.
“My process changed so dramatically from...
Announced on Friday, Katie Huggins’ The Deb was named as this year’s winner of the national pitching and screenwriting program, held in partnership with Screenworks, among a field of seven finalists.
Huggins pitched her feature film idea about a town’s response to a boy’s search for identity and recognition to a judging panel that included actress Pallavi Sharda, producers Virginia Whitwell and Isabel Stanfield, Event Cinemas general manager Claire Gandy, and Melbourne International Film Festival industry director Mark Woods.
Speaking at the Screenworks Regional to Global Screen Forum in Lennox Head, she said she felt “compelled” to make a submission after seeing a brief on Facebook.
“My process changed so dramatically from...
- 3/28/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Aacta and Screenworks have announced the seven finalists for the annual feature film pitching competition, Regional Landscapes.
The national pitching and screenwriting initiative is aimed at developing an original feature film that celebrates Australia’s regional areas – one where the regional setting lends itself as a central character to the narrative.
The winner will be announced at Screenworks’ Regional to Global Screen Forum March 26.
The finalists are:
The Alien Abduction of Emily Hill (set in fictional town of Yabby Flats) | Michelle Brasier and Sam Lingham
When Emily’s boyfriend, mid-proposal, is abducted by a beam from the sky, she finds herself sucked into her own bright spotlight.Blackout | Leslie Simpson
When the power cuts out in Alice Springs, the remote Outback town plummets toward anarchy. In a desperate bid to stay alive, a small group of ordinary citizens establish a safe haven inside Bunnings Warehouse.Coxy’s Funland | Penny Greenhalgh...
The national pitching and screenwriting initiative is aimed at developing an original feature film that celebrates Australia’s regional areas – one where the regional setting lends itself as a central character to the narrative.
The winner will be announced at Screenworks’ Regional to Global Screen Forum March 26.
The finalists are:
The Alien Abduction of Emily Hill (set in fictional town of Yabby Flats) | Michelle Brasier and Sam Lingham
When Emily’s boyfriend, mid-proposal, is abducted by a beam from the sky, she finds herself sucked into her own bright spotlight.Blackout | Leslie Simpson
When the power cuts out in Alice Springs, the remote Outback town plummets toward anarchy. In a desperate bid to stay alive, a small group of ordinary citizens establish a safe haven inside Bunnings Warehouse.Coxy’s Funland | Penny Greenhalgh...
- 3/15/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
In an online ceremony hosted by Tom Felton, the winners of the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were announced yesterday with Sarah Gavron’s ‘Rocks’ taking home five awards.
Best British Independent Film was awarded to coming-of-age drama Rocks by Zendaya with actress Kosar Ali also taking home the awards for both Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer with her young co-star D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu winning Best Supporting Actor. The four awards on the night took the film’s BIFA tally to five with Lucy Pardee winning the award for Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America and Spotlight when the craft award winners were announced in January.
British horror His House was awarded two BIFAs on the night with Remi Weekes winning Best Director and Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress. Anthony Hopkins’ poignant portrayal of an ageing man in The Father won him Best Actor amongst three wins.
Best British Independent Film was awarded to coming-of-age drama Rocks by Zendaya with actress Kosar Ali also taking home the awards for both Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer with her young co-star D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu winning Best Supporting Actor. The four awards on the night took the film’s BIFA tally to five with Lucy Pardee winning the award for Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society of America and Spotlight when the craft award winners were announced in January.
British horror His House was awarded two BIFAs on the night with Remi Weekes winning Best Director and Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress. Anthony Hopkins’ poignant portrayal of an ageing man in The Father won him Best Actor amongst three wins.
- 2/19/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sarah Gavron’s Rocks and Remi Weekes’ His House scooped five and four awards respectively, while Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for The Father, at tonight’s British Independent Film Awards, held virtually this year. Scroll down for the full list of winners.
Rocks was crowned Best British Independent Film, beating strong competition from the likes of Saint Maud and The Father. The film, a social drama about a group of schoolgirls and shot largely with non-actors, also took Best Supporting Actress (Kosar Ali) and Best Supporting Actor (D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu), as well as Most Promising Newcomer (Kosar Ali again) and Best Casting (Lucy Pardee).
It was also a great night for the claustrophobic horror His House, with Remi Weekes picking up Best Director, Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress, and the film picking up two below-the-line prizes: Best Effects (Pedro Sabrosa and Stefano Pepin) and Best Production Design (Jacqueline Abrahams...
Rocks was crowned Best British Independent Film, beating strong competition from the likes of Saint Maud and The Father. The film, a social drama about a group of schoolgirls and shot largely with non-actors, also took Best Supporting Actress (Kosar Ali) and Best Supporting Actor (D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu), as well as Most Promising Newcomer (Kosar Ali again) and Best Casting (Lucy Pardee).
It was also a great night for the claustrophobic horror His House, with Remi Weekes picking up Best Director, Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Actress, and the film picking up two below-the-line prizes: Best Effects (Pedro Sabrosa and Stefano Pepin) and Best Production Design (Jacqueline Abrahams...
- 2/18/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Watch the ceremony live here.
The British Independent Film Awards for 2020 are taking place online tonight (February 18), hosted by Tom Felton.
Screen will be posting all the winners below on this page and on Twitter as they are announced; you can watch the live-streamed ceremony via YouTube below.
Scroll down for the winners.
The ceremony starts at 20.00 UK time and finishes at approximately 20.50.
Winners in the nine craft categories were revealed last month, with His House and Misbehaviour receiving two prizes each.
Saint Maud set a record total of 17 when nominations were announced in December, followed by His House with...
The British Independent Film Awards for 2020 are taking place online tonight (February 18), hosted by Tom Felton.
Screen will be posting all the winners below on this page and on Twitter as they are announced; you can watch the live-streamed ceremony via YouTube below.
Scroll down for the winners.
The ceremony starts at 20.00 UK time and finishes at approximately 20.50.
Winners in the nine craft categories were revealed last month, with His House and Misbehaviour receiving two prizes each.
Saint Maud set a record total of 17 when nominations were announced in December, followed by His House with...
- 2/18/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Watch the ceremony live here.
The British Independent Film Awards for 2020 are taking place online tonight (February 18), hosted by Tom Felton.
Screen will be posting all the winners below on this page and on Twitter as they are announced; you can watch the live-streamed ceremony via YouTube below.
Scroll down for the winners.
The ceremony starts at 20.00 UK time and finishes at approximately 20.50.
Winners in the nine craft categories were revealed last month, with His House and Misbehaviour receiving two prizes each.
Saint Maud set a record total of 17 when nominations were announced in December, followed by His House with...
The British Independent Film Awards for 2020 are taking place online tonight (February 18), hosted by Tom Felton.
Screen will be posting all the winners below on this page and on Twitter as they are announced; you can watch the live-streamed ceremony via YouTube below.
Scroll down for the winners.
The ceremony starts at 20.00 UK time and finishes at approximately 20.50.
Winners in the nine craft categories were revealed last month, with His House and Misbehaviour receiving two prizes each.
Saint Maud set a record total of 17 when nominations were announced in December, followed by His House with...
- 2/18/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
All the dialogue in the Anz comedy is spoken in gibberish
Cornerstone Films has acquired world sales rights to Armağan Ballantyne’s upcoming comedy Nude Tuesday, which it will launch at the virtual European Film Market.
The London and LA-based sales agency will reveal first footage of the Australia-New Zealand co-production to buyers during the EFM. Madman previously secured distribution rights in New Zealand and Australia.
All the dialogue in the film, about a couple who attempt to rekindle the spark in their marriage, is spoken in unintelligible gibberish. It will feature two sets of subtitles – one provided by “prominent local comedians” from each territory,...
Cornerstone Films has acquired world sales rights to Armağan Ballantyne’s upcoming comedy Nude Tuesday, which it will launch at the virtual European Film Market.
The London and LA-based sales agency will reveal first footage of the Australia-New Zealand co-production to buyers during the EFM. Madman previously secured distribution rights in New Zealand and Australia.
All the dialogue in the film, about a couple who attempt to rekindle the spark in their marriage, is spoken in unintelligible gibberish. It will feature two sets of subtitles – one provided by “prominent local comedians” from each territory,...
- 2/16/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
All the dialogue in the Anz comedy is spoken in gibberish
Cornerstone Films has acquired world sales rights to Armagan Ballantyne’s upcoming comedy Nude Tuesday, which it will launch at the virtual European Film Market.
The London and Los Angeles-based sales agency will reveal first footage of the Australia-New Zealand co-production to buyers during the EFM. Madman previously secured distribution rights for New Zealand and Australia.
All the dialogue in the film, about a couple who attempt to rekindle the spark in their marriage, is spoken in unintelligible gibberish. It will feature two sets of subtitles – one provided by...
Cornerstone Films has acquired world sales rights to Armagan Ballantyne’s upcoming comedy Nude Tuesday, which it will launch at the virtual European Film Market.
The London and Los Angeles-based sales agency will reveal first footage of the Australia-New Zealand co-production to buyers during the EFM. Madman previously secured distribution rights for New Zealand and Australia.
All the dialogue in the film, about a couple who attempt to rekindle the spark in their marriage, is spoken in unintelligible gibberish. It will feature two sets of subtitles – one provided by...
- 2/16/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
This morning British actors Holliday Grainger and Micheal Ward announced the list of nominations for the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) which sees Rose Glass’s psychological horror lead the pack with 17 nominations.
‘Saint Maud’ will be taking on Remi Weekes’ ‘His House’, which has 16 nominations across the Director, Screenplay, debut and technical categories. Weekes’ powerful debut also received nominations in Best Actress and Best Actor for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.
‘Rocks’, Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique’s fresh, poignant and genuinely uplifting take on life as a marginalised British teen has 15 nominations, including double nominations for stars Bukky Bakray and Kosar Ali in Best Actress and Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. D’angleou Osei Kissiedu is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Stefan Pape sat down with BIFA nomination announcers Holliday Grainger and Micheal Ward to talk about the bright future of British Film.
We also sat down...
‘Saint Maud’ will be taking on Remi Weekes’ ‘His House’, which has 16 nominations across the Director, Screenplay, debut and technical categories. Weekes’ powerful debut also received nominations in Best Actress and Best Actor for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.
‘Rocks’, Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique’s fresh, poignant and genuinely uplifting take on life as a marginalised British teen has 15 nominations, including double nominations for stars Bukky Bakray and Kosar Ali in Best Actress and Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. D’angleou Osei Kissiedu is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Stefan Pape sat down with BIFA nomination announcers Holliday Grainger and Micheal Ward to talk about the bright future of British Film.
We also sat down...
- 12/9/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Rose Glass’ psychological horror “Saint Maud” leads the charge at the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) with 17 nominations.
“Saint Maud” is up for best British independent film, screenplay and director, and also features in the debut categories — producer, director and screenwriter. Morfydd Clark is nominated for best actress and Jennifer Ehle for supporting actress. The film also features heavily in the technical categories.
Close behind is Remi Weekes’ “His House,” which contrasts asylum seekers’ real life horrors with those of the supernatural kind. It has 16 nominations across the director, screenplay, debut and technical categories, and acting nominations for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.
Elsewhere, “Rocks,” Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique’s take on life as a marginalized British teen, has 15 nominations, including for stars Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali and D’angleou Osei Kissiedu.
Nick Rowland’s “Calm With Horses” has 10 nominations while Riz Ahmed has four BIFA nominations this year,...
“Saint Maud” is up for best British independent film, screenplay and director, and also features in the debut categories — producer, director and screenwriter. Morfydd Clark is nominated for best actress and Jennifer Ehle for supporting actress. The film also features heavily in the technical categories.
Close behind is Remi Weekes’ “His House,” which contrasts asylum seekers’ real life horrors with those of the supernatural kind. It has 16 nominations across the director, screenplay, debut and technical categories, and acting nominations for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.
Elsewhere, “Rocks,” Sarah Gavron and Anu Henrique’s take on life as a marginalized British teen, has 15 nominations, including for stars Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali and D’angleou Osei Kissiedu.
Nick Rowland’s “Calm With Horses” has 10 nominations while Riz Ahmed has four BIFA nominations this year,...
- 12/9/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 2020 British Independent Film Awards nominations were revealed Wednesday morning by British actors Holliday Grainger (“The Borgias”) and Micheal Ward (“Lovers Rock”). Leading the list of nominees this year is Rose Glass’ horror movie “Saint Maud” with an impressive 17 nominations. A24 has U.S. distribution rights, but canceled a spring 2020 release due to the pandemic. While the film managed to open in the UK, it has yet to grace stateside screens outside of film festivals.
Another horror movie, Remi Weekes’ refugee nightmare story “His House,” trails close behind with 16 nominations. That film is available to stream on Netflix. With 15 nominations is Sarah Gavron’s teen tale “Rocks.” “Calm with Horses,” titled in the U.S. as “The Shadow of Violence,” has 10 nominations, while “Mogul Mowgli” starring Riz Ahmed has seven. Florian Zeller’s Oscar hopeful “The Father,” with Anthony Hopkins, also is ahead of the pack with six nominations.
The Richard Harris Award,...
Another horror movie, Remi Weekes’ refugee nightmare story “His House,” trails close behind with 16 nominations. That film is available to stream on Netflix. With 15 nominations is Sarah Gavron’s teen tale “Rocks.” “Calm with Horses,” titled in the U.S. as “The Shadow of Violence,” has 10 nominations, while “Mogul Mowgli” starring Riz Ahmed has seven. Florian Zeller’s Oscar hopeful “The Father,” with Anthony Hopkins, also is ahead of the pack with six nominations.
The Richard Harris Award,...
- 12/9/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Saint Maud leads nominees for the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) with 17 nods. Scroll down for the full list of nominees.
Rose Glass’ lauded psychological horror is nominated for Best British Independent Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director, as well as in the debut categories: Breakthrough Producer, Debut Director and Debut Screenwriter. Morfydd Clark is nominated for Best Actress and Jennifer Ehle for Supporting Actress. It also scored a host of technical nominations.
Saint Maud will be taking on Remi Weekes’ His House, which has 16 nominations including for Best Actress and Best Actor for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpe Dirisu, respectively, Rocks, which has 15 nominations, including double nominations for stars Bukky Bakray and Kosar Ali in Best Actress and Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. D’angleou Osei Kissiedu is also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Director Nick Rowland and producer Daniel Emmerson’s first feature Calm With Horses has 10 nominations...
Rose Glass’ lauded psychological horror is nominated for Best British Independent Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director, as well as in the debut categories: Breakthrough Producer, Debut Director and Debut Screenwriter. Morfydd Clark is nominated for Best Actress and Jennifer Ehle for Supporting Actress. It also scored a host of technical nominations.
Saint Maud will be taking on Remi Weekes’ His House, which has 16 nominations including for Best Actress and Best Actor for Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpe Dirisu, respectively, Rocks, which has 15 nominations, including double nominations for stars Bukky Bakray and Kosar Ali in Best Actress and Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. D’angleou Osei Kissiedu is also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Director Nick Rowland and producer Daniel Emmerson’s first feature Calm With Horses has 10 nominations...
- 12/9/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Justin Kurzel has assembled a high-profile cast to shoot “Nitram,” a feature film about a mass murder. He has also reteamed with writer Shawn Grant, who previously delivered the screenplay for Kurzel’s incendiary feature debut, 2011’s “The Snowtown Murders.”
The picture is now shooting and will play in theaters and screen as an original show for local streamer Stan in 2021. Overseas rights sales are being handled by Wild Bunch International.
The cast features Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis (“The Dressmaker”), Essie Davis (“True History of the Kelly Gang”) and Anthony Lapaglia (“Lantana”).
Stan describes “Nitram” as “a scripted feature film that looks at the events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history in an attempt to understand why and how this atrocity occurred.” But it avoids identifying the specific factual basis of the picture.
Australian media, however, have revealed that the film depicts the build...
The picture is now shooting and will play in theaters and screen as an original show for local streamer Stan in 2021. Overseas rights sales are being handled by Wild Bunch International.
The cast features Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis (“The Dressmaker”), Essie Davis (“True History of the Kelly Gang”) and Anthony Lapaglia (“Lantana”).
Stan describes “Nitram” as “a scripted feature film that looks at the events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history in an attempt to understand why and how this atrocity occurred.” But it avoids identifying the specific factual basis of the picture.
Australian media, however, have revealed that the film depicts the build...
- 12/1/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis and Anthony Lapaglia will star in Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, a feature film for Stan about Martin Bryant, the Port Arthur gunman who murdered 35 people and injured 23 others.
The film sees Kurzel once again working with writer Shaun Grant, with whom he collaborated on True History of the Kelly Gang and debut feature Snowtown, which depicted Adelaide’s Snowtown murders between 1992 and 1999.
Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell are producing, with Madman Entertainment handling theatrical.
Now shooting in Geelong, Stan’s press release announcing Nitram did not reveal what the film was about, mentioning neither Bryant or the 1996 massacre in Tasmania – only stating the project would “study one of the darkest chapters in Australian history.”
However, The Age broke yesterday that Landry Jones will play Bryant, Judy Davis and Lapaglia his parents, and Essie Davis a woman who befriends him. The...
The film sees Kurzel once again working with writer Shaun Grant, with whom he collaborated on True History of the Kelly Gang and debut feature Snowtown, which depicted Adelaide’s Snowtown murders between 1992 and 1999.
Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell are producing, with Madman Entertainment handling theatrical.
Now shooting in Geelong, Stan’s press release announcing Nitram did not reveal what the film was about, mentioning neither Bryant or the 1996 massacre in Tasmania – only stating the project would “study one of the darkest chapters in Australian history.”
However, The Age broke yesterday that Landry Jones will play Bryant, Judy Davis and Lapaglia his parents, and Essie Davis a woman who befriends him. The...
- 11/30/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
True History Of The Kelly Gang and Snowtown filmmaker Justin Kurzel has set cast for his next feature, Nitram, which will focus on the 1996 Port Arthur massacre on Tasmania.
Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis and Anthony Lapaglia have boarded the feature, which has rolled cameras in Geelong, Victoria. The film will analyze events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history in an attempt to understand why and how the atrocity occurred. Shaun Grant has written the screenplay.
GoodThing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell are producing, with Madman Entertainment handling theatrical distribution. Wild Bunch International are handling sales.
The film received funding through the Melbourne International Film Festival and is planning to premiere at the festival in 2021.
Australian VOD service Stan will premiere the film as an original release on its platform at the same time as the cinema roll out.
Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis and Anthony Lapaglia have boarded the feature, which has rolled cameras in Geelong, Victoria. The film will analyze events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history in an attempt to understand why and how the atrocity occurred. Shaun Grant has written the screenplay.
GoodThing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell are producing, with Madman Entertainment handling theatrical distribution. Wild Bunch International are handling sales.
The film received funding through the Melbourne International Film Festival and is planning to premiere at the festival in 2021.
Australian VOD service Stan will premiere the film as an original release on its platform at the same time as the cinema roll out.
- 11/30/2020
- by Tom Grater and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: This story is being updated this week as the new longlists are unveiled. Today (November 20) the Best Documentary longlist has been published, see below.
Previously, November 17: Organizers of the British Independent Film Awards have confirmed their upcoming ceremony will delay from its traditional end-of-year dates to February, 2021, moving in line with this year’s major awards shows.
This week, the BIFAs will unveil its various longlists of awards, which will be whittled down to its final nominations, to be revealed on December 9.
Today, the New Talent awards longlists have been unveiled, featuring a total of 46 directors, writers and producers. Each of the below will participate in BIFA’s Springboard scheme, a tailored program of professional development and peer to peer support.
Best Documentary
The Art Of Political Murder Paul Taylor, Teddy Leifer, Regina K. Scully
The Australian Dream Daniel Gordon, Stan Grant, Sarah Thomson, Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell,...
Previously, November 17: Organizers of the British Independent Film Awards have confirmed their upcoming ceremony will delay from its traditional end-of-year dates to February, 2021, moving in line with this year’s major awards shows.
This week, the BIFAs will unveil its various longlists of awards, which will be whittled down to its final nominations, to be revealed on December 9.
Today, the New Talent awards longlists have been unveiled, featuring a total of 46 directors, writers and producers. Each of the below will participate in BIFA’s Springboard scheme, a tailored program of professional development and peer to peer support.
Best Documentary
The Art Of Political Murder Paul Taylor, Teddy Leifer, Regina K. Scully
The Australian Dream Daniel Gordon, Stan Grant, Sarah Thomson, Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell,...
- 11/20/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Some of the industry’s most influential have donated 30 minutes of their time to be raffled off as prizes in Screenworks’ annual fundraising raffle.
Designed specifically to support careers of emerging practitioners across Australia, the 30 Minute ‘Close Up’ prizes will give winners an opportunity to receive advice on their careers and projects.
Barbara Stephen, managing director and executive producer of Flying Bark ProductionsJeffrey Walker, directorTony Ayres, producer, screenwriter, directorRhoda Roberts, producer, arts advisor Veronica Fury, executive producer/principal at Wild Bear Productions Rick Maier, head of drama Network 10Chris Oliver-Taylor, CEO Fremantle Asia-Pacific Debbie Lee, director of scripted development Matchbox Pictures Rosemary Blight, producer and founding partner Goalpost Pictures Virginia Whitwell, partner and head of production, Good Thing ProductionsStuart Beattie, screenwriter, directorJocelyn Moorhouse, director, screenwriterSally Riley, head of drama, comedy and Indigenous at ABCDeb Cox and Fiona Eagger, co-Founders of Every Cloud ProductionsAngie Fielder, principal producer, Aquarius Films
There is...
Designed specifically to support careers of emerging practitioners across Australia, the 30 Minute ‘Close Up’ prizes will give winners an opportunity to receive advice on their careers and projects.
Barbara Stephen, managing director and executive producer of Flying Bark ProductionsJeffrey Walker, directorTony Ayres, producer, screenwriter, directorRhoda Roberts, producer, arts advisor Veronica Fury, executive producer/principal at Wild Bear Productions Rick Maier, head of drama Network 10Chris Oliver-Taylor, CEO Fremantle Asia-Pacific Debbie Lee, director of scripted development Matchbox Pictures Rosemary Blight, producer and founding partner Goalpost Pictures Virginia Whitwell, partner and head of production, Good Thing ProductionsStuart Beattie, screenwriter, directorJocelyn Moorhouse, director, screenwriterSally Riley, head of drama, comedy and Indigenous at ABCDeb Cox and Fiona Eagger, co-Founders of Every Cloud ProductionsAngie Fielder, principal producer, Aquarius Films
There is...
- 11/5/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Second features from directors Natalie Erika James (Relic) and Samuel Van Grinsven (Sequin in a Blue Room) are among the 28 projects to recently share in $1 million worth of development funding from Screen Australia.
The agency announced the funding recipients today, with money going towards seven features, 16 TV drama and five online projects.
These are the first projects to be announced for the 2020-21 financial year, from both the Premium and Generate funds.
Projects funded via Premium Plus, the additional development funding allocation Screen Australia launched to support the industry through Covid-19, are expected to be announced later today.
Screen Australia head of development Nerida Moore said: “It’s great to see producers thinking globally and developing unique stories for Australian audiences and the world. We’re excited to support these original story ideas, many with distinct storyworlds and fantastic comedic imaginations that I’m confident will resonate. We’re also...
The agency announced the funding recipients today, with money going towards seven features, 16 TV drama and five online projects.
These are the first projects to be announced for the 2020-21 financial year, from both the Premium and Generate funds.
Projects funded via Premium Plus, the additional development funding allocation Screen Australia launched to support the industry through Covid-19, are expected to be announced later today.
Screen Australia head of development Nerida Moore said: “It’s great to see producers thinking globally and developing unique stories for Australian audiences and the world. We’re excited to support these original story ideas, many with distinct storyworlds and fantastic comedic imaginations that I’m confident will resonate. We’re also...
- 10/28/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Screen Producers Australia has named the members of its two advisory boards for the upcoming Screen Forever conference.
The programming advisory board, made up of a group of producers, directors and writers, will help set the strategic direction for the February event, aiding in the creation of a program that will reflect the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in the wake of the pandemic.
This year, Spa has also enlisted the help of a market and financing advisory board for the first time, comprised of representatives from broadcasters and screen organisations across Australia, Canada and the United States. The aim is to maximise the global business opportunities available to delegates at the Spa Connect market.
“After such an unprecedented year, having the guidance of two dynamic and multi-disciplined boards who will focus on the key pillars of Screen Forever – discovery and deal-making – will no doubt pay dividends for our delegates,...
The programming advisory board, made up of a group of producers, directors and writers, will help set the strategic direction for the February event, aiding in the creation of a program that will reflect the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in the wake of the pandemic.
This year, Spa has also enlisted the help of a market and financing advisory board for the first time, comprised of representatives from broadcasters and screen organisations across Australia, Canada and the United States. The aim is to maximise the global business opportunities available to delegates at the Spa Connect market.
“After such an unprecedented year, having the guidance of two dynamic and multi-disciplined boards who will focus on the key pillars of Screen Forever – discovery and deal-making – will no doubt pay dividends for our delegates,...
- 10/20/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Vicki Madden and Vincent Sheehan en route to the launch of ‘The Kettering Incident’.
Screen Tasmania is supporting the development of 13 projects – a mix of feature films, comedy and drama series and factual – involving both experienced and emerging talent.
The $242,500 in additional project development funding is part of the Tasmanian Government’s cultural and creative industries stimulus package.
While the individual sums are modest, averaging $20,000, the funding round sheds light on some intriguing projects from such creatives as Vicki Madden, Fiona McConaghy, Elli Eliades, Jungle Entertainment, Good Thing Productions, Blur Films, Roar Films and Fredbird Entertainment.
Renewing their collaboration after Stan’s The Gloaming, Madden’s Sweet Potato Films and John Molloy’s 2 Jons are preparing Wireless Hill. The 8 x 1 hour drama follows 10 bright young scientists from around the world who are given the opportunity of a lifetime to study on the unique Macquarie Island.
They discover they are unwitting...
Screen Tasmania is supporting the development of 13 projects – a mix of feature films, comedy and drama series and factual – involving both experienced and emerging talent.
The $242,500 in additional project development funding is part of the Tasmanian Government’s cultural and creative industries stimulus package.
While the individual sums are modest, averaging $20,000, the funding round sheds light on some intriguing projects from such creatives as Vicki Madden, Fiona McConaghy, Elli Eliades, Jungle Entertainment, Good Thing Productions, Blur Films, Roar Films and Fredbird Entertainment.
Renewing their collaboration after Stan’s The Gloaming, Madden’s Sweet Potato Films and John Molloy’s 2 Jons are preparing Wireless Hill. The 8 x 1 hour drama follows 10 bright young scientists from around the world who are given the opportunity of a lifetime to study on the unique Macquarie Island.
They discover they are unwitting...
- 6/21/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Heather Rose’s novel Bruny and Nicole Haddow’s book Smashed Avocado: How I Cracked the Property Market and You Can Too have each been optioned by high-profile producers.
Film Art Media’s Sue Maslin and Charlotte Seymour bought the rights to Bruny, which is set in a near-future in a place where the inhabitants are inoculated against change and a bridge to connect Bruny Island to mainland Tasmania is blown up by terrorists.
Astrid Coleman, a Un troubleshooter, is called home to Tasmania to manage the fallout and finds herself caught between political foes, foreign interests and island families.
Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell and Charlotte Wheaton optioned the book by Haddow, a former Australian Financial Review journalist, which details her account of buying her first home and interviews with others who found diverse ways to enter the property market, including ‘rentvesting,’ flipping, Airbnb, tiny homes and buying regionally.
Film Art Media’s Sue Maslin and Charlotte Seymour bought the rights to Bruny, which is set in a near-future in a place where the inhabitants are inoculated against change and a bridge to connect Bruny Island to mainland Tasmania is blown up by terrorists.
Astrid Coleman, a Un troubleshooter, is called home to Tasmania to manage the fallout and finds herself caught between political foes, foreign interests and island families.
Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell and Charlotte Wheaton optioned the book by Haddow, a former Australian Financial Review journalist, which details her account of buying her first home and interviews with others who found diverse ways to enter the property market, including ‘rentvesting,’ flipping, Airbnb, tiny homes and buying regionally.
- 5/25/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Matchbox Pictures/Sbs’s ‘Hungry Ghosts’.
Female-led TV drama projects from Good Thing Productions, Matchbox Pictures and Porchlight Films are among the four selected to be developed through Film Victoria and Sbs’s Pitch to Pilot initiative, aimed at bringing compelling stories from diverse voices to screen.
Each of the four teams receive $20,000 for further development before they pitch the projects to Sbs, with the successful team to receive an additional $20,000 to write a pilot script.
Producer Paula Salini (Wentworth) has teamed up with Virginia Whitwell and Nick Batzias at Good Thing Productions to bring Victorian writer Enza Gandolfo’s novel ‘The Bridge’ to the screen. Nicky Arnall (Playing for Keeps) is writing the series, titled West Gate, with Beck Cole (Mustangs Fc) to direct.
Writer/director Fatima Mawas and writer Angela Dix have come together on The Backroom. Mawas’ short film Amar was developed through the Sbs/Film Victoria...
Female-led TV drama projects from Good Thing Productions, Matchbox Pictures and Porchlight Films are among the four selected to be developed through Film Victoria and Sbs’s Pitch to Pilot initiative, aimed at bringing compelling stories from diverse voices to screen.
Each of the four teams receive $20,000 for further development before they pitch the projects to Sbs, with the successful team to receive an additional $20,000 to write a pilot script.
Producer Paula Salini (Wentworth) has teamed up with Virginia Whitwell and Nick Batzias at Good Thing Productions to bring Victorian writer Enza Gandolfo’s novel ‘The Bridge’ to the screen. Nicky Arnall (Playing for Keeps) is writing the series, titled West Gate, with Beck Cole (Mustangs Fc) to direct.
Writer/director Fatima Mawas and writer Angela Dix have come together on The Backroom. Mawas’ short film Amar was developed through the Sbs/Film Victoria...
- 4/13/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
It is the company’s first third-party sales project.
UK-based documentary company Noah Media Group has acquired international rights to Daniel Gordon’s sports feature The Australian Dream, about the indigenous Australian Football League player Adam Goodes. The film explores race, identity and belonging in contemporary Australian society
The deal excludes Australia, Canada, the UK and airlines. The film was released in Australia by Madman Entertainment in August 2019. Dogwoof took UK rights to the title in October, with the BBC acquiring exclusive UK television rights. Mongrel has Canadian rights.
Written by Stan Grant, The American Dream is an Australian-uk co-production...
UK-based documentary company Noah Media Group has acquired international rights to Daniel Gordon’s sports feature The Australian Dream, about the indigenous Australian Football League player Adam Goodes. The film explores race, identity and belonging in contemporary Australian society
The deal excludes Australia, Canada, the UK and airlines. The film was released in Australia by Madman Entertainment in August 2019. Dogwoof took UK rights to the title in October, with the BBC acquiring exclusive UK television rights. Mongrel has Canadian rights.
Written by Stan Grant, The American Dream is an Australian-uk co-production...
- 3/24/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Afca Awards host Adam Ross.
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale dominated the Australian Film Critics Association’s annual awards, winning all eight prizes for local narrative features, while The Australian Dream was named best documentary.
The 1825 revenge drama produced by Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Kent was voted best film, shading fellow nominees Buoyancy, Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch and The King.
King took the director and screenplay awards and Aisling Franciosi was named best actress, mirroring the film’s success at the Aacta Awards.
The other accolades went to Baykali Ganambarr (best actor), Sam Claflin (supporting actor), Magnolia Maymuru (supporting actress) and Radek Ladczuk (cinematography).
The win for Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream, produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell and Passion Pictures’ John Battsek, followed its Aacta award.
In the international categories Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was judged best English language film,...
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale dominated the Australian Film Critics Association’s annual awards, winning all eight prizes for local narrative features, while The Australian Dream was named best documentary.
The 1825 revenge drama produced by Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Kent was voted best film, shading fellow nominees Buoyancy, Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch and The King.
King took the director and screenplay awards and Aisling Franciosi was named best actress, mirroring the film’s success at the Aacta Awards.
The other accolades went to Baykali Ganambarr (best actor), Sam Claflin (supporting actor), Magnolia Maymuru (supporting actress) and Radek Ladczuk (cinematography).
The win for Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream, produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell and Passion Pictures’ John Battsek, followed its Aacta award.
In the international categories Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was judged best English language film,...
- 2/9/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Writer Jackie van Beek and director Armagan Ballantyne, who will collaborate on ‘Nude Tuesday’.
Two feature films, one from Robert Connolly and the other a Kiwi-Aussie co-pro penned by The Breaker Upperers’ Jackie van Beek; a ABC TV comedy from Closer Productions; and two online projects are the latest recipients of $3.5 million worth of production funding from Screen Australia.
Connolly, writer/director of box office hit Paper Planes, will return to Western Australia to shoot a feature film adaptation of Tim Winton’s acclaimed novel Blueback, while Nz’s Firefly Productions will join forces with Good Thing Productions to create absurdist dramedy feature Nude Tuesday, directed by Armagan Ballantyne. Erik Thomson teams up with Adelaide’s Closer Productions to produce Yes, Chef! for the ABC, following a notorious celebrity chef who is forced to flee to his hometown in the Adelaide Hills.
Screen Australia head of content Sally Caplan said:...
Two feature films, one from Robert Connolly and the other a Kiwi-Aussie co-pro penned by The Breaker Upperers’ Jackie van Beek; a ABC TV comedy from Closer Productions; and two online projects are the latest recipients of $3.5 million worth of production funding from Screen Australia.
Connolly, writer/director of box office hit Paper Planes, will return to Western Australia to shoot a feature film adaptation of Tim Winton’s acclaimed novel Blueback, while Nz’s Firefly Productions will join forces with Good Thing Productions to create absurdist dramedy feature Nude Tuesday, directed by Armagan Ballantyne. Erik Thomson teams up with Adelaide’s Closer Productions to produce Yes, Chef! for the ABC, following a notorious celebrity chef who is forced to flee to his hometown in the Adelaide Hills.
Screen Australia head of content Sally Caplan said:...
- 1/21/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
With racism in sports front-page news in Britain, Dogwoof has scored all U.K. rights to “The Australian Dream,” the acclaimed feature documentary about Adam Goodes, an indigenous Australian rules football star who took on the racists. The film just had its local premiere at the BFI London Film Festival and will be released in U.K. movie theaters next year
Goodes twice won the Brownlow Medal, awarded to the fairest and best player in the Australian Football League, and was named Australian of the Year in 2014. Having spoken out about racism, he faced hostility from booing fans inside stadiums while playing and from some quarters of the media. He quietly retired in 2015.
Daniel Gordon (“Hillsborough”) directed the film, which was written by Australian journalist Stan Grant. It traces Goodes’ his meteoric rise in football through to his bowing out of the sport. Goodes is interviewed, and the film features archive footage.
Goodes twice won the Brownlow Medal, awarded to the fairest and best player in the Australian Football League, and was named Australian of the Year in 2014. Having spoken out about racism, he faced hostility from booing fans inside stadiums while playing and from some quarters of the media. He quietly retired in 2015.
Daniel Gordon (“Hillsborough”) directed the film, which was written by Australian journalist Stan Grant. It traces Goodes’ his meteoric rise in football through to his bowing out of the sport. Goodes is interviewed, and the film features archive footage.
- 10/21/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The film depicts a potential future If climate solutions are adopted.
Together Films has acquired UK rights to Damon Gameau’s climate change documentary 2040.
The Australian film premiered out of competition in the family-friendly Generation Kplus section at the 2019 Berlinale. Together is planning a UK-wide theatrical release on November 15.
It will open the Into Film Festival on November 6 and play simultaneously for school students in 40 cinemas across the country.
In the new year, it will play as part of another campaign called ‘The Regeneration’, which invites people to learn about, contribute to, advocate for and invest in regenerative solutions to improve the planet.
Together Films has acquired UK rights to Damon Gameau’s climate change documentary 2040.
The Australian film premiered out of competition in the family-friendly Generation Kplus section at the 2019 Berlinale. Together is planning a UK-wide theatrical release on November 15.
It will open the Into Film Festival on November 6 and play simultaneously for school students in 40 cinemas across the country.
In the new year, it will play as part of another campaign called ‘The Regeneration’, which invites people to learn about, contribute to, advocate for and invest in regenerative solutions to improve the planet.
- 10/1/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
‘The Nightingale.’
While Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale has achieved an 86 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes since the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, many critics have described the tale of rape, murder and revenge as harrowing and bleak.
So in that context the film’s opening in Australia last weekend via Transmission Films was quite respectable – and some exhibitors expect it will have a leggy run.
Meanwhile Madman Entertainment’s The Australian Dream had a buoyant second weekend, helped by word-of-mouth and the two-for-one ticket offer to Afl members.
Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach advanced to $3.8 million after nabbing $305,000 in its fourth weekend, easing by 31 per cent for Universal Pictures. Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan dipped by just 16 per cent to $250,000 in its fourth, delivering $2.5 million for Transmission Films.
The Nightingale grossed $98,000 on 32 screens, bringing the total including festival screenings to...
While Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale has achieved an 86 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes since the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, many critics have described the tale of rape, murder and revenge as harrowing and bleak.
So in that context the film’s opening in Australia last weekend via Transmission Films was quite respectable – and some exhibitors expect it will have a leggy run.
Meanwhile Madman Entertainment’s The Australian Dream had a buoyant second weekend, helped by word-of-mouth and the two-for-one ticket offer to Afl members.
Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach advanced to $3.8 million after nabbing $305,000 in its fourth weekend, easing by 31 per cent for Universal Pictures. Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan dipped by just 16 per cent to $250,000 in its fourth, delivering $2.5 million for Transmission Films.
The Nightingale grossed $98,000 on 32 screens, bringing the total including festival screenings to...
- 9/2/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Australian Dream.’
The racist slurs which ended the football career of Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes dominated the national conversation for weeks in the lead-up to the premieres of Ian Darling’s The Final Quarter and Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream.
So how to explain the fact that Gordon’s acclaimed film ranked at No. 12 in Australian cinemas last weekend after winning the Miff Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature and earning a nomination for an Aacta Award?
Some 640,000 people watched The Final Quarter on Network 10 after its Sydney Film Festival premiere in June. That plus the copious publicity for both docs and the issues of race, identity and belonging may well have prompted some people to think: “I know the story, so I don’t need to see The Australian Dream.”
To be fair, the film written by Stan Grant and produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias,...
The racist slurs which ended the football career of Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes dominated the national conversation for weeks in the lead-up to the premieres of Ian Darling’s The Final Quarter and Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream.
So how to explain the fact that Gordon’s acclaimed film ranked at No. 12 in Australian cinemas last weekend after winning the Miff Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature and earning a nomination for an Aacta Award?
Some 640,000 people watched The Final Quarter on Network 10 after its Sydney Film Festival premiere in June. That plus the copious publicity for both docs and the issues of race, identity and belonging may well have prompted some people to think: “I know the story, so I don’t need to see The Australian Dream.”
To be fair, the film written by Stan Grant and produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias,...
- 8/26/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Mystify: Michael Hutchence.’
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) has unveiled the first set of nominees for this year’s awards, announcing the five films that will compete for Best Documentary.
Two films detailing the racial vilification of former Sydney Swans captain and Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream and Ian Darling’s The Final Quarter, will square off against other for the award.
Other nominees include Richard Lowenstein’s portrait of his late friend and Inxs frontman, Mystify: Michael Hutchence, which has made more than $1 million at the box office and screened at Tribeca and Hot Docs. Maya Newell’s In My Blood It Runs, which premiered in competition at Hot Docs, will also compete for the award, as will Janine Hosking’s portrait of concert pianist Geoffrey Tozer, The Eulogy.
‘The Australian Dream’.
A notable omission from the nominees...
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) has unveiled the first set of nominees for this year’s awards, announcing the five films that will compete for Best Documentary.
Two films detailing the racial vilification of former Sydney Swans captain and Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream and Ian Darling’s The Final Quarter, will square off against other for the award.
Other nominees include Richard Lowenstein’s portrait of his late friend and Inxs frontman, Mystify: Michael Hutchence, which has made more than $1 million at the box office and screened at Tribeca and Hot Docs. Maya Newell’s In My Blood It Runs, which premiered in competition at Hot Docs, will also compete for the award, as will Janine Hosking’s portrait of concert pianist Geoffrey Tozer, The Eulogy.
‘The Australian Dream’.
A notable omission from the nominees...
- 8/21/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Damon Gameau.
Disney’s live action update of 1992 animated blockbuster Aladdin cast its spell over cinemas in Australia and worldwide last weekend while Damon Gameau’s feature documentary 2040 attracted appreciative audiences and is positioned for a long run.
Gameau’s journey, which explores what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted, raked in $198,000 on 92 screens, which brings the total including extensive previews and festival screenings to $321,000.
Takings on Sunday were up 5 per cent on Saturday, reversing the usual trend. The Palace circuit, which offered free tickets to students aged up to 18 on Saturday and Sunday, accounted for more than 30 per cent of total admissions.
The distributor, Madman Entertainment MD Paul Wiegard expects a first-week take of $400,000, telling If: “The Sunday uptick is super encouraging, indicating the film is playing well with family audiences.
“We are very pleased with where the film has landed.
Disney’s live action update of 1992 animated blockbuster Aladdin cast its spell over cinemas in Australia and worldwide last weekend while Damon Gameau’s feature documentary 2040 attracted appreciative audiences and is positioned for a long run.
Gameau’s journey, which explores what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted, raked in $198,000 on 92 screens, which brings the total including extensive previews and festival screenings to $321,000.
Takings on Sunday were up 5 per cent on Saturday, reversing the usual trend. The Palace circuit, which offered free tickets to students aged up to 18 on Saturday and Sunday, accounted for more than 30 per cent of total admissions.
The distributor, Madman Entertainment MD Paul Wiegard expects a first-week take of $400,000, telling If: “The Sunday uptick is super encouraging, indicating the film is playing well with family audiences.
“We are very pleased with where the film has landed.
- 5/27/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘2040.’
Madman Entertainment launched Damon Gameau’s innovative documentary 2040 on 95 screens today after grossing $130,000 from extensive paid previews and festival screenings.
“We are super confident the film will play well here and internationally,” Madman MD Paul Wiegard tells If. “The advance screenings were sold out and we have had a great run-up and support from exhibitors.”
Gameau’s journey to explore what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted has generated positive responses since the world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.
UK-based Metro Films International is fielding offers from buyers for the film produced by Gameau and Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias, Anna Kaplan and Virginia Whitwell.
The two options are a multi-territory deal or a patchwork of deals in individual territories, according to Wiegard, who expects sales to be finalised within a couple of weeks.
Noting that...
Madman Entertainment launched Damon Gameau’s innovative documentary 2040 on 95 screens today after grossing $130,000 from extensive paid previews and festival screenings.
“We are super confident the film will play well here and internationally,” Madman MD Paul Wiegard tells If. “The advance screenings were sold out and we have had a great run-up and support from exhibitors.”
Gameau’s journey to explore what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted has generated positive responses since the world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.
UK-based Metro Films International is fielding offers from buyers for the film produced by Gameau and Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias, Anna Kaplan and Virginia Whitwell.
The two options are a multi-territory deal or a patchwork of deals in individual territories, according to Wiegard, who expects sales to be finalised within a couple of weeks.
Noting that...
- 5/23/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘2040’
The world premiere of Damon Gameau’s innovative documentary 2040 at the Berlin International Film Festival has elicited strong interest from international buyers and hugely positive responses from audiences.
The producers, Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias, Anna Kaplan and Virginia Whitwell, held off on doing pre-sales, figuring they would get better deals after the premiere in the Kplus section of the Generation program.
A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”
“We have had discussions with various platforms and distributors,” Gameau tells If on the line from Berlin. “Platforms are very open to having event screenings because they understand people want that experience. We are talking to a heap of people. There are some good options out there, including Netflix,...
The world premiere of Damon Gameau’s innovative documentary 2040 at the Berlin International Film Festival has elicited strong interest from international buyers and hugely positive responses from audiences.
The producers, Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias, Anna Kaplan and Virginia Whitwell, held off on doing pre-sales, figuring they would get better deals after the premiere in the Kplus section of the Generation program.
A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”
“We have had discussions with various platforms and distributors,” Gameau tells If on the line from Berlin. “Platforms are very open to having event screenings because they understand people want that experience. We are talking to a heap of people. There are some good options out there, including Netflix,...
- 2/13/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘2040’
Damon Gameau’s innovative documentary 2040 will have its world premiere at next month’s Berlin International Film Festival.
Produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias with Anna Kaplan and Virginia Whitwell, the film will screen in the Kplus section of the Generation program, which this this year is tagged: ‘Giving the Oppressed a Voice.’
A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”
He said: “The point is to tell a new and positive story about our future. We are creating a hub of solutions and actions that people can implement at home or at work.”
It will be his second appearance at the Berlinale where That Sugar Film screened in Generation in 2015. The festival said: “2040 combines elements of...
Damon Gameau’s innovative documentary 2040 will have its world premiere at next month’s Berlin International Film Festival.
Produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias with Anna Kaplan and Virginia Whitwell, the film will screen in the Kplus section of the Generation program, which this this year is tagged: ‘Giving the Oppressed a Voice.’
A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”
He said: “The point is to tell a new and positive story about our future. We are creating a hub of solutions and actions that people can implement at home or at work.”
It will be his second appearance at the Berlinale where That Sugar Film screened in Generation in 2015. The festival said: “2040 combines elements of...
- 1/13/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
StudioCanal.s Elizabeth Trotman.
In If's most recent issue, we touched base with three of the nation.s distribution heads — Madman.s Paul Wiegard, StudioCanal.s Elizabeth Trotman and Village Roadshow.s Joel Pearlman — to get the lowdown on the year.s hits, the misses, and what they.ve got coming up.
How.s the year been for you?
Trotman: It.s been a positive year. Obviously I started in my role in March, so [I.m] still relatively new to the Australian landscape. We.re pleased with our results on Our Kind of Traitor. We.ve had a number of successes with our French films playing at the French Film Festival this year. We released Mother.s Day the week before Mother.s Day back in April, and it took $5.7 million in Australia. It took 17 percent of the Us result; usually Australia is tracking at ten percent of the Us, so 17 percent was strong.
In If's most recent issue, we touched base with three of the nation.s distribution heads — Madman.s Paul Wiegard, StudioCanal.s Elizabeth Trotman and Village Roadshow.s Joel Pearlman — to get the lowdown on the year.s hits, the misses, and what they.ve got coming up.
How.s the year been for you?
Trotman: It.s been a positive year. Obviously I started in my role in March, so [I.m] still relatively new to the Australian landscape. We.re pleased with our results on Our Kind of Traitor. We.ve had a number of successes with our French films playing at the French Film Festival this year. We released Mother.s Day the week before Mother.s Day back in April, and it took $5.7 million in Australia. It took 17 percent of the Us result; usually Australia is tracking at ten percent of the Us, so 17 percent was strong.
- 11/14/2016
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
StudioCanal.s Elizabeth Trotman.
In If's most recent issue, we touched base with three of the nation.s distribution heads — Madman.s Paul Wiegard, StudioCanal.s Elizabeth Trotman and Village Roadshow.s Joel Pearlman — to get the lowdown on the year.s hits, the misses, and what they.ve got coming up.
How.s the year been for you?
Trotman: It.s been a positive year. Obviously I started in my role in March, so [I.m] still relatively new to the Australian landscape. We.re pleased with our results on Our Kind of Traitor. We.ve had a number of successes with our French films playing at the French Film Festival this year. We released Mother.s Day the week before Mother.s Day back in April, and it took $5.7 million in Australia. It took 17 percent of the Us result; usually Australia is tracking at ten percent of the Us, so 17 percent was strong.
In If's most recent issue, we touched base with three of the nation.s distribution heads — Madman.s Paul Wiegard, StudioCanal.s Elizabeth Trotman and Village Roadshow.s Joel Pearlman — to get the lowdown on the year.s hits, the misses, and what they.ve got coming up.
How.s the year been for you?
Trotman: It.s been a positive year. Obviously I started in my role in March, so [I.m] still relatively new to the Australian landscape. We.re pleased with our results on Our Kind of Traitor. We.ve had a number of successes with our French films playing at the French Film Festival this year. We released Mother.s Day the week before Mother.s Day back in April, and it took $5.7 million in Australia. It took 17 percent of the Us result; usually Australia is tracking at ten percent of the Us, so 17 percent was strong.
- 11/14/2016
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
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