http://if.com.au/ Inside Film - Australia en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss info@if.com.au (The Editor) http://if.com.au/2012/05/17/article/Gothic-Symphony-gets-limited-cinema-release/RSXWQVGQSP.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/17/article/Gothic-Symphony-gets-limited-cinema-release/RSXWQVGQSP.html Sandy George <p> The Curse of the Gothic Symphony is the next Australian documentary to get a theatrical release, albeit only at Event Cinemas in Brisbane, Newcastle and Canberra at this stage.</p> <p> Director Randall Wood’s feature-length film is about the effort required to stage the biggest symphony ever composed – and, yes, this is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records – and it will be on the big screen from this Thursday May 24. </p> <p> The Gothic Symphony, written by English composer Havergal Brian in 1919, has only been played rarely in the world and the film entertainingly plays on the notion that performances are always beset by problems.</p> <p> Making the film was a seven-year effort and producer Veronica Fury’s enthusiasm for being part of this momentous feat lead to Wood talking her into being a key on-screen character. </p> <p> The film culminates with more than 500 musicians coming together in Brisbane in December 2010.</p> <p> The Curse of the Gothic Symphony got some of its funding from the Melbourne International Film Festival’s Premiere Fund and had its world premiere at the festival last year.</p> <p> Conductor John Curro wields the baton and musicians Paul Grabowsky and Deborah Conway and Opera Australian choir master Michael Black are among the many featured.</p> <p> Fury is liaising directly with Event Cinemas on the theatrical release and the film is represented internationally by Film Transit. It is due to screen on ABC TV at some stage.</p> Thu, 17 May 2012 13:28:18 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/17/article/BVI-buys-UKIrish-rights-to-A-Few-Best-Men/REWIXOEJAR.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/17/article/BVI-buys-UKIrish-rights-to-A-Few-Best-Men/REWIXOEJAR.html Sandy George <p> Four months after being released in Australia, Buena Vista International has bought UK and Irish rights to director Stephan Elliot’s comedy A Few Best.</p> <p> The film grossed $5.3 million for Icon after being released on Australia Day in this country; it will be in cinemas in the UK and Ireland in late August. </p> <p> The Australian/UK co-production opens with the dopey young men at the heart of the film arriving in Australia from the UK.</p> <p> It has already opened in Italy – a sheep walked the red carpet at the Rome Film Festival – Iceland and Vietnam, where it has been in the top five films for a month according to sales agent Arclight Films.</p> <p> It will open in Russia, Argentina, Georgia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Singapore, Lithuania, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Poland in coming months. </p> <p> From before cameras rolled, the film was billed as being from “the writers and producers of Death At A Funeral”: it was written by Dean Craig and produced by Share Stallings and Laurence Malkin – alongside Australia’s Antonia Barnard and Arclight principal Gary Hamilton.</p> <p> Among the Australian stars are Xavier Samuel playing a groom-to-be, Olivia Newton John as the bride’s mother and Rebel Wilson as the bride’s sister.</p> Thu, 17 May 2012 12:40:09 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/16/article/The-Weinstein-Company-buys-a-bucket-of-rights-to-The-Sapphires/OLFPKOYNXQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/16/article/The-Weinstein-Company-buys-a-bucket-of-rights-to-The-Sapphires/OLFPKOYNXQ.html Sandy George <p> The good news keeps coming for the team behind The Sapphires, with The Weinstein Company (TWC) buying international sales rights from Goalpost Films -- minus some territories -- and Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) director Michelle Carey choosing it as her opening night film.</p> <p> Australia and New Zealand, where Hopscotch has held the rights since before cameras rolled, the UK & Ireland, France, Canada, Israel and Portugal are exempt from the Weinstein deal, as are airlines.</p> <p> “These girls light up the screen as much as their music lights up the stage," said TWC co-chairman Harvey Weinstein in a statement issued overnight in New York. "We’re thrilled to bring the stories and music from these sisters to audiences all over the world.”</p> <p> Said Carey: “Not only is this one of the most anticipated Australian films of the year, a Victorian story and a brilliant filmmaking team, the film will leave audiences on an immense high, ready to kick up their heels at what is sure to be one of the most celebratory parties of the year.”</p> <p> The musical has it's out-of-competition world premiere in Cannes this Saturday. The MIFF opening night is 10 weeks later on August 2 and the film will be in cinemas seven days later.</p> <p> It is based on Tony Briggs’ stage play of the same name and he and Keith Thompson wrote the big-screen version with Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne producing for Goalpost Films Australia.</p> <p> Inspired by the true story of Briggs's mother and her family,Œ The Sapphires is set in 1968 when four talented singers from an Aboriginal mission in Victoria are discovered by an unlikely talent scout, branded as Australia’s answer to The Supremes and taken to Vietnam to entertain the troops and learn about love, friendship and war.</p> <p> Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy and newcomers Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell play the four women and Chris O’Dowd from Bridesmaids is in the role as their manager.</p> <p> “Passionate, innovative and creative marketing and distribution is what independent films require to reach an audience," said Bligh. "The Weinstein Company is one of the most talented distributors of independent films in the world, and we are thrilled that the film is in such great hands. It is a wonderful acknowledgement of the extraordinary work of the cast and crew, led so magnificently by director Wayne Blair.”</p> <p> Blair is well known in theatre circles as a director and actor but has directed a lot of series television and won the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for Djarn Djarns in 2005. He said that having the Australian premiere in Melbourne felt “completely right” as the women grew up in Yorta Yorta country in Victoria.</p> <p> Some MIFF program details will be made available on June 5 and the full program will be released on July 11.</p> Wed, 16 May 2012 07:42:12 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/15/article/Bob-McMullan-replaces-Alaric-McAusland-as-Ausfilm-chair/FZYTRCUGNL.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/15/article/Bob-McMullan-replaces-Alaric-McAusland-as-Ausfilm-chair/FZYTRCUGNL.html Sandy George <p> Bob McMullan, a former Labor minister in the Paul Keating Government, is replacing Alaric McAusland as Ausfilm’s chair despite not being a member of Ausfilm and being based in London.</p> <p> That said, as a former arts minister, he has a very good understanding of the commercial and cultural value of film and television production and, as a former minister of trade, he is familiar with the challenges of succeeding in international markets. After many years in politics he also has formidable contacts.</p> <p> McMullan recently retired from politics and now works asŒ executive director to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, representing Australia, Korea, New Zealand and Egypt. </p> <p> He is also an Adjunct Professor for the Crawford School of Public Policy in the Australian National University. </p> <p> He takes up the new role on July 1.</p> <p> The news was announced overnight during Ausfilm Week London, which is designed to develop co-production opportunities between Australian and UK producers and ends today.</p> Tue, 15 May 2012 11:11:51 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/15/article/Spierig-Brothers-have-a-new-film-being-spruiked-in-Cannes/XMOAUJAQWO.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/15/article/Spierig-Brothers-have-a-new-film-being-spruiked-in-Cannes/XMOAUJAQWO.html Sandy George <p> Amidst the masses of media releases being churned out by international sales companies on the eve of Cannes is the news that Arclight is preselling Michael and Peter Spierig’s science fiction thriller Predestination in Cannes.</p> <p> Attached to the film isŒ Ethan Hawke, who worked with the directing brothers on the Australian vampire picture Daybreakers.</p> <p> Producers Patrick McDonald and Tim McGahan are working with executive producer Vince Gerardis, whoŒ has that credit on the US TV series Game of Thrones.</p> <p> The Predestination storyline focuses on a temporal agent who must recruit his younger self, while pursuing the one criminal who has eluded him throughout time, so that his law enforcement career can continue for all eternity.</p> <p> The film is based on the Robert A Heinlein short story All You Zombies but is not a zombie flick.</p> <p> “This is one of our favourite short stories for the simple fact that we can confidently say: this is unlike anything you've ever read before,” said the Spierig Brothers in a statement.</p> <p> “The short is on many sci-fi lists as one of the greatest short stories of all time, and the mother of all time paradox tales. Heinlein is considered one of the great science fiction masters along side Phillip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke.”</p> <p> Daybreakers grossed more than $50 million worldwide, $30 million of which came from North America.</p> <p> IF Magazine reported late last year that the Spierig Brothers’ film Jungle was not going ahead as planned and that the Screen Australian investment had lapsed.</p> Tue, 15 May 2012 11:08:20 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/15/article/Development-funding-for-Stenders-Teplitzky-Edgerton-brothers/XFSENSXGJP.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/15/article/Development-funding-for-Stenders-Teplitzky-Edgerton-brothers/XFSENSXGJP.html Amanda Diaz <p> A musical from Red Dog director Kriv Stenders, a feature about the choir of hard knocks directed by Jonathan Teplitzky and an untitled project from Joel and Nash Edgerton are three of 16 features that have received a share of $400,000 in development support from Screen Australia. Of these 16 projects, ten are new additions to the development slate, while the remaining six have been receiving ongoing assistance. Screen Australia’s head of development Martha Coleman said in a statement that the calibre of features was outstanding. “There’s a general acknowledgement from the marketplace that our filmmakers have raised the bar and I think the next wave of films in the coming years will be really interesting.”</p> <p> Synchronicity, which is written by Marissa Goodhill,Œ produced by Leesa Kahn and Catriona Hughes and has Kriv Stenders attached as director, is a musical set to the songs of Kylie Minogue. It follows 17-year-old Kylie Power as she is given one last chance to pursue her dream of being a synchronised swimmer.</p> <p> Choir of Hard Knocks will be directed by Jonathan Teplitzky and produced by Jason Stephens. The story focuses on a group of disparate people banding together to find their voice under the guidance of their choirmaster.</p> <p> The untitled project from the Edgerton brothers has Nash attached as writer/producer and director and Joel as co-writer.</p> <p> Julia Leigh (Sleeping Beauty) also received development funding for Disquiet, another film based on one of her novels. </p> <p> The full list of films are as follows:</p> <p> ALEX AND EVE: romantic comedy, producer Murray Fahey, executive producer Bill Kritharas, writer Alex Lykos, co-writer Geoffrey Atherden, director Peter Andrikidis. Synopsis: A Greek Orthodox boy falls in love with a Lebanese Muslim girl creating a mismatch made in heaven. Based on the hugely crowd-pleasing play of the same name.</p> <p> BACKTRACK: thriller, producer Jamie Hilton, writer/director Michael Petroni. Synopsis: Senior clinical psychologist Peter Bower’s life is in turmoil when he reluctantly accepts that all his patients are ghosts. Upon further investigation he discovers they all died on the same day. In a spine-tingling, supernatural thriller, Peter travels back to his past to confront a secret he has kept for 20 years.</p> <p> BANJO & MATILDA: action romance, producer Bill Leimbach, writer David Roach, director Bruce Beresford. Synopsis: It’s 1895 in Central Queensland and, with the country in turmoil, a young city poet and journalist travels to a remote sheep station to track down a political agitator. When the clashes between union shearers and landowners turn to violence, a man is found dead in a billabong. Was it suicide or murder? Based on the extraordinary true story of Banjo Paterson, Samuel Hoffmeister and Waltzing Matilda.</p> <p> BYZANTIUM: drama, producer Melanie Coombs, writer/director Cris Jones. Synopsis: After a road accident on the highway, a young man finds himself trapped in a strange, remote town where nothing – and no one – is as it seems.</p> <p> CHOIR OF HARD KNOCKS: drama, producer Marian Macgowan, executive producer Jason Stephens, writer Pip Karmel, director Jonathan Teplitzky. Synopsis: A disparate and desperate group of people transcend their hopelessness and band together to find their voice, rediscovering, under the baton of their choirmaster, a dignity and purpose that their ravaged lives had threatened to destroy.</p> <p> CHRONICAL: science fiction, producer Lisa Shaunessy, executive producer Michael Rymer, co-producer James Whitlam, writer/director Seth Larney. Synopsis: The son of a scientist is called to the future to solve the world’s oxygen crisis and save the woman he loves.</p> <p> DISQUIET: psychological horror, writer/director Julia Leigh. Synopsis: A haunting tale of a family in extremis, based on her own novel.</p> <p> THE GLASS BLOWER: drama, producer Paul Sullivan, writer/director Denie Pentecost. Synopsis: 20-year-old Nicole is a cleaner at a prestigious art college but dreams of becoming a glass blower. When new teacher Kiera discovers her talent, Nicole accepts her help and they form an unconventional relationship leading Nicole to a buried secret that has been kept from her since she was a child.</p> <p> JOE CINQUE’S CONSOLATION: crime drama, producer Sue Murray, writers Matt Rubinstein, Sotiris Dounoukos, director Sotiris Dounoukos. Synopsis: In early 1997, Anu Singh, a young law student at the Australian National University, began to tell many people she was planning to kill herself. As her mental and emotional state disintegrated, her plans grew more bizarre and macabre, concerning her boyfriend Joe Cinque. In October she knocked Joe out with Rohypnol and then injected him with a lethal dose of heroin. Nobody tried to stop her.</p> <p> KOALA BLUE: comedy, writer Duncan Kennedy.</p> <p> A MURDER OF CROWS: crime, producers Murray Pope, Michael Robertson, writers Shayne Armstrong, Shane Krause, director Nick Robertson.</p> <p> NIM’S ISLAND: THE RETURN OF THE PIRATES: family, producers Chris Brown, Tom Hoffie, writer Ray Boseley, director Brendan Maher. Synopsis: A sequel to the hugely popular family film Nim’s Island.</p> <p> THE POST OFFICE: romantic comedy, producers Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford, writers Emma Vuletic, Justine Flynn.</p> <p> SYNCHRONICITY: musical, producers Leesa Kahn, Catriona Hughes, executive producer Greg Coote, writer Marissa Goodhill, director Kriv Stenders. Synopsis: Set to the hit music of pop star Kylie Minogue, this musical spectacular follows 17-year-old Kylie Power who, upon moving to her father’s hometown of Sydney, is given one last chance to pursue her dream of becoming a synchronised swimming champion.</p> <p> UNTITLED: black comedy, producer Matthew Reeder, executive producer Greg McLean, writer/director Abe Forsythe. Synopsis: A dark comedy about racism set during the Cronulla riots.</p> <p> UNTITLED: drama, producer Nash Edgerton, writers Nash Edgerton, Joel Edgerton, director Nash Edgerton. Œ</p> Tue, 15 May 2012 10:16:33 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Sci-fi-comedy-Iron-Sky-posts-116k-opening/BHNHBYVOXV.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Sci-fi-comedy-Iron-Sky-posts-116k-opening/BHNHBYVOXV.html Amanda Diaz <p> Space Nazi comedy Iron Sky opened over the weekend, taking $116,319 from 45 screens. The Hoyts-distributed film, which follows a group of Nazis from the dark side of the moon as they attempt to invade New York, posted a screen average of $2,585.</p> <p> Iron Sky opened in Europe last month, grossing more than $3 million from Finland, Norway and Germany on its opening weekend and debuting at number one in Finland.</p> <p> Australian production company New Holland Pictures came on board the partcrowdfunded film in 2010, with portions of the film shot in Queensland in early 2011.</p> <p> Unsurprisingly, The Avengers remains at the top of the charts for the third weekend in a row. The Disney picture earned a further $5.2 million from 617 screens, bringing its total gross to $39 million. The film has crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide just 19 days after it began rolling out in cinemas.</p> <p> Dark Shadows, Tim Burton's latest collaboration with Johnny Depp, ranked second at the box office in its opening weekend. The Roadshow film, which stars Australian actors Bella Heathcote and Gulliver McGrath alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green and Helena Bonham Carter, brought in $3,728,805 across 369 screens.</p> <p> The Five-Year Engagement ($1,367,347), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($482,224) and Safe ($442,840) completed the top five.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office in 2012</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="317" src="/image/BoxofficeMay14.bmp" width="623" /></p> Mon, 14 May 2012 16:35:45 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Australia-wins-its-first-ever-Best-of-Rose-dOr/NWWEESGCUJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Australia-wins-its-first-ever-Best-of-Rose-dOr/NWWEESGCUJ.html Paul Bugeja <p> An Australian program, Go Back To Where You Came From, has won the Best of Rose d’Or at the prestigious television festival held each year in Lucerne, Switzerland, for the first time ever.</p> <p> The three-part documentary series apparently had the unanimous support of the 10-member judging panel; it was eligible because it won the award for factual entertainment, one of the 12 categories included in the awards.</p> <p> Produced by Cordell Jigsaw, Go Back to Where you Came From offered six Australians the chance to walk in the shoes of refugees as they undertook a 25-day journey typical of the arduous path some refugees take to get to Australia to claim refugee status.</p> <p> It was a smash hit for SBS, taking the mantle of top-ranked show for 2011.</p> <p> In a statement, SBS managing director Michael Ebeid said he believed Go Back to Where you Came From has set a new standard for SBS Television.</p> <p> Controversially received at the time, “the series sparked national debate about a topic so often hijacked by political campaigning and media headlines, by providing a unique and compelling perspective on the realities of refugee life," he said.</p> <p> The series received recognition at home when it won a Logie for the most outstanding factual show and collected two awards at the 2011 United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Awards for best television documentary.</p> <p> Michael Cordell, a principal of and executive producer atCordell Jigsaw, said that putting the series together was "an extraordinary effort by the production team”. He also thanked the refugees involved for telling the stories, the participants for their bravery in undertaking the journey and SBS for their bold choice in programming.</p> <p> "We believe this series has relevance to so many countries around the world grappling with refugee issues and that played a part in the success of the series at the Rose d'Or,” Cordell said.</p> <p> The format has been sold throughout Europe (Denmark, Israel, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden), South Africa and to BBC America.</p> <p> A second series is in production, featuring former Defence Minister Peter Reith, model Imogen Bailey, former Rose Tattoo front-man Angry Anderson and former 2UE Sydney shock-jock Mike Smith.</p> Mon, 14 May 2012 12:55:24 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Saville-Krawitz-Walker-each-win-two-directing-awards/EZVOHCRXQN.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Saville-Krawitz-Walker-each-win-two-directing-awards/EZVOHCRXQN.html Sandy George <p> Matt Saville, Tony Krawitz and Jeffrey Walker won two awards each at the Australian Directors Guild Awards on Friday evening.</p> <p> Saville won for the episode of The Slap that focused on Harry and for Cloudstreet in the drama series and mini-series categories respectively; Krawitz’s The Tall Man was voted best film in the feature documentary category and he was also chosen as the Finders Award recipient; and Jeffrey Walker was presented with both the inaugural Esben Storm Award for children’s TV for series three of H2O: Just Add Water and the award for TV comedy for Angry Boys.</p> <p> Mrs Carey’s Concert, directed by Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond, was the joint winner of the documentary feature category, and Walker shared his comedy award with Stuart MacDonald and the show’s on-screen star, Chris Lilley.</p> <p> One of the most touching moments of the night was when the audience realised that the young nine-year-old actor who featured often in Storm’s tribute reel was Walker, who said the late director had been one of his mentors. The award was presented by Storm’s widow Lisa Meagher.</p> <p> The awards were held at Sydney’s Maritime Museum and also celebrated the ADG’s 30th Anniversary.</p> <p> The other winners were: Julia Leigh for Sleeping Beauty (features); Ivan O’Mahoney for Go Back to Where You Came From (documentary series); Phoebe Hart for Orchids: My Intersex Adventure (stand-alone documentary); Emma Freeman for Hawke (telemovie); Geoffrey Nottage for episode 5215 of Home & Away (drama serial); both Ken Connor and Kathy Chambers for RocKwiz – On the Road and Mark Adamson for Dancing with the Stars (reality/light entertainment); Damien Toogood for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home (TVC); Steve Rogers for Jack Ladder Cold Feet (music video); Dario Russo for Danger 5: The Diamond Girls (original online project); Ashlee Page for The Kiss (short film); and Epiphany Morgan for The Room (student film).</p> <p> The Cecil Holmes Award for outstanding contribution to the ADG was presented to Stephen Wallace after a very amusing speech by South Australian Film Corporation chief executive Richard Harris, who described Wallace at one stage as looking more like an unmade bed than someone who could make an impact.</p> <p> Armstrong, Wallace, James Ricketston and Chris Noonan were presented as the people who established the ADG in answer to concerns over UK director Claude Whatham directing the 1981 Australian film Hoodwink.</p> <p> This led O’Mahoney, when collecting his award for Go Back To Where You Came From, to make some amusing comments about “not being from these parts” -- but having a NSW drivers’ licence and a citizenship application in the works.</p> <p> The whole evening was reminiscent of a good-natured comedy routine, in part because it was hosted by Craig Reucassel and Chris Taylor from The Chaser. </p> <p> Krawitz winning the Finders Award, given in partnership with the Directors Guild of America, means that The Tall Man will screen in LA to key industry figures, including distributors. Only the directors of ADG feature entries without US distribution are eligible for this screening.</p> <p> Before presenting the award to Krawtiz, Kriv Stenders described it as “the best award he’d ever won” - when in LA with Boxing Day he met producer Nelson Woss, which lead to him directing Red Dog. </p> Mon, 14 May 2012 12:38:41 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/The-Globe-Collector-selected-for-St-Kilda-and-Sheffield-DocFest/RAFRAZJZEK.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/The-Globe-Collector-selected-for-St-Kilda-and-Sheffield-DocFest/RAFRAZJZEK.html Paul Bugeja <p> Director Summer DeRoche’s short documentary The Globe Collector is one of three Australian films that have gained selection in the UK Sheffield Doc/Fest, the June 13-17 event headed by former Australian International Documentary Conference director Heather Croall.</p> <p> The other two films are director Catherine Scott's Scarlett Road, about sex worker Rachel Wotton and her work with clients who have a disability, and Amy Gebhart's We Were Here, which was created using "donated" footage as part of a Screen Australia/YouTube experiment in communal filmmaking.</p> <p> A portrait of one man’s lonely quest to protect a part of technological history being fast forgotten, The Globe Collector showcases the weird and wonderful world of Andrew Pullen, who holds over 10,000 globes in one of the largest private collections. Pullen also happens to have Aspergers Sydnrome, something the film sets out to prove is merely a label for a man who has such an all-consuming passion for electronics.</p> <p> A debut film for DeRoche and producer Andrea DiStefano, who met while studying for the Bachelor of Film and TV at Swinburne University, The Globe Collector is a self-funded seven-minute documentary.</p> <p> Completed in January 2012, the pair submitted the film to Tropfest but it was not selected. Undeterred, DeRoche and DiStefano focused their attention on other festivals, leading to a world premiere at the St Kilda Festival and, now, an upcoming international premiere at Sheffield.</p> <p> DeRoche, whose father is veteran screenwriter Everett DeRoche, is fast gaining recognition for her quirky and unique comedic style. Distefano is an emerging producer who worked as associate producer on the feature film Bran Nue Dae and as post-production supervisor on the feature documentary Murundak – Songs of Freedom. Both will travel to Sheffield with the support of Screen Australia.</p> Mon, 14 May 2012 11:33:14 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Gabriel-sequel-could-become-a-reality/JUGKISYAQU.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Gabriel-sequel-could-become-a-reality/JUGKISYAQU.html Sandy George <p> After being attached to several US projects that have failed to get off the ground, Shane Abbess is returning to Australia to develop a sequel to his $250,000 debut Gabriel, which was picked up by Sony Pictures for worldwide release in 2006.</p> <p> “We are bringing him home to write the screenplay,” producer James Vernon told IF Magazine, “and will do everything we can to make sure that’s his next film and the budget is going to be substantial.”</p> <p> Abbess is still under a first-look deal with the studio and ideally they will sign-on for the next film, Vernon said, but failing that he will finance it through his financing arm MFM.</p> <p> Gabriel told the story of how the title character – played by Andy Whitfield -- fought to rid purgatory of evil fallen angels and save the souls of its inhabitants. The new film, tentatively titled Gabriel: Sins of the Father, is about the consequence and what happened to Gabriel’s son.</p> <p> Whitfield, who played the lead in the US series Spartacus: Blood and Sand a couple of years after Gabriel, died of cancer last year.</p> <p> “I don’t feel like there’s anyone out there who could replace Andy ˆ. (He) wanted to see this story through and I feel we’ve finally found a way to honour both he and the fans with integrity,” Abbess said in a statement.</p> <p> Vernon and his daughter Kirsty Vernon will be producing under the Screen Corporation banner, and Abbess’s production company Storm Alley Entertainment. Screen Corporation will handle international sales.</p> Mon, 14 May 2012 09:58:38 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Paul-Fenechs-Housos-vs-Authority-out-in-November/QONSQTYWJM.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/14/article/Paul-Fenechs-Housos-vs-Authority-out-in-November/QONSQTYWJM.html Sandy George <p> Australian audiences that rush in to see the Paramount Pictures film The Dictator when it opens this week in cinemas will get their first taste of Housos vs Authority, the new feature based on the TV series Housos.</p> <p> That’s because a teaser trailer for Paul Fenech’s latest local comedy will be shown before the latest, similarly politically incorrect feature starring Sacha Baron Cohen.</p> <p> Housos broadcaster SBS has described the series as doing to bogans what Kath and Kim did to lower, middle-class Australia. In the big-screen version a bunch of bludgers go on a trip to Uluru to scatter Shazza’s mum’s ashes on top of Australia’s most famous icon.</p> <p> Housos vs Authority is being ushered into cinemas in early November by Transmission Films, which channels all its films through Paramount’s booking system.</p> <p> The film does not have a sales agent.</p> <p> “Paul Fenech is a comic genius and we know audiences who appreciate the out-there humour of Sacha Baron Cohen and The Dictator, will also get Paul’s unflinching but hilarious take on Australian suburban life in Housos vs Authority,” said Richard Payten and Andrew Mackie in a statement released Friday and attributed to both Transmissions’s joint managing directors. “It’s politically incorrect, it’s mayhem and it’s very, very funny,”</p> <p> Fenech wrote, directed and produced the new film -- and stars as Franky -- which was made on location in Western Sydney, the north coast of NSW and in central Australia. His co-stars are Jason (Jabba) Davis, Elle Dawe (Shazza) and Kevin Taumata.</p> <p> Paul Fenech is best known for his television although Fat Pizza, based on his longest-running SBS series Pizza, graced cinemas in 2003.</p> <p> Larry Charles, who directed the other Cohen films Borat, Religulous and Bruno, and is known for his writing on Seinfield, directed The Dictator, which opens on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday.</p> Mon, 14 May 2012 09:54:07 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/11/article/Kleiman-and-Cynglar-in-Sundance-Lab/WLJEBOJXPJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/11/article/Kleiman-and-Cynglar-in-Sundance-Lab/WLJEBOJXPJ.html Kara Gorey <p> The Sundance Institute has selected the Australian film project Partisan for the 2012 Directors and Screenwriters Lab. It is among 13 projects included in what will be an intensive, hands-on workshop, where experimentation and risk taking is encouraged. Partisan is about an 11-year-old boy who is starting to think for himself after being raised to see the world through his parents' eyes; co-writers Ariel Kleiman and Sarah Cynglar have worked together on over 15 productions and closely collaborated throughout. Ariel Kleiman has already had success at the Sundance Film Festival, with his short film Young Love winning an honorable mention in 2010. Another of his short films, Deeper Than Yesterday, has won over 20 awards at film festivals including a jury prize in international filmmaking at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The labs encourage filmmakers to be innovative and visionary. The projects supported receive financial support through project specific grants and ongoing creative and strategic advice. </p> <p> Keri Putnam, executive director of Sundance Institute, said, “As our offerings for artists continue to grow our hope is that filmmakers have added incentive to remain true to their visions throughout the creative process.” The labs are under the direction of Gyula Gazdag, who will work alongside a group of creative advisors including Gregg Araki, Michael Arndt and Andrea Arnold. </p> <p> The other projects have been selected from Chile, Romania, Argentina, Algeria and other countries. The program takes place at the Sundance Resort in Utah in June. Œ</p> Fri, 11 May 2012 12:06:39 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/11/article/Narnia-at-The-Powerhouse-from-tomorrow/RJXRUOHWNN.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/11/article/Narnia-at-The-Powerhouse-from-tomorrow/RJXRUOHWNN.html Paul Bugeja <p> The high-profile Harry Potter exhibition may have come and gone from The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, but magic remains in its cavernous space as, hot on the heels of Harry, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition arrives tomorrow (May 12) and runs through until August 26. Produced by Global Experiences Inc (GES) in partnership with Walt Disney and Walden Media, this state-of-the-art entertainment and educational exhibition is based on the famous CS Lewis seven-book chronicles -- it is said that 100 million copies have been sold in more than 47 languages -- and the blockbuster film series. Signing in for the exhibition launch, drifts of "snow" gently fell upon attendees, preparing them for the journey to a winter-locked Narnia. And yes, of course, as anyone who has read the books would expect, the portal to this world is through the famous wardrobe, replete with furs coats and jackets to brush past as one moves from our "normal" world to one where a cruel white witch rules, animals can speak and children have it in them to become Kings and Queens. This is, however, no mere collection of items used in the film series. Lewis, it would appear, was something of a futurist, integrating into his Narnia chronicles the notions of humanity’s affect upon the environment and, in particular, the possibility of human-induced climate change. GES have embraced this foresight and produced the exhibition to incorporate the notion of fantasy as a means of investigating science and the environment, and the result is a three-dimensional interactive experience that embraces the senses. Whether it’s placing your hand upon the ice-cold surface of the frozen waterfall or setting off a real catapult, many children and adults alike will find The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition a wonderful way to experience Aslan’s Country. <img alt="" height="669" src="/image/bear3.jpg" width="500" /></p> <p> Œ</p> <p> <img alt="" height="669" src="/image/castle.jpg" width="500" /></p> <p> Exhibits from the Narnia exhibition at Sydney's Powerhouse </p> Fri, 11 May 2012 09:44:03 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/10/article/Odins-Eye-will-need-more-films-after-Warners-deal/YMHKVIRUTX.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/10/article/Odins-Eye-will-need-more-films-after-Warners-deal/YMHKVIRUTX.html Sandy George <p> Sydney-based Michael Favelle will be acquiring more films for his sales agency Odin’s Eye Entertainment (OEE) as a result of his new deal with Warner Bros Digital Distribution.</p> <p> “We have been acquiring eight to 12 films per year for the core international business and will now probably pick up 12 to 18 more, many of which will be documentaries,” Favelle told IF Magazine.</p> <p> The Warner deal is for electronic sell through and video on demand distribution of films via cable, satellite and broadband platforms in North America – and this will be front-of-mind when Favelle is considering films because it may suit certain niche titles to be distributed in this way.</p> <p> All sales agents are watching the changing way people consume films and are also very aware of how quickly a big advance can be quickly whittled away as a result of the distributor subtracting marketing and other expenses.</p> <p> Favelle sees this deal as giving him flexibility within the potentially lucrative but complicated US market: he is splitting the rights for internet, pay and free-to-air television, DVD and distribution between many partners in an attempt to get better returns than if he were to sell them all to one US distributor.</p> <p> “I’ve turned down a lot of distributor deals lately because I felt the property was undervalued and this way I’m ensuring good returns in the short term and right through the life of the film,” he said.</p> <p> “We are not handing it over for many years or cashing it out. In essence, with this deal, we are cutting out the middleman. Many mid-tier US distributors go through a studio distributor for sell through and VOD.”</p> <p> Warner is not obliged to take all OEE’s titles and OEE does not have to use Warners but the Australian company expects 20 films to go through the deal per year.</p> <p> OEE is the only significant sales agent headquartered in Australia – although Arclight has a local office and there are some very minor players – and Favelle strongly believes that this has created a skills and knowledge gap, particularly among younger producers.</p> <p> Over the last two years ScreenWest paid for several emerging producers to be at Cannes with OEE to better learn how the market operates in practical terms, and to improve their packaging and pitching skills.</p> <p> In the past, the main federal funding agency has supported the establishment of sales agents in this territory.</p> <p> OEE picks up films from across the world but its most successful is the Australian film Damned By Dawn. But, says Favelle: “Forbidden Ground, which is still in post, is performing exceptionally well and will undoubtedly become our highest earner.”</p> Thu, 10 May 2012 18:46:29 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/09/article/Chambers-moves-into-producing-with-Greg-McLean-film/HZXFSQTNKS.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/09/article/Chambers-moves-into-producing-with-Greg-McLean-film/HZXFSQTNKS.html Sandy George <p> If Wolf Creek director Greg Mclean’s planned new thriller Kill Me Three Times gets some good pre-sales at Cannes, former Screen NSW chief executive Tania Chambers will get her first feature film credit as a producer.</p> <p> Chambers has been working closely for many months with A Few Best Men and Death At A Funeral producing pair Laurence Malkin and Share Stallings to set up the film in Australia.</p> <p> “As a film executive, I always described developing and financing films as an extraordinary jigsaw puzzle and now that I'm experiencing it first hand as an indie producer, it's even more complicated and exciting than I thought it was,” Chambers told IF Magazine from Paris.</p> <p> “I am extending my skills and enjoying the formation of a great creative team, all for the purposes of making this movie we are passionate about.”</p> <p> Chambers returned to Western Australia, where she used to run state film agency ScreenWest, after resigning from Screen NSW last year. She is working on a variety of projects with a range of people.</p> <p> According to London-based Screendaily.com, which broke the story about the new film, Kill Me Three Times is being represented by US sales and financing company Cargo Entertainment.</p> <p> Abbie Cornish, Ben Mendelsohn and Sullivan Stapleton are the Australians attached but the lead role is to be played by Brazilian-born Alice Braga, who is in Walter Salles’sŒ adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s cult book On The Road, which was in official competition in Cannes and was today named among the line-up of competition films in the Sydney Film Festival.</p> <p> Kill Me Three Times is set in an Australian surfing town inhabited by a young woman who links three tales of murder, blackmail and revenge.</p> Wed, 09 May 2012 17:09:57 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/08/article/Shortland-and-Krawitz-both-have-films-in-competition-in-Sydney/FQKYYKEVZZ.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/08/article/Shortland-and-Krawitz-both-have-films-in-competition-in-Sydney/FQKYYKEVZZ.html Sandy George <p> Cate Shortland and Tony Krawitz, who are married to each other, both have films among the 12 titles in competition at next month’s Sydney Film Festival.</p> <p> Lore, a drama set during World War II and based on the novel The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert, is Shortland’s feature film follow-up to Somersault, while Dead Europe, also set in Europe but a contemporary story adapted from a novel by Christos Tsiolkas, is Krawitz’s first dramatic feature film after his acclaimed short Jewboy and the recent documentary The Tall Man. Tsiolkas also wrote The Slap, on which the acclaimed television series was based.</p> <p> The other debuts in the competition line-up include Korean filmmaker Yuen Sang-Ho’s The King Of Pigs, US director Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild and Brazilian Kleber Mendonca Filho’s Neighbouring Sounds.</p> <p> The veterans in the program include Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, with their Golden Bear winner Caesar Must Die, and Water Salles with On the Road, a big screen adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s famous book.</p> <p> Nashen Moodley unveiled his first Sydney Film Festival program today at Customs House at Circular Quay, including the eight films that will be vying for the Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize.</p> <p> This line-up includes new films from animator Bruce Petty and Son of a Lion director Benjamin Gilmour, and two films that tell indigenous stories from Australia’s past, Francis Jupurrurla Kelly and David Batty’s Coniston Massacre and Steven McGregor’s Croker Island Exodus.</p> <p> The festival opens on June 6 with the world premiere of Australian film Not Suitable For Children, a debut feature for Peter Templeman, who was nominated for an Oscar for his short film The Saviour in 2007. The film stars local actor Ryan Kwanten of True Blood fame.</p> <p> It will close 11 days later with another debut full of humour: US director Colin Trevorrow’s science fiction comedy Safety Not Guaranteed.</p> <p> Half the 10 finalists in the Dendy Awards for Australian short films have already been seen at festivals abroad. The Official Competition titles are: Alps, director Yorgos Lanthimos Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin Caesar Must Die, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani Dead Europe, Tony Krawitz Gangs of Wasseypur, Parts 1 and 2, Anurag Kashyap The King of Pigs, Yuen Sang-Ho Lore, Cate Shortland Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonca Filho On the Road, Walter Salles Tabu, Miguel Gomes Today, Alain Gomis The Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize titles are: Coniston Massacre, directors Francis Jupurrurla Kelly, David Batty Croker Island Exodus, Steven McGregor Despite the Gods, Penny Vozniak Dr. Sarmast’s Music School, Polly Watkins Killing Anna, Paul Galasch Missing in the Land of the Gods, Davor Dirlic Paramedico, Benjamin Gilmour Utopia, Bruce Petty. The titles in the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films are: BINO, director Billie Pleffer Dance Me to the End of Love, Martha Goddard Dave’s Dead, Alethea Jones Dumpty Goes to the Big Smoke, Mirrah Foulkes The Hunter, Marieka Walsh Julian, Matthew Moore The Maker, Christopher Kezelos Rippled, Darcy Prendergast The Wilding, Grant Scicluna Yardbird, Michael Spiccia</p> Tue, 08 May 2012 22:22:25 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/08/article/SBS-gets-158-1-million-funding-boost/MKMUNENODC.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/08/article/SBS-gets-158-1-million-funding-boost/MKMUNENODC.html Sandy George <p> SBS scored an additional $158.1 million over five years in the 2012-13 budget tonight to “ensure it remains a vibrant and dynamic broadcaster” and to give it the resources it needs get a new indigenous free-to-air channel into Australian lounge rooms by the end of the year.</p> <p> “This represents the most significant funding boost SBS has ever had, and will ensure SBS can continue to provide a unique broadcasting service that includes comprehensive television, radio and online services,” said the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy in a statement.</p> <p> In the context of Australia being a multicultural society, he described the broadcaster as “one of Australia’s most important institutions” and noted that it was being affected by a rapidly changing broadcasting landscape.</p> <p> “This additional funding will allow SBS to address its immediate financial pressures, adapt to the changing media environment and build or upgrade its technology capabilities,” he said. But he also implied that the independent production sector would benefit from more commissioning activity. </p> <p> The National Film and Sound Archive is another institution that will benefit from the budget, being one of eight collecting institutions that has received a funding boost of $39.3 million over four years. </p> Tue, 08 May 2012 20:43:06 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/08/article/Dark-Shadows-star-Gulliver-McGrath-talks-Tim-Burton-and-tea-with-Scorsese/ZJYFOUDAYA.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/08/article/Dark-Shadows-star-Gulliver-McGrath-talks-Tim-Burton-and-tea-with-Scorsese/ZJYFOUDAYA.html Amanda Diaz <p> Gulliver McGrath may have missed out on the lead role in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning film Hugo, but that didn't stop the 13-year-old from hitting it off with the veteran director.</p> <p> After being flown to New York audition for the title character, McGrath lost out to Asa Butterfield but was offered a smaller role instead.</p> <p> With the story of Hugo paying a tribute to the magic of cinema, it's no surprise that the young actor found himself bonding with Scorsese over a mutual love of old films. The pair even had tea in the director's trailer, with Scorsese gifting McGrath with copies of Nosferatu and Metropolis.</p> <p> The Melbourne-born actor, who now lives in the UK with his parents and two younger brothers, will be seen next in Tim Burton's film revival of the 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows.</p> <p> In the film, McGrath plays the great-nephew of vampire Barnabas Collins (played by Johnny Depp).</p> <p> "He's a very misunderstood little boy," says McGrath of his character. "He really likes Barnabas because Barnabas doesn't judge him. They become friends."</p> <p> The film, which also stars Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Australian actress Bella Heathcote, shot for five months at Pinewood Studios in the UK.</p> <p> The young actor particularly enjoyed his scenes with Depp. "He was a very nice guy," he says. "Very sweet and funny - a very talented actor." He is also full of praise for Daniel Day Lewis, who plays his on-screen father (and the President of the United States) in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.</p> <p> Gulliver, or Gully, as he prefers to be called, first started out in acting after being cast in a commercial when he was six. He has also appeared in an episode of Rush and horror film The Loved Ones.</p> <p> ŒDark Shadows opens in cinemas May 10.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="333" src="/image/Dark Shadows 1.jpg" width="500" /> Gulliver McGrath, Jonny Lee Miller, Michelle Pfeiifer and Chloe Moretz</p> Tue, 08 May 2012 11:48:23 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/Nott-wins-the-ACS-Award-of-the-night/VPOJDHTZGC.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/Nott-wins-the-ACS-Award-of-the-night/VPOJDHTZGC.html Sandy George <p> Ben Nott was crowned Australian cinematographer of the year for his work on director Stuart Beattie’s local hit Tomorrow When The War Began at the annual national awards of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS).</p> <p> Among the 15 other cinematographers also presented with Golden Tripods at the presentation at Sydney’s Manly Pacific Hotel were Mark Wareham for Cloudstreet in the television drama section, Nick Matthews for The Palace in the section for fictional drama shorts and Brad Dillon for episode 13 of the dramatized documentary series Fatal Attractions.</p> <p> The other winners were Iain Mackenzie and Aron Leong (commercials), Mark Lamble (wildlife/nature), Campbell Munro (non-fiction television), Peter Barta, Daniel Soekov and Tarryn Southcombe (news and current affairs), Callan Green (music clips), Andrew Deubel (promos), Daniel Graetz (experimental) and Boris Vymenets (student).</p> <p> Television personality Ray Martin was master of ceremonies at the awards, held at Sydney's Manly Pacific Hotel, and actor Rebecca Gibney was a special guest.</p> <p> One Golden Tripod is given out in each category and all these winners were then considered for the Milli Award, the honour this year granted to Nott, who did not attend. The only way to be considered for an ACS national award is to first win gold at a state or territory level; Nott won in Queensland.</p> <p> Several ACS members were inducted into the ACS hall of fame being David Eggby, David Muir and Barry Woodhouse.</p> <p> As already announced, Emmanuel Lubezki won the international award for his efforts on Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and Jimmy Ennett was selected as the emerging cinematographer deserving of an award – he will now do an internship on the set of The Railway Man.</p> <p> Heidi Tobin, Craig Pickersgill, Martha Ansara and David Lewis were all acknowledged with awards for special contribution to the society.</p> Mon, 07 May 2012 16:48:37 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/The-Avengers-continues-to-dominate-with-a-whopping-8m-weekend-gross/MTWXPFCTOL.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/The-Avengers-continues-to-dominate-with-a-whopping-8m-weekend-gross/MTWXPFCTOL.html Amanda Diaz <p> Walt Disney's The Avengers continued to dominate the box office in its second weekend. The film dropped 38 per cent compared to its previous weekend outing despite gaining an extra six screens, but still grossed a whopping $8,232,502 million, bringing its total to date to more than $31 million.</p> <p> The movie opened in the US on Friday and broke opening weekend records with a gross of $200 million. The previous weekend record holder in America was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($169.2 million)</p> <p> Universal's The Five-Year Engagement opened in second place, taking $1.9 million across 276 screens. The romantic comedy stars Emily Blunt and Jason Segel and features Jacki Weaver in her first Hollywood role since being nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Animal Kingdom.</p> <p> “I just thought it was so charming with such a great sense of humour that I couldn’t have thought of a better way to start working in America,” Weaver told IF Magazine of the film.Œ</p> <p> Scott Hicks's The Lucky One dropped to third place ($617,444), with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($505,147) and Roadshow's Act of Valour rounding out the top five ($432,795).Œ</p> <p> Hopscotch/EOne's film Wish You Were Here remains number one of the limited release list (films that have only ever screened on less than 50 screens), but lost 24 per cent, dropping from ninth to tenth place on the overall chart. The film took a further $211,596 over the weekend, bringing its total gross to $644,743.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office in 2012</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="283" src="/image/BoxOfficeMay7.bmp" width="623" /></p> Mon, 07 May 2012 16:06:22 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/David-Michods-new-project-is-a-dirty-and-dangerous-western/EOUCZIYXJT.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/David-Michods-new-project-is-a-dirty-and-dangerous-western/EOUCZIYXJT.html Sandy George <p> Producer Liz Watts is calling David Michod’s new film The Rover “a dirty and dangerous near-future western set in the Australian desert”.</p> <p> She confirmed what the Internet is buzzing about: that Guy Pearce and Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson are in discussions to play, respectively, a man in pursuit of the people who stole his car and the brother of one of the thieves in Michod's follow-up to Animal Kingdom.</p> <p> Reluctantly, Watts also added a few more details: it is hoped that The Rover will go into production late in the year and discussions about the project started 18 months ago between Michod and US producer David Linde.</p> <p> Last year Linde opened the production and financing outfit Lava Bear Films with backing from Reliance Entertainment. At the time the company announced it had a first-look deal with Universal Pictures for the US and other significant international territories. Linde was, at one time, co-chair of Universal.</p> <p> Linde is producing with Watts of Porchlight Films and Lava Bear president Tory Metzger will also be prominent in the credits.</p> <p> Watts said that Libby Sharpe will act as line producer and the intention was to claim the producer offset.</p> <p> Michod wrote the script based on an idea dreamt up by he and Joel Edgerton, one of Michod’s six partners in the Sydney-based film collective Blue-Tongue Films.</p> Mon, 07 May 2012 14:12:13 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/Salute-to-get-a-UK-cinema-release/NJFQMZFNKO.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/Salute-to-get-a-UK-cinema-release/NJFQMZFNKO.html Sandy George <p> It’s a 2008 documentary but Salute has been sold to Arrow Films for an imminent UK theatrical release because of its relevance to the Olympic Games, which kick off in London on July 27.</p> <p> Salute is about a very symbolic event in the history of African-America civil rights and the part played in that event by champion Australian sprinter Peter Norman.</p> <p> It was in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City that Tommie Smith won the 200 metres, Norman came second and John Carlos came third – and all hell broke loose in sporting circles when the two Americans raised their fists in support of black power after accepting their medals.</p> <p> What happened on the podium that day was highly controversial because many saw it as politicising the Olympics and all three sprinters paid the price, including Norman, who made it clear he supported his fellow runners. Norman died in 2006 and never ran for his country again.</p> <p> It is understood that Smith will be in London to support the release of the film, the world rights of which are owned by Sydney-based sales agent Odin’s Eye Entertainment.</p> <p> Salute was written and directed by Norman’s nephew Matt Norman, who has a strong interest in documentaries about social justice.</p> <p> One of the projects he has in development is about Schapelle Corby, who has been imprisoned in Bali since being found guilty of drug charges. Norman says he would stake his career on the fact that she is innocent.</p> Mon, 07 May 2012 13:29:04 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/My-Thai-Bride-a-Hot-Docs-winner/VDXFIRUJUB.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/My-Thai-Bride-a-Hot-Docs-winner/VDXFIRUJUB.html Sandy George <p> </p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> My Thai Bride, directed by David Tucker and produced by he and Michael Cordell,Œ won the award for best mid-length documentary at the prestigious Hot Docs Festival in Toronto on Friday night.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> The confronting 54-minute film is about what happens after a Welshman in his 40s marries a Thai woman he meets in a bar and returns to the poor rural area from which she comes.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> “My Thai Bride is a film that takes the story of an unlikely couple and through subtle analysis extends their human dramas into a moving examination of political, cultural and economic power dynamics,” reads the jury statement. “It is a film that destabilizes its viewer's empathy through a nuanced and even-handed portrayal of charged, contradictory terrain, and reframes who exactly is the conqueror and conquered.”</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> The award, one of 10 presented at Hot Docs, is further proof of the film's strength: it was one of four by new documentary makers chosen to be included in the First Factual Film Festival (F4), which is staged early each year as part of the Australian International Documentary Conference.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> In the F4 awards, it received a special mention and at that time the jury said it was a film that stayed with them because of its complexity and deeply upsetting moral ambiguity about a subject so often stereotyped.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> “It is very well crafted and showed an intriguing transformation of the two central characters – both victims of the global economy."</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> Tucker studied psychology before becoming a filmmaker and My Thai Bride is his longest film to date.</p> Mon, 07 May 2012 13:21:15 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/Six-AFTRS-shorts-to-screen-as-part-of-Cinema-Des-Antipodes-at-Cannes/ITJOYIIJOC.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/07/article/Six-AFTRS-shorts-to-screen-as-part-of-Cinema-Des-Antipodes-at-Cannes/ITJOYIIJOC.html Amanda Diaz <p> Six student short films from the Australian Film Television and Radio School will screen in a specially designated program at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.</p> <p> Cinema des Antipodes is an organisation directed by Bernard Bories that screens and supports Australian and New Zealand films in France. Its non-competitive program runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival main program.</p> <p> The dedicated AFTRS session consists of six films including writer/director Ben Matthews' Emily, which is currently in the running for a Student Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category. The psychological thriller examines teen suicide from the perspective of a parent.</p> <p> Meryl Tankard, the creator of the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony also has a film in the program. Moth, which stars Sophie Lowe, is a story inspired by accounts from Australian reform schools in the 60's and 70's.Œ</p> <p> For a complete list of films, see below:ŒŒ</p> <p> Moth Written by Alana Valentine & Meryl Tankard (Graduate Diploma Directing 2010) Directed by Meryl Tankard Stars Sophie Lowe and Madeleine Madden. Moth is the story of three young women's determination to be free, and is inspired by the stories from many reform schools in Australia in the 60's and 70's, and the brutal methods used to discipline the girls. Playground Written & Directed by Ricardo Skaff (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2010) A man who lives alone in an isolated miserable existence, starts to hear voices who lead him to an abandoned, hidden playground. He finds himself rediscovering the simple pleasures of happier times and the pure and unadulterated joys of a forgotten childhood. Emily Written and Directed by Ben Mathews (Graduate Diploma Directing 2010 and also a current Screenwriting student at AFTRS) A psychological-thriller that grapples with the issue of teen suicide, exploring the situation from the persecutive of the parent. Inferno Written & Directed by Stephen McCallum (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2011) After a failed escape attempt from their hellish colonial prison, four Irish convicts await a punishment of 300 lashes at dawn. When the first of their number dies on the triangle before the lashes are complete, the three remaining prisoners are faced with the promise of an agonising death by the whip. To escape this suffering the convicts concoct a plan where they have to commit murder in order to get hanged. The Last Match Written by Tom Keele & Julian Shaw (Graduate Diploma Directing, 2011 and also a current AFTRS Master of Screen Arts (MSA) student) Directed by Julian Shaw 1989: the World Wrestling Federation is taking over the globe one VHS tape at a time. This is bad news for Val Georges (Craig McLachlan), a middle-aged wrestling promoter who has fallen on hard times. 'The Streak', Val's one genuine star, is threatening to jump ship to a rival promoter (Marcus Graham) and his arena is being foreclosed. Val has one night to save his empire, or face the end. The Love Song of Iskra Prufrock Written and Directed by Lucy Gaffy (Graduate Diploma Directing 2009 and also a current AFTRS Master of Screen Arts (MSA) student) Iskra is a Croatian refugee and radiologist who works in an inner-city. In an effort to recover from her violent past, Iskra has made her life one of ritual. But she finds that her new life is a lonely one, until she meets Leo. Œ</p> Mon, 07 May 2012 09:52:04 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Exhibitors-told-35mm-prints-may-disappear-from-Australia-within-18-months/XPAIHQKPLN.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Exhibitors-told-35mm-prints-may-disappear-from-Australia-within-18-months/XPAIHQKPLN.html Sandy George <p> The 152 delegates who attended the annual conference of the Independent Cinemas Association of Australia (ICAA) this week were told to expect that there will be no more 35mm prints available for their screens from the end of next year.</p> <p> But they were also assured by ICAA that every major distributor operating in Australia would be putting their names to a virtual print fee (VPF) deal for independents, which will have the affect of offsetting some of the capital costs of the transition to digital at a standard acceptable to the US studio distributors.</p> <p> “It is difficult to put a date on when it will be finalised,” said Adrianne Pecotic, who has been in the role of ICAA chief executive for eight weeks. “In part, that’s because there are a limited number of lawyers in the studios who can sit down with Cinedigm and finalise the paperwork.”</p> <p> Cinedigm and Christie are key partners in ICAA’s VPF deal and are playing a big part in setting up ICAA’s Melbourne-based Network Operations Centre, which is being financed by membership levies and being fitted out over the next two months.</p> <p> This centre will also be available to single screen operators that don’t qualify for the VPF -- ICCA represents Dendy and Palace and other big circuits but 25 per cent of members only have one screen – and non ICAA members who wish to take advantage of it.</p> <p> “The core objective of the conference was to get as much information across as we could, and we did that,” said Pecotic.</p> <p> Delegates met over three days for a series of presentations and panel sessions at the Dendy Opera Quays in Sydney.</p> <p> ICAA has 91 members in Australia, representing 509 screens, and 46 associate members in New Zealand, representing 153 screens. Independents own more than 250 digital screens in Australia but not all of them are ICAA members.</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 14:08:43 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Becker-picks-up-Naomi-Watts-film-for-Australia/OAITFMYAJT.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Becker-picks-up-Naomi-Watts-film-for-Australia/OAITFMYAJT.html Sandy George <p> The Becker Film Group has just acquired Australian and New Zealand rights to Caught in Flight, the film in which Naomi Watts is to play Princess Diana.</p> <p> The UK film is scheduled to go into production in July and is the first to be represented internationally by sales and financing company Embankment Films, which has already made sales to more than 40 territories.</p> <p> “From my perspective, Princess Diana is one of the great stories of our time, and Naomi Watts has a great profile in Australia and I hope she will come out and support the release,” said Richard Becker.</p> <p> The film is a love story between Princess Diana and heart surgeon Dr Hasnat Khan to be directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, who made Downfall. The producers are Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae of Ecosse Films, and the script has been written by Stephen Jeffreys.</p> <p> Becker said Caught in Flight and his other two most recent pick-ups – The Words, about a writer (Bradley Cooper) at the peak of his success who must pay the price of plagiarism, and Writers, about a novelist (Greg Kinnear), his ex wife (Jennifer Connelly) and their children – are the execution of a new strategy: he wants to continue to target a mature audience but with quality films that are on a bigger scale, with good stories, strong characters and better-known cast.</p> <p> “I don’t see a lot of really strong character-driven films that target the mature AB demographic from Australian producers and I’m not interested in genre films or films for young adults.”</p> <p> Becker is releasing David Pulbrook's Australian drama Last Dance, which tells of a holocaust survivor (Julia Blake) held hostage by a terrorist (Firass Dirani).</p> <p> Margin Call, The Last Station, Female Agents and The Reluctant Infidel are among the Becker Group’s most recent releases.</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 13:54:05 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Emily-Blunt-and-Jason-Segel-talk-The-Five-Year-Engagement/MCCCEQSPZV.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Emily-Blunt-and-Jason-Segel-talk-The-Five-Year-Engagement/MCCCEQSPZV.html Danii Logue <p> Writing believable female characters can be difficult for screenwriters, not so for Jason Segel. The actor, who co-wrote his latest film, The Five-Year Engagement with his Forgetting Sarah Marshall director, Nick Stoller, attracted English actress Emily Blunt with a strongly-written female lead.</p> <p> “I really liked that the female role was such a laugh. She was so much fun and kind of awkward and flawed and there was something messy about the character. It didn’t feel like a guy had written a girl and objectified the girl,” Blunt told IF, adding that her co-star’s talent for writing female characters stems from the fact that he “writes them as guys.”</p> <p> “I think trying to imagine the heart of a woman is a really poor approach. I think people are generally the same,” Segel explained, praising Blunt’s performance in bringing the character to life. “I think one of the things people notice about the movie is that Violet seemed like a very realised woman. 80 per cent of that is due to Emily Blunt’s performance.”</p> <p> The Five-Year Engagement follows Tom (Segel) and Violet (Blunt) over a period from their engagement as they struggle to make it down the aisle and is the third time the stars have worked together (previous projects include Gulliver’s Travels and The Muppets).</p> <p> To fill the smaller roles Segel and Stoller looked to the small screen. It was Community and Mad Men’s Alison Brie who had the difficult job of mimicking Blunt’s English accent in her role as Suzie, Violet’s younger sister.</p> <p> It was a task Blunt helped with. “I sent her recordings of me telling stories or just talking to her. Which was so weird because I didn’t know her that well so I was like ‘Hi Alison, it’s Emily...’ She just listened to them and when I arrived on set I was like ‘ooh she sounds quite a lot like me’”</p> <p> Though she retained her English accent for the film, there was a voice Blunt had to master - the Cookie Monster. “I was so nervous,” she reveals, discussing the scene in which Violet and Suzie argue as the Cookie Monster and Elmo.</p> <p> “Nick got the idea because his little daughter, Penny, is always trying to get him to do voices and stuff,” she said. “So when he’s trying to have a conversation with his wife Penny will be going ‘Do the silly man voice’ or whatever. So he got the idea that that could be funny, could be a funny way to have an argument with two strange characters”</p> <p> The Five-Year Engagement is in cinemas across the country</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="316" src="/image/Blunt and segel.JPG" width="448" /> Emily Blunt and Jason Segel in The Five-Year Engagement</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 12:28:13 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/See-Saw-appoints-Jamie-Laurenson-as-head-of-television/AVWDPYAXWS.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/See-Saw-appoints-Jamie-Laurenson-as-head-of-television/AVWDPYAXWS.html Sandy George <p> See-Saw Films has hired former senior BBC executive Jamie Laurenson as its head of television, to be based in the company’s London office from July.</p> <p> See-Saw, owned by Sydney-based Emile Sherman and UK-based Iain Canning, is currently in production on its first television show, Top of the Lake, a six-part series being directed by Jane Campion for BBC2, UKTV Australia and the Sundance Channel – and for distributor BBC Worldwide.</p> <p> Laurenson was executive producer for BBC Films & commissioning editor for drama for BBC 4 for four years. Films he was involved in included An Education, My Week With Marilyn, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and the documentary Project Nim, and his television credits include Toast and Holy Flying Circus. </p> <p> “Jamie is the perfect fit for our company,” said See-Saw in a statement. “As an incredibly experienced film and television executive we are excited by his decision to focus solely on developing and growing our television business. “Increasingly there appears to be no distinction between film and television talent and hiring Jamie puts us in the best position to take advantage of that.”</p> <p> Laurenson said: “I have been very lucky to work with a host of immensely talented people whilst at BBC Films and am very grateful for all I’ve learned here from colleagues and collaborators. I'm really looking forward to the new challenge and to continuing a strong relationship with the BBC."</p> <p> Since it was established in 2008, See-Saw’s production credits have included Steve McQueen’s Shame, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech, which won the Academy Award for best film in 2011, Oranges and Sunshine from Jim Loach and The Kings of Mykonos from Peter Andrikidis.</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 11:51:05 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Screen-Australia-invests-5-6-million-across-four-TV-projects/ZUXPZIECDO.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Screen-Australia-invests-5-6-million-across-four-TV-projects/ZUXPZIECDO.html Amanda Diaz <p> Screen Australia has invested $5.6 million across four TV projects, including a comedy series for Nine, an ABC telemovie and two shows for Network Ten.</p> <p> Nine's House Husbands tells the story of four modern Australian families through the eyes of stay at home dads. The ten-part series is produced by Sue Seeary and Drew Proffitt and will be directed by Geoff Bennett and Shirley Barrett. The show's stable of seven writers includes Griff the Invisible screenwriter Leon Ford.</p> <p> After being commissioned by the ABC <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/10/31/article/Andrew-Knight-adapting-Peter-Temples-The-Broken-Shore-into-ABC-telemovie/JGDAIFZRRU.html" target="_blank">last October</a>, Essential Media & Entertainment's adaptation of Peter Temple's novel The Broken Shore has also received funding. The adaptation is written by Andrew Knight, directed by Jeffrey Walker and produced by Ian Collie. It follows big-city detective Joe Cashin as he discovers that all may not be as it appears in a quiet coastal town.</p> <p> FremantleMedia is producing Mr & Mrs Murder for Ten. The 13-part series will star Shaun Micallef and Kat Stewart as a married couple that combine a cleaning business with solving crimes that cops can't. Andy Walker and Jason Stephens are producing and the writers' room will include Marieke Hardy, Glen Dolman and Doug MacLeod.</p> <p> Ten also received financing for a 26-part children's animation series. Get Ace from production company Galaxy Pop follows the adventures of an ordinary school kid whose life changes dramatically after his teeth are accidentally fitted with a set of top-secret, high-tech braces.</p> <p> According to chief executive Ruth Harley, Screen Australia has invested in 116 hours of adult and children's television drama this financial year.</p> <p> This latest funding round is expected to generate more than $32 million in production.</p> <p> TELEVISION DRAMA THE BROKEN SHORE Essential Media & Entertainment Producer Ian Collie Writer Andrew Knight Director Jeffrey Walker International Sales eOne, Hopscotch Australian Broadcaster ABC Synopsis Soon after big-city detective Joe Cashin is posted to a quiet town on the Australian coast the whole community is thrown into unrest by the murder of a local philanthropist, a man with some very disturbing secrets. HOUSE HUSBANDS Playmaker Media Producers Sue Seeary, Drew Proffitt Executive Producers David Taylor, David Maher Writers Ellie Beaumont, Michael Miller, Blake Ayshford, Drew Proffitt, Christine Bartlett, Leon Ford, Matt Ford Directors Geoff Bennett, Shirley Barrett International Sales Nine Network Australian Broadcaster Nine Network Synopsis House Husbands is a comedy drama about four modern families with one thing in common – the men are in charge of raising the kids. A warm, funny and real look at the way we live today, House Husbands proves that just because you have kids doesn’t mean you stop acting like one. MR & MRS MURDER FremantleMedia Australia Pty Ltd in association with Bravado Productions Producers Andy Walker, Jason Stephens Executive Producer Jason Stephens Writers John Banas, Jonathan Gavin, John Hugginson, Doug MacLeod, Christine Bartlett, Katherine Thomson, Marieke Hardy, Glen Dolman Director TBC International Sales DCD Rights Australian Broadcaster Ten Network Synopsis A clean freak with a heightened sense of justice, and a misfit with an encyclopaedic knowledge of just about everything, married couple Nicola and Charlie run an extreme cleaning business which specialises in crime scenes. Armed with wit, smarts and the invisibility that cleaning brings, the duo solve the crimes the cops can’t in a murder mystery with a smile. CHILDREN’S TELEVISION GET ACE Galaxy Pop Pty Ltd Producers Gian Christian, Dina McPherson Writers Dina McPherson, Ray Boseley, Brendan Luno International Sales Moonscoop Australian Broadcaster Ten Network Synopsis Meet Ace McDougal... just your average, everyday nerdy school kid... Well he was, until he happened to be in the wrong dentist’s chair at the wrong time and accidentally said the wrong secret codeword. Next thing he knew he’d been fitted with a set of top-secret, ultra high-tech experimental braces. From that moment on he’s catapulted – teeth first – into one oddball adventure after another! Now he’s the kid proving you’re never too nerdy to be cool! Œ</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 11:14:26 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Arclight-picks-up-Justin-Dix-debut-Crawlspace/KAQPANBTUD.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Arclight-picks-up-Justin-Dix-debut-Crawlspace/KAQPANBTUD.html Sandy George <p> Melbourne-based prosthetics and production design whiz Justin Dix has had his debut feature as a writer/director, Crawlspace, picked up by Gary Hamilton’s sales agency Arclight Films.</p> <p> Arclight got in contact immediately after the credits rolled at a screening of the science fiction action thriller in Los Angeles three weeks ago, and will premiere it at Cannes under the Darlight banner.</p> <p> The deal does not include North American rights, which are held by LA-based XYZ Films.</p> <p> Crawlspace is about a group of elite soldiers who infiltrate a top-secret underground military compound, only to discover that the facility is a testing ground for something far more sinister.</p> <p> The cast includes Ditch Davey, Amber Clayton, Peta Sergeant, Nicholas Bell, John Brumpton and Leslie Simpson.</p> <p> Although set under the Australian desert, it was entirely filmed at Docklands Studios Melbourne with private financing.</p> <p> “I’ve worked on a lot of low-budget Australian films, including 100 Bloody Acres and The Loved Ones, and took what I learned from them,” Dix told IF Magazine. “They say its easier to shoot a film in one room and I had one room but it was a very big room and we built 16 amazing sets in there.”</p> <p> Dix wrote the film with Eddie Baroo and Adam Patrick Foster and produced it alongside John Finemore and Nicholas Sherry. Greg McLean, James Hoppe and Craig McMahon are the executive producers.</p> <p> During the recent LA trip Dix also secured an agent and pitched his next film, Declassified, which is also “claustrophobic, military and spooky”.</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 10:49:28 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Jacki-Weaver-on-The-Five-Year-Engagement/PDHLVJDRCG.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/04/article/Jacki-Weaver-on-The-Five-Year-Engagement/PDHLVJDRCG.html Danii Logue <p> Prior to 2010’s Animal Kingdom Jacki Weaver had spent almost a decade away from film and television but now, with an Oscar nomination under her belt, she’s making a name for herself in Hollywood.</p> <p> Her first project, The Five Year Engagement sees Weaver put Janine Cody firmly in the rearview mirror.</p> <p> “I did receive some scripts playing evil old criminals who meet a sticky end but I think I was well-advised to try and make a departure,” she said, “I just thought it was so charming with such a great sense of humour that I couldn’t have thought of a better way to start working in America”</p> <p> The Five Year Engagement, the latest comedy from Nick Stoller, Jason Segel and Judd Apatow, the creative team behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall. tells the story of Tom (Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt), an engaged couple who can’t seem to find their way down the aisle. Weaver plays Sylvia, Blunt’s mother but despite this, confesses she didn’t think her scenes would make it into the film.</p> <p> “I’m surprised I’m still in the film. We shot about four hours of stuff. I reckon we could do a TV series out of it and a lot of it, of necessity, even though it’s a long film has gone by the wayside.”</p> <p> The reason for this, Weaver explains, is that the cast, which includes numerous comedy stars from Alison Brie (Community) and Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreation) to Mindy Kaling (The Office) were encouraged to improvise as much as they’d like.</p> <p> “There was a script, a really good script that we would always shoot exactly as scripted for two or three takes. And when he had that in the can then we were given our head. And some of it was outrageous, I have to say. I’ve never laughed so much in my life.”</p> <p> The Five Year Engagement is Weaver’s first Hollywood film but it certainly won’t be her last. Other films set to be released this year include The Silver Linings Playbook and Stoker alongside Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska. She is also set to start shooting Wild Oats, a comedy alongside Shirley MacLaine, Jon Voight and Alan Arkin, later this year. The Five Year Engagement is in cinemas now.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="333" src="/image/Jacki Weaver Five year still.JPG" width="500" /> Jacki Weaver plays Sylvia, the mother of Emily Blunt's character in the film </p> <p> Œ</p> Fri, 04 May 2012 10:47:29 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/02/article/Ward-Entwistle-Peak-honoured-by-Independent-Cinemas-Association/EXBHZKEHEU.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/02/article/Ward-Entwistle-Peak-honoured-by-Independent-Cinemas-Association/EXBHZKEHEU.html Sandy George <p> Long-time exhibitor and distributor Robert Ward is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Independent Cinemas Association of Australia (ICAA).</p> <p> Ross Entwistle and Barry Peak have also been honoured by ICAA as the inaugural recipients of the Mark Sarfaty Award for outstanding contribution to independent cinemas in the past year. </p> <p> The awards were presented as part of the ICAA Conference which has been happening at Sydney’s Dendy Opera Quays this week. </p> <p> Entwistle and Peak have been recognised for their hard work in putting a virtual print fee deal in place to help independent exhibitors – including non-ICAA members – meet the cost of converting to digital.</p> <p> As ICAA says on its website, they “put the interests of members before their own businesses in spending countless hours negotiating this scheme.”Œ </p> <p> The award honours former chief executive of ICCA, Mark Sarfaty, who passed away in November 2011. The conference program is a mix of presentations from distributors and panel discussions. As has been the case for many years, the move to digital dominates the discussion.</p> <p> Entwistle is nearing the end of his three-year term as a board member of Screen Australia. </p> Wed, 02 May 2012 15:07:37 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/02/article/Good-line-up-of-Brits-at-AusFilm-Week-London/PISGAAIUVW.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/02/article/Good-line-up-of-Brits-at-AusFilm-Week-London/PISGAAIUVW.html Sandy George <p> Zephyr Films founder Chris Curling is one of many UK producers taking part in this year’s Ausfilm Week London and, as one of the producers on Death Defying Acts, has already experienced the particular needs of UK/Australian co-productions.</p> <p> The mid-May pre-Cannes event is designed to develop co-productions between Australia and the UK -- both feature film and high-end television series – through a series of networking events and panel discussions aimed at familiarising delegates with the funding and production landscape of their potential partners.</p> <p> Also on the list of attendees is Carlo Dusi, head of business and commercial affairs at Ridley and Tony Scott’s production company Scott Free. Ridley Scott cast Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe in his 2010 action adventure Robin Hood. </p> <p> Others include Carola Ash, one of the two people heading 2B Pictures, the production arm of the finance-focussed Future Films Group, and Alison Meese, who is in charge of UK acquisitions for the French production and distribution behemoth StudioCanal. </p> <p> Representatives from the film division of two broadcasters are also in the line-up: senior commissioning executive Katherine Butler and head of film production Tracey Josephs from Film 4, Channel 4 Television’s feature film division; and executive producer Jamie Laurenson and head of business affairs Simon Gillis from BBC Films.</p> <p> Many of AusFilm’s private and government members are taking part alongside a number of producers including Mario Andreacchio, Karen Radzyner, Trish Lake, Heather Ogilvie, Cathy Overett, Vincent Sheehan, Mark Ruse, Tim White, Dee McLachlan, Sue Taylor, Janelle Landers and Angie Fielder. The three-day event starts with a May 13 screening of Wish You Were Here, which Fielder produced. </p> Wed, 02 May 2012 13:22:24 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/02/article/Aussie-horror-film-Muirhouse-to-premiere-at-Cannes/FAGWZRWUOX.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/02/article/Aussie-horror-film-Muirhouse-to-premiere-at-Cannes/FAGWZRWUOX.html Milana Vulovic <p> The ghost-themed independent feature Muirhouse, written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Tanzeal Rahim from The Media Collective, is one of the Australian films that will be screening in the market at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.</p> <p> Muirhouse feels like a film made from "found-footage": shot on location by cinematographer Dan Freene (Wasted on the Young), the film actualizes the real-life horror themes of one ofŒ the most haunted -- reportedly -- homesteads in Australia, The Monte Cristo in Junee, NSW.</p> <p> The history of the house is littered with stories of foul play, murder and painful death, all of which are explored with a hand-held camera style reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. </p> <p> The small cast and crew shot the entire film on-site over a two-year period beginning in May 2010.</p> <p> “The feeling in the house is something else," said Muirhouse leading man Iain PF McDonald. "You immediately feel like you’re being watched when you enter. It’s creepy."</p> <p> Rahim said the attention Muirhouse attracted from industry professionals prompted him to premiere the film at Cannes, where it will screen twice. No sales agent is attached.</p> <p> “We are very confident in Muirhouse and feel it’s more a question of who, not if, in regards to distribution,” said Rahim. </p> <p> McDonald, a Brisbane-bred Sydney actor, said his latest gig is on Australian writer/director Antony J Bowman's new film Almost Broadway, which is currently filming in Los Angeles. Bowman directed Hugh Jackman and Claudia Karvan in Paperback Hero back in the 90s. He has cast several Australians, including Cameron Daddo, in his new film. </p> <p> McDonald has appeared in a number of short films andŒ commercials including Rahim's The Piano Brothers for Advanced Medical Institute. Executive producer Aisha Deeb is also attending Cannes alongside the pair. Œ</p> Wed, 02 May 2012 12:33:50 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/01/article/Teresa-Palmer-hopes-to-film-Track-Town-in-2013/SGRJJCNQFJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/01/article/Teresa-Palmer-hopes-to-film-Track-Town-in-2013/SGRJJCNQFJ.html Amanda Diaz <p> It's a truth universally acknowledged that a young actress with a string of blockbusters to her name must also have her own production company. But whether that company actually produces anything depends on many things, including the ambitions of the person.</p> <p> Since co-founding production company Wood Cabin Pictures (formerly Avakea Productions) with model and actress Tahyna Tozzi almost three years ago, Teresa Palmer has been developing the script for Track Town, a film centred around the hip hop culture in Adelaide.</p> <p> "It's a gritty Australian story set in the 90s," Palmer tells IF. "It's the story of two women in their twenties who are polar opposites. They accidentally kill the brother of this underworld figure and so they're being pursued and they meet interesting characters on the road. There's humour and action and drama."</p> <p> The script is currently in finishing stages with the plan being for Palmer and Tozzi to play the film's leads.</p> <p> "We hope to shoot it next year in Adelaide, low-budget guerilla style," says Palmer. "I would love to direct it, that's a huge dream, I don't know if it could be a reality. Even just the producing side of it has been eye-opening, I've realised that I'm very passionate about all facets of filmmaking."</p> <p> The actress can currently be seen in Kieran Darcy-Smith's directorial debut Wish You Were Here and will co-star alongside Nicholas Hoult in zombie love story Warm Bodies. She will also appear opposite Liam Hemsworth in romantic drama AWOL, a film she compares to The Notebook. Œ</p> Tue, 01 May 2012 10:51:32 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/05/01/article/The-Sapphires-gets-gala-midnight-screening-at-Cannes/TKTTVKGTYS.html http://if.com.au/2012/05/01/article/The-Sapphires-gets-gala-midnight-screening-at-Cannes/TKTTVKGTYS.html Sandy George <p> The Sapphires, director Wayne Blair’s feel-good feature debut, is one of seven new films added to the Cannes Film Festival line-up overnight.</p> <p> The musical comedy set in the 1960s will have its world premiere screening at a midnight out-of-competition gala screen on May 19.</p> <p> Inspired by a true story, The Sapphires is about a group of young women from a remote Aboriginal mission given the opportunity to go to Vietnam and sing for the troops.</p> <p> Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell play the all-girl group billed as an Australian version of The Supremes and Irish actor Chris O’Dowd from Bridesmaids plays the unlikely talent scout who discovers them.</p> <p> “The Sapphires is the kind of film that comes along once in a lifetime,” said Goalpost Pictures Australia producers Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne in a statement released overnight by the local distributor Hopscotch Films/Entertainment One. “From the moment we first heard of these amazing young Aboriginal women, we knew the story of how they discovered soul music and dared to live their dream had all the ingredients to captivate and enchant cinema audiences.”</p> <p> Blair, who won a Crystal Bear for The Djarn Djarns in 2005, worked from a script written by Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson.</p> <p> The film’s financial backers include Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Efilm Australia, IFS Capital and EFIC.</p> <p> The late addition means Australia now has a feature in official selection, although short film Yardbird is in competition. According to Screen Australia, there will be 12 local films screening in the market. The festival runs from May 16 to 27.</p> Tue, 01 May 2012 06:58:34 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Convergence-Review-strongly-supports-Australian-content/FOVAJZIKQC.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Convergence-Review-strongly-supports-Australian-content/FOVAJZIKQC.html Sandy George <p> The final report of the Convergence Review, released this afternoon, strongly supports the social and cultural value of Australian content and makes it very clear that, without intervention, it will drop to unacceptable levels.</p> <p> As flagged in the interim report, it is proposed that the current rules applying to free-to-air and subscription television be repealed but that a new technology-neutral regime be uniformly applied to all players, including the networks’ digital multichannels, internet-delivered channels with television-like content and on-demand services.</p> <p> To be one of the “content service enterprises” subject to the new regime, a service must be screening or offering professional television-like drama, documentary and/or children’s programs, and meet not-yet-determined minimum revenue and audience thresholds. This means that platforms that predominantly run user-generated material and social media sites escape the recommendations.</p> <p> If a service falls into this category it will be required to invest a percentage of its revenue into Australian drama, documentary and children’s programs, or into a “converged content production fund” with a very broad remit.</p> <p> As well as getting contributions from these enterprises, the fund will receive spectrum licence fees from broadcasting services and direct funding from the taxpayer. Finance from the fund will go to traditional and innovative programming, regionally-focussed Australian content, games and other applications, as well as content that supports Australian contemporary music.</p> <p> The 177-page report contains many recommendations on media ownership and control, content standards, and spectrum allocation and management. It provides a picture of current legislative frameworks, the effect of leaving the media and telecommunications landscape as it is, and a proposed new world order – and a three-stage approach to its implementation.</p> <p> Having a transitional period is recommended on the Australian content front, during which subquotas on the main commercial free-to-air are increased by 50 per cent -- to make up for how little local content is on the multichannels – and the 10 percent minimum expenditure requirement on eligible drama subscription channels is extended to children’s and documentary programming.</p> <p> The review committee states that there is a continuing case for government support for Australian production – again, it is drama, documentary and children’s programming that needs intervention – and it has stuck by its guns in recommending that the value of the producer offset should go up from 20 to 40 per cent for “premium” television content, putting it on the same footing as features. It also recommends that an offset be introduced for interactive entertainment.</p> <p> On the business and legal conditions under which independent producers operate, the review committee of Glen Boreham (chair), Malcolm Long and Louise McElvogue, have passed the ball back to the government.</p> <p> The report emphasises that it is pushing for principles-based legislation so that the future can be accommodated. It also opts for the creation of a new independent statutory regulator to replace the Australian Communications and Media Authority. This new body would include a classification board.</p> <p> If the recommendations are adopted there will be a significant shake-out and both winners and losers. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, released the report and said the government would respond “in due course”.</p> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:41:29 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/The-Avengers-takes-13-3m-on-record-opening-weekend/SQYHKDYGGT.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/The-Avengers-takes-13-3m-on-record-opening-weekend/SQYHKDYGGT.html Amanda Diaz <p> After setting an <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/The-Avengers-posts-record-opening-day-at-box-office/CUIJMKDWAJ.html" target="_blank">opening day record </a>last Wednesday, Disney's The Avengers has gone on to post the eighth biggest opening weekend of all time.</p> <p> The film now ranks behindŒ both installments of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, The Two Towers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Star Wars: Episode III on the list of the Australian box office's most successful opening weekends.</p> <p> The Avengers took $13,288,146 across 621 screens, equating to a screen average of $21,398, placing it in front of The Simpsons Movie ($13,230,894) and Shrek 2 ($13,158,161) and just behind Star Wars prequel Revenge of the Sith ($13,350,781).</p> <p> Written and directed by Joss Whedon, The Avengers features an ensemble of superheroes (including Aussie Chris Hemsworth as the god Thor) teaming up to save the Earth from the threat of an invading alien army. The film's total gross now stands at $19.3 million.</p> <p> After topping the charts on its opening weekend, Adelaide-based director Scott Hick's new film The Lucky One dropped 47 per cent to $1.2 million. It was one of two offerings from Roadshow in the top five. Dystopian thriller The Hunger Games saw a drop of 54 per cent in its sixth weekend of release. The film has now grossed $29.8 million in total.</p> <p> Fox's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($792,979) dropped 33 per cent, while Universal's American Pie: Reunion ($679,206) lost 55 per cent.</p> <p> Kieran Darcy-Smith's directorial debut Wish You Were Here ranked ninth at the box office on its debut weekend. The Aquarius Films production, which is distributed by Hopscotch, opened on 38 screens and took $279,538, resulting in a healthy screen average of $7,356 - a figure only beaten by The Avengers.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office in 2012</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="283" src="/image/BoxofficeApril30.bmp" width="623" /></p> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:32:14 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Cameras-roll-today-on-Teplitzkys-The-Railway-Man/GIKSIVMDZX.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Cameras-roll-today-on-Teplitzkys-The-Railway-Man/GIKSIVMDZX.html Sandy George <p> The 10-week shoot scheduled for Jonathan Teplitzky’s fourth feature, The Railway Man, starts today in Scotland, before moving to Thailand and Queensland.</p> <p> When local distributor Transmission Films comes to market the official Australian/UK co-production next year their job will be made easier by the two Academy Award winners in the cast: Nicole Kidman, who won her Oscar for The Hours in 2003, and Firth, who won his for The King’s Speech in 2010.</p> <p> The focus of The Railway Man is real-life British Army officer Eric Lomax who, years after he and thousands of other prisoners were forced to work on the construction of the Thai/Burma railway during World War II, returns to Thailand to confront his tormentor Nagase Takashi.</p> <p> Jeremy Irvine and Firth play Lomax at different times in his life and Hiroyuki Sanada plays Nagase. Kidman’s role is that of a woman who helps Lomax rid himself of his demons and becomes his wife.</p> <p> The film is based on an autobiographical book of the same name written by Lomax and the story has already been told in a documentary titled Enemy My Friend, which includes footage of the actual meeting between Lomax and Nagase on a bridge on the River Kwai.</p> <p> UK-based producer Andy Patterson wrote the script with Frank Cottrell Boyce and chose Queensland’s Chris Brown as his Australian partner. The third producer is Bill Curbishley.</p> <p> Paterson worked with Teplitzky on his most recent film, Burning Man. Teplitzky’s first two films were Better Than Sex and Gettin’ Square.</p> <p> The Railway Man is being made under the Pictures in Paradise and Archer Street production banners and is backed by Screen Australia in association with Silver Reel, Screen Queensland, Creative Scotland and Lionsgate UK.</p> <p> The executive producers are Claudia Blümhuber and Ian Hutchinson from Silver Reel, Zygi Kamasa for Lionsgate UK, Anand Tucker and Daria Jovicic.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="333" src="/image/RAILWAYMAN03.jpg" width="500" /> Director Jonathan Teplitzky (centre) flanked by some of his actors, l-r, Jeremy Irvine, Colin Frith, Nicole Kidman and Stellan Skarsgård</p> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:29:35 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Quickflix-to-stream-content-to-Xbox-360-consoles/YPYZLHMXQN.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Quickflix-to-stream-content-to-Xbox-360-consoles/YPYZLHMXQN.html Staff reporter <p> Online movie company Quickflix has announced a new partnership with Microsoft, which will see content streamed directly to Xbox 360 consoles.</p> <p> Quickflix's catalogue of films and TV series will be available on a subscription service basis, with Xbox Live Gold subscribers able to stream unlimited content for a low monthly fee.</p> <p> The last twelve months has seen the company expand its reach across a range of platforms and devices, including tablets, smart TVs and mobile phones.</p> <p> The service will be available in Australia and New Zealand later this year.</p> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:15:32 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Filming-commences-on-ABC-telemovie-The-Mystery-of-a-Hansom-Cab/VPSPHMULLG.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/30/article/Filming-commences-on-ABC-telemovie-The-Mystery-of-a-Hansom-Cab/VPSPHMULLG.html Amanda Diaz <p> Filming has commenced in Melbourne on ABC telemovie The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.</p> <p> The Burberry Entertainment productionŒ is an adaptation of the 1886 novel of the same name by Fergus Hume.</p> <p> The story follows the consequences of a fateful night when two men get into a hansom cab, but only one comes out alive. The book, which was last adapted for the screen in 1926, is often described as the first international crime blockbuster.</p> <p> The cast includes Shane Jacobson (Beaconsfield), Anna McGahan (Underbelly: Razor), Helen Morse (The Eye of the Storm), Oliver Ackland (The Slap) and John Waters (Offspring).</p> <p> "We are thrilled to be making this stunning period piece which exquisitely depicts Melbourne in the midst of a 19th century population and economic boom," said Burberry Entertainment chief executive Ewan Burnett in a statement.</p> <p> The telemovie is written by Glen Dolman, produced by Margot McDonald and directed by Shawn Seet.</p> <p> Shooting wraps on May 25.</p> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:30:55 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/27/article/Seven-West-Media-downgrades-earnings-expectations/CNXTVCSYIX.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/27/article/Seven-West-Media-downgrades-earnings-expectations/CNXTVCSYIX.html Brendan Swift <p> Seven West Media's shock earnings downgrade earlier this week sent its shares into a nosedive and has cast a pall over the media sector.</p> <p> The company said the TV, newspaper and magazine market is unlikely to strengthen in the final quarter. The company, which has led the TV ratings by a substantial margin, now expects full year earnings before interest and tax between $460 million and $470 million, implying a second half earnings fall of 25-30 per cent.</p> <p> The announcement sent Seven shares more than 22 per cent lower yesterday.</p> <p> Deutsche Bank analysts said the trading update, released after the market closed on Tuesday, was a disappointment and showed the pressure that traditional media companies are under. Rival network Ten posted a 40 per cent first half decline in group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation earlier this year.</p> <p> "This weak trading update despite the strong TV ratings performance, suggests that the company is finding it difficult to monetise its rating success and the significant investment in content in the subdued market conditions," Deutsche Bank analysts said.</p> <p> Deutsche Bank expects traditional advertising revenues to decline by 2.5 per cent across the industry in 2011-12.</p> <p> Seven also said it remains committed to keeping costs below CPI except continuing investment in programming in its television division. Deutsche Bank estimates that Seven's AFL expenditure of $100 million will drive up costs in its television division by 8.3 per cent.</p> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:32:22 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/27/article/Bill-Bennetts-Defiant-starring-Toni-Collette-being-set-up-as-Aus-film/FMDRXCDQNG.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/27/article/Bill-Bennetts-Defiant-starring-Toni-Collette-being-set-up-as-Aus-film/FMDRXCDQNG.html Sandy George <p> The production team are hoping to get Australian status, and therefore the producer offset for the qualifying Australian expenditure, on director Bill Bennett's Defiant, which has Toni Collette and Dev Patel attached and is scheduled to start filming in India in October.</p> <p> The thriller is one of a number of high-profile Australian films in planning that are being presented at the Cannes Film Festival next month by sales agents; in this case, The Little Film Company.</p> <p> All the filming will happen in India with as many Australian heads of department as possible, and all the post in Australia.</p> <p> Sydney-based Anupam Sharma, who is producing with Bennett, isn’t discussing financing sources in detail but said the budget will be in excess of $6 million and no Indian production partner is in place as yet.</p> <p> Bennett has written the thriller, which was sparked by an article he saw in an Indian newspaper about five years ago. The story tells of two young Indian lovers wanting to marry against the wishes of their parents who, as a result, have arranged to have them killed. The third key character is a journalist, to be played by Collette.</p> <p> “Bill did some really hard on-ground research, travelling over six weeks and thousands of kilometres talking to victims, propagators, advocates, people opposing honour killings, lawmakers and breakers, politicians and so on,” Sharma told IF Magazine.</p> <p> “The script captures such fine and multilayered, vibrant and positive nuances of the Indian culture, apart from exposing the politics behind so called honour killings, that I could swear it was written by an Indian.”</p> <p> Screen NSW assisted the filmmakers to attend the Strategic Partners co-production market in Halifax and Screen Australia has provided development funds. Bennett’s agent at William Morris Endeavour, Robert Newman, has been helping in the search for partners.</p> <p> Executive producer Robbie Little is calling the film part Romeo and Juliet and part Bourne Ultimatum.</p> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:07:36 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/ACS-recognises-The-Tree-of-Life-cinematographer-Emmanuel-Lubezki/BJLBPOCRYU.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/ACS-recognises-The-Tree-of-Life-cinematographer-Emmanuel-Lubezki/BJLBPOCRYU.html Brendan Swift <p> Emmanuel Lubezki ASC AMC has won the ACS's international award for cinematography for his work on Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.</p> <p> It is the second time that Lubezki has won the Australian Cinematographers Society award after the 2006 sci-fi film Children of Men.</p> <p> The Tree of Life, a poetic film about childhood in the 1950s starring Brad Pitt, won the Cannes Film Festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.</p> <p> It was shot using an Arricam Lite and Arricam 235 with Arri/Zeiss Master Prime and Ultra Prime lenses, according to American Cinematographer magazaine. Lubezki used Kodak Vision2 500T 5218 and 200T 5217 film stock.</p> <p> Lubezki's body of work also includes Burn after Reading, The New World, Sleepy Hollow, Ali, Meet Joe Black and he is currently shooting another film with Malick, titled Lawless.</p> <p> Previous recipients of the ACS's international award for cinematography include Dion Beebe ACS ASC, Roger Deakins BSC ASC, Anthony Dod Mantle BSC DFF and Robert Richardson ASC.</p> <p> The award will be presented at the ACS 2012 National Awards for Cinematography in Sydney on <a href="http://www.cinematographer.org.au" target="_blank">Saturday, May 5</a>, which will be hosted by Ray Martin and attended by special guest of honour, Australian actor Rebecca Gibney.</p> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:29:39 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/Animal-Logic-brings-Coca-Colas-polar-bears-to-life/UUTOMDRLGE.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/Animal-Logic-brings-Coca-Colas-polar-bears-to-life/UUTOMDRLGE.html Sam Dallas <p> This article also appears in the current issue of IF (#146, April-May 2012). The print article incorrectly reported that Framestore was responsible for the for the animation and shading of the polar bears, when the work was actually completed by Animal Logic. The error has been corrected.</p> <p> An audience of more than 111 million American football fanatics is enough to inspire great VFX work. For director David Scott and his team at Australian VFX house Animal Logic that work involved creating realistic CGI polar bears in three Coca-Cola spots (Catch, Superstition and Arghh) that aired at this year’s Superbowl.</p> <p> “I think the difference between these spots to how the polar bears had been seen before was that in a lot of the older commercials, it was sort of centred around family, so you’d have a polar bear family doing what they do – whereas this was quite specifically targeting people at home watching the Superbowl,” New Zealand-born Scott says.</p> <p> “So it meant they had to be very relatable and approachable and because of the live nature of it as wellˆ they’re just like us watching the game – that dictated a large part of how the bears would be designed.”</p> <p> Their look was important – the team wanted the big bears to also have large upper bodies to mimic the US footballers. But they also had to be cuddly and not vicious.</p> <p> “If you go to the zoo or you look at BBC footage, they’re actually pretty shaggy and pretty dirty so the trick was to really find a balance that meets people’s expectations of what a polar bear is versus a real polar bear,” Scott explains. “So we spent a lot of time basically making the fur ultra shiny and very huggable and cute you know – that was a very big consideration.”</p> <p> Fur systems built upon from previous Animal Logic feature films – such as Happy Feet and Sucker Punch – assisted the team. Initially, the three scripts were about the bears sitting on the couch watching the NFL’s big game. The Animal Logic team submitted a treatment which covered the design process – basically the look and the style of not only the bears but the environments.</p> <p> As part of that treatment, Scott suggested covering the commercials much like how the Superbowl was actually shot – swoop in over the action, shoot from the sidelines and employ ultra-slow motion shots.</p> <p> “Before we got too far into storyboarding, we just thought ‘it’s really all about the bears, it’s about the character’ – the bears are not really realistic but they have to be charming and endearing and carry all these qualities of being relatable, so we put the focus number one on designing the bear,” Scott says. “Then we did a few keyframes of the environment – because it was also very important to Coke and [advertising agency] Wieden that we had to make the environments sort of epic and very magical as well."</p> <p> The storyboarding process then began and the team put together animatics for all three spots. “That’s really great to help you work out the basic timing, the basic choreography, and all that sort of stuff – temp music, temp sound,” Scott says.</p> <p> Because of the very specific timing of the gags, the team spent longer on storyboards for the Superstition clip. But for the minute-long Catch spot – clearly the most complicated of the three – pre-vis was entered into early to see how the timing worked and for camera placement and movement.</p> <p> Animal Logic completed the animation and shading of the bears employing shaders originally developed for Happy Feet, which have since been refined.</p> <p> “The ice and snow shaders are just a really good level of control for the texture artists so they can compose cracks and air bubbles and stuff like that throughout the depth of the ice,” CG supervisor Feargal Stewart says. “And these are just things they can do with texture maps and then the shader takes care of the depth and the subsurface and all those beautiful shading qualities.”</p> <p> Scott adds: “There was some amazing shading work done on the start of it – just the way that the eyes reflect the light and the sparkles on the eyes. One thing that was very key in terms of the shading and effects work especially was just how these bears actually slip and slide on the ice, because the story point of Catch is it’s sort of accidental football – the bears don’t set out to play a football game, but it happens because one of the bears tried to catch the bottle and he accidentally slips and slides.</p> <p> “We went through quite a few reiterations on that because the ice was too deep – it kind of looked like watery sludge. And if it was too thin it didn’t really have an impact so it was a lot of great development happened there.”</p> <p> Stewart says the biggest challenge for the team – which was based in LA for the final stages because of the intensive review process – was the scarves. “The scarf had a basic animation rig which meant that it moved around with the bear properly and then on top of that the animators could then control and offset and make the scarf flop over the shoulder or flop down or wherever it needed to go to look good for the shot.”</p> <p> Because the Superbowl spots needed to reference the game itself between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, the pipeline had to accommodate last-minute additions.</p> <p> “We set up a pipeline there which was based on colour grading scarves and coming up with the process, and the months leading up to that we would actually produce a way to be able to change the colour but do it completely in post after everything had been rendered,” Scott says.</p> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:08:55 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/The-Avengers-posts-record-opening-day-at-box-office/CUIJMKDWAJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/The-Avengers-posts-record-opening-day-at-box-office/CUIJMKDWAJ.html Brendan Swift <p> Disney's The Avengers has posted the second biggest opening day at the Australian box office in history.</p> <p> The film, which brings together several Marvel characters featured in recent blockbusters including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), grossed $6,003,882. That result places it second only to the final film in the Harry Potter series - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.</p> <p> The film is only released in the US on May 4 but other overseas territories are already <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/marvels-the-avengers-breaking-records-overseas-already-after-todays-early-release/" target="_blank">reporting</a> strong box office results such as France ($US3 million), Philippines ($US1.3 million), Taiwan ($US1.2 million) and New Zealand ($US800,000).</p> <p> The Avengers is the first Marvel film to be released by Disney after the end of its previous distribution relationship with Paramount.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="343" src="/image/Top Ten Avengers(1).jpg" width="500" /></p> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:44:50 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/Sandy-George-joins-IF-Magazine/BXJVTIXGKQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/26/article/Sandy-George-joins-IF-Magazine/BXJVTIXGKQ.html Staff reporter <p> Respected screen journalist Sandy George has joined IF Magazine on a short-term contract.</p> <p> George will be acting editor of the next IF Magazine issue (June-July) while IF editor Brendan Swift is on an annual leave from April 27 to June 7. </p> <p> She will continue as Australian correspondent for the London-based stable mates Screendaily.com and Screen International during this period and will also keep writing for SBS’s film website. George, who will work four days a week for IF, is a former editor of Encore and a former film writer for The Australian.</p> <p> Her appointment also bolsters the IF team after the recent departure of IF journalist Sam Dallas, who has returned to his home in Tasmania after two years with IF Magazine.</p> <p> IF part-time journalist Amanda Diaz has has been appointed to a full-time position, which she will begin in late-July after completing her University studies. Prior to beginning her full-time role, Diaz will be on annual leave from June 23 to July 22.</p> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:22:11 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/24/article/DArcy-Sauers-Peplow-among-Screen-Australias-external-specialists/SWDEQHMNNI.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/24/article/DArcy-Sauers-Peplow-among-Screen-Australias-external-specialists/SWDEQHMNNI.html Sandy George <p> Screen Australia has again called on producer Tristram Miall to help determine which feature film applications get letters of interest and production funding, and has also brought on six external specialists to advise on investment decisions. </p> <p> Producer Jan Chapman (Lantana, The Piano), director Chris Noonan (Babe), writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Head On), editor Marcus D’Arcy (Tomorrow, When The War Began and the upcoming I, Frankenstein), script consultant Joan Sauers and Neil Peplow, head of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School’s screen content division, make up the gang of six.</p> <p> Miall was on board at Screen Australia during the early years of the agency and before industry specialists Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner, whose contracts are due to expire, were appointed. Producer of the seventh biggest homegrown hit of all time in Strictly Ballroom and, most recently, The Black Balloon, he will be employed part-time under the new arrangements.</p> <p> Screen Australia has also gone ahead with the changes to its feature film guidelines flagged several months ago, releasing the final version today. The eligibility criteria for letters of interest are now less onerous, investment offers will be made at eight instead of four board meetings and both kinds of decisions will now have more input from Screen Australia’s development department. </p> <p> Screen Australia chief executive Ruth Harley is currently in Beijing heading an Australian delegation interested in doing business with China but made some comments about the need to have an independent industry perspective in a statement issued today.</p> <p> “Having one consistent person available for all funding rounds contributes to a context and depth of knowledge across Screen Australia’s feature film slate,” she said. “Drawing the other from the group of industry specialists will enable Screen Australia to work with experienced senior practitioners from various disciplines who are actively working in the industry. This approach will enable Screen Australia to manage any conflicts of interest that will naturally arise within such an active group of senior practitioners.”</p> <p> Screen Australia issued a statement about how it manages conflict of interest about a month ago after attracting negative press on the matter. Getting letters of interest earlier – it is no longer necessary to have a sales agent attached but there has to be interest from have a local distributor -- will make them a more useful tool for producers raising finance, according to Harley.</p> <p> Screen Australia notes within the guidelines, which are now on the website, that it “may” apply them flexibly for films it believes can be produced for less than $1.5 million. The cap on Screen Australia’s investment remains at $2.5 million.</p> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:01:50 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/Scott-Hicks-new-film-tops-the-charts/GXDFAXKEEY.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/Scott-Hicks-new-film-tops-the-charts/GXDFAXKEEY.html Sandy George <p> It was probably young women swooning over Zac Efron, rather than good luck, that saw The Lucky One top the charts on the weekend, grossing $2.28 million from 242 screens over the four days up to and including Sunday. This result for Adelaide-based director Scott Hicks’ latest drama about a US Marine who seeks out a woman whose photograph he found on the battlefield, equated to a highly impressive $9,424 screen average. Distributor Roadshow was quick to issue a media release pointing out that none of the the many other films (The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, A Walk to Remember, Message in a Bottle, The Last Song) adapted from the novels of Nicholas Sparks had done nearly so well. After topping the charts last weekend – it’s first in cinemas -- the Universal film Battleship’s weekend gross dropped 45 per cent to $2.16 million but it was still the second most popular film in cinemas. Two other Universal films lost traction by more than 40 per cent: American Pie: Reunion, in third position ($1,516,242 in its third week) and Dr Seuss’ The Lorax in fifth position ($1,448,939 in its fourth week). This pair of films was separated by Roadshow’s The Hunger Games ($1,469,485 in its fifth week), which managed to hold on to the same spot in the chart as last week.</p> <p> The Fox film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($1,174,892), a good example of content that suits the older cinemagoer, fell only 23 per cent compared to the previous weekend. It was its fifth weekend in cinemas. The next most popular film was also from Fox: Titanic 3D ($976,260), now in its third week in cinemas.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office 2012 <img alt="" height="266" src="/image/Boxofficeapril23.bmp" width="623" /> </p> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:08:32 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/New-20000-fellowship-available-to-an-indigenous-filmmaker/RCQTTTQGYW.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/New-20000-fellowship-available-to-an-indigenous-filmmaker/RCQTTTQGYW.html Sandy George <p> Three filmmakers, Darren Dale, Richard Frankland and Pauline Clague, chosen because they are indigenous, will decide who should be the inaugural winner of a new $20,000 fellowship.</p> <p> The new Young Indigenous Documentary Fellowship is for an Australian indigenous filmmaker with a hot documentary project. Applicants must be aged less than 35 years and have experience in filmmaking and an impressive portfolio of creative work.</p> <p> They must also have an ambitious documentary project that captures an indigenous Australian point of view.</p> <p> The deadline for applications is July 31. The expectation is that the winner will be announced at the inaugural Cockatoo Island Film Festival, and that the film will be developed and produced in time to premiere at the following festival. </p> <p> It is hoped that the fellowship with continue in perpetuity. This first one has been made possible through NSW Mining and the Cockatoo Institute, a not-for-profit arts and education organisation that hosts the Dungog Film Festival (June 28-July 1), the Dubbo Festival (September 7-30) and the Cockatoo Island Film Festival (October 24-28).</p> <p> To find out more <a href="http://www.cockatoofilm.com/institute/fellowship">click here</a>.</p> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:59:55 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/Stephen-Sewell-plans-to-make-directorial-debut/UEUKDLNCOA.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/Stephen-Sewell-plans-to-make-directorial-debut/UEUKDLNCOA.html Amanda Diaz <p> Acclaimed playwright Stephen Sewell hopes to make his directorial debut with an adaptation of his 2011 novel Babylon.</p> <p> Production company Jaggi.Shute is currently in the process of financing the $3.5 million film.</p> <p> Producer Liz Shute told IF that she hopes the film will be funded through private equity, state agencies and an LA-based sales agent: "We're not going down the usual Screen Australia route."</p> <p> Babylon tells the story of an English backpacker who gets more than he bargained for when he hitches a ride with an enigmatic man named Dan. Jaggi.Shute first purchased the rights to the novel after Sewell came on board as consultant on another film.</p> <p> Bruce Beresford (Mao's Last Dancer) and Janine Pearce (The Reef) will act as executive producers, with Beresford hoping to mentor Sewell through the directing process. Casting will be completed by Maura Fay Casting.</p> <p> Shute says the plan is to begin filming later in the year in either Western or South Australia.</p> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:46:23 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/Russell-Crowe-lands-biblical-epic-Noah-Guy-Pearce-to-star-in-Iron-Man-3/AICRGXASGW.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/Russell-Crowe-lands-biblical-epic-Noah-Guy-Pearce-to-star-in-Iron-Man-3/AICRGXASGW.html Paul Bugeja <p> Paramount Pictures and New Regency Productions announced today that Russell Crowe will take on the eponymous role of Noah in Darren Aronofsky's next film.</p> <p> Noah, an adaptation of the biblical story, delves into the drama of a man on a divine mission to build an ark to save humanity.</p> <p> In a statement, Aronfosky expressed a great degree of excitement at the prospect of working with Crowe: "I rejoice that Russell Crowe will be by my side on this adventure. It's his immense talent that helps me to sleep at night. I look forward to being wowed by him every day."</p> <p> The film will begin shooting in July in Iceland and New York and is scheduled for release in March 2014.</p> <p> Crowe replaces Christian Bale, who pulled out of Noah due to a busy schedule.</p> <p> In an epic of somewhat different proportions, Guy Pearce will play the role of geneticist Adlrich Killian in Marvel and Disney Studio's Iron Man 3, to be directed by Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black.</p> <p> The plot of Iron Man 3 will pick out elements from Warren Ellis's six-issue Iron Man: Extremis comic books, also integral to the original Iron Man film, which earned $585 million worldwide. The sequel went on to earn $624 million.</p> <p> Production on Iron Man 3 begins in May, with a scheduled release of May 2013. Œ</p> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:36:53 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/The-Palace-scoops-the-pool-at-the-SA-Screen-Awards/MJCMVORYRZ.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/23/article/The-Palace-scoops-the-pool-at-the-SA-Screen-Awards/MJCMVORYRZ.html Staff reporter <p> Filmmaker Anthony Maras' short The Palace has continued its winning streak, picking up six awards at the South Australian Screen Awards over the weekend.</p> <p> The Cyprian-Australian co-production, which has garnered a number of awards including the AACTA Award for Best Short Fiction Film, won both Best Short Film and Best Drama as well as picking up awards for its screenplay, direction, editing and cinematography.</p> <p> Film collective Closer Productions received two awards: short documentary Stunt Love won Best Sound Design while Sundance darling Shut Up Little Man won Best Feature Film. This is the second year in a row Closer Productions has won the feature film category. Last year's winner Life in Movement is currently in cinemas.</p> <p> For a full list of recipients, see below:</p> <p> SASA GENRE AWARDS:</p> <p> Best Short Film: The Palace - Anthony Maras, Kate Croser & Andros Achilleos Best Drama: The Palace - Anthony Maras, Kate Croser & Andros Achilleos Best Documentary:Œ Ball of Light Sam Collins Best Comedy: Steak Knife Chad Leader Best Animation: Sometimes the Stars Luke Jurevicius Best Non-Narrative Film:Œ A Dance in the Garden Reminds Me Gemma Soloman Best Music Video: Cut You Out (Hawks of Alba) Matt Vesley Innovation in Digital Media: Big Stories, Small Towns Nick Crowther Best Feature Film: Shut Up Little Man Sophie Hyde & Matthew Bate SASA CRAFT AWARDS: Best Direction: Anthony Maras (The Palace) Best Cinematography: Nick Matthews (The Palace) Best Composition: Michael Darren (Collision) Best Screenplay: Anthony Maras (The Palace) Best Sound Design: Pete Best & Scott Illingworth (Stunt Love) Best Editing: Anthony Maras (The Palace) Best Performance: Roy Phung (Suburban Samurai) Best Production Design: Bowen Ellames (Beta) MRC Emerging Producer: Kirsty Stark Emerging Young Filmmaker: Sam King People’s Choice Award: I Am Orpheus (Adam Carter) Œ</p> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:54:39 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/20/article/High-Court-rules-in-favour-of-iiNet/MUNAFKPXCQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/20/article/High-Court-rules-in-favour-of-iiNet/MUNAFKPXCQ.html Amanda Diaz <p> The High Court has ruled in favour of internet service provider iiNet in a landmark copyright infringement case.</p> <p> The case began in November 2008 when 34 film and television companies from both Australia and the United States filed an action in the Federal Court of Australia which alleged that the internet service provider had authorised the peer-to-peer file sharing activities of its users.</p> <p> The court dismissed the appeal today, ruling that iiNet held no responsibility for the copyright infringement carried out by its customers and declaring that the internet service provider had no technical power to prevent customers from using the BitTorrent system. </p> <p> The extent of iiNet's power, the court ruled, was limited to terminating contractual relationships with customers engaging in file sharing and piracy.</p> Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:24:17 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/20/article/Cannes-Film-Festival-announces-2012-line-up/NOCEQRZZYL.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/20/article/Cannes-Film-Festival-announces-2012-line-up/NOCEQRZZYL.html Amanda Diaz <p> Queensland-born John Hillcoat (The Road) and New Zealander Andrew Dominik (Chopper) will both have films in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival.</p> <p> Hillcoat, who graduated from Swinburne Film School, is the director of Lawless, a film set in Depression-era Virginia which stars Guy Pearce and Mia Wasikowska and Gary Oldman. The screenplay was penned by Hillcoat's long time collaborator, singer/songwriter Nick Cave.</p> <p> Dominik's crime thriller Killing Them SoftlyŒ features Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) alongisde Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta.</p> <p> Lawless and Killing Them Softly will compete against films from David Cronenberg, Lee Daniels and Wes Anderson.</p> <p> Australian short <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/04/18/article/Aussie-short-Yardbird-selected-for-Cannes/EXDLXZOGFU.html" target="_blank">The Yardbird </a>has been selected for the short film category and will compete against nine other films, including New Zealand's Night Shift.</p> <p> 2010 Sydney Film Prize winner Xavier Dolan's third film Laurence Anyways will feature in the Un certain regard line-up.</p> <p> The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 16 until May 27.</p> Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:36:26 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/20/article/The-Wolverine-to-shoot-in-Sydney/TENXTISDNX.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/20/article/The-Wolverine-to-shoot-in-Sydney/TENXTISDNX.html Sandy George and Amanda Diaz <p> Money talks and it obviously has in the case of The Wolverine: a one-off payment of $12.8 million from the Gillard Government, the Federal Government’s location offset, a direct incentive from the NSW Government, and NSW payroll tax relief all helped secure the sixth film in the X-Men science fiction franchise for Australia.</p> <p> The NSW Government isn’t saying how much cash its putting in but all these incentives have obviously exceeded the negative effect of the strong Australian dollar, which is causing most Hollywood blockbusters to stay clear of Australia.</p> <p> It is highly unusual for the Federal Government to make one-off payments outside the official incentives: in a media release jointly issued by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Simon Crean it was stated that it is equivalent to an increase in the existing location offset to 30 per cent. Whether this is a positive sign that the location incentive will be increased is a subject ofspeculation.</p> <p> The film would be getting more taxpayer funding if it had qualified for the 40 per cent producer offset but US line producer Joe Caracciolo, at a media conference held at Animal Logic at Sydney’s Fox Studios this morning, said it did not. In other words, it has not been deemed an Australian film - Hugh Jackman’s involvement as producer and star notwithstanding.</p> <p> Caracciolo said the numbers added up for US studio Twentieth Century Fox to choose Sydney, but there was another key factor too: “We needed to shoot in a place with extremely high quality crew and technical facilities.”</p> <p> Sydney is standing in for Japan in this film and cameras are set to roll in August with James Mangold directing. The producers are Lauren Shuler Donner, Jackman and John Palermo.</p> <p> Doing most of the talking this morning was deputy premier and minister for trade and investment Andrew Stoner. He said the 20th Century Fox production is expected to spend more than $80 million in the state, and create jobs for 720 local cast and crew and for 1,200 extras.</p> <p> "It is a testament to our screen industry that Hugh Jackman and his team have chosen to come back to NSW, after such a positive experience making the X-Men Origins: Wolverine here in 2008," said Stoner.</p> <p> Post-production work on the film will occur predominantly in the United States, but a sizeable portion of the visual effects will be completed in NSW.</p> <p> The Wolverine is slated for release in July 2013.</p> Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:28:42 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/19/article/Fandependent-ready-to-sign-with-first-four-partners/EWYYXGTQIX.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/19/article/Fandependent-ready-to-sign-with-first-four-partners/EWYYXGTQIX.html Sandy George <p> Video blogger Christiaan Van Vuuren and Nick Boshier, one of the creators of Beached Az, are in advanced discussions to partner with Fandependent, the company being set up by Thomas Mai and Josh Pomeranz to help finance and commercialise Australian content online.</p> <p> The filmmaking pair plan to use crowd funding to finance a feature film, to be directed by Van Vuuren, about “a dubious character” from the Sydney western suburb of Punchbowl.</p> <p> “He’s already got 146,00 fans on Facebook, YouTube and other online sites,” said Boshier. “I’ve been accused of being this character but fervently deny it. In fact I think it’s insulting because I’m much better looking!”</p> <p> The animated Beached Az started life online and 21 one-minute episodes were subsequently shown on ABC TV. Since then, Boshier and Van Vuuren have created and distributed 16 episodes of the live action Bondi Hipsters series online – and have another 10 in the can. Episodes are one to three and a half minutes in length and have garnered 1.5 million views and nearly 5,000 Facebook fans, and television networks in Australian and abroad have also requested treatments for a full-length version, Boshier said.</p> <p> The fledgling Fandependent has $200,000 from Screen Australia’s innovative distribution program to identify and work with 10 creative teams over the next two years. It is part of the agency’s remit to build sustainable businesses.</p> <p> “The beauty of working with someone like Thomas is that he’s all about empowering the filmmakers, helping them to control, own and engage the fanbase,” said Boshier.</p> <p> Mai is a former sales agent and online media expert and has sold films from Lars von Trier, Susanne Bier and others. He relocated to Australia last year, sponsored by Pomeranz, managing director of post facility Spectrum Films. They get emails daily from filmmakers wanting to acquire the skills to access funds and fans a mouse click away.</p> <p> There are no rules about what elements a project has to have to guarantee high online potential but perhaps a character is already well-known on YouTube or already has a fanbase, or perhaps the subject particularly suits a niche but big and enthusiastic audience.</p> <p> “Europe has a problem because there are so many languages but Australia has the huge strength of being English-speaking, although with a funny accent,” said Mai. “There is a global audience now available with no restrictions and no borders ˆ Some see yourselves as isolated but the internet means you are now connected ˆ Filmmakers have to learn a whole new set of skills and have to learn how to communicate with an audience.”</p> <p> Fandependent will get an executive producer credit and a percentage of the money it helps to raise. The company is expected to also educate the wider film community as part of the Screen Australia deal: a full-day workshop is being held from 9.30am this Saturday (April 21) at Open Channel in Melbourne and on May 5 in Sydney. </p> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:48:59 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/19/article/Screen-Australia-to-eventually-accept-online-applications-only/GPRHTTTNCQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/19/article/Screen-Australia-to-eventually-accept-online-applications-only/GPRHTTTNCQ.html Sandy George <p> By 2013, if things go to plan, all funding applications to Screen Australia will have to be submitted via the Screen Australia website.</p> <p> The move is effectively the final stage of building one single government agency -- and all its required systems -- out of three: the Film Finance Corporation, the Australian Film Commission and Film Australia.</p> <p> “We are nearly four years old and, ultimately, we aim to go online with all applications but that is a very big technological leap,” said Screen Australian chief operating officer Fiona Cameron. Her hope is that the system will be up and running by year end.</p> <p> Two teams are now in place that are integral to receiving and processing applications in a streamlined fashion – and also undertaking the legals around the successful applicants -- with the program operations team headed by Charlotte Seymour and the contract management team by Martien Coucke. Each team includes five or six people.</p> <p> “About 70 per cent of what we do is high volume low risk,” Cameron noted, referring to the contracts that flow through Screen Australia and the legal work around them.</p> <p> IF Magazine got in touch with Screen Australia because of rumours about firings and rehirings but Cameron said that the net job loss from this restructuring was only two and, in both cases, contracts expired and were not renewed. “Four or five people have also put up their hands for voluntary redundancy,” she added.</p> <p> Screen Australia has 110 staff and she estimates that 30-40 per cent are on three to six-year fixed-term contracts, including senior development and production investment staff. Those in permanent jobs are generally in back-of-house roles covering finance, legal, administration, human resources and so on.</p> <p> In another big change at Screen Australia, head of production investment Ross Matthews, recently moved to Sydney from Melbourne.</p> <p> “I love a conspiracy theory but it was for personal reasons," said Cameron. Matthews and his wife apparently wanted to be near their two daughters and a new grandchild: "Ross is the happiest grandfather on the planet."</p> <p> “The Melbourne office will always be important to Screen Australia. It will probably only ever have 10 or 12 staff but it is very important," said Cameron.</p> <p> Screen Australia is expected to issue a revised set of feature film guidelines tomorrow, and to also reveal how it will replace its two external part-time feature film consultants – Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner – whose contracts are due to expire shortly. It is understood that a bigger pool of people might be used.</p> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:42:09 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/18/article/Aussie-short-Yardbird-selected-for-Cannes/EXDLXZOGFU.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/18/article/Aussie-short-Yardbird-selected-for-Cannes/EXDLXZOGFU.html Sandy George <p> When official word came through that the 13-minute Aussie short Yardbird was in competition at Cannes, director Michael Spiccia had just stepped off a plane in Los Angeles ready for a series of meetings to do with his real job: directing commercials.</p> <p> Producer Jessica Mitchell finally got in touch with him after two hours of trying at 4am LA time. Earlier she had gone through an hour of nail-biting while she played phone tag with Cannes representative Christian Jeune. </p> <p> Spiccia is known in the commercials world for his visually potent work. Yardbird is his first drama and also Mitchell’s first film as a sole producer.</p> <p> “A lot of people nurtured us through the making of this film,” said Mitchell, naming many of the heads of department that worked on the film. She said that 10 films were chosen from more than 4,500 considered. </p> <p> Yardbird is the story of a young girl who lives in a remote car wrecking yard who takes on the local bullies that torment her father. It was filmed on location in six days at Talbot and Clunes in regional Victoria in January 2011. Post-production took place in Sydney.</p> <p> Spiccia and Mitchell will be in experienced hands when they head to the south of France for the world premiere because Yardbird’s writer and executive producer, Julius Avery, wrote and directed Jerrycan which won the Cannes Jury Prize for best short film in 2008. The trio are all Sydney-based. </p> <p> The film was produced by Mitchell’s fledgling Buffalo Films and Bridle Path Films, a collective of directors founded by Avery last year, in association with Goodoil Films, the production company that represents Spiccia’s commercials work.</p> <p> The two key sponsors of Yardbird were Efilm and Fin Design + Effects, which played a big part in heightening the drama. It received some funding through Screen Australia’s short film completion program.</p> <p> Cannes runs until May 16-27. The films in the main feature film competition are being announced tomorrow (April 19).</p> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:18:33 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/18/article/Inside-Film-Awards-put-on-ice/RPZGTDBHCD.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/18/article/Inside-Film-Awards-put-on-ice/RPZGTDBHCD.html Sandy George <p> It is a blow to the 2012 crop of Australian films that the Inside Film (IF) Awards have been put on ice for a year, given the media interest generated, but organisers say they are genuine in their aim of trying to rejuvenate the annual event.</p> <p> A difficult economic climate, competition for sponsorship and lack of funding options in NSW were the principal official reasons given for the decision, but the move is not just about funding issues according to IF Group General Manager Mark Kuban.</p> <p> “I think all media awards have to factor in changes in audience consumption if they are going to stay relevant,” he said. “The awards require a lot of effort, especially managing stakeholder expectations and return on investment, and not just in monetary terms. Holding off for a year will enable us to sit down and look at them strategically.”</p> <p> The Intermedia Group, a medium-sized Sydney-based publisher that owns both the IF Awards and IF Magazine, is one of those stakeholders of an event that bills itself as the people’s choice awards.</p> <p> “We're fortunate that we have access to a significant audience of 600,000 people through our other print and digital assets, including nearly 30 magazines, and we need to examine how we can engage with those people,” said Kuban. “We contacted them all about last year’s awards and have a lot of traction there.”</p> <p> He is particularly pondering ways of leveraging off the 40,000 people who have registered on the IF Awards website, receive the IF Awards newsletter and attend films six to 13 times per year. “Avid filmgoers,” he calls them.</p> <p> Changing the style of the broadcast event and/or broadcasting the awards online will be considered, as will different ways of seeking out voters. Perhaps it is no longer relevant, for example, to focus so much on festivals now that there are 180,000 people voting.</p> <p> Growing voter numbers is directing the accolades to more mainstream films, perhaps necessitating the introduction of a category for specialist titles, and also raises questions around how to balance the needs of the viewing public with the needs of the industry.</p> <p> “The format has hardly changed since the awards were established 13 years ago although since we acquired them in 2006 we have made them slicker and pushed the IF brand into middle Australia,” said Kuban.</p> <p> “We get amazing coverage that we believe is worth $8-9 million dollars to the film industry. One of the biggest challenges is knowing that no one format is perfect.”</p> <p> Intermedia also holds awards for the liquor industry, and for the hotel and accommodation sector.</p> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:34:00 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/17/article/Aussie-actors-cast-in-Netflix-series-Hemlock-Grove/JPXGDIKNII.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/17/article/Aussie-actors-cast-in-Netflix-series-Hemlock-Grove/JPXGDIKNII.html Amanda Diaz <p> Two Australian actresses have joined the cast of Netflix's supernatural series Hemlock Grove.</p> <p> Penelope Mitchell (Rush, Offspring) and Freya Tingley (X, Cloudstreet) will join Famke Janssen and Bill Skarsgard in the 13-part series, which is executive produced by Eli Roth.</p> <p> Hemlock Grove centres around the murder of a young girl whose body is found close to a former steel mill.</p> <p> Rather than following the traditional television delivery method of releasing an episode each week, Netflix will make the entire series downloadable on debut.</p> <p> Mitchell is represented by JM Agency and Tingley is represented by Smith & Jones Management.</p> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:57:05 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/17/article/NAB-Show-James-Cameron-says-3D-television-will-post-explosive-growth/PILNFWQVSR.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/17/article/NAB-Show-James-Cameron-says-3D-television-will-post-explosive-growth/PILNFWQVSR.html Brendan Swift <p> Filmmaker James Cameron says 3D television broadcasting is set for a period of explosive growth now that networks can simultaneously shoot both stereoscopic and 2D at minimal cost.</p> <p> The filmmaker - who re-popularised 3D with his film Avatar in 2009 - said 3D had now unified the world of movies and television in terms of equipment, which allows development costs to be amortised over a broad spectrum.</p> <p> "We're ahead of the curve in movies relative to broadcast but we're dealing with the same transition now - the growing pains, the questions and the uncertainty, the doubts, the naysayers, the scoffers - and the success stories," Cameron told an audience at this year's NAB Show alongside his business partner Vince Pace. "We have triumph after triumph when we're out there as practitioners of this art."</p> <p> CPG's stereoscopic equipment and methodologies have been used over the past year to produce 3D broadcasts of the US Open tennis, which was recognised with an Emmy, as well as the US Masters golf and Winter X Games, which have garnered Emmy nominations.</p> <p> It marks a change for the broadcast industry which only recently had viewed 3D production as a costly experiment, which sat outside of their existing workflows, Cameron said, while the 3D industry had done itself a disservice by making 3D production "mysterious".</p> <p> "We realised there was a disconnect - the message that was coming out of the 3D community was you don't know what you're doing, you therefore need us."</p> <p> Cameron referred to his methodology as 5D - simultaneously producing 2D and 3D output - and unveiled several new CPG products at the show. "The future of 3D is broadcast and that's where we're going to see explosive growth over the next few years."</p> <p> Meanwhile, Cameron also said he continued to run tests on whether to shoot his Avatar sequels at either 48 frames per second (fps) or 60fps. Shooting at such higher frame rates rather than the current 24fps standard, would improve the picture quality of 3D films. Peter Jackson has already started shooting The Hobbit films at 48fps, which will prompt exhibitors to upgrade their projection equipment this year.</p> <p> "The projector technology is there; the major projector manufacturers are moving toward high frame rate capability," Cameron said. "The cameras already do it - the EPIC, the ALEXA the others, they'll all run the high speed rates so we're essentially there technologically, we just have to look at the impact to visual effects and post-production."</p> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:50:59 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/17/article/Liam-Hemsworth-to-star-in-Robert-Luketics-Paranoia-Brilliant-on-hold/RJSYQCXEVK.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/17/article/Liam-Hemsworth-to-star-in-Robert-Luketics-Paranoia-Brilliant-on-hold/RJSYQCXEVK.html Amanda Diaz <p> Fresh from his success in dystopian thriller The Hunger Games, actor Liam Hemsworth has signed on to star in fellow Australian Robert Luketic’s corporate espionage thriller Paranoia.</p> <p> The adaptation of Joseph Finder’s novel of the same name will see Hemsworth playing Adam Cassidy, a low-level employee at a high-tech corporation. When he is caught committing a crime, Corporate Security gives him the choice between jail and spying on a rival company.</p> <p> The film is being made for sales and distribution company ICM Global and will shoot in New York and Mumbai. It is understood that Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford are also in advanced negotiations to star in the picture. Shooting is scheduled to commence later this year.</p> <p> In August last year, it was announced that the director, whose past work includes Legally Blonde and 21, would helm Brilliant, a heist film with Hopscotch Features involved. It was described at the time as a cross between a James Bond film and My Fair Lady, but set in 2012.</p> <p> Eric Bana was attached to play the lead but pulled out due to a scheduling clash and was replaced by Gerard Butler. Luketic told the <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/whats-on/brilliant-idea-not-gone-to-plan/story-e6frexmi-1226311712116" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a> that he was unsure when or where the film would go into production.</p> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:20:09 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/Battleship-sinks-competition-at-the-box-office/PYIKCHRMBC.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/Battleship-sinks-competition-at-the-box-office/PYIKCHRMBC.html Amanda Diaz <p> This weekend may have marked a century since the sinking of the Titanic, but it was a different kind of ship that dominated the box office.</p> <p> Universal film Battleship, based on the board game of the same name, grossed $3,940,610 across 368 screens in its opening weekend. The film, which focuses on a fleet of ships forced to defend the earth against an alien armada, recorded a screen average of $10,679.</p> <p> Titanic, the other ship-themed film at the box office, came in at sixth place. Fox's 3D re-release of the 1997 James Cameron film has now boosted total earnings to $2 billion worldwide. In China, it made $58 million on its second-time-around debut: the country's biggest opening in history. Takings on local shores were more modest. The film made $1,464,737 on 166 screens.</p> <p> American Pie dropped to second place in its second weekend ($2,678,211), while the first school holiday weekend without a public holiday saw a boost of 40 per cent for Dr Seuss' The Lorax ($2,605,958).</p> <p> The Hunger Games ($2,261,877) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($1,520,699) rounded out the top five.</p> <p> Documentary Life in Movement from South Australian collective Closer Productions was also released this weekend, but earnings have not yet been reported to the MPDAA.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office 2012</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="249" src="/image/BoxofficeApril16.bmp" width="623" /></p> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:29:57 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/SPAA-Conference-to-move-to-Melbourne-the-Logies-are-staying-there/GQRGGJYZTN.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/SPAA-Conference-to-move-to-Melbourne-the-Logies-are-staying-there/GQRGGJYZTN.html Sandy George <p> The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) has struck a deal with the Victorian Government to hold the next three annual conferences in Melbourne, starting this year.</p> <p> SPAA executive director Geoff Brown would not reveal how much public money is being provided for the event but said the decision on the location of the conference is never just about the highest bid.</p> <p> “We had not held the conference in Melbourne since 2003 and we thought it was time to recognize Melbourne as a significant production hub, particularly for television,” said Brown, who has been negotiating with the Victorian Government for three months. “It is a substantial sponsorship package and it allows SPAA to deliver on the production values we are renowned for.”</p> <p> The news was formally announced on the eve of the Logie Awards by Louise Asher, the Victorian Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, and Minister for Tourism and Major Events. She used the opportunity to also note that the Logies would be staying at Crown in Melbourne for the next five years. The SPAA deal is only for three years but it may extend to five years: one option being discussed is that the conference moves to a regional area in Victoria for the following two years.</p> <p> The 2012 SPAA Conference will be held from November 12-15 at Central Pier Docklands, a $30 million redevelopment of heritage listed buildings on a jetty that juts into Victorian Harbour. A ferry, the Lady Cutler, is part of the venue and will also be used during the event.Œ Some parts of the conference program will also be staged at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), with delegates bussed over from Central Pier Docklands. ACMI accommodated a conference soon after it opened but, because of permanent exhibits, is no longer big enough.</p> <p> The SPAA Conference has been held in Sydney for the past three years and on Queensland’s Gold Coast for the five years previously. The 2012 SPAA Conference will be Brown’s last as executive director and when the SPAA Council meets this Wednesday a committee will be formed to handle the process of finding a replacement for him.</p> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:01:09 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/Hamish-Blake-takes-out-the-gold-logie-but-ABC-dominates/SVAWNBQIPA.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/Hamish-Blake-takes-out-the-gold-logie-but-ABC-dominates/SVAWNBQIPA.html Paul Bugeja <p> Loving the underdog is what Aussies are all about, and this was proved again last night at the 54th Annual Logies Awards Ceremony held at Crown Palladium in Melbourne.</p> <p> Despite Carrie Bickmore of Channel 10’s highly successful The Project being the favourite to take out the major gong, the Gold Logie for most popular personality on TV went instead to comedian Hamish Blake of Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year.</p> <p> In a minor controversy leading up to this unexpected win, while testing its new IPad application the Herald Sun experienced a technical glitch, leading to the publishing of a link to an embargoed press release containing Logies winners an hour prior to the Gold Logie being officially announced during Channel Nine’s coverage.</p> <p> The link was killed immediately, but not before Google picked it up. In the split second it was available, lucky net-trawlers picked it up and leaked it onto Facebook and Twitter, which erupted with chatter over Blake’s win.</p> <p> Although some journalists covering the awards began to received word about this inadvertent slip-up, such did not reach Blake himself, and so the win came as a genuine surprise to the Nine Network’s funny-man.</p> <p> Blake, overjoyed at his surprise victory, was quick to thank right-hand man Andy Lee, who he felt jointly deserved the Gold Logie. In a double whammy for Blake, the pair was awarded the Logie for their show Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year in the Most Popular Light Entertainment Program category.</p> <p> The other big surprise of the evening came the way of the ABC. On the back of immensely popular shows such as Matchbox Pictures production The Slap, which attracted consistently high ratings for the network, the broadcaster took home one third of the 23 awards from the night.</p> <p> These were predominantly in the industry-based awards, with the popular awards being shared fairly evenly amongst the commercial networks and the ABC.</p> <p> SBS managed to snare just the one award for the night for its well-received documentary style program Go Back To Where You Came From, which took out the Outstanding Factual Program Logie.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p> FULL LIST OF AWARDS</p> <p> Gold Logie, Most Popular Personality on TV Hamish Blake (Hamish & Andy's Gap Year, Nine Network)</p> <p> Silver Logie, Most Popular Actress Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network Ten / Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, ABC1)</p> <p> Silver Logie, Most Popular Actor Hugh Sheridan (Packed To The Rafters, Seven Network)</p> <p> Silver Logie, Most Popular Presenter Adam Hills (Spicks and Specks / In Gordon St Tonight, ABC1)</p> <p> Most Popular New Male Talent Steve Peacocke (Home and Away, Seven Network)</p> <p> Most Popular New Female Talent Melissa Bergland (Winners & Losers, Seven Network)</p> <p> Most Popular Drama Series Packed To The Rafters (Seven Network)</p> <p> Most Popular Light Entertainment Program Hamish & Andy's Gap Year (Nine Network)</p> <p> Most Popular Lifestyle Program Better Homes & Gardens (Seven Network)</p> <p> Most Popular Sports Program 2011 AFL Grand Final (Network Ten)</p> <p> Most Popular Reality Program The Block (Nine Network)</p> <p> Most Popular Factual Program Bondi Rescue (Network Ten)</p> <p> Silver Logie, Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie The Slap (ABC1)</p> <p> Silver Logie, Outstanding Actor Rob Carlton (Paper Giants, ABC1)</p> <p> Silver Logie, Outstanding Actress Melissa George (The Slap, ABC1)</p> <p> Graham Kennedy Award for Outstanding New Talent Chelsie Preston Crayford (Underbelly: Razor, Nine Network)</p> <p> Outstanding News Coverage The Queensland Floods (Nine News, Nine Network)</p> <p> Outstanding Public Affairs Report A Bloody Business (Four Corners/Sarah Ferguson, ABC1)</p> <p> Outstanding Light Entertainment Program Spicks And Specks (ABC1)</p> <p> Outstanding Sports Coverage State Of Origin III (Nine Network)</p> <p> Outstanding Children's Program My Place (ABC3)</p> <p> Outstanding Factual Program Go Back To Where You Came From (SBS)</p> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:58:17 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/NAB-Show-The-fight-against-theatrical-piracy/QBJOVFJQMG.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/16/article/NAB-Show-The-fight-against-theatrical-piracy/QBJOVFJQMG.html Brendan Swift <p> Illegal camcorder recording in movie theatres is the largest source of piracy in the world today. Detecting it is one thing – stopping it is another. Just ask Steve Weinstein, who leads the Motion Picture Association of America’s research venture MovieLabs.</p> <p> “We’ve had the government come to us with the way they blind snipers – that’s the same problem. They said ‘oh, you can just detune our laser’,” he said, drawing laughter from an audience attending a presentation on theatrical piracy at the 2012 NAB Show. “But we are working on some jamming ideas.”</p> <p> Weinstein said the association had made good progress detecting illegal recordings in cinemas – automatic scans produce images, which are then processed and send a signal to the appropriate person. Such scans can now detect cameras as small as an iPhone. Technology aimed at the distribution market can also now detect hidden watermarks or short pieces of audio and video content which may infringe copyright, such as YouTube’s detection facility.</p> <p> However, he also challenged the engineers and scientists in the audience to produce better solutions. “We have incremental ideas and we’re solving them one step at a time but we’re not making as much progress as we’d hope.”</p> <p> Protecting the initial theatrical window from piracy by just seven days – the prime revenue generating period – remains an achievable goal.</p> <p> “There are lots of things – we’re not solving the problem, we’re putting a dent in the problem, and it really is worth putting the dent in it.”</p> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:39:07 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/15/article/NAB-Show-Satellite-distribution---welcome-to-the-wild-wild-west/HUTFPSBOED.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/15/article/NAB-Show-Satellite-distribution---welcome-to-the-wild-wild-west/HUTFPSBOED.html Brendan Swift <p> The rollout of satellite and terrestrial distribution still has much in common with the “wild, wild west” as players continue to explore ways to make the model economically viable, according to Deluxe Digital Cinema’s Joe Hart.</p> <p> While the technology behind electronic distribution is stable, competing with cost-efficient hard-drive distribution remains a challenge, he told an audience at this year’s NAB Show.</p> <p> “We’re still at the infancy stages of electronic distribution,” Hart said. “I think we’re going to look for people to come up with creative solutions to be able to service those and bring everyone into an economic model that works... we’re still a little bit in the wild, wild west here.”</p> <p> Hart, an industry veteran, joined Deluxe Digital Cinema as senior vice president of digital cinema in 2011 after establishing the largest digital cinema satellite network operation in North America, which delivered feature and trailer content.</p> <p> The industry still hopes to capture a wide enough market to lower the cost of distribution, but it is a challenge. The largest exhibitors around the world, including in Asia, are putting in their own satellite or terrestrial networks – a strategy which is making it difficult to achieve a wide enough footprint to make the model economical.</p> <p> “The challenge for any one of the content owners, with day and date release, is managing these multiple vendors,” he said.</p> <p> Other cost factors the industry is battling include subtitling of 3D content, which requires a second transmission (rather than being bundled on the same hard drive) and the ongoing need for hard drive backups if there is a fault with the satellite transmission.</p> <p> Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a> or on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:03:39 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/13/article/IFs-Sophie-Lowe-portrait-to-show-at-Head-On-Portrait-Prize-exhibition/UHVBFHHENV.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/13/article/IFs-Sophie-Lowe-portrait-to-show-at-Head-On-Portrait-Prize-exhibition/UHVBFHHENV.html Staff reporter <p> A portrait of actress Sophie Lowe (The Slap, Blame) featured in the 2011 June/July issue of IF magazine has been selected for the Head on Portrait Prize exhibition.The picture, by photographer Alina Gozin'a, will feature as part of slideshow which will screen continuously throughout the exhibition.</p> <p> The exhibition will open May 4 at ACP.</p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center"> <img alt="" height="350" src="/image/SophieLoweportrait.JPG" width="233" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"> Photographer: Alina Gozin’a www.alinagozina.com.au Producer: Mim Davis Art Director: Alina Gozin’a Stylist: Kitty Taube Hair and Makeup: Debbie Muller Makeup supplied by: Cinema Secrets International Post by: Dave Mercer Sophie wears Max Mara, Carcoat Virgin </p> Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:52:12 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/13/article/Nominations-announced-for-10th-ASTRA-Awards/TAHJLHMUNN.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/13/article/Nominations-announced-for-10th-ASTRA-Awards/TAHJLHMUNN.html Amanda Diaz <p> The nominations for the 10th annual ASTRA awards have been announced, with Killing Time (TV1), the second season of Spirited (W) and Tim Winton's cloudstreet (showcase) are competing for the honour of most outstanding drama.</p> <p> Ninety five entries were selected across 21 categories for the subscription television awards.</p> <p> Fox8's teen drama series SLiDE has been received a nod in the most outstanding use of innovation in programming category for its multiplatform strategyŒ- which saw entertainment company Hoodlum create an interactive website featuring graphic novels, music and webisodes.</p> <p> Not all content recognised is local. Subscribers can vote for their favourite international drama, with showcase favourite Game of Thrones competing against Haven (13th Street), Boardwalk Empire (showcase), Torchwood: Miracle Day (UKTV), Falling Skies (Fox8) and True Blood (showcase).</p> <p> The 10th annual ASTRA awards will be held at Sydney Theatre on June 21.</p> <p> For a complete list of finalists, see below. CHANNEL OF THE YEAR</p> <p> The LifeStyle Channel showcase FOX SPORTS SKY NEWS SUBSCRIBER'S CHOICE</p> <p> Favourite Program - Australian</p> <p> Foo Fighters: Wasting Light On The Harbour (Channel [V] & MAX)</p> <p> Wife Swap Australia (LifeStyle YOU)</p> <p> Selling Houses Australia Extreme (The LifeStyle Channel)</p> <p> Spirited Season 2 (W Channel)</p> <p> Australia's Next Top Model Series 7 (FOX8)</p> <p> Project Runway Australia Series 3 (Arena) Kalgoorlie Cops (Crime & Investigation Network)</p> <p> On The Couch (FOX SPORTS) Œ</p> <p> Favourite ProgramŒ- International Grand Designs Series 9 The LifeStyle Channel</p> <p> Deadliest Catch Discovery Channel</p> <p> Big Fat Gypsy Weddings LifeStyle YOU</p> <p> The British Royal Wedding 2011 UKTV</p> <p> Gold Rush: Alaska Discovery Channel</p> <p> EastEnders UKTV</p> <p> Man Vs. Wild Discovery Channel</p> <p> American Idol Series 11 FOX8 Favourite ProgramŒ- International Drama Game of Thrones Season 1 showcase</p> <p> Haven 13th Street</p> <p> Boardwalk Empire Season 1 showcase</p> <p> Torchwood: Miracle Day UKTV</p> <p> Breaking Bad Season 4 showcase</p> <p> Falling Skies FOX8</p> <p> True Blood Season 4 showcase</p> <p> Favourite Personality - Female Jane Gazzo Channel [V]</p> <p> Charlotte Dawson FOX8</p> <p> Donna Hay The LifeStyle Channel</p> <p> Sarah Murdoch FOX8</p> <p> Megan Gale Arena</p> <p> Lee Furlong FOX8</p> <p> Favourite Personality - Male Danny Clayton Channel [V]</p> <p> Andrew Winter The LifeStyle Channel</p> <p> Jason Dunstall FOX SPORTS</p> <p> Andrew 'ET' Ettingshausen Discovery Channel</p> <p> Rove McManus FOX8</p> <p> Billy Russell Channel [V]</p> <p> Alex Perry FOX8 Phil Kearns FOX SPORTS PROGRAMMING & PRODUCTION</p> <p> ÂŒ</p> <p> Most Outstanding Children's Program or Event The Amazing World of Gumball Cartoon Network</p> <p> Move It Mob Style® NITV</p> <p> Camp Orange: Wrong Town Nickelodeon</p> <p> ÂŒ</p> <p> Most Outstanding Music Program or Coverage Foo Fighters: Wasting Light On The Harbour Channel [V] & MAX</p> <p> Smoke & Mirrors STUDIO</p> <p> The Riff Channel [V]</p> <p> Most Outstanding Sports Program or Coverage Rugby World Cup 2011 FOX SPORTS</p> <p> Aussies Abroad: 2011 World Ironman Championship ESPN</p> <p> KFC T20 Big Bash League FOX SPORTS</p> <p> The Code - Life With The Waratahs FOX SPORTS Most Outstanding Documentary Forecast for Disaster: La Nina Strikes The Weather Channel</p> <p> Tony Robinson Explores Australia The History Channel</p> <p> Australia's Great Flood National Geographic Channel</p> <p> Kalgoorlie Cops Crime & Investigation Network</p> <p> The Bombing of Darwin: An Awkward Truth The History Channel Most Outstanding News Program or Coverage Qantas Grounded SKY NEWS</p> <p> Tropical Cyclone Yasi Coverage The Weather Channel</p> <p> Gillard V Rudd SKY NEWS Most Outstanding Reality Program</p> <p> Cricket Superstar FOX8</p> <p> Project Runway Australia Series 3 Arena</p> <p> Australia's Next Top Model Series 7 FOX8 Kalgoorlie Cops Crime & Investigation Network</p> <p> Most Outstanding Lifestyle Program Selling Houses Australia Extreme</p> <p> The LifeStyle Channel B430 Season 3</p> <p> Channel [V] Donna Hay - Fast, Fresh, Simple The LifeStyle Channel</p> <p> Planet Cake LifeStyle FOOD Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Program The Riff Channel [V]</p> <p> Balls of Steel Australia The Comedy Channel</p> <p> ROVE LA FOX8 Most Outstanding Drama Spirited Season 2 W Channel</p> <p> Killing Time TV1</p> <p> Tim Winton's cloudstreet showcase Most Outstanding Use of Innovation in Programming FOX FIELD FOX SPORTS WTF! Channel [V]</p> <p> SLiDE FOX8</p> <p> THIRD EYE FOX SPORTS TALENT Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor - Male David Wenham TV1</p> <p> Hugo Johnstone-Burt showcase Steve Le Marquand Movie Extra</p> <p> Geoff Morrell showcase Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor - Female Essie Davis showcase</p> <p> Diana Glenn TV1</p> <p> Kerry Fox showcase</p> <p> Claudia Karvan W Channel Most Outstanding Performance by a Presenter Sarah Murdoch FOX8</p> <p> Andrew Winter The LifeStyle Channel</p> <p> Rove McManus FOX8</p> <p> Luke & Wyatt Nickelodeon</p> <p> Most Outstanding Performance by a Broadcast Journalist Ashleigh Gillon SKY NEWS Kieran Gilbert SKY NEWS</p> <p> Josh Holt The Weather Channel</p> <p> David Speers SKY NEWS Best New Talent Lara Robinson showcase</p> <p> Ben Britton Nat Geo Wild</p> <p> Hugo Johnstone-Burt showcase</p> Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:30:12 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/13/article/Network-Ten-profits-fall-70-per-cent/ZCJGLYFVRL.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/13/article/Network-Ten-profits-fall-70-per-cent/ZCJGLYFVRL.html Amanda Diaz <p> Ten Network Holdings has posted a 70 per cent fall in half year profit, with the network reporting a drop of $15 million year-on-year for the six months leading to the 29th of February.</p> <p> Revenue in that period was down 11 per cent to $431 million.</p> <p> Ten's shareholders, who have already seen stock fall 45 per cent in the last year, will not be seeing a dividend.</p> <p> The network attributes revenue loss to difficult advertising market and predicts 2012 will continue to be a difficult year due to the impact of the Olympics (which will be broadcast on Nine and Foxtel) and the historical ratings trend.</p> <p> Earlier this year, Deutsche Bank analysts raised concerns about Ten's ratings performance, observing that despite the introduction of a new program schedule, the average ratings share was 25 per cent, with new shows losing momentum week by week. </p> <p> High hopes are held for the upcoming series of Masterchef, which has traditionally been Ten's highest rating program. New shows including Puberty Blues, Being Lara Bingle and The Shire are also hoping to boost viewing figures. </p> Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:29:58 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/12/article/WA-government-reappoints-Ian-Booth-to-lead-ScreenWest/PGQQSDLWRH.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/12/article/WA-government-reappoints-Ian-Booth-to-lead-ScreenWest/PGQQSDLWRH.html Brendan Swift <p> ScreenWest chief executive officer Ian Booth has been reappointed to the position for a further five years. </p> <p> Culture and Arts Minister John Day said Booth's local and national screen experience had been of great benefit to Western Australia during the past five years.</p> <p> "I am pleased Ian has agreed to lead the agency for a further five years as he has overseen a period of unprecedented growth in local film and television production," he said in a statement. "This era has included investment by ScreenWest in a number of feature film successes, including Bran Nue Dae, Mad Bastards and most recently, the box office smash Red Dog." He also cited several locally-produced television shows including cloudstreet, Who Do You Think You Are, Lockie Leonard, Jandamarra's War, SAS: Search for Warriors and The Great Mint Swindle.</p> <p> Booth, a former ABC business affairs manager for drama and comedy, and a lawyer by background, has led the WA state agency for the past five years.</p> <p> "There is still a long way to go, but Western Australia is becoming recognised as a strong vibrant production centre, producing quality content for the national and international audience," Booth said in a statement.</p> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:03:15 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Restraint-why-an-Australian-thriller-suffered-a-single-screen-one-week-release/IXLEMFDZOR.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Restraint-why-an-Australian-thriller-suffered-a-single-screen-one-week-release/IXLEMFDZOR.html Brendan Swift <p> Restraint was backed by the government’s screen agency, directed by one of the country’s top TVC directors, and starred rising talent. Brendan Swift finds out why a $5 million taut-thriller gathered dust for years before a one-week cinema run in 2009. Restraint will be shown on TV this weekend on Channel Nine at 9.30pm on Saturday, April 14. (This article originally appeared in IF #121, June 2009.) </p> <p> It was an auspicious day. On April 2, Restraint had its premiere at inner-Sydney’s Chauvel Cinema – a small dual-screen complex better known for showing small Australian and art-house films. Among the cast and crew were respected director of photography Simon Duggan (I, Robot, Knowing), co-producer Anna Fawcett, and top TV commercials director David Denneen. But Denneen would give no speech that night. It had been almost four years since cameras stopped rolling and the film’s long-delayed release was less a celebration than a Pyrrhic victory.</p> <p> “It was on at nine o’clock, no publicity, and hardly anyone went, but at least I ticked a box off and was able to sell it to France,” Fawcett says. The one-week limited release at the Chauvel satisfied a French requirement that foreign-made films for local TV broadcast must have a theatrical run in its home country.</p> <p> The commercially-focused film – a psychological thriller about two fugitives who take refuge in a mansion owned by an agoraphobic art dealer – had appeared destined for bigger things before things began to unravel.</p> <p> The Film Finance Corporation (since merged into Screen Australia) announced plans to invest $4.14 million in the project – then known as Power Surge – in December 2004. The New South Wales Film and Television Office ($100,000) and US-based Form/Global Cinema Group completed the budget. (However, there remains some contention about the actual budget with the filmmakers stating the FFC invested about half of the estimated total $4 million budget.)</p> <p> Underwear model Travis Fimmel and actress Teresa Palmer were cast alongside UK-actor Stephen Moyer in the key roles. While the careers of all three have since taken off, their relative obscurity was to become a key point of contention for distributors.</p> <p> The film, which changed its name to Guests and then Ravenswood, finished its shoot in regional NSW’s Goulburn and Camden areas in the second half of 2005 and was due to be released in May 2006.</p> <p> Accent Film Entertainment director Peter Campbell – who originally had the distribution deal – says Restraint was aesthetically strong. However, he held reservations about the size of the film’s potential target audience, the star power of the cast, as well as the film’s ending.</p> <p> “What they wanted to do in terms of the theatrical spread was just too big for what it was likely to take [at the box office] and therefore we would have been up for a fairly hefty P&A [prints and advertising costs] and take a very large loss into the DVD release,” he says.</p> <p> After multiple test screenings, the film was cut back from about 120 minutes to 90 minutes and the ending re-jigged to make it slightly more ambiguous. (The original alternate ending is included on the DVD.) However, it continued to be turned down by local distributors. A precondition of the FFC’s $4.1 million investment was a guarantee that the film would have a theatrical release – it also had approval over the appointment of a distributor. A Screen Australia spokeswoman declined to answer questions about its involvement in the production.</p> <p> As the saga dragged on, the film’s most experienced producer Mark Lazarus left Filmgraphics to become a project manager at the Australian Film Commission in August 2006. The Film Finance Corporation announced that it would invest $1.04 million in his next feature film project, The Loved Ones, in December 2007.</p> <p> Deneen, who recently worked on Optus’ high profile TV commercial campaign and hopes to make other features, says he would never make another film without a written pre-sale agreement. He would also like to see more distribution support from Screen Australia, which is currently reviewing its marketing support and promotion guidelines.</p> <p> “It’s great they give you the finance but really they should have an arm that supports Australian films because they invest all this money and the money disappears into oblivion because the films aren’t getting distributed,” he says.</p> <p> Underlying the dilemma is the ongoing dire performance of local films at the box office, which has made exhibitors even more reticent to back local films this year. The release of teen thriller Crush was delayed several times before embarking on a small Perth screening in a bid to prove it could attract an audience. It follows the dismal box office performances this year of films such as Beautiful, which cost about $2 million (not including distribution costs such as advertising) and took just $51,008 across 19 screens.</p> <p> Restraint co-producer Anna Fawcett says the team felt the pressure of making their first feature film and had many people advising them to go down different paths. “It was a comedy of errors because we weren’t experienced enough. But we are now.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="253" src="/image/Restraint.jpg" width="450" /> A scene from Restraint, starring Teresa Palmer. </p> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:12:05 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Beaconsfield-behind-the-production-design-with-Jon-Rohde/RFZIBZODQL.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Beaconsfield-behind-the-production-design-with-Jon-Rohde/RFZIBZODQL.html Sam Dallas <p> The Beaconsfield mine collapse of 2006 was one of the most gripping events to ever rock this country. Sam Dallas finds out how it was recreated for telemovie Beaconsfield, which will premiere on Sunday, April 22, at 8.30pm on Channel Nine. </p> <p> For his latest screen project, Sydney-based filmmaker Jon Rohde had to descend 1km underground to research the look and feel of a working gold mine. Not your typical day for a production designer.</p> <p> It was dark, it was dingy, it was claustrophobic – it was essential. In what was probably Rohde’s most challenging project to date, the filmmaker had to document everything he saw with precision because it had to be recreated in a short period of time with limited resources.</p> <p> “This particular project had to be spot on because there was so much media coverage,” he says, describing the 2006 Beaconsfield mine collapse. No-one knew the nightmare facing trapped miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell, who spent two weeks underground after a small earthquake triggered a rock fall.</p> <p> “I saw my role on this one as creating the environment that we didn’t see, as the public,” Rohde says. “This involved finding a balance between recreating the truth of what happened and using artistic licence to tell the story.”</p> <p> Rohde, whose credits include Paper Giants and Blood Brothers, worked closely with Beaconsfield director Glendyn Ivin and cinematographer Toby Oliver ACS on the look and how the job would be achieved based on time and budget.</p> <p> With limited pre-production time, Melbourne-based set construction company Illusions started work on the production while Filmtrix worked on the practical special effects.</p> <p> Rohde says the sets needed to be designed and engineered to allow for flexibility of coverage and to incorporate practical special effect components: shaking ground, falling rocks and water. </p> <p> Their work had to be as realistic as possible because it was going to appear in an actual mine, as well as a large warehouse, where the metal cage which protected them from the collapse was recreated. The cage, which was to be filmed from every angle, was made up of steel, rocks, paint and dirt and was about 2.5-square metres.</p> <p> “That was the smallest set that we built but in a way the most complex,” says Rohde, a Queensland College of Art graduate.</p> <p> Illusions’ managing director Grant Slotboom says it was a cramped environment but bigger than what Webb and Russell were in. It had to be made in such a way that it was claustrophobic while also being comfortable enough for actors Shane Jacobson and Lachy Hulme.</p> <p> The fake rocks, made out of concrete and polyurethane foam, had to match the colour and texture of the real rocks. These rocks were put onto big tilting drop rigs, built by Filmtrix, so the rocks could fall at a controlled speed. Darkness acted as an ‘extended set’ in the mine and allowed the rigging and water effects to be hidden during filming.</p> <p> “So we’d spread the rocks and the dust and we had layers so the drop rigs were in three sections – you’d drop them in sequence so to the camera, it looked like a rockfall,” Filmtrix’s Peter Stubbs says.</p> <p> The effects team replicated the strong, shaking ground and flying dirt by placing vibration motors under the cage. Later, when the recovery effort was scaled back to prevent another collapse, Stubbs used air cannons, a vibration motor and air jacks.</p> <p> The massive set, which took up the whole of the warehouse studio (about 150m), rested on a series of shaped ribs which supported the cave and painted rock surfaces, according to Rohde. The rock was made out of chicken wire hessian, sprayed-on concrete and moulded foam panels. Shipping containers were used at one end to contain the real rock pile and to provide an elevated platform for the camera.</p> <p> “Some of the set elements were recycled as other parts of the mine because we were running out of resources. This required us to schedule the shooting around a reconfiguration of part of this set,” says Rohde.</p> <p> Some of the specialised machinery – such as a raisebore machine – had to be built as an oversized prop. And furthermore it had to be functional. Due to dark and wet conditions, shooting took longer than usual and was completed – about six weeks. Webb and Russell acted as consultants on the emotional telemovie, produced by John Edwards and Jane Liscombe and penned by Judi McCrossin.</p> <p> This article originally appeared in IF #145 (Feb-March 2012). </p> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:55:00 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/John-Jarratt-joins-Pinball-cast/RSXZMRXPCX.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/John-Jarratt-joins-Pinball-cast/RSXZMRXPCX.html Danii Logue <p> Wolf Creek star, John Jarratt, has joined the cast of Melbourne crime film Pinball. He joins a diverse cast that already includes hip-hop singer Brad Strut, recent VCA graduate Kevin Kiernan-Molloy and ex-criminal Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. “John is one of this country’s great character actors," the film’s writer-director, Matt Holcomb, said in a statement. "I’m not surprised that he’s Quentin Tarantino’s favourite Australian actor. It’s an honour, a privilege and a boon to have someone like John as a key member of the Pinball cast."</p> <p> Jarratt is currently shooting Quentin Tarantino’s latest film Django Unchained, which stars Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz. However, he will return to Melbourne when the second block of filming for Pinball begins this winter.</p> <p> Pinball, which is the first feature from Holcomb, tells the story of Clint Thorp (Kiernan-Molloy), a former Australian Rules footballer-turned-criminal left for dead after a failed hit on a crime lord mistakenly classified as a low-level target.</p> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:10:14 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Daniel-Dubiecki-launches-Australian-production-office/GFNZJRXLRV.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Daniel-Dubiecki-launches-Australian-production-office/GFNZJRXLRV.html Brendan Swift <p> The Academy Award-nominated producer behind Up In the Air and Juno has set up an Australian production office and acquired the film rights to two crime autobiographies.</p> <p> Daniel Dubiecki's The Allegiance Theater production company, based in the US, has opened a Melbourne branch, which will be led by his Australian partner, Torus Tammer. Dubiecki's father was Australian and he holds dual Australian-US citizenship.</p> <p> The Allegiance Theater has already acquired the film rights to Damian Marrett’s best-selling true crime autobiographies, Undercover and White Lies, which Dubiecki and Tammer will produce. Patrick Hughes (Red Hill) is attached to direct and Justin Monjo (Farscape, Bait) will adapt Undercover.</p> <p> “The new Australian division of The Allegiance Theater makes movies for audiences around the world, putting the Australian artists at its centre and drawing from the deep pool of vibrant talent and rich stories that exist in there,” Dubiecki said in a statement.</p> <p> Undercover's development was financed by Screen Australia and Film Victoria. The production's finance plan includes government support, traditional presales and an equity raising. The Allegiance Theater plans to tap into the 40 per cent Producer Offset rebate for all of its Australian projects, according to Tammer.</p> <p> “We have the benefit of being able to utilise some of the very smart incentives offered by Australia’s state and federal film bodies," he said in a statement. "So our focus is on making films with substance that have universal themes and global appeal."</p> <p> The Producer Offset rebate has returned more than $300 million to 78 feature films between its inception in 2008 and the end of last year, according to Screen Australia data. The bulk of that money is understood to have been returned to big-budget films such as Australia, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and Happy Feet Two.</p> <p> Undercover is a true crime story based on the autobiography of former police officer Damian Marrett, a young man responsible for some of the biggest drug busts in Australian law enforcement history.</p> <p> The Allegiance Theater is currently producing several features including Money Monster; Serial Killer Days (starring Anton Yelchin and Amanda Seyfried); Dance of the Mirlitons (starring Kristen Bell and Bailee Madison); and Relanxious (starring Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis).</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:27:25 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Alex-Proyas-set-to-return-to-Aus-with-The-Unpleasant-Profession-of-Jonathan-Hoag/NYZLVCUXTB.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/11/article/Alex-Proyas-set-to-return-to-Aus-with-The-Unpleasant-Profession-of-Jonathan-Hoag/NYZLVCUXTB.html Brendan Swift <p> Filmmaker Alex Proyas is set to shoot his next film, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, in Australia later this year.</p> <p> It follows the failure of his Paradise Lost film – an adaptation of John Milton's famous poem, which was expected to create 1300 jobs in Australia before production house Legendary Pictures pulled the plug in February due to concerns that the slated CGI effects were to ambitious for its $US120 million budget.</p> <p> The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag is expected shoot in Australia sometime between September and December this year although which Australian state will host the production has not yet been announced. The film is likely to be eligible for the 40 per cent Producer Offset rebate, which applies to productions which pass the 'significant Australian content' test.</p> <p> The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag is based on a 1942 novella by science-fiction author Robert Heinlein and inspired Proyas' Dark City. The title character in Hoag is struck one evening with the realisation that he has no memory of what he does during the day. He contacts a husband and wife detective agency and asks them to follow him, which leads to a series of frightening revelations, beginning with a group of shadowy figures who gravely warn of dire consequences unless the pair immediately cease their inquiry into the nature of Hoag’s identity.</p> <p> The film will be fully financed and co-produced by LA-based production, finance and international sales company Red Granite Pictures with Mythology Entertainment, Phoenix Pictures and Proyas' Sydney-based company, Mystery Clock Cinema. Red Granite recently co-produced the romantic comedy Friends with Kids, starring Jon Hamm, and its next film is The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.</p> <p> Hoag's producers are Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland (Red Granite), Bradley Fischer (Mythology Entertainment), Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messier (Phoenix Pictures), Alex Proyas (Mystery Clock Cinema) and Vince Gerardis. Joe Gatta, Topher Dow and Vincent Sieber are executive producers.</p> <p> Red Granite’s Pictures sales arm, Red Granite International, will handle foreign sales for the film.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:43:51 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/10/article/Anthony-LaPaglia-and-Rachel-Griffiths-to-star-in-Julian-Assange-movie-for-Ten/RHGSFNAUDP.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/10/article/Anthony-LaPaglia-and-Rachel-Griffiths-to-star-in-Julian-Assange-movie-for-Ten/RHGSFNAUDP.html Amanda Diaz <p> Anthony LaPaglia and Rachel Griffiths will star in a telemovie about the early life of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for network Ten.</p> <p> Underground, from production company Matchbox Pictures, will film in Melbourne and be directed by Robert Connolly (Balibo). Connolly also penned the script for the movie.</p> <p> Griffiths will play Christine, Assange's mother, while LaPaglia will take the role of a policeman investigating the young hacker. Young actor Callan McAullife (I Am Number Four, The Great Gatsby) will also star.</p> <p> The role of Julian Assange has been given to newcomer Alex Williams. The actor graduated last year from the Western Academy of Performing Arts and is represented by Marquee Management.</p> <p> Underground will air later this year.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="500" src="/image/AlexWilliams1(1).jpg" width="333" /> WAAPA graduate Alex Williams will play Wikileaks founder Julian Assange</p> Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:22:54 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/10/article/ACCC-approves-Austar-Foxtel-deal-with-conditions/AHOFBBHQNM.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/10/article/ACCC-approves-Austar-Foxtel-deal-with-conditions/AHOFBBHQNM.html Staff reporter <p> The competition regulator has approved Foxtel's acquisition of regional pay TV operator Austar after Foxtel agreed to a series of court-enforceable undertakings regarding online distribution.</p> <p> Foxtel will not be able to acquire exclusive internet protocol television (IPTV) rights for a range of television program and movie content or exclusively acquire any movie delivered on a transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) basis.</p> <p> The undertaking, which will apply for eight years, will restrict exclusive IPTV access for more than 60 current Foxtel channels including Universal, CNN, Disney, Eurosport, Family Movie Channel, MTV, Sci-Fi, Starpics, and World Movies.</p> <p> The undertaking also prevents Foxtel from acquiring exclusive mobile rights to such content when rivals want to combine mobile viewing with IPTV rights, allowing competitors to deliver an integrated package of programming across a number of devices.</p> <p> The Australian Competition and Consumer Tribunal (ACCC) said its main area of concern with the acquisition was in the national retail market for subscription television services, particularly in relation to the developing IPTV field, and a number of regional markets for the supply of fixed broadband and fixed voice telephony products. Telstra owns half of Foxtel and, following the merger, Telstra would have the ability to acquire preferential access to Austar’s existing subscriber base and potentially bundle fixed voice, broadband and IPTV services.</p> <p> “The proposed acquisition would bring together the two main subscription TV industry players in Australia each with a substantial customer base and significant access to key content," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement. "This would in turn give Telstra, Foxtel's largest shareholder, greater market power in regional fixed broadband and telephony markets.</p> <p> “By reducing content exclusivity, the undertakings will lower barriers to entry and promote new and effective competition in metropolitan and regional telecommunications and subscription television markets. Taking into account the undertaking which has been offered by Foxtel, the ACCC is satisfied that the proposed acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition.”</p> Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:58:55 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/05/article/IF-com-au-offers-free-job-listings-via-jobla-until-end-of-June/MIKJJVIRSI.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/05/article/IF-com-au-offers-free-job-listings-via-jobla-until-end-of-June/MIKJJVIRSI.html Staff reporter <p> IF Magazine is offering the film, television and digital media industries the opportunity to create unlimited free job listings until the end of June on its fast-growing job search website, <a href="http://www.jobla.com.au/advancedSearch.aspx?widgetSearch=1&professionID=7817&Switch=InsideFilm" target="_blank">jobla</a>. Jobla was launched by IF Magazine’s parent company, The Intermedia Group, in September last year in response to growing demand from the company’s broad range of advertisers for a job search site. Through The Intermedia Group’s vast network of B2B websites, eNewsletters and social media profiles, highly-targeted employment opportunities are being showcased to some of Australia’s most experienced, desirable and hard-to-reach job seekers. Since jobla’s launch, it has already hosted more than 57,000 visitors and had in excess of 165,000 page views. The site boasts an average of 13,000 job advertisements across a range of sectors, with more than 27.5 per cent of its traffic being repeat visitors. For more information about how to register for this free offer click <a href="http://jobla.com.au/-510145/advertise-your-jobs-on-jobla-for-free" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:37:19 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Tom-McSweeney-and-David-Newman-launch-casting-business/EMUQAABGGM.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Tom-McSweeney-and-David-Newman-launch-casting-business/EMUQAABGGM.html Brendan Swift <p> Respected casting directors Tom McSweeney and David Newman have combined forces to launch their own company, McSweeney Newman Casting. </p> <p> Newman, previously with Christine King Casting, counts many Australian and locally-produced projects among his credits including HBO series The Pacific, which required more than 3000 auditions, and went on to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Mini Series, Movie or Special. His other casting credits include Red Dog, A Few Best Men, Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and upcoming features Mental, 100 Bloody Acres and Forbidden Ground.</p> <p> McSweeney, who moved from the US to Australia in 1998, has cast over 200 feature films, mini-series and telemovie projects and over 500 hours of episodic television. His credits include upcoming TV series Reef Doctors, as well as Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Salem’s Lot, The Great Raid, Scooby Doo, Aquamarine and Ghost Ship. He has also received four ARTIOS Award nominations from the Casting Society of America and an Emmy nomination for his work on US mini-series The Starter Wife.</p> <p> “Founded on the mission to foster talent and provide a creative environment where actors can work freely and not be hounded by the pressures of 'having to get the gig', we believe that true talent can come from anywhere, and that is what drives us to unearth the diamonds in the rough - to look beyond the obvious and to see in actors the potential that they themselves may not even see” McSweeney and Newman said in a statement.</p> <p> “Over the past decade, the talent emerging from Australia has been truly exceptional, as proven by the fact that there are currently so many top rating US or UK film and TV projects with Australian artists in prominent, if not leading roles. From our perspective, it's the sense of freedom, daring and commitment to the craft while maintaining their sense of humour, affability and cheeky larrikin charm which explains why the international market is responding in the way they have."</p> <p> McSweeney Newman Casting will have offices in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. </p> Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:58:11 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/An-interview-with-Disney-legend-Floyd-Norman/MQUQMEUEMB.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/An-interview-with-Disney-legend-Floyd-Norman/MQUQMEUEMB.html Sam Dallas <p> Disney legend Floyd Norman, who worked alongside Walt Disney, visited Sydney in late-2010 and caught up with IF Magazine for a chat about the world of animation.This article first appeared in IF #135, September 2010. </p> <p> While Walt Disney was a traditionalist, he would have embraced the technology if he was alive today, Disney animation legend Floyd Norman says. “He would just have been so full of ideas and who knows what things he would want to try next,” Norman tells IF Magazine.</p> <p> Norman, now in his late-70s, says Walt would’ve been just like him – embracing the technology rather than dismissing it.</p> <p> “Walt was enamoured with technology but looking back on it, it was really primitive in those days – it was really just basically analog technology and now with digital, it’s just expanded. Once you accept this technology, then instead of it being something that you feel is going to encroach on your artistic sensibility you realise, ‘no, this is only going to enhance what I do and it’s actually going to open up more artistic opportunities’.”</p> <p> It’s been an amazing life for Norman – the first African-American to work at the company that created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, he was constantly drawing as a child and loved both Disney and Warner Bros cartoons.</p> <p> “I loved the idea of moving drawings,” the well-spoken and passionate Norman says. “When my mother and I went to the cinema we saw these drawings up on the screen – I knew they weren’t real but I didn’t know what they were. I thought ‘well if they’re not real, they’re pictures – they’re moving pictures – but how do you make a picture move?’ and that became the question that stayed on my mind. So as I grew older I finally found the secret – I found out how they made the pictures move and that was by drawing lots of them, thousands of them.”</p> <p> It was always likely that he would grow up working for an animation company – and he still is after more than 50 years. Approaching Disney when he was 17 but discovering he was a bit young, Norman attended the Art Centre College of Design before being hired by Walt two years later.</p> <p> “It was a childhood dream come true. It was truly a wonderland,” Norman says of first seeing the massive empire. “There were very few books about Disney in those days – hardly a thing, but whatever there was I dug upˆ So I did learn as much as possible. And I got to know the names of the well-known Disney artists and what they did and how they worked so when I finally arrived at the studio I was very well versed in who was there and what they did. It was like going into a place and meeting all of your heroes for the first time; I was totally blown away by that.”</p> <p> But like everyone, Norman had to pay his dues.</p> <p> “You have to work from the bottom up; even those who wanted to move onto other departments like layout or background, they all began as in-betweeners,” he says.</p> <p> Norman started work on Sleeping Beauty before graduating to the story department where he worked on The Jungle Book. He also did several comics, children’s books and story board work on shows and features including The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Tigger Movie.</p> <p> What sort of a man was the legendary Walt Disney?</p> <p> “He was a man who liked to control things, he was very much in charge, very much hands-on,” Norman begins. “He knew everything that was going on in his studio. The old-timers tell me that he would wander the hallways at night and look at what was on the artists’ desks at night so he knew what everybody was doing at all times – nothing escaped his eye.</p> <p> “Some people called Walt Disney a workaholic, that he was obsessed with his studio but I wouldn’t call him obsessive – he loved what he did and he wanted it to be the best. And he felt that if he didn’t keep an eye on things then it could slip. He was obsessive about quality; very passionate.”</p> <p> Even when in hospital towards the end, Norman explains, Walt was using the ceiling as a virtual map planning exactly where everything would be at Walt Disney World, including the animal park and rides. So it obviously came as a massive blow when the legend passed away in 1966 – exactly 10 years after Norman joined the empire.</p> <p> “We were in total disbelief, total shock,” Norman says of Walt’s passing after he lost his battle with lung cancer. “Walt never showed any signs of his illness and even though he was going into the hospital for surgery late in the year 1966, he was still working with us on The Jungle Book with the same kind of drive and energy as a man half his age. He was just a dynamic individual and so focused on what he was doing – not only what he was doing in the present but what he intended to do in the future. That first 10 years after his passing was extremely difficult because we kind of flounded about for 10 years trying to find our footing.”</p> <p> Disney’s world again changed four decades later when the Walt Disney Company bought Pixar for more than $US7 billion.</p> <p> “Pixar really had a tremendous impact on animation,” Norman says who worked on Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. “When they completed Toy Story in 1995, I don’t think anybody realised what that film was going to do – I think it surprised Pixar really.”</p> <p> Norman still visits the Pixar crew to offer advice and help out any which way he can. He of course loves how animation has taken off today because “it gives more kids an opportunity to work”.</p> <p> “The job market has expanded tremendously so now there are more opportunities than ever,” Norman says, who met his second wife Adrienne – a Disney children’s book illustrator – at work.</p> <p> “In the old days all you could hope for was maybe a job at Disney, or maybe a job at Warner Bros, but now a young student coming out of art school or animation school or whatever, they have dozens of studios to choose from.”</p> <p> Today, Norman admits, he “more often than not” draws on computer (mainly using Adobe Photoshop), as opposed to free-hand.</p> <p> He has retired from full-time production but still works with the employees at Disney as a consultant and he doesn’t plan on ever leaving.</p> <p> “So should they wander too far astray I’m there to remind them that’s not what Walt Disney would’ve wanted and get it back on track.”</p> <p> In 2007 Norman, who recently penned his autobiography My Animated Life, was awarded the prestigious title of “Disney Legend”, for his outstanding contribution to the company. “I really didn’t see myself worthy,” the modest Norman says. “I still don’t believe it.”</p> <p> Norman’s favourite project he worked on was Sleeping Beauty, his first feature film.</p> <p> “That was a real privilege to work on that film because that really was an end of an era,” Norman says of the movie which took about six years to make. </p> <p> “Walt Disney threw everything he could onto that film because he wanted it to be a Disney masterpiece. And in doing so, with 600 artists over a period of five to six years it just cost so much money; we knew that we could never do that again.”</p> <p> Sleeping Beauty, along with 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians, has now been put back into the “Disney Vault” for seven years. When they are released from the vault, they are available for 18 months.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="299" src="/image/Floyd Norman.jpg" width="450" /> Floyd Norman pictured in 1957. </p> Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:48:57 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Fighting-Fear-the-making-of-a-surf-documentary/URLUYMWRRI.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Fighting-Fear-the-making-of-a-surf-documentary/URLUYMWRRI.html Amanda Diaz <p> When shooting a documentary about your two best mates, walking the line between being a filmmaker and a friend can be difficult. Just ask Macario De Souza.</p> <p> “As a friend, you want to put down the camera and be with your mates,” says the 27 year-old director. “But you can’t do that while you’re making a movie.”</p> <p> Fighting Fear is De Souza’s follow up to 2007’s Bra Boys, the highest grossing local (non-IMAX) documentary in Australian history. Shot over three years, the film tracks the friendship between cage fighter Richie Vas and pro-surfer Mark Matthews from the ages of 12 to 27 as they experience highs and lows, personally and professionally.</p> <p> “There’s a lot of movies about female friendship,” says executive producer Michael Lawrence. “But Macca and I hadn’t seen a film for a long time about men being mates, and I think mateship is a really great Australian theme.”</p> <p> The film was financed by private investors and shot on a number of cameras including the Canon 7D and 5D, the Sony EX3 and the Phantom HD Gold. </p> <p> “We did look at getting some funding, but it’s a slow process dealing with the government. I feel like all the young talented filmmakers never get to show their work because of all that bullshit,” says De Souza. “I guarantee there’s millions of kids out there that are three or four times more talented than I am and just haven’t had that opportunity.”</p> <p> Although categorised as an action documentary, the director is quick to emphasise that the focus is on the story and characters, with surfing and fighting making up less than 10 minutes of film. Lawrence credits this as the reason that veteran TV producer Sue Masters (SeaChange, Secret Life of Us) jumped on board.</p> <p> “She could feel that the story was something that a lot of young men are looking for,” says Lawrence. “Young men are confused about what they’re meant to be and they’re either wearing male makeup or glassing someone on the weekend. There’s got to be a middle road.”</p> <p> Both Vas and Matthews face trouble with the law during the film but De Souza sees them ultimately as role models for young men. </p> <p> “The thing with kids is, they’re not going to listen to teachers or authorities, they want to listen to people they can relate to,” says De Souza. “And if that’s someone who is getting in a cage and fighting, or someone who is surfing waves that can kill them, they’re going to listen to them or be inspired by them. </p> <p> “Being my best friends, I know what kind of men they’ve grown into – and I know they wouldn’t go back down that path anymore.”</p> Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:27:17 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Conspiracy-365-24-meets-road-movie/YSKWFFXYUP.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Conspiracy-365-24-meets-road-movie/YSKWFFXYUP.html Amanda Diaz <p> Since the runaway success of franchises like Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games, both Hollywood and the publishing industry have been driven by blockbuster stories that are targeted at teens but appeal to the whole family. It’s taken awhile, but 2012 is shaping up to be the year that local television finally catches on to the trend.</p> <p> The Family Movie Channel's Conspiracy 365 – based on the bestselling series by Gabrielle Lord – is dubbed by executive producer Linda Klejus as a cross between a road movie and 24.</p> <p> “All drama is evolving in a way, because of the HBO model,” says Klejus. “Film and TV production values are blurring.”</p> <p> With a $13 million budget, Conspiracy 365 is the most expensive subscription drama series ever made in Australia.</p> <p> The series follows teenage fugitive Cal Ormond, who is hunted by both sides of the law as he tries to discover the reasons behind the mysterious death of his father. Warned at the beginning of the first book that he must survive the next 365 days, each of the twelve installments is named by month. The show, which stars young AFI award-winner Harrison Gilbertson as Cal, follows the same format – one episode airs each month until the end of the year.</p> <p> Despite the young age of the lead character, Klejus is adamant that this is not a kid’s show. “Children’s drama is aimed at the under twelves,” she says. “And there are so many restrictions – how much violence is seen, how relationships are shown, how bad the bad guys are – that you end up with really sweet, saccharine drama.”</p> <p> Conspiracy 365 hopes to appeal across multiple demographics, in the manner of popular UK series like Merlin and Doctor Who.</p> <p> “As the audience fragments and everyone goes off into their niches, family drama appeals to the broadest possible demographic and brings people together,” she says. “Once people see it – this primetime thriller where the lead character is a 15-year-old kid, I think they’ll start to look at this area.”</p> <p> Klejus’s production company Circa Media has also worked closely with entertainment company Hoodlum to create a <a href="http://www.conspiracy365.tv/site/index.php" target="_blank">multiplatform strategy</a> – a “completely immersive experience,” which features webisodes, games, puzzles, news reports and a video blog from the main character.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:11:15 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Drowning-wins-NFSA-Orlando-Award/DRVAKLBMTL.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/04/article/Drowning-wins-NFSA-Orlando-Award/DRVAKLBMTL.html Danii Logue <p> Craig Boreham’s short film Drowning is making waves more than three years after it was completed.</p> <p> Having screened at numerous festivals around the world, including as part of the Cinema des Antipodes program at Cannes last year, Boreham has won the NFSA Orlando Award for the short.</p> <p> Presented at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, the NFSA Orlando Award is presented to the best lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex short Australian film. It's a medium in which BorehamŒ – an IF Award Rising Talent nominee in 2010 – has made a name for himself, with shorts such as Violet screening at international film festivals.</p> <p> “The really beautiful thing about a short film generally is that it can often just be the exploration of a small idea... it’s freer in a way,” the writer/director said.</p> <p> However, Drowning, which tells the story of the changing relationship between two teenagers (Miles Szanto and Xavier Samuel) was not always intended to be a short.</p> <p> “I actually wrote the feature script first before we made the short film and then adapted that to find the short story within it,” Boreham said, adding that the reason he opted to make the story a short first was because “it was a good way of showing people who might be interested in the feature, the tone. It was a good way of exploring the characters and the performance style in a smaller way before we went ahead with the feature film.”</p> <p> Despite completing work on Drowning more than three years ago, Boreham has returned to the script and confesses that it has always been present in his mind. “We’ve been sort of developing the script into a feature script for the past couple of years so it’s still very much present but it’s just turned into a different form.”</p> <p> With work on the script finally complete, the film is currently seeking financing and Boreham is eager to begin shooting on his first feature.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="301" src="/image/photo by Hugh Rutherford.JPG" width="450" /> On the set of Drowning with director Craig Boreham (R) and director of photography Bonnie Elliott (L). Photo by Hugh Rutherford. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="679" src="/image/photo by Jeremy Mason.jpg" width="450" /> The poster shot for Drowning with actors Miles Szanto, Tess Haubrich and Xavier Samuel. Photo by Jeremy Mason McGraw.</p> Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:26:53 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/The-Hunger-Games-remains-in-top-spot-Titans-opens-poorly-at-box-office/LETSKLKVNS.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/The-Hunger-Games-remains-in-top-spot-Titans-opens-poorly-at-box-office/LETSKLKVNS.html Amanda Diaz <p> Post-apocalyptic action thriller The Hunger Games has taken the top spot at the local box office for the second weekend in a row, despite facing competition from blockbusters Wrath of the Titans and Dr Seuss' The Lorax</p> <p> The film, which is based on the best selling novel by Suzanne Collins, grossed $4,838,114 across 471 screens, giving it a screen average of $10,272. This is a drop of 47 per cent from the Roadshow-distributed picture's opening weekend.</p> <p> The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel remained in second place for the second weekend in a row. The British dramedy about a group of pensioners took a further $2,626,403 across 269 screens.</p> <p> Children's animation Dr. Seuss' The Lorax debuted in third place. The Universal film, which features the voices of Taylor Swift and Zac Efron, opened on an ambitious 507 screens over the weekend, making an average of $4172 per screen and grossing $2,115,452.</p> <p> Wrath of the Titans, which stars Aussie actor Sam Worthington, had a poor opening in comparison to its 2010 predecessor. TheŒ Warner Bros film, which ranked fourth at the box office, took $1,976,808 across 337 screens. By comparison, Clash of the Titans made $6.4 million on its opening weekend.</p> <p> Sony Pictures film 21 Jump Street dropped from third to fifth place in its third week of release, taking $1,633,438, while Mirror Mirror - the first of two Snow White adaptations to hit screens this year, came in sixth ($879,550).</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office 2012</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="249" src="/image/BoxofficeApril2.bmp" width="623" /></p> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:43:26 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/Quickflix-FetchTV-expand-online-movie-businesses/DHITAXQRPF.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/Quickflix-FetchTV-expand-online-movie-businesses/DHITAXQRPF.html Brendan Swift <p> Online movie company Quickflix has launched its on-demand streaming service in New Zealand.</p> <p> The Quickflix launch mirrors the Australian subscription offer which is available over internet-connected PCs and Apple Mac, Sony Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players and PlayStation 3 game consoles.</p> <p> The online streaming service will soon also be available through Samsung smart TVs, Galaxy Tablets and smartphones in both countries.</p> <p> The expansion continues a period of intense competition between several companies which are vying to gain a dominant position in the online movie market. The Australian market is still in its nascent stages although the rollout of the National Broadband Network is expected to prompt another growth surge.</p> <p> Rival Australian company FetchTV this week announced that it had expanded its movie lineup, which now stands at more than 1000 titles, including more than 250 new releases. FetchTV is delivered via broadband providers including iiNet, Optus, Internode, Adam Internet, Netspace and Westnet.</p> <p> FetchTV is backed by the Malaysian-based Astro All Asia Networks subscription TV group.</p> <p> Apple’s iTunes and Telstra’s T-Box remain dominant players in the Australian market.</p> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:17:40 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/IF-Magazines-Luke-Doolan-portrait-wins-London-Photographic-Association-award/SZGBCBEAFR.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/IF-Magazines-Luke-Doolan-portrait-wins-London-Photographic-Association-award/SZGBCBEAFR.html Staff reporter <p> IF Magazine's portrait of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Luke Doolan has won the top prize in the London Photographic Association's Let's Face It 8 portrait competition.</p> <p> The double-page spread, which appeared in IF Magazine #142 (August-September 2011), was the vision of Sydney-based photographer Alina Gozin'a.</p> <p> "Doolan likes the Infinite Monkey Theorem, which suggests that monkeys randomly banging on typewriters for an infinite amount of time would eventually produce the works of Shakespeare," Gozin'a told the <a href="http://www.london-photographic-association.com/site/pages.php?fid=0,182,817" target="_blank">LSE</a>. "In this photograph, the same idea is applied for the Australian film industry – which meant only one monkey was afforded and at mates' rates!"</p> <p> Doolan was nominated for an Oscar for his short film Miracle Fish and has also edited several award-winning films including Animal Kingdom. He is also the head of editing at <a href="http://www.aftrs.edu.au/about/contact-us/sydney.aspx" target="_blank">AFTRS</a>, where the portrait was shot.</p> <p> More information about Alina Gozin'a can be found at her <a href="http://www.alinagozina.com.au/" target="_blank">website</a>. More information about the Luke Doolan portrait and a full list of photo credits can be found <a href="http://www.london-photographic-association.com/site/pages.php?fid=0,182,817" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p> </p> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:30:49 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/Nude-dancers-and-zombies-the-2012-Sydney-Film-Festival-program-teaser/ODUIHMBYRC.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/Nude-dancers-and-zombies-the-2012-Sydney-Film-Festival-program-teaser/ODUIHMBYRC.html Amanda Diaz <p> Ten documentaries and 15 feature films have been announced as part of an early sneak peek at this year's Sydney Film Festival lineup.</p> <p> The 2012 festival will be the first under the helm of new festival director Nashen Moodley, who replaces Clare Stewart.</p> <p> "We wanted to present a diverse range of titles in terms of geography, in terms of the experience of the filmmakers and also different types of films to show that the festival will have something for everyone," says Moodley.</p> <p> When asked to pick his favourites from this year's teaser, the festival director compares it to asking a parent which of their children is their favourite, but admits he is particularly looking forward to the audience response to Beasts of the Southern Wilds, Tabu and Neighbouring Sounds.</p> <p> The winner of the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Beasts of the Southern Wilds is set in 'The Bathtub'Œ – a bayou community cut off from the rest of the world. It follows six-year-old Hushpuppy, whose father, Wink, tries to prepare her for a dangerous new world, as the icebergs melt and prehistoric creatures descend.</p> <p> Tabu tells the story of a temperamental old woman, her Cape Verdean maid and a neighbour devoted to social causes live on the same floor of a Lisbon apartment building. When the old lady dies, the other two learn of an episode from her past: a tale of love and crime set in an Africa straight from the world of adventure films. Neighbouring Sounds, the debut feature from Kleber Mendonça Filho, looks at what happens when an independent security firm arrives in a middle-class neighbourhood in Brazil.</p> <p> "In each of these cases, it's something very original - it will mark the discovery of these great cinematic voices for the Australian audience," says Moodley.</p> <p> Also in this year's lineup are Woody Allen: A Documentary (the title is fairly self-explanatory), Crazy Horse - a documentary by Frederick Wiseman about Le Crazy Horse de Paris, the self-proclaimed 'best nude dancing show in the world', and Harold's Going Stiff - a film fashioned in the style of a BBC documentary about a mysterious illness turning men in the north of England into bloodthirsty zombies.</p> <p> "Zombies have a role to play in film festivals, I believe," says Moodley. "I think we'll make lots of people happy with that crazy, happy film. The undead are people too."</p> <p> To see more of the festival preview, click <a href="http://www.sff.org.au/public/films/program/preview-features/" target="_blank">here</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="281" src="/image/beastsofthesouthernwild.jpg" width="500" /> Beasts of the Southern Wild will have its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival </p> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:43:53 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/One-North-Entertainment-formerly-RGM-Media-suspended-from-ASX/ZUJVKOEJXI.html http://if.com.au/2012/04/02/article/One-North-Entertainment-formerly-RGM-Media-suspended-from-ASX/ZUJVKOEJXI.html Brendan Swift <p> Struggling production and talent company One North Entertainment has been suspended from the Australian Securities Exchange after failing to lodge its full year financial accounts.</p> <p> The company, which was formerly known as RGM Media, is one of just four to have breached the ASX's listing rules in the current reporting period. Listed companies are required to lodge their accounts within 60 days of the December 31 year end.</p> <p> One North also breached the ASX's listing rules twice last year when directors <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/07/07/article/FYKSCIXGTI.html" target="_blank">failed</a> to adequately declare that an entity they controlled disposed of shares in the company.</p> <p> The company floated on the ASX in mid-2010 but its grand plans to become a production house have floundered and it narrowly avoided closing in late-2011 after announcing a convertible bond issue. An <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/11/11/article/BEFLZUYCUP.html" target="_blank">independent expert</a> said the terms of the deal were not fair for existing shareholders but the company had little choice.</p> <p> One North had previously said it expected to have received revenues from its rights to the upcoming Point Break remake by December 2011, as well as further revenues from its production of Asia Apprentice.</p> <p> The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) - previously a supporter of the company - recently launched legal proceedings against One North subsidiary RGM Group Pte Ltd.</p> <p> In a market update released last month, One North said the company will defend the legal proceedings, which relate to two collaboration agreements struck between the MDA, RGM Group Pte Ltd and private companies owned by former One North managing director Devesh Chetty.</p> <p> "These matters, however, involve a significant degree of complexity," the One North statement said. "In addition, the long term relationship between the MDA and the company’s major shareholder (and former managing director) including the negotiations that led to the execution of the collaboration agreement, predates any involvement that One North or its subsidiary may have had with the MDA over the last 18 months. In these circumstances, the board acknowledges the inherent difficulties associated with expeditiously resolving these matters."</p> <p> One North was originally a talent agency founded by Robyn Gardiner in the early 1980s, best known for representing acting clients such as Cate Blanchett.</p> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:52:10 +1000 http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/UPDATED-NBC-pilot-shooting-in-Victoria-expected-to-create-100-jobs/IJLXXUDXZX.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/UPDATED-NBC-pilot-shooting-in-Victoria-expected-to-create-100-jobs/IJLXXUDXZX.html Amanda Diaz <p> A pilot commissioned by US television network NBC will film in Victoria, it was announced today.</p> <p> Frontier, produced by Sony Pictures Television and created by former Cold Case executive Shaun Cassidy, will shoot in the towns of Thornton, Alexandra and Mansfield.</p> <p> ŒIn a statement, Minister for innovation, services and small business, Louise Asher said the pilot will spend an estimated sum of $6 million in the region. The production is also expected to create 100 jobs for local crew and technicians.</p> <p> Frontier follows the journey of a group of men and women determined to build new lives for themselves on the Pacific coast of America in the spring of 1840.</p> <p> It was drawn to Australia by Film Victoria's Production Investment Attraction Fund and Regional Location Assistance Fund.</p> <p> **Correction: Filming on Frontier began in mid-March and is expected to wrap in early April.</p> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:36:45 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/The-Jammed-filmmaker-Dee-McLachlan-on-new-terrorist-comedy/KKIACPQYCA.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/The-Jammed-filmmaker-Dee-McLachlan-on-new-terrorist-comedy/KKIACPQYCA.html Matthew Worboys <p> Dee McLachlan’s controversial new comedy 10terrorists had its debut screening on Thursday night at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and while the film has been mostly accepted by audiences, it has been faced with its fair share of naysayers.</p> <p> “We had one person walk out at a test screening and fill in their form saying the film should never have been made.”, recalls McLachlan.</p> <p> 10terrorists follows a Hollywood producer as he sets up the most extreme reality show to date - Amateur Master Terrorist. Borrowing from other popular reality shows, Amateur Master Terrorist consists of segments such as Armed Apprentice, Queer Spy for the Terrorist Guy, Blasterchef and So You Want To Be A Terrorist!.</p> <p> “It started off as a script called Terry and Isim and was about Guantanamo Bay. Then that fell through because Harold and Kumar came along and Bush got voted out. But the idea shifted and turning into a morphing reality show with terrorists," explains McLachlan. </p> <p> The filmmaker is no stranger to controversial ideas. Her last film was the IF award-winning drama The Jammed, a story about human trafficking. On pushing boundaries, McLachlan says: “You always try to push a little further, and sometimes you think you’ve gone too far, but then other times you think you haven’t gone far enough. It’s all about playing with those boundaries.”</p> <p> For 10terrorists, McLachlan put aside her serious approach and decided to venture into the realm of absurdist comedy. “Comedy allows you to venture into areas where you can’t otherwise venture. It allows you to look at material that would otherwise be too hard to look at.”</p> <p> With such an offbeat film, producer Andrea Buck realised that the marketing had to be equally offbeat. As such, they decided to enter the film not specifically into film festivals, but into comedy festivals. The film was accepted into the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and it was recently selected for the LA comedy festival.</p> <p> “When we made The Jammed, we knew its audience from the outset. It was a socially aware, middle range female audience. It was made for cinemagoers. With 10terrorists though, the audience is a little bit scattered, and is a much more mainstream audience," says Buck. </p> <p> The film is currently showing as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, and will be released theatrically in the near future through distributor Titan View.</p> <p> </p> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:53:31 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/Screen-Australian-invests-in-five-short-films/PWKQGPNYNK.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/Screen-Australian-invests-in-five-short-films/PWKQGPNYNK.html Amanda Diaz <p> Screen Australia has invested in five short films this week, including the directorial debut of popular children's author and illustrator Graeme Base.</p> <p> The Gallant Captain, adapted from Base's own picture book The Legend of the Golden Snail, was one of two films selected to share in $300,000 of financing as part of the Short Animation Production Program. The story, a child's pirate fantasy, will be co-directed by Base and producer Katrina Mathers (Nullarbor).</p> <p> The second recipient, stop-motion sand animation short The Crossing, will be animated, written and directed by visual artist Marieka Walsh and producer Donna Chang. The Crossing is the pair's second sand animated short film, their previous collaboration The Hunter recently screened at the SXSW festival.</p> <p> Previous shorts funded through the agency's animation program include the Oscar-winning films The Lost Thing and Harvie Krumpet.</p> <p> After an intensive three-month development process, three live action films have also been selected to receive production investment as part of Screen Australia's Springboard Short Film Initiative.</p> <p> Springboard initially oversaw the development of five projects before choosing which films to invest in.</p> <p> The Last Time I Saw Richard (written and directed by Nicholas Verso and produced by John Molloy), Perception (written and directed by Miranda Nation and produced by Lyn Norfor) and Snowblind (written and directed by Sean Kruck and produced by Caroline Barry) will assist in leveraging finance and interest in the teams' debut feature films, which are currently in development.</p> <p> “This year’s Springboard workshop has encouraged participants to focus on providing an intense emotional experience by combining a great script with a strong director’s vision,” said Screen Australia’s head of sevelopment Martha Coleman in a statement.</p> <p> Each filmmaking team will receive up to $150,000 to produce their films.</p> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:52:15 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/Of-salons-and-social-work-ABC-short-doc-Queen-of-the-Desert/PIBXCJUXEF.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/30/article/Of-salons-and-social-work-ABC-short-doc-Queen-of-the-Desert/PIBXCJUXEF.html Matthew Worboys <p> Director Alex Kelly is always on the lookout for interesting, intercultural projects. Now, with some financial help from Screen Australia, Screen Territory and ABC TV, Queen of the Desert, Kelly’s most recent project for 360 Degree Films is heading to television.</p> <p> Queen of the Desert follows a youth worker named Starlady who travels to Areyonga, an indigenous community in Central Australia in the hopes of using her hairdressing skills to help the people there.</p> <p> “Starlady is an amazing character, full of wit, cheekiness and integrity”, says Kelly. “I visited a community in Western Australia where she had helped Wilurrara Creative set up a salon and was struck by the power of the program and immediately saw a film in my mind – it is such a colourful, playful and visual program."</p> <p> Living in Alice Springs, Kelly understands the conception some people have of Central Australia, and hopes to show the communities in a more truthful light. “Central Australia is often misunderstood and misrepresented, and seen as dysfunctional”, explains Kelly. “The idea that there is a vibrant creative youth culture in remote Australia is not something that would occur to most people and I wanted to showcase that."</p> <p> Shooting over 12 days, the production crew had over 50 hours of footage to whittle down to the required 30 minute run time. Kelly is quick to compliment editor Simon Wright. “[He] has been such a solid person to work with and has really got the story, characters and the things I want to draw out.”</p> <p> Queen of the Desert is one of five short form documentaries that have been funded by Screen Australia and ABC TV for their Opening Shot scheme. Other documentaries funded include Ben Eriksen’s Future Radicals, a film about the online vigilante group Anonymous, and Project Baby, a documentary about director Shalom Almond attempts at starting a family using controversial Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis IVF.</p> <p> On what initially interested her about Starlady and indigenous communities represented in Queen of the Desert, Kelly says “I think that examples of people respectfully and powerfully working together are the kinds of stories that Australia needs to hear right now. We hear so many stories of division and violence, I don’t think we talk enough about what works, how and why.”</p> <p> The documentaries will be shown on ABC2 in mid-2012.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="253" src="/image/queenofthedesert1.JPG" width="450" /> Starlady with women from Areyonga</p> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:28:40 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Netflix-knocks-back-Terra-Nova-report/WZOGMOBXNE.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Netflix-knocks-back-Terra-Nova-report/WZOGMOBXNE.html Brendan Swift <p> Internet streaming company Netflix will not pick up big-budget pre-historic drama Terra Nova after 20th Century Fox TV decided against producing a second series, according to <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/fox-drama-terra-nova-a-no-go-at-netflix/" target="_blank">Deadline.com</a>.</p> <p> Netflix and 20th Century Fox TV failed to come to terms after two weeks of negotiations although slender hopes remain that another production house or network will still pick up the series.</p> <p> Many of Terra Nova’s major cast have already moved on to other projects, according to Deadline: Jason O’Mara co-stars in CBS pilot Ralph Lamb; Allison Miller in NBC comedy Go On; and Christine Adams in ABC pilot Americana.</p> <p> A spokeswoman for Screen Queensland said the state agency had no further information.</p> <p> The 13-part Terra Nova series, produced by Steven Spielberg,Œemployed hundreds of Queenslanders although the production brokered employment terms below the usual standards expected of an international production.</p> <p> The series received mixed reviews in the US but was more successful overseas, ultimately turning a profit for Fox.</p> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:41:20 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Callan-Mulvey-cast-in-300-sequel-and-Kathryn-Bigelows-Zero-Dark-Thirty/HKWRWUZVNP.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Callan-Mulvey-cast-in-300-sequel-and-Kathryn-Bigelows-Zero-Dark-Thirty/HKWRWUZVNP.html Amanda Diaz <p> Actor Callan Mulvey has landed roles in two major US films: the sequel to sword-and-sandals blockbuster 300 and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow's next project Zero Dark Thirty. </p> <p> Mulvey, who is best known for his roles in Rush, Underbelly and Heartbreak High will star alongside fellow Aussie Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom) in 300: Battle of Artemisia. The film, which will be produced by Zack Snyder, will be released in August 2013.</p> <p> In Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's film about a team of Navy Seals that track down Osama Bin Laden, Mulvey joins a cast that includes Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton and Jessica Chastain. Filming is set to commence in April.</p> <p> Bigelow's last film, The Hurt Locker, won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture in 2010.</p> <p> Mulvey is represented by Mark Morrissey and Associates and recently signed with prestigious agency CAA in Los Angeles.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="354" src="/image/callanresized.jpg" width="300" /> Actor Callan Mulvey</p> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:57:47 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/IF-Magazine-launches-iPad-version---second-issue/FXOGISZIWV.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/IF-Magazine-launches-iPad-version---second-issue/FXOGISZIWV.html Staff reporter <p> IF Magazine has launched an iPad version, which is available now through Apple’s iTunes store.</p> <p> The last two issues of IF Magazine (#144 Dec-Jan and #145 Feb-March) are now available.</p> <p> Each iPad edition of IF Magazine includes extra multimedia components including video, photo galleries and animation.</p> <p> It is the first iPad publication by parent company Intermedia Group, which fully-funded development.</p> <p> Intermedia publishes about 30 magazines including Time Out Sydney.</p> <p> Download the iPad version <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/if-magazine/id502987364?mt=8" target="_blank">here</a>. </p> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:05:13 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Caitlin-Stasey-on-Tomorrow-sequel-My-involvement-may-be-over/VYCNKMDRGF.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Caitlin-Stasey-on-Tomorrow-sequel-My-involvement-may-be-over/VYCNKMDRGF.html Amanda Diaz <p> Omnilab Media may remain committed to developing the sequel to 2010 blockbuster Tomorrow, When the War Began but the film's star, Caitlin Stasey, feels her involvement in the project is over.</p> <p> The actress, who won an IF Award for her performance as Ellie Linton in the adaptation of the best selling John Marsden novel, believes that if a second film does eventually go ahead, it may not feature the original cast members.</p> <p> "You always hear things, you always hear that someone's writing it, that someone's putting it together," says Stasey. "Nothing has happened until it happens. Unfortunately for the Tomorrow series, I feel that for the actors that were in the first film, maybe our commitment to it is done."</p> <p> Tomorrow, When the War Began, which was written and directed by Stuart Beattie, was the highest grossing Australian film of 2010, taking $13.48 million at the box office. In February 2011 it was announced that a sequel - also helmed by Beattie - would commence filming in September. But the production was moved back into the development stage when Beattie signed on to write and direct graphic novel adaptation I, Frankenstein.</p> <p> Omnilab Media managing director, Chris Mapp, told IF late last year that the company was still committed to the project - considering both film and television options. Wish You Were Here filmmaker Kieran Darcy-Smith is currently developing a new version of the script.</p> <p> Since Tomorrow's release almost two years ago, many of the film's young cast have gone on to build stable careers in the industry. Ashleigh Cummings, who played Robin, is currently appearing in ABC's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Phoebe Tonkin (Fi) is one of the leads in US supernatural thriller series The Secret Circle and Lincoln Lewis (Kevin) has worked on various shows including SLiDE, Underbelly: Razor and the upcoming Tricky Business.</p> <p> "By the time we all get together, we'll probably be 35 and too old to play the characters," says Stasey. "Whenever someone tells me that they've seen the film, I thank them profusely just because it makes me so happy. But if they revisit the film in a couple of years and they use the next Australian starlet and the next Australian hunk, audiences have a limited loyalty so I think it'll be fine. I hope for the fans that they have something, even a television show, because people really did love it."</p> <p> Stasey is currently in the midst of filming her second collaboration with Beattie as a secondary lead in I, Frankenstein alongside Aaron Eckhart.</p> <p> "He's amazing, he's the single most generous man I've ever met in my life. He has such enthusiasm," she says of the writer/director. "He's like a mascot for positive thinking - it's nice to be around someone who reaffirms constantly that they love what they do, and anybody that loves something so much could never let you down. I hope I get to work with him late, late into my career."</p> <p> Stasey is also involved in comedian Josh Thomas's upcoming ABC series Please Like Me. The pair met when the actress appeared on popular game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation. Thomas encouraged Stasey to audition for the role of his character's ex-girlfriend and the rest is history.</p> <p> "Everything about it was funny – the language, the situations , it was perfect, and it fit into my style of humour," she says of the six-part series. "When I came down here, I was worried I’d have a lot of downtime, but fortunately this came up perfectly. And now they’re coexisting harmoniously in my schedule, which I’m really, really thrilled about."</p> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:47:37 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Beyond-International-to-buy-Qs-digital-business-for-3-25m/ZCZVAHNZPU.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/27/article/Beyond-International-to-buy-Qs-digital-business-for-3-25m/ZCZVAHNZPU.html Brendan Swift <p> Local production house Beyond International plans to buy Q Group’s digital marketing operations for $3.25 million.</p> <p> The assets will form a new digital division within Beyond, which will be headed by Q’s current chief executive Jon Ostler.</p> <p> Beyond produces a slate of successful television programs, including the popular MythBusters series, and posted a 14 per cent rise in net profit to $3.99 million over the December half-year.</p> <p> Beyond chief executive Mikael Borglund said the company has been expanding its digital capabilities.</p> <p> “This proposed acquisition will provide Beyond with access to a diverse range of digital expertise, IP and assets covering digital strategy, creative, development, marketing and media,” he said in a statement.</p> <p> The sale, which will require the approval of Q’s shareholders, will end a period of turmoil for the digital marketing and advertising company.</p> <p> In a letter to shareholders, Q’s executive chairman Paul Choiselat said it had been unable to generate positive cash flows over the past two years due to difficult trading conditions.</p> <p> “After an internal review of the business’s future prospects, the directors considered and accepted the offer for the assets of the group’s business from an independent third party,” he said.</p> <p> The $3.25 million sale price is the maximum payable and includes performance hurdles related to earnings targets. If the sale proceeds, Q plans to pursue new business opportunities.</p> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:31:53 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/The-Hunger-Games-takes-9m-on-opening-weekend/VRBFDYRKLT.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/The-Hunger-Games-takes-9m-on-opening-weekend/VRBFDYRKLT.html Amanda Diaz <p> Hotly anticipated blockbuster The Hunger Games topped the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $9,051,868 across 471 screens.</p> <p> The film, which is based on the first installment of a successful trilogy by Suzanne Collins and distributed by Roadshow, had a screen average of $19,218. On its opening day last Thursday, the film took $1.75 million - the biggest opening day of 2012 so far.</p> <p> The Hunger Games tells the story of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence), a poverty stricken girl in a post-apocalyptic version of America, who volunteers to take the place of her sister in a Government-sanctioned televised fight-to-the-death against 23 other teens known as 'tributes.'</p> <p> In the US, The Hunger Games had the third highest opening weekend of all time behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and The Dark Knight. Estimates from studio insiders predicted that the film had the potential to earn up to $130 million in its first weekend in the US, but the movie surpassed this - going on to post $155 million at the North American box office.</p> <p> Second at the local box office was British pensioner comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The Fox-distributed film, which features an all-star cast including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy, earned $3,404,936 across 258 screens, giving it a screen average of $13,197.</p> <p> Sony Pictues comedy 21 Jump Street came in third, dropping 36 per cent from its successful opening weekend. The Jonah Hill/Channing Tatum buddy comedy took $2,622,044 on 300 screens.</p> <p> Disney sci-fi film John Carter and Ghostrider: Spirit of Vengeance rounded out the top fve, grossing $633,006 (a 60 per cent drop from last week) and $339,472 respectively.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Australian films at the box office 2012</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="249" src="/image/BoxofficeMarch25.bmp" width="623" /> Œ</p> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:13:38 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/Production-delayed-on-Wolf-Creek-2-and-ABCs-Resistance/SGINAOWEPD.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/Production-delayed-on-Wolf-Creek-2-and-ABCs-Resistance/SGINAOWEPD.html Amanda Diaz <p> Production on horror movie sequel Wolf Creek 2 and big-budget children's sci-fi series Resistance has been delayed, leaving the South Australian Film Corporation to redistribute the funding allocated to the projects.</p> <p> Both productions were set to film at the $43 million Adelaide Studios complex, which opened in October 2011, but are now on hold with no set date for commencement.</p> <p> Wolf Creek 2 was originally slated to begin production in February, with a budget of $13.2 million. However, contractual issues have caused the film to come to a halt.</p> <p> In December, entrepeneur Geoffrey Edelsten launched legal action against director Greg McLean's production company, Emu Pictures, with the intention of rescinding the investment deed he had signed for the sequel. Edelsten invested $5 million in the picture, but said he would never have done so had he known he was the biggest single private investor. In an affidavit, he wrote that only $300,000 of the film's total budget was from other private investors.</p> <p> ABC's children's series Resistance was set to begin a 23-week shoot last October, but in December, IF reported that the $14 million project would be cutting down its initial order of 26 episodes and filming in the first quarter of 2012. However, the SAFC has since been informed that the show will not go ahead until later this year or early in 2013.</p> <p> In a statement, chief executive, Richard Harris said that the delays faced by the two projects enabled the SAFC to release the funds allocated to the film and series. SAFC has instead invested $450,000 in feature films The Babadook and The Fall - horror movies which are set to go into production in the latter half of 2012.</p> <p> "These features will bring work for local crews who have had to contend with delays related to the uncertainty surrounding Wolf Creek 2 and Resistance," said Harris.</p> <p> The Babadook will star Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries actress, Essie Davis, as a grieving widow who senses a sinister presence in her house, while supernatural thriller, The Fall, tells the story of an isolated Afghan desert U.S. Marine Sergeant who leads a small combat engineering team on a mission to construct security bunkers for a new Green Zone.</p> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:08:25 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/Cutting-Edge-appoints-new-Head-of-Strategic-Development/LTZXJTKSHU.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/Cutting-Edge-appoints-new-Head-of-Strategic-Development/LTZXJTKSHU.html Amanda Diaz <p> Post-production house Cutting Edge has appointed Allan Bruty as its new head of strategic development and innovation.</p> <p> Bruty will be responsible for creating opportunities for Cutting Edge's media, entertainment and production clients across multiple digital distribution platforms.</p> <p> In a statement, Bruty, a past nominee for SPAA's Independent Producer of the Year award, said he was excited to join the post-production house: “We’re in a unique position to provide clients with fully integrated, multiscreen enabled content provided by highly skilled in-house creative and quality production resources," he said.</p> <p> Bruty has previously worked for Redbox Digital and Adstream. He will be based at the Cutting Edge's Sydney office in Chippendale, but will focus on growing Cutting Edge's profile throughout the Asia Pacific region.</p> <p> The company recently opened a brand new, purpose built premises in Brisbane, with the Sydney branch set to undergo a complete refit in the coming months. Œ</p> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:52:48 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/ABC1-Christmas-comedy-starts-filming-in-Sydney/YZKYSTJDJL.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/26/article/ABC1-Christmas-comedy-starts-filming-in-Sydney/YZKYSTJDJL.html Staff reporter <p> Production on a new six-part comedy series from the team behind Review with Myles Barlow begins this week in Sydney.</p> <p> This Christmas , which will air on ABC1 later in the year,Œ follows Dan Moody (Ian Meadows) as he visits the dysfunctional family he moved halfway across the world to escape from. </p> <p> The series was created by Trent O'Donnell and Phil Lloyd of production company Jungleboys. O'Donnell (Review with Myles Barlow, Laid, Woodley, The Chaser's War on Everything) will direct, while Lloyd (who was seen last year as Tim Mathieson in ABC comedy At Home with Julia) will co-produce and star in the series. </p> <p> Other cast members include Patrick Brammall (Hawke), Guy Edmonds (Underbelly: Razor) and Jane Harber (Offspring)</p> <p> Each episode will be set a year apart, focusing on the Moody family as they come together to share the fights, fun, bad gifts, family secrets and boring uncles universally associated with Christmas Day.</p> <p> "Christmas is a time ripe for comic picking and the series promises to be both oddly familiar and deliciously funny," said ABC TV head of comedy, Debbie Lee in a statement. </p> <p> Lee will serve as executive producer alongside Jungleboys' Jason Burrows. </p> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:57:01 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/23/article/Winners-announced-for-the-ASTRA-Industry-Excellence-Awards/UMYRSYVACT.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/23/article/Winners-announced-for-the-ASTRA-Industry-Excellence-Awards/UMYRSYVACT.html Matthew Worboys <p> The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) Industry Excellence Award winners were announced last night, with former Foxtel chief executive, Kim Williams, receiving the pioneer award at the subscription television conference for his contribution to the industry.</p> <p> Williams, now the CEO of News Limited, served a ten-year tenure at Foxtel, during which time he was a key player in the launch of Foxtel Digital. In his acceptance, Williams expressed pride at having left the company and the sector in a bigger and better state than he had found it. </p> <p> “We’ve created thousands of jobs for great Australian talent, and awarded both our viewers and our shareholders,” he said.</p> <p> The ASTRA awards were presented in three categories - platform marketing, program and channel promotion, and technology – and acknowledged television channels, operators and production houses as well as advertising and creative agencies for their contribution to the promotion of subscription television.</p> <p> The recent Austar AFL ad campaign won the award for most outstanding marketing campaign. The campaign, titled ‘Slap’, was awarded for its use of a simple concept to achieve a complex objective using a memorable device. </p> <p> While Crime & Investigation Network’s Kalgoorlie Cops took the award for on-air program promotion, the award for best off-air program promotion went to Showcase for their marketing campaign surrounding the series adaptation of Tim Winton’s novel cloudstreet. Of cloudstreet’s ads, the judges said “It was a great campaign that used various storylines to deliver an impactful PR message.</p> <p> Other winners included B430 Global Animal on Channel V and Fox Sports for their program Fox Field. For a full list of winners, see below: PLATFORM MARKETING </p> <p> MOST OUTSTANDING MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR SUBSCRIPTION SALES OR SUBSCRIBER RETENTION/EXTENSION </p> <p> Awarded to the most outstanding Australian consumer marketing campaign used to drive subscription sales and encourage customer retention and loyalty. AFL ‘Slap’, AUSTAR Judges Comment: Used a simple concept to achieve a complex objective using a memorable device. Humour extended it across all mediums used in the campaign. MOST OUTSTANDING USE OF STV FOR A CONSUMER ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN</p> <p> Awarded to an organisation for the most outstanding use of subscription TV in a consumer advertising campaign. Heineken Flick to Kick Rugby World Cup Campaign, FOX SPORTS, MCN, ZenithOptimedia, Holler & Lion Judges Comment: The unique broadcast capabilities of the match statistics of exclusive games provided a sense of participation rather than just live viewing. Outstanding results! PROGRAM AND CHANNEL PROMOTION </p> <p> MOST OUTSTANDING ON-AIR PROGRAM PROMOTION Awarded to the most creative and effective on-air program promotion for a single subscription TV program, series or event. Kalgoorlie Cops, Crime & Investigation Network Judges Comment: For a niche channel they achieved cut through, demonstrating humour, innovation and creativity which achieved outstanding results. MOST OUTSTANDING OFF-AIR PROGRAM PROMOTION Awarded to the most creative and effective off-air program promotion for a single subscription TV program, series or event. Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, showcase Judges Comment: The off-air component for Cloudstreet went across a vast variety of mediums and touchpoints. It was a holistic campaign that achieved outstanding results. It had highly impactful creative. MOST OUTSTANDING CHANNEL IMAGE SPOT Awarded to an organisation for the most creative and effective channel image spot designed to define, launch, build awareness, or change perception of the channel brand. Forever Classic, FOX Classics Judges Comment: FOX Classics was the one spot that really defined the channel in the best way possible from concept through to delivery. It was clever, simple and engaging. MOST OUTSTANDING MULTI-MEDIA PROMOTION </p> <p> Awarded to the most outstanding integrated consumer marketing campaign using technology and interactivity to promote an Australian subscription TV channel identity, program or a platform. B430 Global Animal, Channel [V] Judges Comment: The judging panel felt it was a well thought out and executed multi-media campaign that resonated with its audience. It had the judging panel reaching for their backpacks. MOST OUTSTANDING PR/COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN Awarded to the most creative and effective stand-alone PR or Communications campaign to promote an Australian subscription TV channel, platform, program and/or drive subscription sales/subscriber retention. Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, showcase Judges Comment: Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet helped position STV as a leader in Australian high end production. It was a great campaign that used various storylines to deliver an impactful PR message. MOST OUTSTANDING MARKETING CAMPAIGN UNDER $50,000 Awarded to the most creative and effective consumer marketing campaign to promote a channel identity or program with a total marketing budget of $50,000 or less. I Believeˆ Studio at the Melbourne Festival 2011, STUDIO Judges Comment: The campaign exemplifies what can be done on a small budget. It resonated and interacted with its audience in an emotive, impactful and creative way. Studio extended their partnership with The Melbourne Festival and leveraged the other partnerships available to further extend their reach on a limited budget. TECHNOLOGY MOST OUTSTANDING USE OF TECHNOLOGY Awarded for the most creative and effective use of technology for consumer use. FOX Field, FOX SPORTS Judges Comment: FOXField is something very different to what free to air offers as it builds the brand and would make you want to watch next time. It enhances the experience of watching sport and is on the mark in terms of the consumer.</p> Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:45:20 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/23/article/Screen-Australia-invests-in-Tim-Winton-anthology-film/DWNVGNUNGQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/23/article/Screen-Australia-invests-in-Tim-Winton-anthology-film/DWNVGNUNGQ.html Amanda Diaz <p> Four feature film projects have received funding from Screen Australia, including a Tim Winton anthology which will be directed by a number of high profile actors and filmmakers such as David Wenham, Mia Wasikowska and Cate Blanchett.</p> <p> The $5 million invested across the four films is expected to generate $20 million in production.</p> <p> Winton's popular short story collection The Turning will be adapted by Robert Connolly's production company Arenamedia, with each chapter brought to the screen by a different director.</p> <p> Set on a coastal stretch of Western Australia, The Turning follows the turning points faced by ordinary people. Other directors attached to the project include Tony Ayres (The Slap), Justin Kurzel (Snowtown) and Claire McCarthy (The Waiting City).</p> <p> Other projects on the investment slate include a new project from Oscar-winning producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, a supernatural thriller starring Essie Davis and a teen drama set in the suburbs of Canberra.</p> <p> Tracks, the latest film from production company See-Saw, is the true story of writer Robyn Davidson's camel trek through the centre of Australia with only her dog Diggity and a National Geographic photographer for company.</p> <p> Emile Sherman and Iain Canning are producing, with Julie Ryan (Red Dog) acting as co-producer. John Curran (The Painted Veil) is set to direct, with Transmission in charge of Australian distribution.</p> <p> The Babadook, from writer/director Jennifer Kent, will star Essie Davis as a grieving widow who tries to allay her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, only to discover a sinister presence surrounding her.</p> <p> Teen drama Galore from writer/director Rhys Graham and producer Philippa Campey follows the friendship of Billie and Laura. The girls share everything, except for the fact that Billie is in love with Laura's boyfriend.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p> THE BABADOOK Causeway Films Pty Ltd Producers Kristina Ceyton, Kristian Moliere Executive Producers Jonathan Page, Michael Tear, Jeff Harrison Writer/Director Jennifer Kent Cast Essie Davis International Sales eOne Entertainment Australian Distributor Umbrella Entertainment Synopsis A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.</p> <p> GALORE Film Camp Pty Ltd Producer Philippa Campey Executive Producers Sue Murray, Victoria Treole Writer/Director Rhys Graham International Sales eOne Entertainment Australian Distributor Hopscotch Synopsis Billie and Laura, two reckless teenage best friends, share everything, except for Billie’s biggest secret; she’s crazy in love with Laura’s boyfriend.</p> <p> TRACKS See-Saw Productions Pty Ltd Producers Emile Sherman, Iain Canning Co-Producer Julie Ryan Writer Based on the current draft written by John Curran Director John Curran International Sales Hanway Films, Cross City Sales Australian Distributor Transmission Synopsis The inspirational true story of Robyn Davidson's solo camel trek through the harsh centre of Australia, aided only by her faithful canine companion Diggity and the National Geographic photographer who chronicled this epic modern adventure.</p> <p> THE TURNING Arenamedia Pty Ltd Producer Robert Connolly Co-Producer Maggie Miles Executive Producers Andrew Myer, Paul Wiegard Directors Including Benedict Andrews, Jonathan auf der Heide, Tony Ayres, Cate Blanchett, Robert Connolly, Shaun Gladwell, Rhys Graham, Justin Kurzel, Ian Meadows, Yaron Lifschitz, Claire McCarthy, Ashlee Page, Stephen Page, Mia Wasikowska, David Wenham International Sales Maze Film Sales, LevelK ApS Film Sales Australian Distributor Footprint Films Synopsis A diverse range of Australian directors each create a chapter of this hauntingly beautiful novel by Tim Winton. The linking and overlapping stories explore the extraordinary turning points in ordinary people’s lives. As characters face second thoughts and mid-life regret, relationships irretrievably alter, resolves are made or broken and lives change direction forever.</p> Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:18:53 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/21/article/Screen-insurance-risky-business/HDVXACEFSQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/21/article/Screen-insurance-risky-business/HDVXACEFSQ.html Amanda Diaz <p> The box jellyfish is one of the world’s deadliest creatures. With tentacles up to three metres long and venom that attacks the skin, the heart and the nervous system, swimmers that are unlucky enough to be stung often never make it back to the shore. Drowned after going into shock, or dead of heart failure.</p> <p> With experience as a former teenage backpacker in the area, Mooneys Insurance Brokers managing director David Mansley was well aware of the dangers faced by those brave – or stupid – enough to venture into the water along the Northern Queensland coastline during stinging season, which was why alarm bells rang when the production team behind shark thriller The Reef planned to do just that.</p> <p> “There’s no way they could have shot where they were proposing to shoot,” he says.</p> <p> Thankfully, co-producer Tiare Tomaszewski had contacted the insurance broker in the very early stages of the production – although locations had been planned, nothing had been officially booked. The production ended up shooting hundreds of kilometres south of where they had originally intended. The Reef’s predator remained a hungry shark instead of a wayward jellyfish. Crisis averted.</p> <p> In the film and TV industry, where unpredictability is often the rule rather than the exception and the best laid plans often fall through, insurance is a necessary precaution.</p> <p> “People say you’ve always got to have a Plan B,” says Mansley. “But the film industry has Plans B, C, D, E, F, G, H.” Purchasing insurance is, as Mansley puts it, buying a cheque to cover things that could go wrong.</p> <p> For The Reef, this involved providing coverage for film equipment that could be damaged by water exposure (the film spent four-and-a-half weeks shooting on the ocean), the potential hazard of sharp rocks, stonefish, and, yes, box jellyfish.</p> <p> Brokers often join a production at the very beginning of development, as most policies need to be in place prior to pre-production. Shooting schedules and equipment use are evaluated, scripts are examined and risk management plans drawn up surrounding any proposed stunts.</p> <p> “We prefer to get involved in the embryonic stage,” says Mansley, who is also working with Blackfella Films on ABC telemovie Mabo. “Insurance is a fairly substantial spend in the budget. We have to help the producers figure out how much they’re going to spend.”</p> <p> While this works well for features and series that get the green light, many never make it to our screens – and there’s no insurance for insurers whose work never comes to fruition.</p> <p> “One of the major issues facing the film industry is obtaining finance,” says Midland Insurance senior account executive, Brian Holland. “We do a lot of work in preparing preliminary quotations and some of these projects never see the light of day. That’s the nature of the beast, we just have to grin and bear it.”</p> <p> Midland Insurance has worked on two big films that have graced our screens this year: Simon Wincer’s The Cup and Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown. According to Holland, both features had “issues peculiar to those productions”.</p> <p> The Cup, which tells the true story of Damien Oliver’s 2002 Melbourne Cup victory, took out a package policy that consisted of negative film risk, equipment insurance, money, public liability and film producer’s indemnity. Of these covers, the latter two were deemed the most important. Under the film producer’s indemnity, key members of the cast and crew are covered in the event of any expenditure that may occur as a result of death or injury during principal photography. In The Cup, three of those cast members were horses.</p> <p> With the film shooting at various race courses and football fields, where cast and crew liaised with contractors and members of the public not involved in the production, public liability insurance was also a priority.</p> <p> According to Aon Australia senior account executive, Peter Sun, public liability is the main concern underpinning the industry as a whole. Almost 40 per cent of film and TV claims reported to Aon fall under this category. The company has recently worked on TV series including Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year and The Amazing Race Australia.</p> <p> The public liability policy covers the insured party (which, on a film, is the production company) in the event of personal injury or property damage as a result of being exposed to risks on set. It is similar to third party insurance, rather than workers’ compensation.</p> <p> Contractors involved in the film are considered separate legal entities and must have their own cover. Confused? It seems most people are. Mansley admits he spends at least one-third of his time explaining to production companies who is and isn’t covered by public liability insurance.</p> <p> “Contractors simply don’t realise that they aren’t covered and assume that an umbrella insurance policy is in existence somewhere that covers them automatically,” says Sun. “In reality, they’re on their own and responsible for looking after their own professional interests.”</p> <p> Equally as vital as public liability cover, but with a lower chance of being claimed upon, is the Errors & Omissions policy (E&O). This cover provides indemnity for any lawsuits launched against the production company that concern breach of copyright, defamation, plagiarism, libel or slander.</p> <p> “It’s a very low risk for the insurance company,” says Mansley.</p> <p> Despite this, it’s a policy that’s very important to get right. Broadcasters generally require programs to have an E&O policy to be in place and American distributors will not purchase a film without one.</p> <p> While working on psychological thriller Snowtown, Brian Holland found that putting the film’s E&O policy in place took weeks rather than days because of the nature of the subject matter. Productions based on real life stories require brokers to work closely with the producers to provide evidence that the people involved will be portrayed appropriately.</p> <p> “You have to show that the treatment of people still alive is satisfactory and that the treatment of deceased people was satisfactory,” says Holland. “With Snowtown, we were dealing with people who were – how do I put this? They were allegedly murdered and not treated in a very nice way.”</p> <p> Cover for intellectual property, defamation and copyright is particularly relevant in the age of viral marketing. According to Sun, film and television producers that market their films through social media face an increased level of exposure to risk. Aon has addressed this by launching Multi Media Insurance – a package which covers public liability, defamation and errors & omissions under one policy.</p> <p> While preparing for online risks is manageable, readying productions for the possibility of greater dangers can prove a challenge. During the production of a recent series of ABC’s Hungry Beast, Mansley was contacted in the late afternoon about a scene that was to be shot the following morning.</p> <p> “They rang me and said ‘Look, we’re shooting at 6:30 tomorrow morning, we’re going to air that night, and we need coverage in place for the guy we’re going to set on fire,’” he recalls.</p> <p> Impossible? Mansley certainly thought so. But when he contacted the public liability insurer, they were happy to put a cover in place, for no additional premium. It was a stroke of luck – activities far less dangerous than setting a man on fire are often priced far more highly, or even rejected by insurers for being too risky.</p> <p> In some cases, particular stunts or sequences can be deemed uninsurable because of the potential danger involved. When this occurs, the risk, and the responsibility needs to be dealt with contractually, or else removed completely by altering the scene.</p> <p> “Every legal entity has a duty of care to the public and to its employees,” explains Mansley. “Insurance is transferring that risk, having another entity carrying your risk for a price.”</p> <p> Before the show’s cancellation, Mooneys Insurance worked with Top Gear Australia, placing the film production insurance locally, but giving the motor and public liability insurance to underwriters from a London-based Lloyd’s syndicate which had previously worked on Top Gear UK. Mansley approached the London underwriters after unsuccessfully approaching insurers in Australia.</p> <p> “I knew no one in Australia would take it, but I tried them anyway,” he says. “The Australian insurance market in general doesn’t understand film... When they don’t have a lot of knowledge in a particular area, they often err on the side of caution and simply decline to consider writing the risk.”</p> <p> Mansley believes that the solution is educating insurers on the business. “Film isn’t all about blowing up buildings like Die Hard,” he says. “That’s actually the exception to the rule.”</p> <p> This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.intermedia.com.au/index.cfm?page=mag.magDesc&mid=29&area=magazines" target="_blank">IF Magazine</a> #144 Dec 2011 - Jan 2012. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="253" src="/image/thereef-mid.jpg" width="450" /> The Reef. </p> Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:17:58 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/20/article/Adam-Zwar-talks-Agony-Uncles/DWOSWNQCPR.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/20/article/Adam-Zwar-talks-Agony-Uncles/DWOSWNQCPR.html Amanda Diaz <p> When Wilfred andŒLowdown co-creator Adam Zwar was in high school and university, he was fairly sure he must be deformed or charmless. Perhaps even both. At least in the eyes of women.</p> <p> "All I was hearing were stories of success, while I was just going through failure after failure," he says. "It wasn't until later in life that I realised that all guys feel like that, and I think it's important that guys know they're not alone when they luck out."</p> <p> Fast forward to 2012 and Zwar's production company has created Agony Uncles, a six-part series with the tagline 'When you have absolutely no-one else to turn to.'</p> <p> The series, which is executive produced by Zwar alongisde Amanda Brotchie and Nicole Minchin, features 18 men including animator Adam Elliott, academic Waleed Ali and actor Josh Lawson, discussing everything from picking up and the first date to getting your heart broken and moving on again.</p> <p> The shoot took place over four weeks early last year in different locations around Melbourne. Interviews with the 'uncles' are integrated with stock footage from old-school sex education videos.</p> <p> "I wanted to show that what the guys are talking about is timeless and nothing has really changed over the centuries," says Zwar. "Picking up, dating, falling in love, getting your heart broken, essentially the fundamentals are all the same."</p> <p> That's not to say it was always easy to get the men to talk. Comedian Lawrence Leung remembers the experience being surprisingly painful.</p> <p> "Guys don't normally talk about this kind of thing, at least not in such a public way," he says. "It was good to see all these guys from different walks of life had similar backgrounds of nervousness that I had."</p> <p> A companion show called Agony Aunts will air later this year, featuring Judith Lucy and Wendy Harmer. Aunts and Uncles were shot back-to-back and Zwar says he was surprised at the different attitudes that could be found in the two sexes when it came to all things love-related. "Guys do treat relationships as a little bit of fun, whereas in Agony Aunts I realised that women - even funny women - treat them as very serious business. It was quite profound, the difference." Agony Uncles premiers on Wednesday March 21 at 9:30pm on ABC1.</p> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:13:35 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/21/article/Brendan-Cowell-on-Save-Your-Legs-and-The-Slap/VIPASDFJJZ.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/21/article/Brendan-Cowell-on-Save-Your-Legs-and-The-Slap/VIPASDFJJZ.html Andre Fenby <p> If anyone should be aware of the power of cricket to reveal the best and worst sides of human nature, it’s Brendan Cowell.</p> <p> After all, Cowell wrote (and stars in) the upcoming cricket comedy Save Your Legs! (which was recently filming in India) as well as two episodes of Matchbox Pictures’ The Slap, a fictional series exploring a traumatic chain of events ignited when an adult slaps a child during a backyard cricket game.</p> <p> Although Cowell looks upon both writing experiences fondly, they couldn’t be further apart in terms of tone. Save Your Legs! tells the story of Edward Teddy Brown, who starts a cricket team with his two best mates to embark on a tour of India and recapture his childhood dreams. The story is especially relevant to Cowell, a thirtysomething cricket fan.</p> <p> “You know the age that I’m in nowˆ most folks are getting married and having kids or they’re moving away ˆ the cricket team can’t always field a full team,” says Cowell, who explains that the film is about “that changing nature of friendship.”</p> <p> Cowell tells IF the idea for the movie began when he was attending the Sundance Film Festival for his role in the 2007 Aussie film Noise and met producer Nick Batzias, who also produced the 2005 documentary upon which Save Your Legs! is based.</p> <p> “We spent a lot of the night in Sundance listening to the Ashes on his Apple Mac while drinking beer,” Cowell remembers. “He sent me the doco when I got home and I said, ‘mate, you should turn that into a big, broad comedy, you know, a big bromance.’”</p> <p> But while the writer exercises his comedic streak on Save Your Legs!, it was only recently that he was delving into the darker side of human nature with The Slap. Although it is often described as controversial and modern, Cowell says the series is something of a throwback to the good old days of Australian drama.</p> <p> “We made Prisoner a long time ago; we made Blue Murder,” says Cowell, who wrote two of the eight hour-long episodes of The Slap, including the finale. “I think we’ve had 'ballsier' days. I just think we ˆ should return to them because I think Australian audiences are bored with what they’ve been getting.”</p> <p> What they have been getting, according to Cowell, are characters so mild that you have to “kill someone or drown someone” to make drama. “That’s not drama,” Cowell says. “Drama’s got to come from the characters.”</p> <p> Cowell is confident that Australian audiences are ready for “high-concept”, “big storylines” and “flawed characters”. And flawed these characters are: each episode of The Slap assumes the perspective of one of eight different people, wife beaters, adulterers, liars and drunks among them.</p> <p> “It’s very rare that you read something in Australia where all the characters are in very head-on conflict with their lives,” Cowell says. “We write a lot of passive characters and a lot of pedestrian stories.”</p> <p> Cowell wrote two episodes based on two starkly opposed characters, proud child-slapper Harry and troubled teenager Ritchie.</p> <p> “Writing a character like Harry who is very dark and angry and monstrous at times and has these deep-seated demons that he has to come to terms with, and then being able to write Ritchie who’s kind of pure and naïve and open to the world, it was just a fantastic kind of duo.”</p> <p> But Cowell is quick to say the episodes were also a collective effort, whereby everyone would pitch in ideas at writing workshops. “I wrote the words, but we all sat down and turned this book into a TV series.” </p> <p> While Save Your Legs! is inspired by a documentary, The Slap is based on an award-winning novel by Australian writer Christos Tsiolkas. Compared to the organic evolution of Save Your Legs!, this made for an interesting adaptive challenge.</p> <p> “We had to find a way to bring all these characters into each other’s lives so we didn’t forget about them from episode to episode,” Cowell says. “Bringing a lot of dreams and fantasies that are in the book in a monologue to life, that was a wonderful challenge.”</p> <p> Save Your Legs! is due for a theatrical release through Madman Entertainment in late-2012. The Slap is available on Blu-ray and DVD. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="336" src="/image/Save Your Legs.jpg" width="450" /> Cricket legend Glenn McGrath (wearing pink) and the cast of Save Your Legs!: from left, Steven Curry, Damon Gameau and Brendan Cowell. </p> Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:39:06 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/20/article/Disney-says-John-Carter-likely-to-lose-US200m/DBFPISYIOE.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/20/article/Disney-says-John-Carter-likely-to-lose-US200m/DBFPISYIOE.html Brendan Swift <p> Walt Disney says its big-budget Martian adventure John Carter will lose up to $US200 million in the current quarter.</p> <p> It will be one of the biggest single film losses in history after the CGI-heavy film, based on an obscure Edgar Rice Burroughs book published almost 100 years ago, failed to win over a big enough audience to cover an estimated $US250 million production budget plus marketing costs.</p> <p> “In light of the theatrical performance of John Carter ($US184 million global box office), we expect the film to generate an operating loss of approximately $US200 million during our second fiscal quarter ending March 31," Disney said in a statement.</p> <p> "As a result, our current expectation is that the studio segment will have an operating loss of between $US80 and $US120 million for the second quarter. As we look forward to the second half of the year, we are excited about the upcoming releases of The Avengers and Brave, which we believe have tremendous potential to drive value for the studio and the rest of the company.”</p> <p> The film endured much criticism before its release because of its hefty budget and a lacklustre marketing campaign.</p> <p> However, the film has posted a relatively solid performance at the Australian box office, grossing $4.16 million since its March 8 release.</p> <p> Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a> or on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:39:01 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/19/article/Red-Dog-set-for-stage-and-TV/WLCIEDRMVI.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/19/article/Red-Dog-set-for-stage-and-TV/WLCIEDRMVI.html Brendan Swift <p> One of Australia's most popular local films, Red Dog, could be reinvented as a stage show, a documentary and a TV show.</p> <p> The film's producer, Nelson Woss, told local media that he was in talks with a well-known producer to bring the story about the Pilbara region's famous kelpie to the stage, featuring music from the film's soundtrack.</p> <p> "What's quite nice about Red Dog now is that it's expanding into other areas," Woss told Perth's <a href="http://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/perth-confidential/wa-smash-hit-red-dog-let-off-the-leash/story-e6frg30l-1226302567746" target="_blank">The Sunday Times</a>.</p> <p> If the film makes it to the stage, it would follow in the footsteps of another popular Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which was first adapted for the stage in 2006 in Sydney before heading to London in 2009 and New York in 2010-11.</p> <p> Red Dog grossed $21.3 million last year, making it the <a href="http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/research/statistics/mrboxaust.asp" target="_blank">eighth biggest</a> local film of all time. Just two weeks after its release on DVD, it had become the sixth best-selling DVD of all-time although it has not enjoyed such widespread popularity at the UK box office this year.</p> <p> A stage show featuring music from the soundtrack would mark a major turnaround from just before the film's release, when every major record label rejected the soundtrack. Woss pressed ahead with the soundtrack and two-and-a-half weeks after the film was released, a number of record labels returned, by which time Woss and music supervisor were working with Roadshow's music division.</p> <p> The soundtrack features classic songs such as Eagle Rock by Daddy Cool as well as the film's score, which was composed by Cezary Skubiszewski.</p> <p> Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a> or on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:26:57 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/19/article/TV-Week-Logies-announce-2012-nominations/XJCOQOBJGD.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/19/article/TV-Week-Logies-announce-2012-nominations/XJCOQOBJGD.html Amanda Diaz <p> The nominations for the 2012 TV Week Logies were announced on Sunday, with long-running soap Home and Away and Nine’s Underbelly: Razor leading the pool with seven nominations each.</p> <p> Home and Away, which has been on air since 1988, received its nominations in the public-voted categories. It is up against Offspring, Packed To The Rafters, Winners And Losers and Underbelly: Razor for most popular drama series.</p> <p> Esther Anderson (who plays Charlie Buckton) is nominated for both the gold logie for most popular TV personality and the silver logie for most popular actress. Veteran Ray Meagher (aka Alf Stewart) will compete against stars from Wild Boys, Packed to the Rafters and Offspring for most popular actor, while Dan Ewing, Steve Peacocke and Demi Harman are nominated in the most popular new talent categories.</p> <p> Underbelly: Razor was acknowledged by both the public and industry peers. It earned nods for most popular series, actress and new female talent as well as for best series and the Graham Kennedy award for outstanding new talent.</p> <p> Matchbox Pictures series The Slap picked up nominations in the silver logie categories for most outstanding series, outstanding actor (Alex Dimitriades) and actress (Essie Davis and Melissa George). ABC miniseries Paper Giants was recognised in the same categories, with acting nods going to Rob Carlton and Asher Keddie respectively.</p> <p> Foxtel dramas cloudstreet and Killing Time and Ten’s Offspring picked up two nominations each.</p> <p> The 2012 Logies will be held on April 15 and broadcast on Nine.</p> <p> For a complete list of the nominees, see below.</p> <p> MOST POPULAR NOMINEES: TV WEEK GOLD LOGIE – Most Popular Personality on TV Adam Hills (Spicks And Specks, ABC1/Adam Hills In Gordon St Tonight, ABC1) Asher Keddie (Nina Proudman, Offspring, Network Ten /Ita Buttrose, Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, ABC1) Carrie Bickmore (The Project, Network Ten) Esther Anderson (Charlie Buckton, Home And Away, Channel Seven) Hamish Blake (Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year, Nine Network) Karl Stefanovic (Today, Nine Network) TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Popular Actor Daniel MacPherson (Jack Keenan, Wild Boys, Channel Seven) Eddie Perfect (Mick Holland, Offspring, Network Ten) Erik Thomson (Dave Rafter, Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Hugh Sheridan (Ben Rafter, Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart, Home And Away, Channel Seven) TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Popular Actress Asher Keddie (Nina Proudman, Offspring, Network Ten /Ita Buttrose, Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, ABC1) Danielle Cormack (Kate Leigh, Underbelly: Razor, Nine Network /Angela Travis, East West 101, SBS) Esther Anderson (Charlie Buckton, Home And Away, Channel Seven) Jessica Marais (Rachel Rafter, Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Rebecca Gibney (Julie Rafter, Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Popular Presenter Adam Hills (Spicks And Specks, ABC1/Adam Hills In Gordon St Tonight, ABC1) Carrie Bickmore (The Project, Network Ten) Chrissie Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Hamish Blake (Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year, Nine Network) Karl Stefanovic (Today, Nine Network) MOST POPULAR NEW MALE TALENT Dan Ewing (Heath Braxton, Home And Away, Channel Seven) James Mason (Chris Pappas, Neighbours, Network Ten) Peter Kuruvita (Host, My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita, SBS) Steve Peacocke (Darryl “Brax” Braxton, Home And Away, Channel Seven) Tom Wren (Dr Doug Graham, Winners & Losers, Channel Seven) MOST POPULAR NEW FEMALE TALENT Anna McGahan (Nellie Cameron, Underbelly: Razor, Nine Network) Chelsie Preston Crayford (Tilly Devine, Underbelly: Razor, Nine Network) Demi Harman (Sasha Bezmel, Home And Away, Channel Seven) Melissa Bergland (Jenny Gross, Winners & Losers Channel Seven) Tiffiny Hall (Trainer, The Biggest Loser Australia, Network Ten) MOST POPULAR DRAMA SERIES Home And Away (Channel Seven) Offspring (Network Ten) Packed To The Rafters (Channel Seven) Underbelly: Razor (Nine Network) Winners And Losers (Channel Seven) MOST POPULAR LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Australia’s Got Talent (Channel Seven) Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year (Nine Network) Spicks And Specks (ABC1) Sunrise (Channel Seven) The Project (Network Ten) MOST POPULAR LIFESTYLE PROGRAM Better Homes And Gardens (Channel Seven) Getaway (Nine Network) iFISH (Network Ten) Ready Steady Cook (Network Ten) Selling Houses Australia Extreme (LifeStyle Channel, FOXTEL) MOST POPULAR SPORTS PROGRAM 2011 AFL Grand Final (Network Ten) Before The Game (Network Ten) The AFL Footy Show (Nine Network) The NRL Footy Show (Nine Network) Wide World Of Sports (Nine Network) MOST POPULAR REALITY PROGRAM Beauty And The Geek Australia (Channel Seven) MasterChef Australia (Network Ten) My Kitchen Rules (Channel Seven) The Block (Nine Network) The X Factor Australia (Channel Seven) MOST POPULAR FACTUAL PROGRAM Bondi Rescue (Network Ten) Bondi Vet (Network Ten) Border Security: Australia’s Front Line (Channel Seven) RPA (Nine Network) World’s Strictest Parents (Channel Seven) MOST OUTSTANDING NOMINEES</p> <p> TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie Cloudstreet (Showcase, FOXTEL) Offspring (Network Ten) Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo (ABC1) The Slap (ABC1) Underbelly: Razor (Nine Network) TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Outstanding Actor Alex Dimitriades (The Slap, ABC1) David Wenham (Killing Time, TV1, FOXTEL) Don Hany (East West 101, SBS) Geoff Morrell (Cloudstreet, Showcase, FOXTEL) Rob Carlton (Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, ABC1) TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Most Outstanding Actress Asher Keddie (Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, ABC1) Diana Glenn (Killing Time, TV1, FOXTEL) Essie Davis (The Slap, ABC1) Kat Stewart (Offspring, Network Ten) Melissa George (The Slap, ABC1) GRAHAM KENNEDY AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING NEW TALENT Anna McGahan (Underbelly: Razor, Nine Network) Chelsie Preston Crayford (Underbelly: Razor, Nine Network) Hamish Macdonald (Senior Foreign Correspondent, Network Ten) Hamish Michael (Crownies, ABC1) Melissa Bergland (Winners & Losers, Channel Seven) MOST OUTSTANDING NEWS COVERAGE “Lockyer Valley Flood” (Brisbane News, Channel Seven) “Qantas Grounded” (Sky News National, Sky News Australia, FOXTEL) “Skype Scandal” (Ten News At Five, Network Ten) “The Queensland Floods” (Nine News, Nine Network) “Unfinished Business” (SBS World News Australia, SBS) MOST OUTSTANDING PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORT “A Bloody Business” (Four Corners/Sarah Ferguson, ABC1) After The Deluge: The Valley (Paul Lockyer, ABC1) “Rescue 500” (Sunday Night, Channel Seven) “Salma In The Square” (Foreign Correspondent/Mark Corcoran, ABC1) Tour Of Duty: Australia’s Secret War (Network Ten) MOST OUTSTANDING LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Australia’s Got Talent (Channel Seven) Gruen Planet (ABC1) Spicks And Specks (ABC1) Talkin’ ’Bout Your Generation (Network Ten) The Project (Network Ten) MOST OUTSTANDING SPORTS COVERAGE 2011 Australian Open Tennis (Channel Seven) 2011 Bathurst 1000 (Channel Seven) 2011 Melbourne Cup Carnival (Channel Seven) State Of Origin III (Nine Network) Tour de France 2011 (SBS) MOST OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAM Camp Orange: Wrong Town, (Nickelodeon, FOXTEL) Lockie Leonard (Nine Network) My Place (ABC3) Saturday Disney (Channel Seven) Scope (Network Ten) MOST OUTSTANDING FACTUAL PROGRAM Go Back To Where You Came From (SBS) Leaky Boat (ABC1) Mrs Carey’s Concert (ABC1) Outback Fight Club (SBS) Tony Robinson Explores Australia (The History Channel, (FOXTEL)</p> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:30:49 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/19/article/Filming-begins-on-ABC1-telemovie-Dangerous-Remedy/AVRVOUOVDO.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/19/article/Filming-begins-on-ABC1-telemovie-Dangerous-Remedy/AVRVOUOVDO.html Brendan Swift <p> FIlming has begun on a new ABC1 telemovie about Dr Bert Wainer and two extraordinary women who exposed the deadly impact that Melbourne's anti-abortion laws had in the 1960s.</p> <p> Dangerous Remedy is currently shooting in Melbourne and stars Jeremy Sims (Corridors of Power, Fireflies, Underbelly Files), William McInnes (Curtin, East West 101, Look Both Ways), Susie Porter (East West 101, Sisters of War, East of Everything), Maeve Dermody (Paper Giants, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Beautiful Kate), Mark Leonard Winter (Balibo, Van Dieman’s Land, Blame), as well as Gary Sweet and Caroline Craig.</p> <p> The political-thriller is set in 1969 and follows Bert Wainer, a local GP, who embarks on a campaign for law reform after the death of a young woman. He discovers an illegal abortion ring protected by corrupt homicide detectives, allowing the medical establishment, media and politicians to ignore the impact of anti-abortion laws.</p> <p> ABC TV head of fiction, Carole Sklan, said: “Dangerous Remedy reveals a truly courageous man and his heroic efforts to expose police corruption and protect vulnerable women from men who profited from their suffering.”</p> <p> Producer, Ned Lander, said: “This is a story of the remarkable Dr Bertram Wainer – a passionate and flawed man whose campaign challenged and changed our society.”</p> <p> Dangerous Remedy, inspired by Dr Bertram Wainer's 1972 book It Isn't Nice, is written by Kris Wyld (East West 101, Wildside) and directed by Ken Cameron (Underbelly, Wildside, Brides of Christ).</p> <p> Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a> or on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:26:51 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/16/article/Singularity-may-be-set-for-more-filming---UPDATED/LHAWFXEVEU.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/16/article/Singularity-may-be-set-for-more-filming---UPDATED/LHAWFXEVEU.html Brendan Swift <p> Troubled UK-Australian co-production Singularity may be set for further filming later this year.</p> <p> Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, who appears in the film,Œrecently told the Indian media that she had spoken to director Roland Joffé and further filming was set for April.</p> <p> “I have always maintained that Singularity isn’t in major financial trouble,” she recently told the <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Rescue-plan-for-Bipasha-s-Hollywood-film-underway/Article1-822067.aspx" target="_blank">Hindustan Times</a>. “I met Roland some time ago and he was excited. I’ve two days of shooting left, which I will complete in April, then we will work on promotions, so financial issues don’t figure at all.”</p> <p> The company behind the $28 million production, Singularity Productions, remains in liquidation owing an estimated $1.5 million to third-party creditors. Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants, which has been managing Singularity Productions since last October, held another meeting of creditors this week in Brisbane.</p> <p> Contrarian Tax Unit’s Brett Thornquest, who is assisting the administrators, confirmed that some shooting is planned to take place in the UK, followed by final post-production.ŒOutstanding creditors will then be paid.</p> <p> Worrells partner Michael Griffin said he was not aware of specific plans for further filming although everyone involved hopes to release the film. “All parties are working towards that end,” he said.</p> <p> About 90 per cent of Singularity has already been filmed according to sources except for the ‘modern’ section of the tale, which follows marine biologist Jay Fennel (Josh Hartnett) who undertakes a near-fatal dive to save his wife (originally set to be played by Neve Campbell, who pulled out before filming began) while exploring an 18th century merchant ship wreckage. He then envisions India in 1778 where British captain James Stewart (also played by Hartnett) is about to embark on a dangerous mission while falling in love with a beautiful palace guard (Basu). The film was initially shot in Australia in late-2010 before moving to India for the second leg of shooting in early-2011.</p> <p> If the film can be cut together and released, it would trigger the lucrative Australian Producer Offset tax rebate, which would more than cover the unpaid debts.</p> <p> However, the strained relationship between Australian producers Grant and Dale Bradley and Belgian producer Paul Breuls remains a key stumbling block to completing the film.</p> <p> Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a> or on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:04:19 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/15/article/Screen-NSW-weighs-up-completion-bonds/GHBRSNBUMN.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/15/article/Screen-NSW-weighs-up-completion-bonds/GHBRSNBUMN.html Brendan Swift <p> The role of completion bonds, which protect screen investors from budget and schedule overruns, is being examined by Screen NSW.</p> <p> A spokesperson for Screen NSW confirmed that the state agency is undertaking an industry survey "to ascertain current industry practice in relation to completion bonds, as the approach to risk assessment varies across screen agencies and broadcasters".</p> <p> Screen Australia and most state agencies generally require a completion guarantor on any feature film or TV series in which they invest, giving an extra layer of certainty that a film will be completed on schedule and on budget.</p> <p> However, completion bonds can add a significant amount to already tight production budgets even when the risks being insured for are relatively low. Screen Australia board member and filmmaker Robert Connolly raised the issue in an <a href="http://csb.aftrs.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RConnolly.pdf" target="_blank">AFTRS white paper</a> in 2008, arguing for greater flexibility as a way to extract more from declining budgets.</p> <p> The award-winning indigenous drama Samson and Delilah, made on a budget of about $1.6 million, was one of the few local productions that was made without a completion bond. That decision saved about $40,000-$50,000, producer Kath Shalper said when the film was released in 2009.</p> <p> The troubled Australian-UK production Singularity, which remains unfinished and in limbo, was also made without a completion bond. However, a completion bond does not cover issues when the financing does not materialise, as appears to have been the case with the $28 million film.</p> <p> Both of those films were made without a loan to cash flow the Producer Offset rebate – completion bonds are not a mandatory requirement for Producer Offset approval but a financier is unlikely to cashflow the tax rebate without one.</p> <p> Screen NSW said completion bonds are a general requirement under its terms of trade although "depending on the experience and track record of the producer, as well as the size and complexity of the project, a completion guarantor may not be required for domestic documentary productions or low-budget (non-Offset) films".</p> <p> Screen Australia occassionaly does not require a bond when it makes a post-production investment (because the riskiest parts of the production has been completed) or when an established investor (such as a major distributor, studio or free-to-air TV network) pledges to ensure the project is completed.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:50:15 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/15/article/The-Palace-leads-South-Australian-Screen-Awards-nominations/RUMPTKIZHY.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/15/article/The-Palace-leads-South-Australian-Screen-Awards-nominations/RUMPTKIZHY.html Matthew Worboys <p> Short film The Palace has led the nominations at this year's South Australian Screen Arts Awards with seven nominations, including Best Picture.</p> <p> The Cyprian-Australian co-production was also nominated for Best Drama while writer-director Anthony Maras was nominated for Best Direction, Best Screenplay and Best Editing. Nick Matthews was nominated for Best Cinematography.</p> <p> Maras was raised in Adelaide but studied film production at the University of California before returning to Australia to direct critically acclaimed films Azadi and Spike Up. He then directed The Palace, which has garnered an array of awards including the AACTA Award for Best Short Fiction Film, as well as the Australia’s Writer’s Guild and the Flickerfest awards for Best Australian Short Film. Maras also picked up last year's IF Award for Rising Talent.</p> <p> Other films nominated at the South Australian Screen Arts Awards include Suburban Samarai, Horace in Slow Motion, Stunt Love and A Tale of Obsession.</p> <p> Short animation Horace in Slow Motion received nominations for Best Picture, Best Comedy and Best Animation. Luke Jurevicius, the film’s director, has also been nominated for the music video for The Audrey’s song, Sometimes the Stars, which he also directed.</p> <p> The South Australian Screen Awards primarily celebrate short film however in 2009 a Best Feature category was introduced. Over 80 films were considered at this year's awards, with 65 local filmmakers nominated across 20 award categories.</p> <p> A record number of entries were received for the music video category, with nominations announced for the aforementioned film, as well as for the music videos of songs by The Beards, Some time Soon, The Grenadiers, Lyla and Hawks of Alba.</p> <p> The SASA Gala Awards Ceremony will be held at the recently redesigned Mercury Cinema on Friday, April 20.</p> <p> For a full list of the nominated films can be found below the video trailer of The Palace below.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <p> Œ SASA Genre Awards Best Film A Tale of Obsession Manda Webber Horace in Slow Motion Luke Jurevicius The Palace Anthony Maras, Kate Croser & Andros Achilleos Stunt Love Caroline Man Suburban Samurai David Ngo & Daniel Joyce Best Drama Beta Chad Leader Collision David Ngo Kill or Tell Cameron Roberts & Rhys Roscoe The Palace Anthony Maras, Kate Croser & Andros Achilleos Rapture Krystle Penhall Best Documentary Adelaide’s Forgotten Outlaws Peter Drew, Ronnie Chin & Frazer Dempsey After Release Gemma Soloman Ball of Light Sam Collins The Curse of Grong Grong Rob Wright Stunt Love Caroline Man Best Comedy A Few Nervous Habits Aaron Nash A Tale of Obsession Manda Webber Horace in Slow Motion Luke Jurevicius Steak Knife Chad Leader Suburban Samurai David Ngo & Daniel Joyce Best Non-Narrative: To be announced on the night Best Animation Clarence’s Kite Thomas Cant Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Rose Tucker The Dream Lodge Brett Walter Horace in Slow Motion Luke Jurevicius Sometimes the Stars Luke Jurevicius Best Music Video Cut You Out (Hawks of Alba) Matt Vesley Into Yer Bones (Lyla) Amy Handley Old Uncle Scratch(The Grenadiers) Kelly Carpenter Sometimes the Stars (The Audreys) Luke Jurevicius Suddenly Smiling (Some Time Soon) Rihannon Miller You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man (The Beards) Daniel Principe & Nima Nabili Rad Innovation in Digital Media Big Stories, Small Towns Nick Crowther Danger 5 Kate Croser & Dario Russo 6 on the St Samuel Wright Wastelander Panda Kirsty Stark Best Feature Film Die for Real Mike Green I Am Orpheus Adam Carter 6 on the St Samuel Wright Shut Up Little Man Sophie Hyde & Matthew Bate Yudum Terry Cleary SASA Craft Awards Best Direction: Matthew Bate Stunt Love Craig Behenna Suburban Samurai Andrew Kunzel, Arthur Moody & Luke Jurevicius Horace in Slow Motion Anthony Maras The Palace Nicholas Steele Laser Best Cinematography Victoria Cocks Rapture Maxx Corkindale A Tale of Obsession Sam King and Nick Matthews Collision Nick Matthews The Palace Nima Nabili Rad Beta Best Composition Michael Darren Collision Jonny Elk-Walsh Rapture Caleb Jones Captivated Christopher Larkin Clarence’s Kite Jason Sweeney The Other Side of Desire Best Screenplay</p> <p> Matthew Bate Stunt Love Craig Behenna Suburban Samurai Anthony Maras The Palace Fiona Sprott A Few Nervous Habits Dave Wade A Tale of Obsession Best Sound Design Pete Best & Scott Illingworth Stunt Love Michael Darren Collision Tom Huezanroeder The Palace Leigh Kenyon L’Artiste! Brett Walter The Dream Lodge Best Editing</p> <p> Anthony Maras The Palace Nick Matthews Collision David Ngo & Cleland Jones Suburban Samurai Krystle Penhall Rapture Zane Roach Steak Knife Best Performance</p> <p> Kieran McNamara Steak Knife Deanna Ortuso A Tale of Obsession Roy Phung Suburban Samurai Astrid Pill A Few Nervous Habits Hew Wagner Captivated Best Production Design</p> <p> Anny Duff Collision Bowen Ellames Beta Anita Seiler & Catrin Blight A Tortured Mind Manda Webber A Tale of Obsession Rita Zanchetta The Other Side of Desire Emerging Producer: To be announced on the night Emerging Young Filmmaker: To be announced on the night People’s Choice Award: To be announced on the night</p> Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:22:12 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/15/article/Screen-Aus-to-invest-in-Rupert-Murdoch-documentary-among-latest-slate/XJIBKTCLIJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/15/article/Screen-Aus-to-invest-in-Rupert-Murdoch-documentary-among-latest-slate/XJIBKTCLIJ.html Matthew Worboys <p> Screen Australia will invest $1.9 million across six documentaries including programs which look at the life of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and Warumpi Band leader George Rrarramu.</p> <p> The six programs, which include one from the National Documentary Program and five from the International Program funding programs, will generate $7.3 million in production, according to Screen Australia.</p> <p> George Rrarramu, the single film chosen from the National Documentary Program, details the legendary Warumpi Band front man and his contribution to Indigenous music. The documentary is written by Lisa Watts and Steven McGregor, who will also direct.</p> <p> From the International Program, a two-part SBS and ITV documentary, Murdoch looks into the life of Rupert Murdoch, one of the most powerful figures in the world, and how he has radically impacted today’s media. The Murdoch empire grew from a small Adelaide home base to dominate the world but is currently under threat after a phone hacking scandal in the UK.</p> <p> Also funded is three-part series Redesign My Brain. This series will explore the new science of brain plasticity with director/writer Paul Scott following a celebrity host experiencing a radical brain makeover. Paul Scott and Isabel Perez will produce Redesign My Brain for ABC TV.</p> <p> For a full list of projects that received funding, see below: </p> <p> National Documentary Program (NDP) </p> <p> George Rrurrambu Night Sky Films Pty Ltd 1 x 57 mins Producers Rachel Clements, Lisa Watts Director Steven McGregor Writer Lisa Watts, Steven McGregor Broadcaster ABC TV Synopsis George Rrurrambu, legendary front man of the Warumpi Band, made an extraordinary contribution to contemporary Indigenous music and awakened the Australian consciousness of a third world in its own back yard.</p> <p> International Program</p> <p> Kakadu Eye Spy Productions Pty Ltd trading as Northern Pictures 4 x 57 mins Producer Sue Clothier Director/Writer Nick Robinson Broadcaster ABC TV Sales Cineflix Synopsis Kakadu, an epic four by one hour documentary series combining human and animal lives to tell the extraordinary story of a year in Kakadu National Park.</p> <p> Murdoch Electric Pictures 2 x 52 mins Producers Andrew Ogilvie, Dinah Lord Director/Writer Janice Sutherland Broadcaster SBS, ITV Sales BBC Worldwide, TenAlps Synopsis The definitive account of how one man changed the face of the media and became one of the wealthiest, most powerful and enigmatic figures in the world.</p> <p> Redesign My Brain Mindful Media 3 x 55mins Producers Paul Scott, Isabel Perez Director/Writer Paul Scott Broadcaster ABC TV Sales Cineflix, Universal Pictures International Synopsis For the first time on TV the new science of brain plasticity is put to the test as a celebrity host experiences a radical brain makeover under the guidance of the world’s top neuroscientists.</p> <p> Possum Wars 360 Degree Films 1 x 55 mins Producer Sally Ingleton Director Bruce Permezel Broadcaster ABC, SVT Sales ZED, ABC Commercial Synopsis When possums and people vie for real estate – it’s war!</p> <p> Sydney Harbour – Life on the Edge Prospero Productions 1 x 52 mins Producers Ed Punchard, Julia Redwood Director Russell Vines Broadcaster Nat Geo Aus Sales Content West Synopsis A fascinating quest to reveal the true heart of Australia – its life on the coast. The first ever complete 360º view of Australia’s unique Sydney Harbour from the sky, land and beneath the waves.</p> Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:30:29 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/14/article/Entertainment-industry-to-lobby-government-for-more-SBS-funding/WYUIUARVDT.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/14/article/Entertainment-industry-to-lobby-government-for-more-SBS-funding/WYUIUARVDT.html Brendan Swift <p> The entertainment industry is calling for more funding to bolster SBS's drama and documentary production.</p> <p> The Friends of SBS, a parliamentary group convened by MPs Steve Georganas, Paul Fletcher and Senator Scott Ludlam, will hold a lunch in Canberra on Thursday where Australian producers, performers and industry leaders will call on the government to provide SBS with more financial support.</p> <p> Among the lunch delegates will be Julia Zemiro (RocKwiz), Bruce Spence (R.A.N.); producers Penny Chapman (The Slap), Nick Murray (Go Back to Where You Came From), Joe Connor (RocKwiz); director Mark Joffe (Neighbours, Wild Boys); Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) president and producer Brian Rosen, SPAA executive director Geoff Brown; and Actors Equity director Sue McCreadie.</p> <p> “SBS is unique in the world as a multicultural broadcaster and should be considered a national treasure,” Zemiro said in a statement. “SBS needs our continued support. It plays a critical role in telling the stories of real, multicultural Australia, reflecting the true diversity of the Australian community.”</p> <p> The public broadcaster has struggled in recent times due to declining advertising revenue and rising programming costs. Its lack of resources have directly impacted respected local dramas such as East West 101, which was cut short, while last year, SBS cancelled big-budget drama Dusty at an advanced stage of pre-production due to tight finances.</p> <p> SBS has no locally-produced dramas planned for this year and its level of original Australian content is predicted to reach an all-time low of less than three hours per week, according to the statement announcing the lobbying effort from SPAA, the Australian DIrectors Guild, and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.</p> <p> SPAA's Brian Rosen said government revenue for SBS had been flat for some time.</p> <p> “Combined with significantly rising costs and a decline in commercial revenue, overseas programs have been used to fill the void at the expense of quality Australian programs that tell our multicultural stories and provide our perspective on the world. This is a sad state of affairs for a public broadcaster with a proud history. Urgent action from government is required."</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:26:02 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/14/article/Zak-Hilditchs-post-apocalyptic-short-Transmission-selected-for-Tribeca/FPGYALOFGL.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/14/article/Zak-Hilditchs-post-apocalyptic-short-Transmission-selected-for-Tribeca/FPGYALOFGL.html Rachael Gavin <p> Australian Zak Hilditch’s short film about a deadly pandemic and its impact on a father-daughter relationship has been selected for the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF).</p> <p> Transmission – written and directed by Hilditch – is among 60 short films from 25 countries up for contention at the New York based event. The festival will mark the short film’s international premiere.</p> <p> “It’s very excitingˆ it looks like we’re the only Australian film in there so it’s good to be flying the Aussie flag over in New York,” says Hilditch.</p> <p> “We’re planning to shoot our feature in the second half of this year and going over to something like Tribeca with the short that helped us get the feature funded in the first place is a good way to cap it all off.”</p> <p> Screen Australia supported production of Transmission via its Springboard program which aims to help filmmakers create a short to act as their calling card and compliment an existing feature film proposal.</p> <p> The short film was made to support upcoming feature film These Final Hours, which secured a $750,000 injection from ScreenWest and funding from Screen Australia. The apocalyptic film follows a self-obsessed young man heading to a party on the last day on earth, but instead ends up saving the life of a young girl looking for her father.</p> <p> “When we went through the Springboard program we had to identify elements in our feature that we needed to prove in a short film to eliminate risk with investors.</p> <p> "Basically, for us, we need to convey a sense of a large scale world, we needed to convey a sense of heat and we needed to have an action sequence in there as well, so it was strange taking all those elements and trying to figure out what would be the best scenario to create a short around – sort of like working backwards – but overall the father-daughter relationship was something that we needed to get right as [the feature has] a sort of pseudo-father-daughter relationship as well."</p> <p> These Final Hours will shoot later this year in and around Perth. Casting and crewing is currently underway.</p> Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:44:16 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/14/article/Aardman-returns-with-all-new-animation-in-The-Pirates-Band-of-Misfits/WGVRKXJGCB.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/14/article/Aardman-returns-with-all-new-animation-in-The-Pirates-Band-of-Misfits/WGVRKXJGCB.html Danii Logue <p> CGI-heavy animated films may be more familiar to today's audiences but stop-motion is very much alive and kicking, according to Aardman Animation’s Daz Burgess – one of the animators on up-coming feature The Pirates! Band of Misfits.</p> <p> “As long as there are companies like Aardman, there will still be stop-motion films,” Burgess said, adding that respected directors such as Tim Burton (The Corpse Bride) and Henry Sellick (Coraline) continue to favour the medium.</p> <p> Based on a series of novels by Gideon Defoe, The Pirates! Band of Misfits tells the story of the Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) and his attempts to win the Pirate of the Year Award as he deals with a maniacal Queen (Imelda Staunton) and a love-struck Charles Darwin (David Tennant).</p> <p> It’s been seven years since Aardman Animation’s last stop-motion feature – Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, on which Burgess also worked – and much has changed.</p> <p> Instead of the traditional plasticine figures, The Pirates! Band of Misfits relied on rubber puppets, a decision which Burgess claims not only enabled the animators to have more freedom on what was an action-heavy film but also minimised the clean up time required.</p> <p> “It was almost like Aardman had leapt forward again with their standard of animation. There was a lot more weight and a lot more energy in the puppets that we weren’t able to produce with characters like Wallace and Gromit.”</p> <p> Having worked with Aardman previously on the second Wallace and Gromit film and the first series of Creature Comforts, Burgess jumped at the opportunity to return to Bristol and work on the feature.</p> <p> “For me, as an animator, it’s my Hollywood. It’s the equivalent of going to LA and working on a big budget feature film with amazing stars. They’re just such a great company and I feel spoilt every time I’m there.”</p> <p> The Pirates! Band of Misfits will be released in 3D on April 5. </p> Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:58:23 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/13/article/BBC-America-buys-Go-Back-To-Where-You-Came-From-format-from-SBS/UOIYJMVMJN.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/13/article/BBC-America-buys-Go-Back-To-Where-You-Came-From-format-from-SBS/UOIYJMVMJN.html Amanda Diaz <p> BBC America will adapt Cordell Jigsaw's documentary series Go Back To Where You Came From.</p> <p> It marks the first time SBS has signed a deal with a major US broadcaster.</p> <p> "It's rare for a televiison format to be able to break new ground using an issue that's a political hot button worldwide," said SBS managing director Michael Ebeid. "The high level of interest from both international broadcasters and production companies is testament to the compelling nature of the format."</p> <p> The series, which aired last year during Refugee Week, followed six people as they experienced situations faced by real asylum seekers on a daily basis, including travelling in a leaky boat and living in a refugee camp. It was SBS's highest rating program last year.</p> <p> Production companies and broadcasters in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and South Africa have also signed on to produce local versions of the show.</p> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:09:28 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/12/article/John-Carter-takes-3m-on-opening-weekend/KJBHYGDIVG.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/12/article/John-Carter-takes-3m-on-opening-weekend/KJBHYGDIVG.html Amanda Diaz <p> Science fiction epic John Carter has opened strongly in its first weekend, taking $3,092,526 across 246 screens.</p> <p> The Disney-distributed film, which tells the story of a civil war veteran transported to Mars, had a healthy screen average of $12,571.</p> <p> The critical reception for John Carter has been poor and the months leading up to its release were filled with speculation as to whether it would flop, particularly after <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/john-carter-early-tracking-shockingly-soft-could-be-biggest-writeoff-of-all-time/">audience tracking revealed</a> that the $250 million-plus film held no appeal to women in any age group.</p> <p> The film was also released in 3749 locations across the US over the weekend, but failed to unseat Dr Seuss adaptation The Lorax from the number one spot. It opened with an estimated $US30.6 million, according to <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3391&p=.htm" target="_blank">Box Office Mojo</a> - a result far lower than the opening weekends achieved by similar films such as Watchmen ($US55.2 million) and 300 ($US70.9 million).</p> <p> Back in Australia, Project X dropped to second place in its second week of release, earning a screen average of $5751 over 191 screens. This brings its total gross to $2,920,967.</p> <p> Contraband ($727,100), This Means War ($673,397) and The Vow ($550,206) round out the top five. Meanwhile, SeeSaw Pictures film Shame took in $18,505 - a 52 per cent drop from last weekend. It has now made $576,026 since its February release.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" src="/image/BoxofficeMarch12.bmp" /></p> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:54:27 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/12/article/Paramount-Insurge-launches-On-Demand-campaign-for-The-Loved-Ones/WXVSKCYLHP.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/12/article/Paramount-Insurge-launches-On-Demand-campaign-for-The-Loved-Ones/WXVSKCYLHP.html Amanda Diaz <p> Paramount will be releasing Australian horror film The Loved Ones in the US in June through its microbudget division, Insurge Pictures, it was announced at the SXSW festival over the weekend.</p> <p> The film, which was written and directed by Sean Byrne, will be part of a campaign which will allow fans to sign up online to bring the movie to their local cinema.</p> <p> Insurge has collaborated with collective action web platform Tugg which enables moviegoers to choose the films played at their local theatre by signing up at the film's website to book a screening. Once signed up, individuals will be informed when they can begin to organise their screening. Users are encouraged to spread the details of their particular screenings via social media.</p> <p> "Those who have seen and heard about The Loved Ones have been clamouring for its theatrical release," said Insurge Pictures president Amy Powell in a statement. "This is a truly terrifying film that brings new meaning to the horrors of dating and we're excited to give fans the unprecedented opportunity to personalise their movie going experience."</p> <p> The Loved Ones, which stars Xavier Samuel (A Few Best Men, Anonymous) and Robin McLeavy (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) was released in Australia by Madman in late-2010.</p> <p> It posted a disappointing opening of just over $141,000 in its first weekend across 89 screens and went on to gross just $300,124 in total.</p> <p> On a panel at the 2011 SPAA conference, the film's producer Mark Lazarus revealed that numerous pirated versions of the movie available online had initially meant trouble for the film's chances of securing theatrical distribution overseas.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:28:32 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/12/article/Producer-Jeremy-Thomas-talks-about-A-Dangerous-Method/BHEGKOLGVP.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/12/article/Producer-Jeremy-Thomas-talks-about-A-Dangerous-Method/BHEGKOLGVP.html Danii Logue <p> Jeremy Thomas isn’t interested in making blockbusters. Instead the English producer, and founder of the Recorded Picture Company, wants to make what he calls "interest-busters" – films that pique the interest of the audience.</p> <p> His most recent interest-buster is A Dangerous Method, his third collaboration with Canadian director David Cronenberg following Naked Lunch (1991) and Crash (1996).</p> <p> Based on the play The Talking Cure by Christopher Hampton, A Dangerous Method details the complicated relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Jung’s patient and mistress, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley).</p> <p> Although he’d never seen Hampton’s play, Thomas admits that “as a thinking person” he already knew and was interested in Jung, Freud and Spielrein, all of whom have been present in pop culture for years thanks to novels such as The White Hotel (D.M. Thomas) and films such as My Name Aas Sabina Spielrein.</p> <p> “I knew that he would make sure that every aspect of the film was beautiful in terms of accuracy,” Thomas said, praising Cronenberg, whom he calls The Professor, for his rigorous attention to detail. “So the film is absolutely accurate, even down to the date. When you see a date on the screen, that’s really the day it happened.”</p> <p> This accuracy came from the letters written by the three central characters, which provided the basis for Hampton’s play and which still exist and can be read by anyone with a desire and a sound knowledge of German. In addition to letters, there were also photographs of the characters and settings, which proved indispensable for the filmmakers.</p> <p> “This was the period of photography. So all the actors and all the people working on the film could really look and see what it was like,” Thomas said, comparing the film to other literary adaptations he has worked on such as Naked Lunch and Bernardo Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky (which Thomas produced).</p> <p> While the subject matter may be somewhat specialised, Thomas never doubted that there was an audience for the film. “From Rio de Janeiro to Johannesburg to Timbuktu, people are interested in psychoanalysis and are interested in Jung and Freud, so I trusted that there would be enough people interested in seeing this film.”</p> <p> A Dangerous Method will be released in Australian cinemas on March 29. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="299" src="/image/Dangerous Method .jpg" width="450" /> A scene from A Dangerous Method. </p> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:17:04 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/09/article/Warp-Films-set-to-produce-NZ-crime-drama-Shopping-after-last-years-Snowtown/TWQFXXLWOT.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/09/article/Warp-Films-set-to-produce-NZ-crime-drama-Shopping-after-last-years-Snowtown/TWQFXXLWOT.html Brendan Swift <p> Warp Films Australia is set to produce New Zealand crime feature Shopping after the release of last year's successful debut Snowtown.</p> <p> Shopping is set in 1981 and follows 16-year-old Willie who, seduced by a charismatic career criminal, must choose where his loyalty lies. The film, which wil star Australian actor Jacek Koman, will begin shooting in April on NZ's Kapiti Coast.</p> <p> The film marks the debut feature for Wellington-based filmmakers Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland – their previous short films Run and The Six Dollar Fifty Man have screened at Cannes, Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. The Six Dollar Fifty Man was also shortlisted for the 2011 Academy Awards.</p> <p> Shopping, financed by the New Zealand Film Commission with support from Fulcrum Media Finance, is also the first NZ feature film that distributor Madman has backed from script stage.</p> <p> Madman Entertainment managing director Paul Wiegard said: "This is a significant milestone for Madman; having an office in Auckland for several years this is the first NZ feature film production we have committed to at script stage. It was a simple decision to get involved... the film has a universal story, subtly told and surrounded by exceptional talent that we want to work with."</p> <p> Madman also distributed local serial killer film Snowtown, which won six AACTA awards and grossed $1.12 million at the local box office.</p> Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:59:59 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/09/article/Oranges-and-Sunshine-behind-the-production-design/WKTSOUBZWF.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/09/article/Oranges-and-Sunshine-behind-the-production-design/WKTSOUBZWF.html Melinda Doring <p> Last year, production designer Melinda Doring won the IF Award for Best Production Design for Australian-UK drama Oranges and Sunshine as well as an AACTA award for for her work on The Eye of the Storm. She tells fellow production designer John Rohde how she created the production design for Oranges and Sunshine while working on a tight budget.</p> <p> John Rohde: How did you get involved with the film?</p> <p> Melinda Doring: Oranges and Sunshine producer Emile Sherman (See Saw Films) suggested me to his UK co-producer Camilla Bray (Sixteen Films). I happened to be in the UK in the beginning of 2009 having just finished another UK -Australian co-production, The Boys Are Back, so I had the opportunity to meet with the director Jim Loach in London.</p> <p> I loved Rona Munro’s script – it is based on the extraordinary autobiography Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys – so I found it easy to talk to Jim Loach about the project, something that was very close to his heart as he had been developing the script for the past seven years. My meeting with Jim Loach went well and when I returned back to Australia, found I had been offered the job. We had a few start dates but the film finally got the go ahead towards the end of 2009.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" border="" height="285" hspace="" src="/image/Oranges2.jpg" style="text-align: center;" vspace="" width="450" /></p> <p> JR: What type of research did you have to do?</p> <p> MD: I read Margaret’s book Empty Cradles to get as much information on real characters and locations that feature in the script. When a script is an adaptation from a book, it’s always great if you have time to read the original source material, as often little details may be left out that can help enrich the design process.</p> <p> I initially did some internet research, looking for visual information on scripted locations such as Bindoon, The Fairbridge Farms and anything I could find on the Child Migrants Trust and the Child Migration Scheme. This led me to photographic archives of child migrants arriving in Australia and their lives in the institutions they were assigned to – the images of the child migrants building the real Bindoon Boys Town School in WA really affected me – to think that children built the imposing Catholic Institution in the middle of nowhere is mind boggling.</p> <p> A month or two before our official pre-production was to start in Nottingham, Jim Loach came to Australia to start the initial search for some of the required locations in South Australia. He spent a week with the location manager Sarah Abbey and then I joined him for three days. This was a great thing to do early on as we got a real sense of what we would be contrasting our UK locations with, and it gave me another opportunity to understand what Jim wanted visually for the film. His main priority was that the film had a sense of period (1986-87), but that the period look didn’t distract from storytelling.</p> <p> When I arrived in Nottingham, one of my first priorities was to do more research at a couple of the local libraries. I didn’t have a lot of time to do this but it really helped me get a sense of what Nottingham and the UK was like during the film's time frame. This was important for me to understand, as we wanted a visual contrast for the look of the UK elements of Margaret’s hometown and that of what she experienced when she came to Australia.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" border="" height="254" hspace="" src="/image/Oranges1.jpg" style="text-align: center;" vspace="" width="450" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p> I looked for a mix of documentary style photographers from the time as well as anything that would give me style/character/period references that matched the worlds we aimed to recreate. I wanted the audience to experience the visual difference, to experience her journey and the contrasts she was facing as she made the trip back and forth, as she relates to the child migrants and what she must have experienced.</p> <p> Martin Parr, a UK documentary style photographer, was a huge influence and inspiration to me in working out the visual feel of the film. He is known for his incredible images of the UK in the 1970s, 1980s and beyond – the images are not only great character studies, but they helped inspire ideas for developing the colour palette of the film. (His website if worth looking at: <a href="http://www.martinparr.com" target="_blank">www.martinparr.com</a>.)</p> <p> JR: How did you communicate your concepts?</p> <p> MD: As pre-production time was very limited, I created mood/colour palette boards from the research for the UK and Australia. We needed the colour palette to cohesively create the feel of the period (1986) something that both the sets and the costumes would follow. Costume designer Cappi Ireland and I collaborated on this palette and provided these ideas to cinematographer Denson Baker and Jim so we were all on the same page. I also compiled character/style reference files for the main locations to share with my key crew in both countries. When you are working with limited resources and time, having great references helps everyone in the art department communicate ideas quickly</p> <p> JR: What was the balance of built setsand found locations?</p> <p> MD: Most of the sets in the UK and Australia were locations that we adapted. In the majority of low budget productions that have large amounts of scripted locations, the budget really determines that finding good locations is a necessity, builds are not really an option, so locations are adapted to meet a character brief and meet period and stylistic requirements. On these types of productions locations can make our break you, so as a designer, you have to get very involved in choosing the right ones.</p> <p> In the UK the main location was Margaret’s family home. If the production had more money it probably would have made sense to build some of the interiors as sets. But as this wasn’t an option we used two locations.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" border="" height="266" hspace="" src="/image/Oranges3.jpg" style="text-align: center;" vspace="" width="450" /></p> <p> The exterior location was situated in a great street that gave you a real sense of the Nottingham landscape. This location was considered for the interior, but we all decided it was way too small to shoot all the scenes required, so we found a much larger location for the interiors. This house acted as our studio set – the rooms were little oversized which allowed better camera movement and provided better visual depth. We completely took over the place which was student house share: we relocated most of the tenants, emptied out their personal effects to repaint, changed the floor treatments, most of the electrical fittings, and all the interior dressings.</p> <p> The biggest art department challenge in South Australia was possibly recreating the Western Australian catholic school Bindoon. This required blending up to six locations to give the audience the sense of scale and grandeur that this location needed to convey. We used three exterior locations: two were shot in the remote Flinders Ranges in a place called Arkaroola. This required several small builds including the gateway to the complex and several religious monuments.</p> <p> The establisher of the main exterior building was another location in Adelaide. This required several elements to make it feel that it was situated in the same environment that had been established in Arkaroola. We matched the Arkaroola dirt to cover-up an existing concrete driveway and we added a large imposing religious statue in a garden bed and a partial façade that needed to blend into the traditional sandstone architecture and cover-up an existing contemporary glass entranceway.</p> <p> This façade included a door that gave the characters an entrance point. A further three more interior locations were used to complete the journey required by the script. Six locations seems excessive but we needed to create a sense of awe at the scale of the Bindoon complex as it is so pivotal in terms of the story telling process, and we just couldn’t find one or two locations that really fitted the bill on their own.</p> <p> JR: How big was your team?</p> <p> MD: Both teams were very small. A bit too small but somehow we got through it. I had a separate art director in each country – the UK art director was a Nottingham local, Janey Levick, and my SA art director Tuesday Stone, but no art department coordinators.</p> <p> Both Janey and Tuesday worked very hard putting together good teams. Both art departments were very resourceful, multitasking to get through the amount of locations and elements required. We had a slightly different balance of crew in both countries, due to the different needs of both shoots.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img align="" alt="" border="" height="279" hspace="" src="/image/Oranges4.jpg" vspace="" width="450" /></p> <p> JR: How did you manage the international crew?</p> <p> MD: Well as soon as I started discussions about the project with the producers I started the process of locking in my art directors, as the budgets for both art departments were to run as separate entities. The UK producer Camilla Bray introduced me to Janey Levick. Janey has worked as an art director and as a designer on many productions that have come out of Nottingham so she really understands the local industry. I interviewed her via Skype and really felt that we had a similar approach to how the project needed to be handled.</p> <p> Janey put together a very tight team, most of who had worked together before, but I didn’t meet any of them until we were thrown into official pre-production, which was very fast and furious, so I had to put a lot of trust in her – she didn’t disappoint. Prior to leaving Australia I appointed art director Tuesday Stone to insure she could start the process of putting the South Australian team together so we could hit the ground running as soon I returned from the UK.</p> <p> JR: Did they differ from Australian crew?</p> <p> MD: Yes and no – It can be quite confusing at first. But as I had worked in the UK the year before on The Boys are Back I was prepared for it. The biggest difference is the way the art department is organised – roles have much the same titles, but the job descriptions vary slightly and many roles overlap. These subtle differences are too numerous to mention here but enough to create some initial confusion as to who is responsible for what.</p> <p> One position that works so successfully within the UK system is the role of the standby art director. This has to be my favorite position that exists on productions big and small in the UK. It is a great stepping-stone career option for up-and-coming designers and art directors. They are the designer’s/art director’s eyes and ears on set. They work for you in that they control the way the art department elements transition onto set and make sure everything runs smoothly in front of camera. They supervise the standby props and work closely with the cinematographer and director and they often do pre as the art director's assistant.</p> <p> I really wish we had this role in Australia. It allows the designer to feel that they can leave the set and know that everything will be alright. Standbys in Australia are amazing and keep their eyes on as much as possible but this role provides an extra set of eyes and allows the standby to focus on the continuity of the props while the standby art director concentrates on the frame. Art department coordinators only exist on large productions in the UK but this is because their role is spilt between varieties of other art department roles, so it balances out in a very different way.</p> <p> The other curious difference is that art departments in the UK have the responsibility of providing grip construction services and blacking out requirements, which seems very odd at first, so it really makes you appreciate the role of grips within the Australian framework.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img align="" alt="" border="" height="277" hspace="" src="/image/Oranges5.jpg" vspace="" width="450" /></p> <p> JR: Did you feel that you had enough resources at your disposal?</p> <p> MD: To be honest, we had the bare minimum, so we had to be very creative to make sure we gave the film a consistent look. We had a great line producer who worked well with both my art directors and two wonderful creative art departments that were enthusiastic and skillful enough to work within the limitations. The other important element was that the entire core creative heads of department also understood the film's constraints. Everyone new that for the film to work we had to be good collaborators.</p> <p> JR: What were the main challenges for the art department?</p> <p> MD: A very short pre-production and short shoot in both countries, which meant decisions had to be made quickly, and the film's budget was pretty tight. So making sure that the resources of the art department budget were distributed appropriately. The art departments in both countries need to be flexible and multi task – we had lots of locations to deal with in both countries which meant continuous striking and dressing. In the UK, this meant that my crew work extraordinary hours to get the work done on time, particularly getting the main location ready for the shoot when we had limited access to the location.</p> <p> In Australia, the main challenge was that we didn’t have the resources that are available for a period film that are available in the UK. In the UK there are props stores with period graphics packaging, furniture, props and dressing. Not to say that everything is sourced from these stores, especially on a low budget production such as this, but they are there when needed. Another huge benefit was that the Nottingham production office had an on-site vehicle co-coordinator who had a selection of '80s vehicles we could choose from, which meant we didn’t have to spend time sourcing all our vehicles. In SA there are no props stores or vehicle coordinators with a ready-to-go stock of period vehicles, so everything had to be sourced from scratch.</p> <p> JR: What did you get out of the experience?</p> <p> MD: The project had a great heart because of the subject matter; I felt privileged to be part of the story-telling process.</p> <p> I loved working with Jim Loach the director, he was so easy to work with, very trusting but also very decisive when required. This was his first feature but he had such a vast experience as a TV director he really new how to get the most out of the challenges the production faced and provided a great on-set vibe among the crew.</p> <p> Having another opportunity to work in the UK was really great especially as Nottingham and the scale of this production offered such different challenges to the ones I faced on The Boys are Back (which was based out of London and with a much healthier budget), so I feel I have had a taste of two very different ways of working there.</p> <p> For more information about production design, visit the Australian Production Design Guild <a href="http://www.apdg.org.au/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p> Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:54:30 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/08/article/FremantleMedia-Enterprises-strikes-first-look-deal-with-Pukeko-Pictures/IHPNZVIDCG.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/08/article/FremantleMedia-Enterprises-strikes-first-look-deal-with-Pukeko-Pictures/IHPNZVIDCG.html Brendan Swift <p> FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has struck a 'first look' deal with Weta Workshop's affiliate TV business, Pukeko Pictures.</p> <p> The companies, which plan to work together on new scripted television series, have jointly hired former Atticus Entertainment executive Adam Fratto to head development of new television projects aimed at the global market.</p> <p> He will work from FremantleMedia’s LA office although the two companies are expected to tap into the vast resources of Weta Workshop, which has provided physical and digital effects for films such as Avatar, District 9 and The Adventures of Tintin.</p> <p> While at Atticus Entertainment, Fratto spearheaded television, feature and new media development under a first-look deal with HBO. He is also co-executive producer of mystery series Haven, based on The Colorado Kid novel by Stephen King, airing on Syfy in the US and more than 100 cable channels around the world.</p> <p> Fratto will report to Martin Baynton, co-owner of Pukeko Pictures, and work alongside Jeff Tahler, FME’s senior vice president of global content, and Tony Optican, senior vice president of scripted programming for FremantleMedia North America.</p> <p> FME has previously worked with other global companies to produce TV content, such as The Wedding Band (with Tollin Productions for TBS in the US) and Hit & Miss (with Abbott Vision for Sky Atlantic in the UK). Pukeko has developed the successful children's TV series The WotWots.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:50:02 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Federal-Court-rejects-Screen-Aus-appeal-against-Lush-House-offset/GBSCUUISJL.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Federal-Court-rejects-Screen-Aus-appeal-against-Lush-House-offset/GBSCUUISJL.html Brendan Swift <p> The Federal Court of Australia has confirmed that TV documentary series Lush House should qualify for the Producer Offset rebate after Screen Australia challenged last year's similar <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/06/27/article/CGQMENAWAV.html" target="_blank">decision</a> by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.</p> <p> The national screen agency originally rejected Essential Media and Entertainment's Producer Offset application because it viewed the ten-episode cleaning series as a 'reality' program. However, Essential argued that the series, which follows household expert Shannon Lush as she gives cleaning advice to homemakers, was similar to another of its programs, Is Your House Killing You?, which did receive the tax break.</p> <p> The AAT confirmed Essential's position although Screen Australia then challenged that judgement in the Federal Court.</p> <p> Essential said the Federal Court did not find any fault with the process followed by the lower court in determining that Lush House is eligible for the 20 per cent tax rebate available for broadcast documentaries.</p> <p> Essential Media and Entertainment chief executive Chris Hilton said the company is pleased with the Federal Court decision.</p> <p> "It represents a win for the Australian production industry as a whole and should provide more certainty to producers who are seeking to invest the Producer's Offset as part of their project finance," he said in a statement.</p> <p> "The factual production industry can now move forward with the hope that Screen Australia will consult closely with it on clearer definitions for eligibility for the Producer Offset program. Essential will continue to work with Screen Australia on this issue and continues to partner directly with Screen Australia on an exciting slate of films and television programs over a range of genres."</p> <p> Screen Producers Association of Australia executive director Geoff Brown said it is concerned that Screen Australia has wasted taxpayer funds pursuing the case, which has also caused uncertainty across the industry.</p> <p> “The uncertainty for producers and financiers that Screen Australia’s actions have caused, has seriously disrupted production,” he said in a statement. “We had requested both management and the board of Screen Australia not to take this to the Federal Court and to reach industry agreement as to what qualified for the Producer Offset. Unfortunately our request fell on deaf ears.”</p> <p> Screen Australia said only four screen projects which have sought Producer Offset status as a documentary have been rejected from 252 applications since July 2008. The 248 final certificates approved by Screen Australia represented a total tax rebate of $44.2 million.</p> <p> "Regardless of the definition of documentary adopted, there will always be some programs which are at the margins, and which challenge classification as documentary," Screen Australia said in a statement. "It is, and has always been, Screen Australia’s intention to make decisions about these programs in good faith, reasonably and in accordance with law."</p> <p> The screen agency will not appeal the Federal Court decision.</p> <p> Nonetheless, the decision will also place further focus on the inherent conflict of interest Screen Australia has in not separating its direct investment team and Producer Offset assessment committee – a situation that SPAA has been particularly critical of. (Screen Australia's head of development, Martha Coleman, and head of production investment, Ross Matthews, sit across both committees.)</p> <p> The Offset was designed as a market-based funding mechanism that has little cross-over with the cultural aims of Screen Australia-funded documentaries, according to SPAA.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:00:30 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Screen-Australia-proposes-new-feature-film-funding-guidelines/IHAUYPRNKP.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Screen-Australia-proposes-new-feature-film-funding-guidelines/IHAUYPRNKP.html Brendan Swift <p> Screen Australia is considering a feature film funding overhaul which would create more flexibility for filmmakers during the application process.</p> <p> Under the changes, Screen Australia would issue a 'letter of interest' to chosen projects at an earlier stage, allowing producers to gauge the interest of the market before financing deals are locked in. The Screen Australia board would also consider funding applications at eight meetings a year, up from four currently, reducing the need for producers to fast-track projects before they are ready.</p> <p> Screen Australia chief executive Ruth Harley said the government agency plays an important role in ensuring Australian stories successfully make it to the big screen. “The aim of the revised guidelines is to provide a transparent and well-understood process that acknowledges the complexity of feature film financing and provides greater flexibility for the industry,” she said in a statement.</p> <p> The agency also said producers would be able to apply for a letter of interest when the screenplay is at a very advanced stage of development and would only require a firm letter of interest from a domestic distributor. Letters of interest would not have an expiry date.</p> <p> Feature projects must have financing locked in to apply for production investment. The 12-month block on re-submitting projects for production investment would also be removed although if a project is rejected twice it would generally not be able to be re-submitted again.</p> <p> The current proposed changes will not affect the $2.5 million maximum funding cap or market attachment requirements to trigger production finance.</p> <p> Screen Australia has called for comments on the proposed changes (which can be viewed <a href="http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/featuredraft" target="_blank">here</a>) by April 6. If the changes are approved, the first deadline under the new regime will be May 31 ahead of Screen Australia's July board meeting.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:11:30 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Stills-photographer-Jasin-Boland-on-capturing-iconic-film-images/CXCQAYSWUF.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Stills-photographer-Jasin-Boland-on-capturing-iconic-film-images/CXCQAYSWUF.html Aleksandra Popovic <p> A film can say a million things in 90 minutes and a single still shot can arguably do the same in 1/50 of a second. The art of capturing that one, powerful, awe-inspiring shot is the secret of many still photographers who canvas the world each day in search of pictures which tell a thousand words.</p> <p> Jasin Boland, one of Hollywood’s finest motion picture stills photographers – best known for his work on The Matrix, The Bourne Supremacy, Mission Impossible and The Mummy films – says there are two things a feature film stills photographer sets out to do. </p> <p> “Our job is to tell a story in a single frame as an artist and to go on set looking for that one iconic image. When I go on set my style is raw and dirty and although I try not to think about too much while I’m shooting, subconsciously I am. I’m trying to interpret a whole film of an hour and a half into one single frame, which the whole world will judge the film on.” </p> <p> On the back of his success with recent films such as Safe House (Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds), Ghost Rider (Nicolas Cage) and Sanctum (Richard Roxburgh), Boland is currently in Australia promoting the new range of Nikon cameras as Nikon’s ambassador. Nikon's D800 is aimed at the popular DSLR market that Canon, which last week released the 5D Mark III, has cornered amongst filmmakers.</p> <p> The role of photographers on set is more often than not underestimated and despite the fact that their work features on movie posters, billboards, TV commercials, magazines and newspapers all around the world, they are rarely recognised. Yet photographers like Boland lurk around the set for 12-hour shifts trying to capture that one shot and with patience, practice and effort sometimes they nail the shot in the first frame.</p> <p> “I remember the first day of shooting on Safe House and there was a scene with Denzel Washington carrying a gun down the corridor and suddenly he had turned around and looked straight down the lens of my camera and I just rattled off a few frames. I got this imposing portrait off him and went jokingly to Daniel, the director, 'I think I just got your poster and it’s the first shot of the day'.”</p> <p> Boland recalls similar success on The Matrix where the first shot of the first day of characters Neo, Morpheus, Agent Smith and Trinity ended up being the iconic poster which would continue to resonate in our minds over ten years after the film's release. </p> <p> While he describes his job as interpreting a script and then surveying the set like a fly on the wall while remaining unseen, Boland acknowledges that there’s a lot that goes behind such emblematic shots.</p> <p> “A good photographer can do their job on almost any camera. But it’s not just about doing the job but about making it as easy as possible to be able to think about the shot and creativity. My life is governed by shutter speed and that’s why my choice of cameras is crucial. I mainly shoot very low light action films and so I need a fast shutter speed. At the moment I’m using the Nikon D3S and D700 while testing out the new D4 and D800.”</p> <p> He says the strength of every portrait comes down to presence in a character’s eyes. “Everything is in the eyes, they truly are the windows to the soul. I’ve realised that when actors are not talking I capture the most powerful shots because they are thinking about their role and what they are going to do and in many ways they are more in their character in that moment of thought. That’s the moment that you dream about as a photographer and when you get that powerful shot it just hits you in the face.”</p> <p> Boland's latest work will be seen in several Australian-shot films soon to be released including Mental, Bad Karma and Undertow. He is also set to shoot stills on the next Mad Max film, Fury Road.</p> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:18:37 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Dinka-Bonelle-Dzubur-on-short-film-Little-Hands/GGWZOXEGRG.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Dinka-Bonelle-Dzubur-on-short-film-Little-Hands/GGWZOXEGRG.html Fay Al-Janabi <p> Little Hands is the first Australian film to be shot entirely in Bosnia and Herzegovina.</p> <p> An intimate short story exploring the complexity of identity, loss, and the importance of human connection, Little Hands follows young tourist Mia (Dinka Bonelle Dzubur), who arrives in the post-war city of Mostar looking for her only remaining family, her little sister Sofia (Manon Bennett).</p> <p> Dzubur is more than an actress – she is also the writer and executive producer of Little Hands. It was after feeling “dishearted” and “uninspired” by her acting roles in Australia – landing mainstream roles on Australian screens is particularly difficult for actors with diverse backgrounds – that she was prompted to create her own work.</p> <p> “The more I stepped into the world of international cinema, I realised we were all feasting from this cultural trail mix in which there are not many stories of strong, powerful, sexy women because there are not many female writer/directors. Yet, this is now changing slowly, and I decided to be a part of this change”.</p> <p> Dzubur was inspired to return to her native country of Bosnia and Herzegovina after first visiting the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. The purpose of her trip, she says, was to explore the production conditions of the region and meet the talent that Bosnia and Herzegovina had to offer. While travelling there, Dzubur was overwhelmed by the warmth, sincerity and talent of the children and youth she met in Mostar, and wanted to show this to the world.</p> <p> But it wasn’t just the children of Mostar that compelled Dzubur to write Little Hands – it was the story of a lady she met in Sarajevo that lingered in her mind, later forming the starting point for the film. Back in her hotel room, Dzubur began to draft a screenplay based on these women’s stories.</p> <p> “I wanted to explore what happened to the generation of Bosnian women and children who had to flee. Who left their homes, who lost family members in war, who grew up all around the world, whose identities are undefined. This wasn’t easy to do and it was important when plotting the narrative for the characters to have room for them to transform within themselves. This film is dedicated to the post-war generation and children of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”</p> <p> Inspired by Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City, which was filmed on location in India, Dzubur sent the script to the Australian director, knowing McCarthy would have the sensibilities to tell the story with an engaging, powerful, aesthetic.</p> <p> Following McCarthy’s arrival in Mostar, workshops were organised to further develop the script. Rehearsals, it was decided, would simply hinder the film’s element of realism with their dull repetitiveness. A cast of 54 Bosnian children were featured in Little Hands alongside locals: Sarajevo-born Balkan actor Miraj Grbic (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) and actress Manon Bennett in leading roles contributing to the film’s raw, emotional energy.</p> <p> “Miraj, Manon and I had great chemistry. Claire decided early on not to rehearse too much with us, we just had a similar creative process”, Dzubur recalls. “First, second take, then no more. We worked very fast and very well”.</p> <p> Little Hands carries a similar visual style to The Waiting City: poetic realism. “The film takes elements of realism in an almost documentary way, but there is also a visual and narrative authority to the film’s style, tone, and approach to performance”, Dzubur says. Filmed on location, Little Hands is an exploration of Mostar city, from the ‘Egipatsko Selo’ children’s home, to its graceful medieval sites.</p> <p> But Dzubur hopes Little Hands does more than just expose Bosnia and Herzegovina’s visual beauty and horrific past.</p> <p> “I’m immensely proud to have realised a project that takes steps beyond cultural and religious lines”, she says. “This film brought together Bosnian, Croatian, and Australian artists together. I feel like I am making a difference. It is the first Australian project to film in Mostar city – I hope Australian audiences in particular see it and also start to be able to start relating to a new wave of Australian cinema”.</p> <p> Shot on RED ONE cameras by cinematographer Denson Baker ACS, and with close to five hours of footage from filming on location in Mostar (as well as war archival footage), Dzubur began to realise the challenges of realising a post-war offshore film shoot.</p> <p> “[It is important to] be simple and clear, and create an emotional arc that will resonate with the viewer”, she notes. “[Working] with director Claire McCarthy and editor Gwen Sputore was a long process and we had many test screenings to make sure we end up with a story that will portray the message we had envisioned for the film and that will be clear to an international audience.</p> <p> “I’m happy where we are. It’s been an interesting year. The circle has been completed. Making Little Hands has reminded me why I am an actress and an artist and has made me fall in love with film all over again. I see the power of film and I feel this medium is to be used wisely and responsibly. I firmly believe that telling stories is a really important part of fostering understanding, compassion and healing. As long as we keep telling stories, we continue to be human.</p> <p> “What I always enjoy the most about the work is the reaction from the audience. To see their faces, to see their expressions, to see how they were sitting in their chair uncomfortably, somewhere crying is a great testament to what this film can achieve”.</p> <p> Dzubur is currently in Los Angeles having just wrapped work on the feature film Isabella with John Lovitz and the TV Series True Blood for HBO. Her production company, Chandelier Films based out of Sydney, has expanded with the opening of a Croatian division. Dzubur is currently involved in five feature length projects: an adaptation of a comic book, a modern fairytale, a multi-plot drama, a thriller, and a romance.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="252" src="/image/Dinka-big.jpg" width="450" /> Manon Bennett and Dinka Bonelle Dzubur in Little Hands. </p> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:07:54 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Offspring-actor-Jay-Ryan-cast-as-beast-in-US-pilot-Beauty-and-the-Beast/NHORNIABOS.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/07/article/Offspring-actor-Jay-Ryan-cast-as-beast-in-US-pilot-Beauty-and-the-Beast/NHORNIABOS.html Sam Dallas <p> Local actor Jay Ryan – best known for Terra Nova and Offspring – may have cracked the tough North American market after being cast as “The Beast” in US TV drama pilot Beauty and the Beast.</p> <p> Ryan, who last year played Curran – a murderous security guard on the <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/03/06/article/Fox-pulls-the-plug-on-big-budget-series-Terra-Nova/HQZMFHGWEF.html" target="_blank">recently-cancelled</a> dinosaur series Terra Nova, will play “beast” Vincent Koslow in a reboot of the 1980s CBS drama which starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman.</p> <p> He will star opposite ‘beauty’ Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), while other cast members include Austin Basis (Life Unexpected), Nicole Gale Anderson (Jonas) and Nina Lisandrello (Pre). The CW drama series is being described as a modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist.</p> <p> It reportedly centres on Catherine (Kreuk), a tough-minded NYPD homicide detective, haunted after witnessing her mother’s murder nine years ago and the killers’ quick demise at the hands of a beast. After years of searching, Catherine finally finds the beast, Vincent Koslow (Ryan), the survivor of a military experiment that went disastrously wrong, and becomes the protector of his secret life as a superhero.</p> <p> This will be Ryan’s US debut. Born in New Zealand, he is also known for playing Fraser King on popular Channel Ten series Offspring. Other credits include feature film Lou, and TV series Sea Patrol (William ‘Spider’ Webb) and Neighbours (Jack Scully).</p> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:39:32 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/06/article/Fox-pulls-the-plug-on-big-budget-series-Terra-Nova/HQZMFHGWEF.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/06/article/Fox-pulls-the-plug-on-big-budget-series-Terra-Nova/HQZMFHGWEF.html Sam Dallas <p> Pricey prehistoric Fox drama Terra Nova has been cancelled, ending months of ongoing speculation.</p> <p> According to online <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/terra-nova-cancelled-fox-spielberg-258808" target="_blank">reports</a>, Fox has made the dinosaur series extinct, however it will be shopped to other networks.</p> <p> Despite Terra Nova – the most expensive TV series ever – running a profit, the move comes as no surprise. Season two needed to go into production in February for the heavy visual effects to be completed before the fall (September).</p> <p> This is a major sting for the local industry which had hopes for a second series being shot in Australia. Hundreds of locals were employed for the 13-part first series, which was shot in southeast Queensland. They included Oscar-winner John Cox and Emmy-winner Angelo Sahin (their work can be seen in the February/March issue of <a href="http://www.intermedia.com.au/index.cfm?page=mag.magDesc&mid=29&area=magazines" target="_blank">IF Magazine</a>).</p> <p> It would’ve been a major boon for the local industry after big-budget feature film Paradise Lost was <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/10/article/Alex-Proyas-Paradise-Lost-called-off-and-Digital-Domains-local-office/KTAWRLWWYS.html" target="_blank">cancelled</a> last month because of budget problems.</p> <p> Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/09/idUS372547219620120109" target="_blank">said</a> earlier this year that it was the second-highest rated drama of the fall, in the midst of declining ratings for dramas.</p> <p> The first series – backed by Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg – followed the Shannon family as they were transported 85 million years into the past to help restart civilisation. In the US it reportedly averaged 7.5 million total viewers. Reviews were positive at the start and at the end of the series, however the show slipped in the middle.</p> <p> Fox will instead focus on developing five new drama pilots, including a project from The Vampire Diaries’ Kevin Williamson starring Kevin Bacon. Its new series Alcatraz, starring Sam Neill, and Touch, starring Kiefer Sutherland, have opened with impressive numbers. Œ</p> Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:20:26 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/06/article/The-Applicant-starring-Kath-and-Kims-Peter-Rowsthorn-selected-for-Aspen/SQKZCJOPTG.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/06/article/The-Applicant-starring-Kath-and-Kims-Peter-Rowsthorn-selected-for-Aspen/SQKZCJOPTG.html Amanda Diaz <p> Local short film The Applicant has been selected from more than 3000 submissions to screen at this year's Aspen Shortfest.</p> <p> The five-minute comedy, which was written by Chris Corbett and directed by Tim Dean, stars Kath and Kim's Peter Rowsthorn and Nicholas Bell (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries).</p> <p> The film was a finalist in the 2011 Tropfest competition and tells the story of a job interview that is not quite what it seems.</p> <p> This is not the first time Corbett and Dean's work has been selected for Aspen. Their short film Fences screened there in 2010 and was awarded a BAFTA LA Certificate of Excellence. Fences also came third in Tropfest 2009, where it picked up awards for Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay and Best Editing.</p> <p> Aspen Shortfsest is one of the world's leading short film festivals and will run from April 10 to April 15.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="279" src="/image/applicant.JPG" width="448" /> Peter Rowsthorn in The Applicant</p> Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:07:24 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Killer-Elite-starring-Robert-De-Niro-continues-poor-performance-at-box-office/VNGZNFUFHC.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Killer-Elite-starring-Robert-De-Niro-continues-poor-performance-at-box-office/VNGZNFUFHC.html Sam Dallas <p> Omnilab-financed action film Killer Elite continued its soft run at the local box office over the weekend, taking just $140,774 from 102 screens. This is a 50 per cent slip on its <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Killer-Elite-starring-Robert-De-Niro-posts-disappointing-opening-at-box-office/VLYEOFHKIJ.html" target="_blank">opening weekend</a> – a typical second-week box office drop. </p> <p> The film has grossed $526,008 in total, however it was made on a $80 million budget and stars icon Robert De Niro and British actors Clive Owen and Jason Statham.</p> <p> Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes' non-fiction novel The Feather Men, the film was shot in cities including Melbourne, Paris and London. It also had a disappointing run in North America, grossing just $US25 million last year, according to Box Office Mojo.</p> <p> Also in the US, Snowtown (known across the Pacific as The Snowtown Murders) opened on just one screen over the weekend, however box office figures aren’t yet available. New Zealand hit film Boy also opened in North America – it grossed $US23,400 on two screens.</p> <p> Australia's favourite movie of 2011 – Red Dog – travelled to the UK and opened on February 24. Box office figures are now available – it took in a low £24,727 ($36,538) from 56 screens, giving it a screen average of just £442 ($653). After grossing $21 million in Australia and based on a book by London author Louis de Bernières, it was expected to open on more screens by distributor G2.</p> <p> Back on local shores, comedy-thriller Project X shot to the top of the box office with $1.3 million from 222 screens. Distributed by Warner Bros, the film's returns outpaced Universal’s Contraband ($1.2 million) and Fox’s This Means War ($1 million). After four weeks at the box office, romantic drama The Vow placed fourth with $894,606 (229 screens, Sony), while The Devil Inside made $736,658 in its first weekend (229 screens, Paramount).</p> <p> After receiving five Oscars last Monday, Hugo was up 27 per cent after eight weeks at the box office, grossing $412,630 across 140 screens, while The Artist, which netted five shiny trophies including Best Picture, rose 61 per cent to gross $559,589.</p> <p> Critically-acclaimed Iranian film A Separation took $185,538 for distributor eOne in its first weekend (21 screens, $8835 screen average), while controversial film Shame, produced by Sydney’s Emile Sherman, added $38,908 from 24 screens to bring its total tally to $541,433 after four weeks.</p> <p> Films opening this week include: 50/50 (Roadshow), Africa United (eOne/Hopscotch), Coriolanus (Icon), Headhunters (Rialto), John Carter (Walt Disney), The Source (Madman) and Kahaani (Mind Blowing Films).</p> <p> Australian films at the 2012 box office </p> <p> <img alt="" height="247" src="/image/boxofficemar5.JPG" width="622" /> Œ</p> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:55:38 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Zoe-Naylor-on-the-benefits-of-ongoing-training-for-actors/VZRBQYIBAU.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Zoe-Naylor-on-the-benefits-of-ongoing-training-for-actors/VZRBQYIBAU.html Zoe Naylor <p> Well, I can’t believe it’s been almost a decade since graduating from drama school and almost a decade since I’ve done any further drama study. I mean, I’ve worked closely with dialect coaches over the years and privately with teachers preparing auditions, but in terms of flexing the muscle in a classroom environment I haven’t done much.</p> <p> Having spent the last two pilot seasons in LA, it’s incredible to see the commitment actors make to the evolution of their craft. It’s not unusual to find professional actors taking two classes a week alongside their usual filming or stage commitments. That’s before their regular voice class, Alexander class and weekly session with a therapist which, according to renowned American acting coach, Larry Moss, are a must.</p> <p> It’s funny, but in my late-teens and early-20s I couldn’t get enough of everything ‘drama’. There was ATYP, On Camera Connections, drop in classes at the Actors Centre, followed by three years of drama school, during which time I even ventured to London to train with Philippe Gaulier.</p> <p> But what happens once we graduate? Do we become lazy? Jaded? I’m sure many actors will agree it’s actually not for lack of enthusiasm. I’m always nodding in agreement when watching ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ and hearing actors talk about their passion for learning, growing and improving.</p> <p> So, in Australia where do we go to deepen our craft? Who can we work with after leaving drama school? Especially considering if our drama school was interstate? To my knowledge there aren’t many regular classes available.</p> <p> In America on the other hand, there are many consistent, accessible classes aimed at working actors – classes run by world-class teachers like Ivana Chubbuck, Margie Haber and Larry Moss. Chubbuck coached Charlize Theron before winning the Oscar for Monster and Halle Berry for Monster's Ball while Larry is the man behind Hilary Swank’s repeated success. These are but a few.</p> <p> At the beginning of the year, 16th Street Actors Studio in Melbourne brought out Chubbuck to run an intensive four-day masterclass espousing her famous ‘Chubbuck’ technique. There were 32 places for professional actors based on submission then selection. You paid about $1200 to participate and it really gave us a taste of what these regular classes are like.</p> <p> Each actor was assigned a scene partner and allocated a scene, which Chubbuck chooses. My partner Aaron Jeffery and I were given a gutsy scene from When a Man Loves a Woman.</p> <p> The instruction was then to read Chubbuck's book, Power of the Actor (which you are given), and apply her 12 steps to the work. Once that is complete you continue with your rehearsal process before presenting the scene on stage at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne for Chubbuck, your classmates and 300 auditors in the audience. I’m sure the other actors will agree, that the nerves before going on felt like an opening night on steroids.</p> <p> After working on stage with Chubbuck for about an hour, you then watched the remaining scenes for the day before heading back to the rehearsal room at night to re-work the scene with the new notes, in preparation for a second performance.</p> <p> Chubbuck used to be a stand-up comic and her candour is dry. She can be persistent and bold at times but is incredibly honest. Her method is all about using your life ‘stuff’ to infuse your choices so you can create dimensional characters.</p> <p> We watched every single actor grow enormously in the work they produced. Watching Pia Miranda and Natalie Imbruglia tackle playing a lesbian relationship infused with drug addiction in a scene from GIA; pushing Sarah Snook and Andrew Lees to get out of their comfortable playing zones by using bold choices in a scene from Memento; Zoe Tuckwell Smith and Ryan Gibson raise the bar by playing their scene (also from Memento) from a place where they wanted to win contradictory to the obvious depravity of their situation. Ella Scott Lynch and Michael Sutherland brought the house down by playing more of the subtext in their scene from When Harry Met Sally (and it wasn’t even the orgasm scene) and Christopher Sommers and Jane Barry did a brilliant job with Kramer vs Kramer by breathing more life into all the moments in between their lines.</p> <p> Refining objectives, then really pursuing those objectives, seemed the key to unlocking great performances time and time again. During the masterclass, Chubbuck also worked with Jeffery on a cold read audition he was preparing for, which was invaluable to see.</p> <p> At the end of the four days I felt so proud to have been able to share such an intimate yet exposing working environment with 31 incredibly talented actors. I felt like I had a new sense of confidence in my work. I also had a new in depth process to apply to breaking down a script and I wanted more. I wanted now to tackle a different scene. I wanted to be able to follow it up with more classes.</p> <p> Thank you to Kim, Jamie and everyone at 16th Street for your passion, energy and unwavering support. How lucky your students are to have mentors like you.</p> <p> Zoe Naylor has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. She recently starred in The Reef alongside Gyton Grantley and Damien Walsh-Howling and has just completed filming the lead role in US sci-fi thriller Robotropolis due for release this year. She has worked on Mcleod’s Daughters, Orange Roughies and The Book Of Revelation as well as US productions, Evil Never Dies, Fearless and Virtual Nightmare. For more info you can visit her official <a href="http://www.zoenaylor.com" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ZoeNaylorOfficial" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/NaylorZoe" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="248" src="/image/16th_Street.jpg" width="450" /> Actors at the four-day masterclass with Ivana Chubbuck. </p> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:10:29 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Foxtel-commissions-new-Prisoner-series-titled-Wentworth/BYJXEEGDWR.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Foxtel-commissions-new-Prisoner-series-titled-Wentworth/BYJXEEGDWR.html Sam Dallas <p> A contemporary “re-imagining” of iconic Australian series Prisoner has been commissioned by Foxtel.</p> <p> Production company FremantleMedia, under the helm of director of drama Jo Porter, will produce Wentworth – a series set in the present, beginning with central character Bea Smith’s early days in prison. The storylines will include some of the original inmates and staff of the Wentworth Detention Centre (the fictional women's prison in Prisoner) and characters especially developed for the new series. </p> <p> A spokeswoman said Lara Radulovich and David Hannam developed Wentworth from Reg Watson’s concept and characters.</p> <p> Foxtel’s executive director of television, Brian Walsh, said it was not a remake of Prisoner – which aired in 14 countries and premiered on Ten in 1979 for an impressive 692 episodes. Foxtel will be hoping for a similar reaction.</p> <p> “Wentworth will be a dynamic and very confronting drama series, developed and stylised specifically for subscription television audiences,” Walsh said in a statement. “We have told producers to push all boundaries and honestly depict life on the inside as it is in 2012.”</p> <p> Walsh said it was a contemporary drama which brought new life to some of the great female characters many viewers came to love and loved to hate.</p> <p> “There will be surprises, twists and turns all along the way. This is a major drama initiative for Foxtel which will engage existing Prisoner fans and entice entirely new audiences with its bold storytelling.</p> <p> “We are especially delighted to work with FremantleMedia and their revitalised drama division under Jo Porter. I know that, after many successful years at Seven, Jo will bring a particular energy to this important drama project for Foxtel.”</p> <p> Porter, the original producer of Seven hit <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/09/article/Sevens-Packed-To-The-Rafters-is-back-for-season-five/OZWPLUIFJV.html" target="_blank">Packed To The Rafters</a>, said it was a compelling drama series about women, which would "take audiences inside a unique environment governed by its own rules".</p> <p> “The series explores the politics of women in a world with few men, and how the experience both challenges and changes them, sometimes for the better,” she said.</p> <p> “It’s a drama series built on the great Australian tradition of overcoming the odds to find mateship and belonging in the most unlikely circumstances. We’re very excited to be casting for so many strong female characters.”</p> <p> FremantleMedia Asia Pacific chief executive Ian Hogg is confident of the series which he describes as “bold, relevant and adventurous”.</p> <p> Wentworth – currently in Pre-Production – will be shot in Melbourne in the coming months. Œ</p> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:20:39 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Kevin-Harrington-cast-as-Cliff-Young-in-Cliffy-telemovie/RNTPJUJSZM.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/05/article/Kevin-Harrington-cast-as-Cliff-Young-in-Cliffy-telemovie/RNTPJUJSZM.html Brendan Swift <p> Kevin Harrington has been cast as Australian ultra-marathon runner Cliff Young in upcoming ABC1 telemovie Cliffy.</p> <p> Set against the backdrop of the early-80s, Cliffy will retrace Young’s journey from his days training in cow paddocks on his farm to winning the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon at 61-years of age.</p> <p> “It's a great honour to be given the opportunity to celebrate the achievements and the character of such an extraordinary Australian," Harrington said in a statement. “I've lost 11 kilos and I'm working on his voice. Mind you, the time is fast approaching to stop talking the talk, and start shuffling the shuffle. Jeez, I hope I don't bugger it up!”</p> <p> Harrington (Underbelly, Seachange, Neighbours), will star alongside Roy Billing (Jack Irish, Underbelly, Rake), who will play Young's unconventional trainer and masseur, Wally.</p> <p> Producer Nigel Odell said the filmmakers had learnt a lot about Cliff Young through research and discussion with his brother Sid, and other family and friends.</p> <p> “Kevin has many of the same personal qualities as Cliff and he’s been working extremely hard in preparing for the part," he said in a statement. "We are delighted to be working with an actor of Kevin’s calibre, and we look forward to capturing the memory and legacy of the great Cliff Young.”</p> <p> The telemovie was written by Robert B. Taylor (Muggers) and will be directed by Dean Murphy (Charlie & Boots, Strange Bedfellows).</p> <p> Filming begins on April 16 in regional Victoria.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="645" src="/image/Kevin Harrington (Cliffy).JPG" width="450" /> Kevin Harrington as Cliff Young. </p> <p> Œ</p> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:47:18 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/03/02/article/AIDC-Days-of-the-individual-filmmaker-are-over/MNXSDFVLRS.html http://if.com.au/2012/03/02/article/AIDC-Days-of-the-individual-filmmaker-are-over/MNXSDFVLRS.html Amanda Diaz <p> The days of the individual filmmaker are over, according to a panel of documentary-makers at the AIDC earlier this week.</p> <p> Veteran Bob Connolly, who directed last year's hit Mrs. Carey’s Concert, said he was in a state of despair over the fact that the art of documentary had been reduced to such a conversation. </p> <p> "If anyone had told me 20 or 30 years ago that I'd find myself in a room participating in a serious discussion about whether or not a TV show about removing stains qualified as a documentary, I'd have come to the embarrassed conclusion that I caught the wrong plane, landed in Surfer's Paradise and blundered into one of those tax dodge conventions so fondly pursued by doctors and dentists, and no doubt the stain removal industry," he said.</p> <p> "What must the rest of the film industry think of us? The politicians and bureaucrats that control the purse strings of this heavily subsidised so-called art form. How have we gotten to the state of affairs whereby a judge in a court of law has been given license to determine what it is that we do in such a way as to make sensible differentiation virtually impossible?" </p> <p> Connolly went on to observe that the conference – which also heard that one-off documentaries are no longer in favour with commissioning editors – was mostly devoid of practising filmmakers because many were unable to afford to attend because of their downgraded status on the food chain. With free-to-air commissioning editors preferring to work with production companies rather than freelancers, filmmakers are losing creative control over their own projects. </p> <p> Writer/director Jennifer Peedom admitted she had carved out her own career by being a "gun for hire" and that it was a cycle that is hard to break out of. </p> <p> "What that has meant for me is that I don't own the copyright to any of my films, films that I have made...and so that leaves me with no revenue stream by which to support myself to develop my own projects," she said. "And so I finish my next project and I have high childcare overheads and all the rest of it, and a mortgage to pay - and I have to go on to the next gun for hire project."</p> <p> "It's come to this," said Connolly. "A sausage factory churning out, with few exceptions, what can only be described as product. We are, as an industry busily engaged in eliminating from what we do, the concept of art. </p> <p> "If we are doing this, and the evidence is mounting that we are digging our own graves, this is not how the great films are made." Œ</p> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:07:26 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/29/article/Screen-Australia-helps-fund-The-Tunnel-sequel---The-Tunnel-Dead-End/EESDVGCADP.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/29/article/Screen-Australia-helps-fund-The-Tunnel-sequel---The-Tunnel-Dead-End/EESDVGCADP.html Sam Dallas <p> A sequel to last year’s successful low-budget horror film The Tunnel is currently in the works.</p> <p> The sequel – titled The Tunnel: Dead End – received development funding from Screen Australia earlier this month and will pick up the story years down the track. No shoot date has been set for the horror flick.</p> <p> It’s a sequel creators Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey weren’t planning on. “Initially, we weren’t anticipating doing another Tunnel film but the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the original – as well as our fans clamouring for another on an almost daily basis – made us go back and give it a second thought,” Tedeschi and Harvey, of Distracted Media, said in a joint statement.</p> <p> “We weren't going to go ahead unless we could find a story we were 100 per cent behind, which we now have, and are thrilled to have the support of Screen Australia.”</p> <p> The sequel will follow Tangles’ sister who is determined to answer once and for all what happened to her brother in the gloomy underground tunnels.</p> <p> The first film, which was backed by Andrew Denton's <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Cordell-Jigsaw-and-Zapruders-Other-Films-merge-Cordell-Jigsaw-Zapruder-is-born/KAXLONNJJU.html" target="_blank">Zapruder's Other Films</a>, was internationally-recognised for its unique crowdfunding model and distinctive distribution. The filmmakers sold individual frames at $1 per frame in their attempt to raise a budget of $135,000 (the equivalent of a 90-minute film). It was first released for free on BitTorrent and was the first Australian film to be available for download specifically on the iPad.</p> <p> The filmmakers have also announced another "135K Project" is in the pipeline: claustrophobic science-fiction thriller Airlock.</p> <p> "The Tunnel: Dead End is a great opportunity to take Distracted Media into a different playing field but as producers we still very much believe in the basic principles of the <a href="http://135kproject.com/" target="_blank">135K Project</a>," Tedeschi and Harvey said.</p> <p> "Having a more mainstream film in The Tunnel: Dead End will enable us to up the stakes significantly with Airlock which will hopefully raise the bar for our free internet releases and what we can put back into their success."</p> <p> The film is one of 13 features given development funding by the national agency. Other projects receiving some of the $350,000-plus injection include Black Echoes (Greg McLean), Out West (Alister Grierson), The Outrageious Barry Bush (Kriv Stenders) and What Alice Forgot (Vincent Sheehan).</p> <p> The 13 projects are:</p> <p> ADDITION Genre Romantic Comedy Producers Bruna Papandrea, Cristina Pozzan Writer Harry Cripps Synopsis Grace cannot stop counting things. It has cost her her job as a teacher and shut her off from the rest of the world. But meeting Seamus opens up the possibility of a normal life. Unfortunately becoming normal is a lot harder than Grace thought. Based on the novel by Toni Jordan.</p> <p> BAD ANGEL Genre Comedy Producers Nicholas Cole, Antonia Barnard Writer Shaun Grant Synopsis The transformation of Angelo d’Angelo, a New York hit man who is unwittingly embraced into the bosom of a simple, rural Australian community. For the first time, Angelo learns that love and family are just as effective as any weapon he’s ever known.</p> <p> BLACK ECHOES Genre Horror Producers Murray Pope, Michael Robertson Writers Shayne Armstrong, Shane Krause Director Greg McLean Synopsis A group of international tourists are taken off the beaten path to an isolated village deep in the Vietnamese countryside where they experience a Viet Cong tunnel crawl that makes the famous Cu Chi tunnels seem like a playground... tighter, more claustrophobic, scarier. They get their money’s worth and then some!</p> <p> BOGAN WEDDING Genre Comedy Writer Jules Duncan</p> <p> THE DRESSMAKER Genre Drama Producer Sue Maslin Writer/Director Jocelyn Moorhouse Synopsis A bittersweet tragic-comedy about a glamorous young woman who returns, after many years in Europe, to her small home town in rural Australia in order to right some wrongs from the past. When Tilly comes home she not only heals her ailing mother, but with her sewing machine, and haute couture style, transforms the women of the town in such a way that she gets sweet revenge on those who did her wrong. She also falls unexpectedly in love, which leads to her greatest loss and her most destructive deed. Based on the acclaimed novel by Rosalie Ham.</p> <p> JULIAN CORKLE IS A FILTHY LIAR Genre Comedy Producers Marian Macgowan, Sarah Radclyffe Writer Mark Herman Synopsis A romp through family life and black-sheepedness in small town Tasmania in the 1980s. Based on the bestselling novel by DJ Connell.</p> <p> LAST CAB TO DARWIN Genre Drama Producer/Writer/Director Jeremy Sims Producer Greg Duffy Executive Producer Ian Darling Writer Reg Cribb Synopsis Max, a taciturn Broken Hill cabbie, has never done anything with his life. He’s in love with his neighbour Polly, but he’s never told anyone, not even himself. He thinks he’ll live and die alone in Broken Hill. Then something happens that forces Max to go on an extraordinary journey – a journey that shows him, and us, that it’s never too late to change your life. OUT WEST Genre Comedy Producers Catriona Hughes, Leesa Kahn, Terry Jennings Writer/Director Alister Grierson Synopsis Two corrupt ex-cops travel to Coober Pedy with a bag of cash and play chicken with vengeful bikies, thieves, a yakuza wannabe, sociopathic rednecks and a rather short-tempered, one-armed deaf guy.</p> <p> THE OUTRAGEOUS BARRY RUSH Genre Adventure Producer Alan Harris Writer Andy Cox Director Kriv Stenders </p> <p> PLATES DAY Genre Black Comedy Producer Jenny Day Writer/Director Bruce Petty Synopsis An animated feature film from Bruce Petty about the certainties we search for and the fantasies we can’t live without.</p> <p> SCARY GIRL Genre Children’s Animation Producer Sophie Byrne Executive Producer Steven DeNure Writer Polly Watkins Creator Nathan Jurevicius Synopsis Ten-year-old Arkie’s quest to find her friend Blister takes her into a strange and beautiful world, in which she must overcome her darkest fears in order to save him and fulfil her destiny. Based on the hugely popular graphic novel by Nathan Jurevicius.</p> <p> THE TUNNEL: DEAD END Genre Horror Producer/Writers Enzo Tedeschi, Julian Harvey Executive Producers Jonathan Chissick, Peter Thompson Director Carlo Ledesma Synopsis In 2008, Lindsay watched her brother vanish in the dark tunnels beneath Sydney. Now she’s looking for answers – but what happens if the answers find her first?</p> <p> WHAT ALICE FORGOT Genre Comedy Drama Producer Vincent Sheehan (Porchlight Films) Writer Pip Karmel</p> <p> INDUSTRY INTERNSHIPS MARY MINAS INTERNSHIP Producer Mary Minas will work closely with producer and distributor John Maynard (Balibo, An Angel at My Table, Romulus, My Father, The Bank) at Felix Media and Footprint Films in Melbourne for six months, receiving bespoke training in development, financing and distribution. Œ</p> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:38:30 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Julia-Overton-2012-Stanley-Hawes-award-winner/UGERAELKMP.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Julia-Overton-2012-Stanley-Hawes-award-winner/UGERAELKMP.html Amanda Diaz <p> All signs pointed to Monday being a good day for Julia Overton. Literally.</p> <p> On the day the filmmaker was set to receive the 2012 Stanley Hawes award, she drove past a timely sign outside an RSL that proclaimed "Julia wins, now for the Oscars". It was, of course, referrring to the Federal Labor party's decision to back prime minister Julia Gillard over rival Kevin Rudd.</p> <p> In her opening night address at the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Adelaide, the other Julia – Overton – acknowledged her own peers. </p> <p> "In this company, someone who's been known most recently as bureaucrat is a bit of an anomaly as the recipient of this award," she said. "I'm here because of the inspired artistry of all the people I've ever worked with."Œ</p> <p> Previous winners of the Stanley Hawes award – which recognises independent documentary filmmakers who have made an outstanding contribution to the Australian industry – include Rachel Perkins and Bob Connolly.</p> <p> The daughter of an actress and a pianist-turned-publisher who later went on to work for UNESCO, Overton has had a life long interest and involvement in the arts. Although intending to study art history at university, a brief stint at a business school saw her land her first job in television.</p> <p> "At the end of the course, you spent time in the office fielding calls," she told AIDC delegates while accepting the award. "I answered one – a request from London Weekend Television (LWT) for an assistant for the director of television, Cyril Bennett. Now you were supposed to put those jobs on the board for all to see; needless to say I did not and 10 minutes later I called back, got an interview and got the job."</p> <p> A stint working with LWT's head of drama Stella Richman and then for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation followed before Overman eventually ended up in Australia, where her first job was teaching trainee teachers in Western Australia how to use audiovisual equipment.</p> <p> Since then, Overton has worked for the Australian Film Commission, the Film Finance Corporation and Screen Australia. She has produced features, TV dramas and the critically-acclaimed documentary Black Man's Houses.</p> <p> In her speech, she urged documentary filmmakers to be creative in their financing.</p> <p> "The old model of 'get a broadcaster, add a funding body or two plus Offset' is very far from the mark," she said. "As a sector we need to regenerate, there is a responsibility to mentor and support new players."</p> <p> She also said that award ceremonies needed to treat documentaries with more respect.</p> <p> "Where were the documentary acknowledgements in the televised section of the AACTA awards this year? There weren't any. They were announced at an earlier event – that's not good enough. We really need to champion, champion, champion."</p> <p> The winner of the F4 Award for Outstanding New Documentary Talent was also announced at the AIDC opening night, with Paul Gallasch accepting the award for his film Killing Anna – a documentary which saw Gallasch staging his ex-girlfriend's funeral following their breakup.</p> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:23:11 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Mel-Gibsons-Get-the-Gringo-set-for-local-theatrical-release/TFZWZBRJES.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Mel-Gibsons-Get-the-Gringo-set-for-local-theatrical-release/TFZWZBRJES.html Brendan Swift <p> Icon Film Distribution Australia is planning a traditional theatrical release for Mel Gibson’s Get the Gringo despite North American plans to launch an exclusive video-on-demand (VOD) offer.</p> <p> The US deal will result in the action-thriller being distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment from May 1 on DirecTV, which will charge $10.99 per home viewing, according to <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/mel-gibson-get-the-gringo-directtv-vod-fox-video-on-demand-release/ " target="_blank">Deadline.com</a>. A wider release on Blu-ray, VOD, and digital download will be rolled out after one month.</p> <p> Fox and DirecTV and Icon will do a national marketing campaign for the movie following a one-off theatrical screening event in Austin, Texas. While Gibson’s star has been tarnished in recent years (his recent drama The Beaver also failed at the box office), the DirecTV deal is being positioned as a potentially more lucrative distribution channel than a straight-to-DVD release.</p> <p> In a statement, Fox Home Entertainment president Mike Dunn said: “As digital distribution evolves, we are constantly looking at new ways to bring the consumer greater access than ever before to our movies. Reaching nearly 20 million households on the DirecTV premium platform offers us an opportunity to explore innovative approaches like this one for Get The Gringo.”</p> <p> Icon Film Distribution will release the film in Australia on May 12.</p> <p> The US has a sophisticated VOD market and smaller distributors such as Magnolia and IFC regularly mix up the traditional distribution windows with arthouse titles. However, the Australian VOD market is constrained by slower download speeds and an uncompromising stance by local exhibitors, who refuse to budge on the four-month DVD window, even for smaller arthouse fare.</p> <p> Financial drama Margin Call stands out as another recent US success, where it was distributed by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions simultaneously in cinemas and on VOD.</p> <p> While it grossed more than $US5.3 million in the US, it also took another $US5 million via VOD, according to press <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-2012-margin-call-video-on-demand-zach-quinto-283033" target="_blank">reports</a>. The film will be distributed in Australian cinemas by Becker Film Group from March 15.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:14:53 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Screen-Australia-announces-record-year-for-premium-documentary/SWTYCHPCOM.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Screen-Australia-announces-record-year-for-premium-documentary/SWTYCHPCOM.html Brendan Swift and Amanda Diaz <p> Screen Australia says the value of documentary production hit a record high last financial year, underpinned by a greater number of more expensive series.</p> <p> Screen Australia chief executive Ruth Harley told the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) this week that 430 hours of Australian documentary projects were made in 2010-11, totalling $133 million of expenditure, which was above the $118 million five-year average.</p> <p> “What we can clearly see is that the Producer Offset has been effective in buoying the industry and driving growth in the documentary sector," she said.</p> <p> "Prior to the introduction of the Producer Offset in 2007, the annual five-year average for documentary production was $77 million and now we’re almost doubling that figure. The record budget level driven by more hours of high-production value series of programs above $250,000 per hour shows that the Offset is also driving an increase in premium content.”</p> <p> Harley attributed the strong performance of the sector to popular documentaries such as Mrs Carey's Concert, which was watched by more than 1 million people across all platforms; Go Back to Where You Came From, which was SBS's highest rating program for 2011; and the Wide Open Road series, which had over 1 million viewers per episode. Documentaries also did well on the festival circuit, including The Tall Man (Toronto), Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (Sundance) and Mad as Hell: the Peter Finch Story (Busan).</p> <p> "Through our documentary production programs, Screen Australia provided $17 million in production finance, which leveraged $54 million in production spend." (More about Harley's speech can be found <a href="http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/documents/SA_publications/Speeches/Ruth_AIDC_28022012.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.)</p> <p> Arts minister Simon Crean said: "We are proud to support the Australian screen industry because it is a sensational medium for telling our story, our way. It’s an investment governments must get behind. The enhancements to the Producer Offset, announced in the 2011-12 Federal Budget, will go even further in supporting low budget documentaries, providing $11 million over four years in direct support through Screen Australia’s Producer Equity Program."</p> <p> Screen Australia also announced that it would again be working with the ABC on the Opening Shot program – five compelling half-hour documentaries by emerging documentary makers that will be shown on ABC2.</p> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:27:58 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Australian-Kirk-Baxter-wins-Oscar-for-editing-The-Girl-With-the-Dragon-Tattoo/ZOUTXEHBIK.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/28/article/Australian-Kirk-Baxter-wins-Oscar-for-editing-The-Girl-With-the-Dragon-Tattoo/ZOUTXEHBIK.html Fay Al-Janabi <p> Kirk Baxter has won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work with Angus Wall on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.</p> <p> It was an unexpected win for the editing partners, who were up against Oscar favourites Hugo and The Artist.</p> <p> After a record of five Academy Award wins for Australians in 2011, Baxter and producer Grant Hill were the only two Australians gracing this year’s list of nominees.</p> <p> It is the duo’s second win after taking away the same award last year for The Social Network. Baxter also received an Academy Award nomination for his editing with Angus Wall on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008, losing to Slumdog Millionare.</p> <p> Grant Hill, who was one of five producers for Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, received a nomination for Best Picture, losing to The Artist. It marks the second nomination for the Australian producer, who was first nominated for Malick's 1998 film The Thin Red Line.</p> <p> Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian film, A Separation, received nominations in Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film, winning the award in the former category.</p> <p> The film had an Australian connection – it was able to reach completion due to a $25,000 cash grant provided by the Motion Picture Association in collaboration with Queensland’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards.</p> <p> Bret McKenzie, one half of the New Zealand comedy duo Flight of the Concords, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Man or Muppet from The Muppets. His win marks New Zealand’s third Academy Award for a film that is not part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.</p> <p> The award for Best Picture was taken by Michel Hazanavicius’ silent romantic-comedy, The Artist. The black-and-white French film received a total of five awards on the night, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Jean Dujardin, and Best Director for Hazanavicius.</p> <p> Martin Scorsese’s 3D animated feature, Hugo, also took away five awards, largely commending its technical brilliance – for Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects.</p> <p> Meryl Streep received her 17th Oscar nomination and third win for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, taking away the Best Actress in a Leading Role award.</p> <p> Woody Allen received the award for Best Original Screenplay for Midnight in Paris, marking his fourth Academy Award win and 23rd nomination. The award for Best Adapted Screenplay went to Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash for The Descendants.</p> <p> Full list of winners: </p> <p> Cinematography: Robert Richardson, Hugo</p> <p> Art Direction: Hugo</p> <p> Costume Design: The Artist</p> <p> Makeup: The Iron Lady</p> <p> Foreign Language Film: A Separation, Iran</p> <p> Film Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</p> <p> Sound Editing: Hugo</p> <p> Sound Mixing: Hugo</p> <p> Documentary Feature: Undefeated</p> <p> Animated Film: Rango</p> <p> Visual Effects: Hugo</p> <p> Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Plummer, Beginners</p> <p> Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist</p> <p> Song: Bret McKenzie, “Man or Muppet”, The Muppets</p> <p> Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants</p> <p> Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris</p> <p> Live Action Short: The Shore</p> <p> Documentary Short: Saving Face</p> <p> Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore</p> <p> Director: Michel Hazavanicius, The Artist</p> <p> Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin, The Artist</p> <p> Actress in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady</p> <p> Picture: The Artist</p> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:59:27 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Killer-Elite-starring-Robert-De-Niro-posts-disappointing-opening-at-box-office/VLYEOFHKIJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Killer-Elite-starring-Robert-De-Niro-posts-disappointing-opening-at-box-office/VLYEOFHKIJ.html Sam Dallas <p> Big-budget Australian action film Killer Elite has posted a disappointing opening over the weekend. The $80 million Omnilab-financed flick with a high-profile cast took in just $284,226 across 108 screens, generating a poor screen average of $2632.</p> <p> Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes' non-fiction novel The Feather Men, the film stars renowned actor Robert De Niro alongside British talent Clive Owen and Jason Statham.</p> <p> The Australian opening mirrored its first weekend across the Pacific in the US last September, where it grossed $US9.35 million across 2986 theatres ($US3132 screen average). Ranking fifth, it lost out to such titles as The Lion King (3D), Moneyball and Dolphin Tale. After eight weekends at cinemas in the US, it took in $US25 million, according to Box Office Mojo.</p> <p> Shot in various global cities including Melbourne, Paris and London, Killer Elite follows special-ops agent Danny (Statham), who is lured out of self-imposed exile to execute a feat of retribution and personal salvation. He reassembles his old team of operatives to help rescue his former mentor (De Niro), and to infiltrate the British Special Air Service (SAS). Facing off against a covert group of ex-SAS soldiers known as “The Feather Men”, who, under their leader Spike (Owen), provide a deadly cloak of security around all SAS members, Danny and his team must take down a rogue cell of solider assassins before their actions result in a global political meltdown. The trailer can be seen <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/06/23/article/SUDYLPFQQR.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p> Roadshow’s latest local comedy Any Questions For Ben? had a 66 per cent fall on last weekend, grossing $103,030 from 146 screens. After opening on February 9, it has taken $1.4 million – a less-than-expected result from the creators of Australian favourites The Castle and The Dish (Working Dog).</p> <p> UK limited release film Shame, which also opened on February 9 and was produced by Sydney’s Emile Sherman, grossed $70,711 from 30 screens on the weekend, taking its total to $472,323.</p> <p> Aussie comedy A Few Best Men, directed by Priscilla’s Stephan Elliott, has now grossed $5.17 million since opening on Australia Day. 3D animated flick Happy Feet Two, directed by George Miller, has now finished screening – it ended up grossing $10.7 million.</p> <p> Universal took number one spot at the local box office on the weekend with Contraband, starring “Marky Mark” (Mark Wahlberg), raking in $1.6 million from 219 screens. This Means War, distributed by Fox, placed second with $1.4 million, while Sony’s The Vow netted third position with $1.3 million.</p> <p> <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Safe-House-Exclusive-5-Minute-Scene-Sponsored-Video/LUHXWGCLBU.html" target="_blank">Safe House</a>, also distributed by Universal, grossed $928,514 in its third weekend for fourth position, while Liam Neeson action film The Grey, released by Icon, rounded off the top five with $494,380 in its second weekend.</p> <p> As for Oscar-winning films, Hugo – which cleaned up earlier today in Los Angeles netting five gongs – has made $8.9 million in Australia, while The Descendants – which won a Best Writing award earlier today – has now taken $14.3 million in Australia.</p> <p> Best Picture winner The Artist, which opened in limited screens across the country on February 2, has taken $1.9 million.</p> <p> Last year's biggest Australian film Red Dog opened in the UK last Friday, however box office figures aren't yet available.</p> <p> Films opening this week include: A Little Bit of Heaven (Hoyts), A Separation (eOne), Carnage (Sony), Like Crazy (Paramount), Project X (Warner Bros), Sea Rex 3D (IMAX), Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business (Pinnacle Films) and The Devil Inside (Paramount).</p> <p> Australian films at the box office 2012 </p> <p> <img alt="" height="248" src="/image/boxofficefeb27.JPG" width="623" /></p> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:52:10 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Network-Ten-commissions-Being-Lara-Bingle-and-The-Living-Room/UWUHDJRVGP.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Network-Ten-commissions-Being-Lara-Bingle-and-The-Living-Room/UWUHDJRVGP.html Fay Al-Janabi <p> Network Ten has commissioned two new prime-time entertainment shows, Being Lara Bingle and The Living Room.</p> <p> The new shows were announced less than a week after Ten told the market that its first half earnings would be 40 per cent lower than a year earlier as it implements a new programming strategy amid tough advertising market conditions.</p> <p> Network Ten chief programing officer David Mott said the two new programs were part of the broadcaster's plan to win back viewers.</p> <p> “Being Lara Bingle and The Living Room are the first of a series of programs we plan to introduce to this year’s line up, deliberately developed to introduce a different, more playful flavour to our schedule, and one we are sure our audience will not only embrace but celebrate,” he said in a statement.</p> <p> Many of Ten's new programs for 2012 are currently being rolled out including morning show Breakfast, six-part TV series Brothers in Arms, as well as the return of drama Offspring and reality program MasterChef Australia.</p> <p> However, Deutsche Bank analysts have raised concerns about Ten's early 2012 ratings performance. "Whilst it is early in the 2012 ratings period, it is alarming that despite the introduction of Ten's new program schedule, the average ratings share in the first Seven weeks of the year is 25 per cent with new shows losing momentum each week," they said.</p> <p> In Being Lara Bingle, the fashion model is the latest celebrity to trade her private life for wider media exposure through a reality TV program. Widely recognised for her appearance in Tourism Australia’s 2006 campaign, So where the bloody hell are you?, as well as her relationships with high-profile sports stars, Lara Bingle’s notoriety soared after a nude photograph of the fashion model was leaked to Woman’s Day magazine.</p> <p> Lifestyle series The Living Room, hosted by Amanda Keller, Chris Brown, Barry Du Bois and Miguel Maestre, will combine studio banter and video segments.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="300" src="/image/The Living Room.jpg" width="450" /> The cast of The Living Room. </p> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:15:09 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Column-AIDCs-Joost-Den-Hartog-calls-on-the-documentary-sector-to-work-together/HECVGAIRKJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Column-AIDCs-Joost-Den-Hartog-calls-on-the-documentary-sector-to-work-together/HECVGAIRKJ.html Joost Den Hartog <p> In 2006 – the year I migrated to Australia – Film Australia made its submission to the federal government’s film funding review. That year my ignorance prevailed when I was occupied programming my first Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) as its new director.</p> <p> Encouraged by industry anger about the terms of trade, role and direction of Film Australia, I programmed a keynote address that criticised the six-decade-old institution and put some more fuel on the already burning fire. The keynote by Wall to Wall’s chief executive Alex Graham was meant to alter the terms of engagement, but it set the tone for a further attack on Film Australia as a whole. Unfortunately the industry mobilisation happened at a time the federal government was keen to cut some costs and a golden opportunity arose to axe Film Australia with seemingly the full blessing of stakeholders in the documentary community.</p> <p> Had I paid more attention to Film Australia’s submission, I would have realised the deep cultural importance of the institution as the people’s production house. I believe cost-cutting was the true reason behind the demise of the agency – there is no other logical explanation why a small industry would liquidate such a national public asset. Unfortunately Film Australia only made it to the age of 61. Something Australia has always understood very well is the importance of documenting its history. The national documentary history exists parallel with federated Australia’s narrative of nation building, starting with the first multi-camera documentary The Inauguration of the Commonwealth in 1901, and onwards to the present day.</p> <p> For more than 100 years a collection of works has been created that embodies a moving account of the history of this nation. The commissioning of these works has been a public matter for decades. When Film Australia came to an end, so did this tradition. The financing sources are still the same though. Documentary today is still predominantly a taxpayer-funded affair.</p> <p> The distribution of the funds might have changed, but we – the people – are still paying for the works. So who is looking after the taxpayers’ interests at the moment? Who is in charge of commissioning the new additions to our collective moving picture account?</p> <p> <img align="left" alt="Joost Den Hartog" border="2" height="300" hspace="2" src="/image/Joost Den Hartog.jpg" vspace="2" width="450" /></p> <p> The volatile nature of the multichannel broadcast environment has drastically changed the character of public television. The purpose of television programs is to attract as many viewers as possible at first broadcast. It is as transient as that. The channel programmer’s interest lies not in creating and maintaining an audiovisual account of Australia’s progress for future reference and safe keeping, so why do we expect them to take on this responsibility? It isn’t a fair call and they hardly seem to be the best fit for the job. We can merely hope that as a fringe benefit we end up with some nice pieces for the archives.</p> <p> Without Film Australia, the public has lost the ability to properly document its history. As an industry we have to take responsibility for the public, but also for our own good. The fact that no member of the public, no member of parliament, not even a teacher or historian, stood up and protested against the closure of Film Australia means that documentary makers, as public service artists, have lost their connection with the society they serve.</p> <p> Often originating from video collectives-then-turned individualistic entrepreneurs, documentary filmmakers’ social engagement has been institutionalised and industrialised. The only time we stand shoulder-to-shoulder is when we are outraged about some draft guidelines and funding proposals. The government agencies stand with their backs to the people they are serving, the general public, and conduct industry consultation after industry consultation discussing policy detail in terms that are hardly comprehensible.</p> <p> Both filmmakers and agencies should focus their energy on consulting the public. We managed to rob them of their valuable public asset, their production house, without them even noticing it, and even if they might have noticed, they did not give a shit. How can we expect to get more funding and distribution outlets if we aren’t able to convince the audience of the importance of our work? We have to embrace and support the advocates that bring our works to audiences. Passionate people like Sydney Film Festival program director Jenny Neighbour or Antidote’s Gil Scrine. We need to engage the public and build the notion of documentary as a vital part of our cultural fabric. We need to force the National Film and Sound Archive to unlock the Film Australia collection and share it with the people. We need to stop being so obsessed about guidelines and policy and join forces to build the documentary brand.</p> <p> There are far less purposeful products that have managed to occupy a notion of necessity in people’s lives, so it is not impossible. In a marketing-driven democracy, public approval and loyalty is essential. Currently we are debating what the definition of a documentary should be – a discussion sparked by questions about eligibility of certain programs for certain funding sources.</p> <p> In true Australian documentary industry fashion, we are falling over each other trying to figure out and argue about what the effects of the eventual flavour of the definition would mean for our individual professional practice. Considering we have already robbed Australians of their production house, maybe we should avoid the risk of robbing them of documentary all together and leave the task of defining up to them.</p> <p> At least it would be a great exercise in public engagement.</p> <p> The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) is being held this week in Adelaide, from today (February 27) until Thursday. For more information go to <a href="http://www.aidc.com.au" target="_blank">www.aidc.com.au</a>. </p> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:46:08 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Katrina-Sedgwick-appointed-ABC-TVs-head-of-arts/FCLTIUNZYO.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Katrina-Sedgwick-appointed-ABC-TVs-head-of-arts/FCLTIUNZYO.html Brendan Swift <p> Inaugural Adelaide Film Festival director Katrina Sedgwick has been appointed ABC TV's new head of arts.</p> <p> The role was previously held by <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/12/08/article/Amanda-Duthie-to-lead-BigPond-Adelaide-Film-Festival/LMLEWMQAUM.html" target="_blank">Amanda Duthie</a> (as ABC head of arts and entertainment), who resigned last December to accept the role as Adelaide Film Festival director.</p> <p> Sedgwick, who led the biennial festival since its inception in 2002, will take up her new position at the ABC in Sydney on April 11.</p> <p> ABC TV director Kim Dalton said the new stand-alone role would provide stronger focus on the ABC's arts programming. “As a result of <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/08/03/article/STWSDJIQVS.html" target="_blank">changes to our arts production</a> and line up last year, we have increased the resources committed to primetime arts programming to be commissioned from the independent production sector,” he said in a statement.</p> <p> "At this time of change, Katrina will bring a wealth of expertise from her extensive and impressive background across the arts as a practitioner, producer and festival director. She has a track record in creating, commissioning and curating arts programming and events as well as building significant partnerships with art organisations."</p> <p> Last September, <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/09/05/article/XYSYEKBSDJ.html" target="_blank">Sedgwick resigned</a> from her Adelaide Film Festival role to pursue other opportunities. "The newly created role of head of arts offers me the exciting opportunity to extend the curatorial and management skills I have developed at the AFF and particularly its film and television investment program,” she said in a statement.</p> <p> Sedgwick has played a key role in the Adelaide Film Festival's investment fund, which has supported almost 50 projects including feature films Samson & Delilah, Look Both Ways, Ten Canoes and Snowtown, and documentaries Forbidden Lies and Mrs Carey’s Concert.</p> <p> Many of those films also had strong support from the ABC, including Samson & Delilah, which was the first feature film to receive significant <a href="http://if.com.au/2010/03/24/article/NXOBQRGRAW.html" target="_blank">financial support</a> (via a pre sale) from the ABC in over a decade. After taking $3.1 million at the local box office last year, it debuted on ABC TV three days ahead of its DVD release.</p> <p> Sedgwick also conceived the AFF’s The Hive Laboratory which brought together artists and filmmakers to cross-pollinate their ideas and creative processes. The Hive Investment Fund, supported by ABC TV and the Australia Council, will result in three projects by leading arts practitioners moving into the world of film and television.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:50:42 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Cordell-Jigsaw-and-Zapruders-Other-Films-merge-Cordell-Jigsaw-Zapruder-is-born/KAXLONNJJU.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/27/article/Cordell-Jigsaw-and-Zapruders-Other-Films-merge-Cordell-Jigsaw-Zapruder-is-born/KAXLONNJJU.html Sam Dallas <p> Two prestigious Australian independent production companies have joined forces.</p> <p> Sydney companies Cordell Jigsaw – established by Michael Cordell and Nick Murray – and Zapruder’s Other Films – led by Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby and Peter Thompson – have formed Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ).</p> <p> The combined company, touted as the biggest privately-owned production company in Australia, currently has 10 shows in the works for ABC, Nine, Ten, SBS and Foxtel. Such series include quiz show Randling (ABC), telemovie The Great Mint Swindle (Nine), Mega Truckers (Foxtel) and Country Town Rescue (ABC). The first show goes to air this Wednesday morning on ABC3 – You're Skitting Me – which was previously known as LOL. The children's sketch show is a first for Australia.</p> <p> Established in 2005, Cordell Jigsaw has been responsible for such productions as Bondi Rescue, Hardliners, Recruits, O’Loughlin and the popular Go Back To Where You Came From. The latter – SBS’ highest-rated show of 2011 – saw Cordell and Murray win Documentary Producers of the Year at last year’s <a href="http://if.com.au/1970/01/01/article/SPAA-Independent-Producer-Awards-and-Screen-Music-Awards-winners-announced/NWGXWSLMUY.html" target="_blank">SPAA Independent Producer Awards</a>. Series two is currently in production.</p> <p> Murray said the Cordell/Zapruder tag-team represented a big step for the company. “The combined teams have great complementary skills. We’re all looking forward to mixing the creative talent from each company. The ultimate goal is to have some fun while delivering the best quality ideas to networks and audiences.”</p> <p> Zapruder’s Other Films is known for producing such shows as CNNNN, Enough Rope,ŒHungry Beast, AFP, Can of Worms, The Joy of Sets and The Gruen Transfer. The Gruen Transfer, hosted by comic Wil Anderson, recently won the <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/01/article/Snowtown-and-The-Slap-clean-up-at-inaugural-AACTA-Awards/JBYWAHWHZY.html" target="_blank">AACTA</a> Best Light Entertainment Program. The company also co-produced its first scripted feature with Distracted Media: low-budget flick The Tunnel.</p> <p> In a statement, Denton said: “We have long seen ourselves, separately, as local corner shops up against multinational supermarket chains importing overseas formats by the container-load. Combined, we will have greater strength to continue championing lovingly-made, original, Australian television. We remain the fresh food-for-thought people... only bigger”.</p> <p> Cordell added: “We’ve spent years trying to poach their staff and they’ve spent years trying to poach ours. The only sensible thing is to jump in to bed together and see how good the sex is”.</p> <p> The CJZ libraries and formats will be managed internationally by Cordell Jigsaw Distribution. Œ</p> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:54:58 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/24/article/Jai-Courtney-cast-in-Bruce-Willis-fifth-Die-Hard-film-A-Good-Day-To-Die-Hard/PYPCIIXILI.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/24/article/Jai-Courtney-cast-in-Bruce-Willis-fifth-Die-Hard-film-A-Good-Day-To-Die-Hard/PYPCIIXILI.html Sam Dallas <p> Australian actor Jai Courtney – best known for playing Varro in US series Spartacus: Blood and Sand – will star alongside Hollywood action star Bruce Willis in the fifth Die Hard movie.</p> <p> Courtney, a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, will play Willis’ character John McClane’s son, Jack, in A Good Day To Die Hard.</p> <p> Directed by John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines), the action flick lands permanently-besieged cop John McClane in Moscow, where he is reunited with his estranged son.</p> <p> Courtney’s casting was announced by his talent agency, Mark Morrisey & Associates (MMA), which has represented the actor since 2008. The global search for Jack McClane lasted for several months and in the end was reportedly down to both Courtney and fellow Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth, who is also backed by MMA (along with his brother Chris).</p> <p> “The team at Mark Morrissey & Associates extends a warm congratulations to Jai,” Mark Morrissey said. “Our team at MMA is thrilled because 20th Century Fox held an exhaustive search for this role before offering Jai the part.”</p> <p> Courtney’s other credits include popular Seven family drama <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/09/article/Sevens-Packed-To-The-Rafters-is-back-for-season-five/OZWPLUIFJV.html" target="_blank">Packed To The Rafters</a> and All Saints. He has also finished shooting a new film alongside Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall – One Shot – which is currently in Post Production and set for a February, 2013 release.</p> <p> A Good Day To Die Hard goes into production in April and is also set for a February, 2013 release.</p> <p> Die Hard films at the Australian box office </p> <p> <img alt="" height="109" src="/image/diehard.JPG" width="660" /> Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="448" src="/image/jaicourtney-web.jpg" width="311" /> Jai Courtney</p> Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:33:26 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/24/article/ICAA-appoints-new-chief-executive-AFACTs-Adrianne-Pecotic/BAEYMQYPPU.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/24/article/ICAA-appoints-new-chief-executive-AFACTs-Adrianne-Pecotic/BAEYMQYPPU.html Sam Dallas <p> Adrianne Pecotic has been announced as the Independent Cinemas Association of Australia’s new chief executive.</p> <p> The former executive director of the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) – which she founded – will step into the role on March 1.</p> <p> Pecotic will take the position, following the <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/11/03/article/AXBQSMJXEU.html" target="_blank">passing</a> of previous incumbent Mark Sarfaty.</p> <p> “The ICAA Board is delighted to have found someone of Adrianne’s calibre to take ICAA to the next level of its development as a full service and professional industry body”, ICAA president Kieren Dell said in a statement.</p> <p> “We received an extraordinarily high quality of applications, which is a measure of the esteem ICAA is held in, due in large part to the exceptional work of our founding CEO – the late Mark Sarfaty.”</p> <p> Pecotic, a former law graduate, was at the helm of AFACT for six years between 2004 and 2010. Afterwards she formed her own consultancy company, The Content Business. Previously she was the executive director of Grundy Television Australasia (as well as the general manager) and had a six-year stint at the Screen Producers Association of Australia (Television Division Councillor).</p> <p> She said she was looking forward to working with independent cinema owners and ensuring that the important sector continued to thrive.</p> <p> “ICAA has built solid foundations and is well placed to develop wider services and benefits to its members. We will work to ensure that independent cinema businesses and their customers embrace and enjoy the opportunities of the digital era.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="448" src="/image/AdriannePecotic-web.jpg" width="297" /> Adrianne Pecotic </p> Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:05:01 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/24/article/Melbourne-actor-Ben-Esler-From-The-Pacific-to-AMCs-Hell-On-Wheels/JMADBXSBKI.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/24/article/Melbourne-actor-Ben-Esler-From-The-Pacific-to-AMCs-Hell-On-Wheels/JMADBXSBKI.html Sam Dallas <p> Note to overseas Irish pub bartenders: you may have been fooled by Australian actor Ben Esler.</p> <p> “We would go to the Irish pub and try it out and either it worked or they were very polite – nobody said anything,” Esler says of his Irish impression.</p> <p> That thick Irish impression has been one of his keys to success in Tinseltown, utilising it on new AMC production, Hell On Wheels.</p> <p> Other actors on the series including Phil Burke, Colm Meaney and Dominique McElligott helped the 29-year-old Melbourne actor get the accent down for his character, Sean McGinnes – who’s “a little budding Al Capone”.</p> <p> “Sean is a guy who’s come from poverty and he’s desperate to make it in America but he’s a little bit ruthless and he can be a bit scary and dangerous sometimes,” Esler says of the young Irishman looking to make his fortune in the west.</p> <p> Set in 1865, the western/period drama, developed by Endemol USA and produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and Nomadic Pictures, tells the epic story of the construction of America's Transcontinental Railroad in the aftermath of the Civil War.</p> <p> Esler, who now lives in Los Angeles, auditioned for the series in mid-2010 and was one of the last actors cast, along with Burke and Eddie Spears.</p> <p> “The script came through to my email and it said ‘Hell On Wheels’ so I assumed it was about a biker gang or something and then I read it and loved it. It was kind of the rare instance of doing an audition and feeling like it immediately clicked.”</p> <p> Series one, consisting of 10 episodes, was shot in Calgary, Alberta, Canada between May and September last year (the pilot was shot between August and September, 2010).</p> <p> The humble actor says he soon clicked with the cast. “Nobody knew anyone ‘cause we’re all living in this new city; I think everyone bonded very quickly – the way you would on a school camp or something like that, so by the end of the first week we’re all best friends.”</p> <p> The premiere went on to net an audience of 4.4 million, which was AMC’s second highest debut in history (following The Walking Dead). The series, which averaged three million viewers per episode, has received generally favourable reviews.</p> <p> Following the reception, a second series was greenlit late last year. Esler, who had flown home to Melbourne for Christmas, heard the good news on Christmas Eve. “It was either going to be a very anxious Christmas or a happy Christmas ‘cause I had been waiting for a little while,” he says.</p> <p> Esler returns to the US next week and will audition for other productions before going back to Canada for 4-5 months to shoot the second season in late-April. It remains unclear how many episodes will be in series two but Esler believes it will be between 10 and 13.</p> <p> Australian audiences would be most familiar with Esler on 10-part miniseries The Pacific, which essentially took the actor to Hollywood. He played Charles “Chuck” Tatum – a World War II veteran whose one of five books was used as source material for the miniseries.</p> <p> “I’ve spent a lot of time with him in California because thankfully he’s still with us. I went over there and met him and met his familyˆit was huge to get to meet someone who you’re actually playing, and we're good friends now,” Esler says.</p> <p> When he heard The Pacific – which won eight Emmy Awards – was going to film in Australia, he knew he needed to be part of it. “It was tough – (there were) a lot of roles for young actors but a lot of young actors were auditioning so I campaigned for it,” he indicates.</p> <p> “I shot a tape ‘cause I couldn’t even get in the door. I shot a tape and really went all out and had period props and costumes and stuff from a World War II collection a friend had and I then sent them the DVD and basically called them incessantly and fortunately they were really nice about it and eventually were able to watch the tape and I went in there and got a gig.</p> <p> “So that was a huge opportunity – it definitely changed my career in a big way.”</p> <p> Esler had previously been seen in Logie Award-winning telemovie Curtin (he played the son of William McInnes and Noni Hazelhurst) and appeared in two episodes of popular cop series Blue Heelers. Before then he had developed his skills in a number of theatre productions including the Melbourne University Law Revue. He also co-wrote and directed short film Gravediggers and growing up was inspired from such films as Back To The Future, Indiana Jones and Ghostbusters.</p> <p> Any advice for young Australian actors?</p> <p> “Make your own opportunities – I think a lot of it ultimately comes down to luck but if you can work really hard on having relationships and being in the right place at the right time, then you will find that luck comes your way a lot more often than it otherwise would,” Esler says.</p> <p> “And just go for it really. If you’re a young kid and you’re an actor for example and you want to be an actor, you just need to know and believe that there is no reason why it couldn’t be you working.</p> <p> "Every actor who works has started off from a position of not having a gig and really, really wanting one so just if you persevere and work hard and do all the things that you have to like meeting agents and taking care of the housekeeping then it might work out.</p> <p> “Acting – whether you’re doing it in a coffee shop or you’re doing it in a movie – it’s just a really rewarding thing to do and don’t lose sight of that and remember why you started doing it in the first place.”</p> <p> Hell On Wheels premieres on the <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/10/10/article/FOXTEL-to-launch-FX-channel-in-Australia/HENPMRZUHP.html" target="_blank">newly-launched</a> FX Channel this Sunday night at 10pm AEDT. New episodes will then screen every Monday at 9.30pm from February 27. </p> Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:02:47 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/23/article/James-Hardie-asbestos-series-Devils-Dust-casts-Don-Hany-and-Anthony-Hayes/BRWDPUBNTJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/23/article/James-Hardie-asbestos-series-Devils-Dust-casts-Don-Hany-and-Anthony-Hayes/BRWDPUBNTJ.html Brendan Swift <p> Don Hany, Anthony Hayes and Ewen Leslie have been cast in an ABC TV series which follows the James Hardie asbestos scandal: Devil’s Dust.</p> <p> The two-part mini-series, written by Kris Mrksa, is being produced by FremantleMedia Australia (FMA) and is based on the book Killer Company by ABC journalist Matt Peacock. Production begins on March 19 in Sydney.</p> <p> Don Hany (Offspring, East West 101) plays Adam Bourke, who becomes aware that James Hardie is selling a product that causes the death of thousands of people. Anthony Hayes (The Slap, Changi) plays courageous James Hardie worker Bernie Banton, who battled for compensation for asbetos victims, while Ewen Leslie (Sleeping Beauty, Three Blind Mice) plays ABC journalist Matt Peacock.</p> <p> ABC TV head of fiction Carole Sklan said: “This is a powerful, inspiring drama which has attracted an outstanding cast and creative team. ABC TV is proud to present the human story at the heart of this on-going national tragedy.”</p> <p> FremantleMedia Australia and Asia Pacific chief executive Ian Hogg said: “Devil’s Dust is a powerful story of greed, subterfuge and perseverance. It’s a story that will resonate ever so strongly with all Australians. Our creative director, Jason Stephens/Bravado (Productions) has been instrumental in bringing the project to the small screen."</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:15:02 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/23/article/Australia-is-the-largest-overseas-market-for-the-BBC-iPlayer/UIEDSZURBB.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/23/article/Australia-is-the-largest-overseas-market-for-the-BBC-iPlayer/UIEDSZURBB.html Emily Freestone <p> Australia is the largest overseas market for the global BBC iPlayer and accounts for one-fifth of the digital player's global revenue, according to the BBC Worldwide.</p> <p> The general manager for BBC Worldwide’s global BBC iPlayer, Matthew Littleford, told an audience at the Australian Broadcasting Summit that conversions to the paid iPlayer service are higher here than anywhere else in the world.</p> <p> "It clearly shows how a VOD service can quickly optimize itself to different territories by simply listening to its viewers," he said. "Editorial decisions are already being made on a whole range of completely measurable new insight gained directly from existing viewer interaction and localised for each territory."</p> <p> Littleford revealed that 13 per cent of consumers accessed the app on multiple devices and 7 per cent solely used iPhones and iPods to view content. On average, Australian subscribers to the iPlayer watched 4.2 shows a week.</p> <p> The BBC iPlayer was launched in Australia in September 2011 available on iPad, iPod and iPhone and now spans across 16 markets in Western Europe, Canada and Australia.</p> <p> The report also showed that Australians preferred to view content outside of the home, downloading content to store and view later, and that the peak times to watch programs were around 9pm and 7am (for children’s content). Daytime viewing was higher on weekends.</p> <p> Littleford also said that mainstream programs are attracting new viewers but the BBC's archived programs are keeping them there.</p> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:17:18 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/22/article/Mooz-Lum-starring-Danny-Glover-portraying-Muslims-in-a-positive-light/BINBEYBDQU.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/22/article/Mooz-Lum-starring-Danny-Glover-portraying-Muslims-in-a-positive-light/BINBEYBDQU.html Sam Dallas <p> Qasim Basir grew up in a world filled with prejudice. A world where Muslims were victimised and negatively portrayed. The tragic events on September 11, 2001 didn’t exactly help matters either.</p> <p> “All I ever see in the media or all I have ever seen in the media was this negative portrayal of Muslims in America and around the world,” Basir says to IF during a visit to Australia late last year.</p> <p> “I’ve been around Muslims my whole life – and I’ve never seen the version the media puts out there. It’s not to say that all Muslim people are great because that’s not the case – there are people out there doing some horrible things but it’s a very, very small minority.</p> <p> “And so I just wanted to put a story out there that showed a more human version of the people – show something more accurate.”</p> <p> To tackle such a subject, firstly the Muslim filmmaker completed a short film, <a href="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/1734/Glimpse" target="_blank">Glimpse</a>, which went on to win the 2007 Link TV One Nation Contest Best Drama category – but importantly it went on to gain the attention of Hollywood actor Danny Glover. Glover was a judge on the short film competition and was instantly attracted to the director’s vision.</p> <p> Glover’s production company, Louverture Films, is dedicated to help develop or produce such films – projects of “historical relevance, social purpose, commercial value and artistic integrity”.</p> <p> Although the company didn’t produce or finance Basir’s follow-up – feature film Mooz-Lum which is based on Glimpse – Glover offered his acting skills, seen in such Hollywood flicks as the Lethal Weapon franchise and more recently, Saw. In Mooz-Lum he plays a school college dean.</p> <p> “We had one long conversation about his character – and he instantly knew what to do. I learned a lot on the set,” Michigan-born, New York City-based, Basir says.</p> <p> “It was interesting on that shoot because we had everyone from Danny Glover, who’s done probably over 100 movies, to people who were on their first movie.”</p> <p> Basir started writing the partly-autobiographical screenplay in early-2007, indicating it was hard to “reach back and deal with certain things” from his past.</p> <p> The film itself – shot on the Red One in Michigan for 25 days at the end of 2009 – follows youngster Tariq Mahdi who is pulled between his strict Muslim upbringing by his father and the normal social life he’s never had.</p> <p> He enters college in a state of confusion. New relationships with Muslims and non-Muslims alike challenge his already shaken ideals, and the estrangement with his mother and sister troubles him. Slowly, he begins to find himself with the help of new friends, family and mentors, but when the attacks of 9/11 happen without warning, he is forced to face his past and make the biggest decisions of his life.</p> <p> “It’s not something that the studios are used to; it’s not something that is the most favourable in the eyes of the industry,” Basir states.</p> <p> The film’s lead – Evan Ross – is Diana Ross’ son. Nia Long, Roger Guenveur Smith and Summer Bishil also make up some of the cast.</p> <p> In Australia, the 99-minute film was shown at a packed special Hoyts screening late last year by Rising Pictures in Sydney’s west.Œ Rising Pictures has just received the classification certificate and the DVD is expected to be released in March.</p> <p> The film’s director is currently touring the US, doing Q+A screenings at various schools. The heartwarming, yet confrontational drama missed out last weekend on netting the Outstanding Independent Motion Picture award at the NAACP Image Awards, losing to Pariah, which made its world premiere at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.</p> <p> Basir is currently working on a new feature film entitled Destined, which he plans on shooting in April. He describes it as a mix between Sliding Doors (starring Gwyneth Paltrow) and Boyz n The Hood.</p> <p> To view Mooz-Lum’s Facebook page click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Moozlumthemovie?sk=info" target="_blank">here</a> and for its Australian Facebook page, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/moozlummovie" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="448" src="/image/moozlumpremiere.jpg" width="299" /> Qasim Basir at the Australian premiere of Mooz-Lum</p> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:07:03 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/22/article/IFrankenstein-starring-Aaron-Eckhart-and-Bill-Nighy-set-to-roll/NCRSHSEAYA.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/22/article/IFrankenstein-starring-Aaron-Eckhart-and-Bill-Nighy-set-to-roll/NCRSHSEAYA.html Brendan Swift <p> Local horror film I, Frankenstein is set to begin its 10-week shoot in Victoria next week.</p> <p> The story, based on a graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux which picks up where Mary Shelley's classic novel finishes, follows Dr. Frankenstein's creature (Aaron Eckhart) into a present day, gothic metropolis, where he is drawn into a power struggle between two immortal clans.</p> <p> The film, which stars Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Bill Nighy (Underworld), Miranda Otto (South Solitary), Yvonne Strahovski (Killer Elite) and Socratis Otto (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), will begin production on February 27.</p> <p> I, Frankenstein writer/director Stuart Beattie said in a statement: "Mary Shelley's story is about the creation of the first human being. I, Frankenstein is the story about that being becoming human."</p> <p> The film is being produced by US-based Lakeshore Entertainment and Australia's Hopscotch Features. The film is expected to be released in late-2012.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:46:43 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/22/article/Murder-most-fashionable-ABCs-Miss-Fishers-Murder-Mysteries/HYTJJLBZTO.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/22/article/Murder-most-fashionable-ABCs-Miss-Fishers-Murder-Mysteries/HYTJJLBZTO.html Inside Film Correspondent <p> Traditionally, the murder mystery genre has been dominated by UK programs. Shows likeŒPoirot and Midsomer Murders have been consistently popular with Australian audiences.</p> <p> Every Cloud Productions’ new series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries will bring a local take on the genre to the ABC’s lineup.</p> <p> “We do true crime a lot, but that sort of slightly heightened world of murder mystery – the British do that, we don’t touch it,” says producer Fiona Eagger.</p> <p> The 13-part series, based on the novels by solicitor Kerry Greenwood, follows the adventures of the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher – an amateur detective in 1920s Melbourne played by Essie Davis.</p> <p> “There’s nothing at all like it on Australian television and there’s nothing like this on international television,” says Davis over the phone. “It’s got the murder mystery element, but it’s also got a kooky sense of humour and a crazy recklessness about it.”</p> <p> Originally titled The Phryne Fisher Murder Mystery Series, the name was changed on the advice of international distributor All3Media. The company wanted ‘murder’ in the title, and to avoid having to tell broadcasters how to pronounce the eponymous character’s name. (For the record, it’s ‘Fry-knee’.)</p> <p> Davis is full of praise for the show, and the character of Phryne in particular, citing her as an actress’s dream role.</p> <p> "It’s been the most fantastic thing, to have such a strong, sexy, clever, brilliant, flawed, beautiful woman to play. They’re few and far between," she says. "Phryne isn't Miss Marple and she isn't Murder, She Wrote. She's a cross between Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie style, James Bond and Wonder Woman."</p> <p> The Honourable Miss Fisher is certainly an intimidating character. Immaculately dressed and multilingual, she is a gifted dancer, a skilled lover, pilot, knife thrower and cat burglar.</p> <p> Davis began taking lessons in tangoing and driving (she had an automatic license, but Phryne’s luxury hispano-suiza is a manual) two weeks prior to shooting. Once production began, tutoring in Russian, Mandarin and the foxtrot were squeezed in between filming and costume fittings.</p> <p> “It was exhausting but the team was such a great team of people and the character is so loving of life and witty, that playing someone like that energises you,” Davis says.</p> <p> Eagger and fellow producer Deb Cox were first drawn to Greenwood’s novels out of curiosity over their fan base. Their friends were reading the books, their mothers’ friends enjoyed them and even Cox’s teenage daughter was a fan.</p> <p> “We were a bit curious to know what it was about it that could appeal to a 16-year-old and a 70-year-old,” says Eagger. “Phryne is one of the first feminists. She chooses to live alone, she chooses not to get married. She’s got many lovers. She’s a bit of a James Bond action hero – she’s much better dressed than James Bond though.”</p> <p> Davis comes alive when asked about the show’s wardrobe. Over the course of the series, Phryne dons around 150 costumes, courtesy of costume designer Marion Boyce.</p> <p> “Every couple of episodes something new would turn up and I would just go ‘Oh my God’,” she says. “I had the most incredible knee-high lace-up crocodile boots that I wore crossing a field, flying an airplane and to make love with an old lover of mine.”</p> <p> The series had a budget of $1 million per episode. Eagger admits it was tough.</p> <p> “I wanted every cent on screen,” she says. “I wanted the steam train, I wanted the plane, I wanted the ocean liner and the Hispano-Suiza. It stretched everyone, it really made people bleed.”</p> <p> But that’s not to say that Eagger wouldn’t do it all over again.</p> <p> “The ABC have asked us to start developing a second series,” she says. “We hope people will enjoy it, we want to make some more!”</p> <p> Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries will premiere this Friday, February 24, at 8:30pm on ABC1.</p> <p> Œ</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="353" src="/image/phryne in nightclub ep 3.jpg" width="500" /> Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) in a scene from episode three</p> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:27:34 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/21/article/Kath-and-Kim-film-Kath--Kimderella-hitting-cinemas-this-September/THPSHUPYEZ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/21/article/Kath-and-Kim-film-Kath--Kimderella-hitting-cinemas-this-September/THPSHUPYEZ.html Sam Dallas <p> Jane Turner and Gina Riley are bringing their two most famous and lovable characters to the big screen.</p> <p> The feature film version of noughties comedy Kath and Kim will be released on September 6, according to distributor Roadshow. Previously known as The Kath and Kim Filum, the comedy has a new title: Kath and Kimderella, which matches its revealed storyline.</p> <p> Penned by Turner and Riley, the highly-secretive film follows the Fountain Lakes foxy ladies who turn more than just heads when they go on an overseas trip and end up being the centre of their very own fairytale.</p> <p> The Ted Emery-directed flick was shot in Melbourne and Positano, Italy last year and was produced by Turner, Riley and Rick McKenna.</p> <p> Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn and Magda Szubanski all return, while additional cast and guest stars will be announced closer to the release.</p> <p> The Logie and AFI Award-winning TV series – which ran on both ABC and Channel Seven between 2002 and 2007 – was a huge hit in Australia and was eventually made into a US series which famously bombed. The show followed mother Kath (Turner) and daughter (Riley) and their dysfunctional relationship. The characters first appeared on sketch comedy series Fast Forward.</p> <p> The pair is also gearing up for a new <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/09/23/article/DRQSYLVVHF.html" target="_blank">Channel Seven project</a>, but details remain sketchy. Œ</p> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:03:50 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/21/article/Sunday-starring-Camille-Keenan-and-Dustin-Clare-begins-NZ-shoot/QVHQJLOGGM.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/21/article/Sunday-starring-Camille-Keenan-and-Dustin-Clare-begins-NZ-shoot/QVHQJLOGGM.html Danii Logue <p> A relationship-focused drama set in earthquake-ravaged Christchurch has started filming in New Zealand.</p> <p> The Australian-New Zealand co-production Sunday will be shot entirely on location in many of the city’s undamaged areas. One year ago a magnitude 6.3 earthquake devastated Christchurch, killing 185 people.</p> <p> "While the film’s backdrop is a broken Christchurch city, there is a strong theme of hope and rebuilding,” co-writer, producer and director Michelle Joy said. “We want to shoot many of Christchurch’s undamaged areas, and attractions, and aim to showcase Christchurch as a city with unique potential. We all feel strongly about creating something special for Christchurch.”</p> <p> Also representing New Zealand is Lloyd’s partner – Ryan Alexander Lloyd (Beginning, Middle & End) – who will not only share directing and producing duties but will also act as the director of photography.</p> <p> The film stars Camille Keenan (Packed to the Rafters) and Silver Logie nominee Dustin Clare (Spartacus) as an expectant couple who are no longer together but have one day to try and find their way forward. </p> <p> Clare and Keenan wrote the script with Lloyd. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="300" src="/image/image001(1).jpg" width="450" /> Camille Keenan and Dustin Clare.</p> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:33:51 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/21/article/ABC-Childrens-TV-restructures-commissioning-division/TJWSSZKUGU.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/21/article/ABC-Childrens-TV-restructures-commissioning-division/TJWSSZKUGU.html Amanda Diaz <p> ABC's Children's TV department is in the midst of a restructure, following the resignation of head of commissioning and development Carla de Jong.</p> <p> Commissioning will now be separated into two areas: live action and animation.</p> <p> Current vice president of programming and development at the UK's HIT Entertainment Chris Rose will take up the position of head of animation in May.</p> <p> Rose has previously worked in acquisitions for BBC's Children and CBeebies. He has also served as exective producer on a number of animated series aimed at pre-schoolers, including HIT Entertainment's Mike the Knight, which he developed.</p> <p> Commissioning and development editor Simon Hopkinson will oversee the live action children's TV department after three years commissioning drama and animation for ABC's children's channels under the direction of de Jong.</p> <p> Both Rose and Hopkinson will report to ABC Children's controller Tim Brooke-Hunt.</p> <p> De Jong will depart the ABC at the end of March and relocate to Toronto, where she will act a consultant for the development, financing and co-production of children's content.</p> <p> </p> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:58:39 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Any-Questions-For-Ben-slips-50-per-cent-in-second-weekend/LZUUOXFOWB.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Any-Questions-For-Ben-slips-50-per-cent-in-second-weekend/LZUUOXFOWB.html Sam Dallas <p> Rob Sitch comedy Any Questions For Ben? has slipped 50 per cent in its second weekend at the box office.</p> <p> Working Dog’s latest project – following the incredibly popular past hits The Castle and The Dish – grossed a disappointing $302,421 from 235 screens over the weekend, earning it a screen average of just $1287. <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/13/article/Any-Questions-For-Ben-posts-modest-opening-while-Shame-nets-170K/AQAYIAEXBB.html" target="_blank">Last weekend</a> it opened with $608,731.</p> <p> Distributor Roadshow kept Any Questions for Ben? on 235 screens – the same as opening weekend – however, the film failed to generate positive word-of-mouth while negative reviews also did not help its cause.</p> <p> The film, also starring Rachael Taylor and Daniel Henshall, follows Ben (Lawson) who suffers a quarter-life crisis after being asked to speak at his school’s career night. Sitch directed the comedy and co-wrote along with Tom Gleisner (The Hollowmen, Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures) and Santo Cilauro (Frontline, Thank God You’re Here).</p> <p> Stephan Elliott’s comedy A Few Best Men also suffered a 64 per cent drop over the weekend, grossing $195,547 from 195 screens after opening on Australia Day (January 26). The Icon-distributed flick has now passed the $5 million mark at the local box office.</p> <p> Paramount/Transmission-distributed film Shame, a controversial tale by Hunger’s Steve McQueen, grossed another $111,202 across 30 screens. The UK film is produced by Sydney’s Emile Sherman, who netted an Oscar for The King’s Speech.</p> <p> In other box office news, The Vow continued its strong run at the top of the local box office, adding another $1.98 million from its 217 screens for Sony Pictures. The romantic drama, which also opened at number one in the US, features Australia’s Sam Neill.</p> <p> This Means War’s $1.96 million saw it open at number two over the weekend for distributor Fox. The romantic comedy/action film, starring Reece Witherspoon, is helmed by McG (Terminator Salvation).</p> <p> Action film Safe House (Universal, $1.5 million, 234 screens), Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (3D) (Fox, $790,673, 179 screens) and Liam Neeson’s latest action flick The Grey (Icon, $785,722, 150 screens) rounded off the top five for the weekend.</p> <p> The latter is about an oil drilling team who’s hunted by a pack of wolves after a plane crash has left them stranded. It did better than expected at the US box office when it opened at number one late last month, grossing almost $US20 million. It was Open Road Films’ second ever release after Killer Elite (see below).</p> <p> My Week With Marilyn and One For The Money both opened at number seven and eight for Roadshow, grossing $499,683 (70 screens) and $455,202 (147 screens) respectively.</p> <p> Australian film 6 Plots, distributed by Rialto Entertainment, opens this week. Starring IF Award winner <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/11/01/article/IF-Out-of-the-Box-voting-still-open---last-years-winner-Ryan-Corr-talks/QUHADENSYS.html" target="_blank">Ryan Corr</a> with Emily Wheaten, Andrew Clarke and PJ Lane, the psychological thriller sees seven high school friends partying one night when the next morning one member of the group is told that her friends have been buried alive and it’s up to her to find them.</p> <p> Australian action film Killer Elite, starring Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham, also makes its way Down Under on Thursday. The $80 million flick, which was financed by Omnilab Media, had a disappointing run in the US through distributor Open Road Films after it opened last September. It grossed $US25 million domestically and so far, worldwide, has taken almost $US53 million.</p> <p> Other films opening this week include Contraband (Universal), Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Warner Bros), Gone (eOne), Late Bloomers (Palace), Tyrannosaur (Madman) and Jodi Breakers (Mind Blowing Films).</p> <p> Australian films at the box office 2012 </p> <p> <img alt="" height="230" src="/image/boxofficefeb20.JPG" width="622" /></p> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:05:07 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Blinder-begins-production-casts-Josh-Helman/QVGAQHWUVG.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Blinder-begins-production-casts-Josh-Helman/QVGAQHWUVG.html Aleksandra Popovic <p> AFL feature film Blinder kicks off its 10-week shoot today in Torquay, Victoria, before moving to Boston, Massachusetts.</p> <p> The upcoming film has also cast Josh Helman (Animal Kingdom, The Pacific), who will appear alongside Oliver Ackland (The Slap, Cloudstreet), Rose McIver (The Lovely Bones), Steve Bisley (Red Hill), Anna Hutchison (Wild Boys), Zoe Carides (Death In Brunswick), Bob Morley (Road Train) and Angus Sampson (Insidious).</p> <p> Helman will star as James Mortimer, a great centre half-forward for the Torquay Tigers, in the $5 million Blinder, which is being marketed as a sports drama brimming with romance and sports action in the vein of Friday Night Lights and Bend It Like Beckham.</p> <p> The story centres on 18-year-old Tom (Ackland) from Torquay who, having fled Australia on the back of a football scandal that ended his career before it started, returns home to clear his name and reignite an old flame. While celebrating the life of his recently-departed coach, he begins to see the past with new eyes - but revelations regarding the shameful aftermath of his team’s grand final once again threaten to turn Tom’s life upside down.</p> <p> Writer/director Richard Gray (Summer Coda, Mine Games) is directing the screenplay, which he co-wrote with Scott Didier and Michele Gray.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="253" src="/image/Josh Helman.jpg" width="450" /> Josh Helman in The Pacific. </p> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:13:29 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Julian-and-BINO-win-at-the-Berlin-International-Film-Festival/ZNSZZKDKJJ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Julian-and-BINO-win-at-the-Berlin-International-Film-Festival/ZNSZZKDKJJ.html Fay Al-Janabi <p> Two Australian short films have been presented with awards at the Berlin International Film Festival this year.</p> <p> Julian, written and directed by Matthew Moore, received the prestigious Crystal Bear Award in the Best Short Film category, while BINO was awarded The Special Prize of the Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk for Best Short Film. Screening in the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus section, for children and youth, the festival marked the world premiere of both shorts.</p> <p> Julian, a thirteen-minute comedy, explores a day in the life of a nine-year-old schoolboy in the early 1980s. The film was complimented by the Berlinale jury, which praised the talent of child actor Ed Oxenbould for his portrayal of the outspoken Julian, and described the short as “a sophisticated film which accompanies a misunderstood boy on his way to popularity with wit and lightness of touch”.</p> <p> It is the third consecutive year in which an Australian film has received the Crystal Bear Award in the Best Short Film category. In 2011 Lily by Kasimir Burgess won and in 2010 Franswa Sharl by Hannah Hilliard received the award.</p> <p> Billie Pleffer’s BINO was the second Australian short film to receive an award at the Berlinale. The ten-minute short follows an albino boy’s realisation of an essential truth following a bizarre chance encounter with an Irish wolfhound.</p> <p> Created as a Victorian College of the Arts postgraduate film, BINO was written, directed and edited by Pleffer.</p> <p> The Berlinale jury commended the film's compositions and its minimal use of dialogue, describing the short as “an extremely cinematic portrait of otherworldly boysˆ Tense, imaginative, and full of risk”.</p> <p> BINO, which was shot around outer Melbourne, also received a Special Mention from the Generation Kplus Children’s Jury at the festival. The filmmakers of both Julian and BINO received support from Screen Australia to attend and market their films at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.</p> <p> The full list of winners at the festival can be found <a href="http://www.berlinale.de/media/pdf_word/pm_1/62_berlinale/62_Berlinale_Awards.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="300" src="/image/Julian Ed Oxenbould.jpg" width="450" /> Ed Oxenbould in Julian. </p> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:32:47 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Julia-Overton-set-to-receive-the-2012-AIDC-Stanley-Hawes-Award/VFMQQFUOCC.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Julia-Overton-set-to-receive-the-2012-AIDC-Stanley-Hawes-Award/VFMQQFUOCC.html Brendan Swift <p> Filmmaker Julia Overton will receive the 2012 AIDC Stanley Hawes Award at this month's Australian International Documentary Conference in Adelaide.</p> <p> The AIDC said Overton's long tenure at government funding agencies was characterised by humanity rather than bureaucracy, and she never viewed guidelines as rules.</p> <p> "She will go to great lengths to assist individual filmmakers and promote the documentary genre as a whole, and has opened more doors for documentaries, both in Australia and to the rest of the world, then anyone in the business," the AIDC said in a statement.</p> <p> The co-chair of the AIDC board, Mitzi Goldman, said Overton was a "powerhouse" and her "imprint on Australian documentary has been immeasurable".</p> <p> Overton has worked for the Australian Film Commission, the Film Finance Corporation, and Screen Australia, and has also produced feature films (Cut, Spider and Rose, Fistful of Flies, Until the End of the World, Travelling North), TV dramas (Aftershocks, The Long Ride, Tudawali) and the multi-award winning documentary, Black Man’s Houses. Overton also previously worked on documentary programs for CBC Canada and drama for London Weekend Television, UK.</p> <p> Following the AIDC Award Ceremony on February 27, Overton will deliver the Stanley Hawes Address. The award was established in 1997 to honour Stanley Gilbert Hawes (the first producer-in-chief of the Australian National Film Board and Commonwealth Film Unit) to recognise independent documentary filmmakers who have made an outstanding contribution to the Australian industry.</p> <p> Past winners include David Bradbury (2008), Bob Connolly (2009), Tom Zubrycki (2010) and Rachel Perkins (2011).</p> <p> The <a href="http://aidc.com.au/" target="_blank">AIDC</a> will be held in Adelaide betwen February 27-March 1.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:56:30 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Alethea-Jones-wins-Tropfest-with-Lemonade-Stand/SZGVXFPIJF.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Alethea-Jones-wins-Tropfest-with-Lemonade-Stand/SZGVXFPIJF.html Aleksandra Popovic <p> Alethea Jones won Tropfest’s 20th birthday competition last night, where heavy rain and intermittent lightning failed to dampen the spirits at the country’s biggest short film festival.</p> <p> Jones' film Lemonade Stand was awarded first prize by a judging panel of Oscar Winners – Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and acclaimed actresses Toni Collette and Asher Keddie.</p> <p> Tropfest founder and director, John Polson said: “Lemonade Stand is an incredibly well made film and a favourite amongst the judges. There was intense discussion in the judging room, and some really interesting debates. Alethea should be very proud to have been selected by some of the industry’s greatest talent.”</p> <p> The winning film, a comedy about a man and his grandfather whose efforts to sell lemonade bring a clash with an officious neighbour, has changed everything for Jones, who revealed she had signed up to the dole only two weeks ago and was now ready to take the next step in her filmmaking career.</p> <p> Tropfest’s overall winner will take home a $10,000 prize from Kennedy Miller Mitchell, a money-can’t-buy trip to LA to meet with film industry executives, agents and managers and a brand new Nikon D800 and lens prize pack.</p> <p> Jones has previously won last year's IF award for Best Short Film with When the Wind Changes, as well as the Audience Choice award and Best Comedy at Flickerfest and St Kilda Festival.</p> <p> The runner-up at Tropfest 2012 went to actor Rupert Reid for his film Boo! – the story of an elderly couple who take a joke one step too far with deadly consequences. Boo! also took out Best Male Actor for Don Reid’s great performance, as well as the Telstra Crowd Pleaser Award.</p> <p> The third prize went to Photo Booth by Michael Noonan, with the story of three soldiers who find a photo booth in a war torn landscape that reveals their shocking fate.</p> <p> The night, which was studded with filmmaker and actor royalty with the likes of Baz Luhrmann and Tobey Maguire taking a break from The Great Gatsby, also revealed Tropfest 2011 runner up, Jason Van Gendern, as the winner of Tropfest’s mobile category.</p> <p> While the adults enjoyed a successful night, 15-year old filmmakers Max Barden and Tim Sheehan celebrated their Trop Jr win at the world’s largest short film festival, for kids by kids – with their short Let’s Make a Movie.</p> <p> Tropfest also revealed the 2013 Tropfest Signature Item: "Balloon", and announced two more global expansions for Tropfest: Tropfest New Zealand and Tropfest Vegas to join the other Tropfest events around the world in London, Berlin, Toronto, Bangkok, New York and Abu Dhabi.</p> <p> A copy of the 20th anniversary DVD of the Tropfest finalist’s films will be available in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday February 25.</p> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:41:02 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Channel-Nines-The-Voice-featuring-Delta-Goodrem-goes-into-production/TOCSHVSNWQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/20/article/Channel-Nines-The-Voice-featuring-Delta-Goodrem-goes-into-production/TOCSHVSNWQ.html Sam Dallas <p> Channel Nine is bringing the US version of smash hit series The Voice across the Pacific in its attempt to win back the viewing public.</p> <p> The local version of The Voice – the ratings juggernaut in the US that had more than 37 million viewers for its series two premiere earlier this month – went into production yesterday at Fox Studios, Sydney.</p> <p> The format began in the Netherlands (known as The Voice of Holland) although the Australian version will be modelled on the US series with three stages of competition: the blind auditions, the battle phase and the live performance shows revealing the best local undiscovered artists.</p> <p> “The mix of talent and unique format will, we truly believe, be a captivating experience for our viewers,” Nine’s director of television, Michael Healy, said in a statement. “To secure such world-class coaches has been a coup for this show and the network.”</p> <p> Those coaches are Grammy-Award winner Seal, country music star Keith Urban, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden and Australian ARIA/Logie-award winner Delta Goodrem. Goodrem recently leant to her voice to local animated film Santa’s Apprentice, which grossed $422,423 at last year’s box office.</p> <p> The series, which will screen on Nine in the coming months, is a co-production between SHINE Australia and TALPA.</p> <p> SHINE’s director of entertainment, Julie Ward, said that the format was essentially “magnetic”. “It has attracted the highest quality of professionals to be our coaches and they are genuinely passionate about giving something back to a new generation of talent.</p> <p> “We have amazing singers who see this as more than a reality TV show. This isn’t a format for wannabes and shower singers. The majority of our artists are pursuing music as a career path. Great singers with great songs, every show will be a concert.”</p> <p> This week the four coaches will hear Australia’s musical talent perform in a bid to secure a spot on one of the star teams. Once the teams are set, the battle is on. Coaches will develop the artists, becoming their mentors and sharing their secrets to success. During the battle rounds, two team members will go one-on-one by singing a duet for the studio audience.</p> <p> The vocal talent discovery show is shown in more than 50 countries worldwide.</p> <p> After reportedly set for a late-2011 debut, Nine <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/11/24/article/UNZHTRXHSZ.html" target="_blank">announced</a> last November that the show would be one of their frontrunners in 2012. The others include a Big Brother “reboot”, a new Underbelly series, and new family show Tricky Business which would go head-to-head with Seven’s <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/02/09/article/Sevens-Packed-To-The-Rafters-is-back-for-season-five/OZWPLUIFJV.html" target="_blank">Packed To The Rafters</a>.</p> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:17:07 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/The-Sapphires-starring-Chris-ODowd-and-Jessica-Mauboy-sold-to-Canada-France/ZGKNDXSMKU.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/The-Sapphires-starring-Chris-ODowd-and-Jessica-Mauboy-sold-to-Canada-France/ZGKNDXSMKU.html Brendan Swift <p> Goalpost Film (UK) has sold Australian feature musical The Sapphires to France, Israel and Canada.</p> <p> The deals, completed at the European Film Market in Berlin, follow previous sales to Portugal (where it will be distributed by Lusomundo) and Cinesky for airlines. The film will be distributed in France by Diaphana, in Israel by Lev Films and in Canada by eOne.</p> <p> The Sapphires stars Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell as the all-girl singing group. Set in the heady days of 1968, the film is inspired by a true story about the singers, who hailed from a remote Australian Aboriginal mission before being discovered by an unlikely talent scout (played by The IT Crowd actor <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/08/15/article/YRRHIGUJEX.html" target="_blank">Chris O’Dowd</a>).</p> <p> Sales are being handled by Tristan Whalley from Goalpost Film (UK), a company related to Goalpost Pictures Australia, which produced the film. </p> <p> eOne’s Hopscotch will release the film in Australia later this year.</p> <p> Contact this reporter atŒ<a href="mailto:bswift@if.com.au" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">bswift@if.com.au</a>Œor on Twitter atŒ<a href="http://twitter.com/bcswift" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/17px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(232,0,0); word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" target="_blank">@bcswift</a>.</p> Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:13:18 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/Any-Questions-for-Ben-Just-one-why-have-audiences-stayed-away/EBAKSFVIKZ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/Any-Questions-for-Ben-Just-one-why-have-audiences-stayed-away/EBAKSFVIKZ.html Amanda Diaz <p> On this week's episode of popular game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, host Shaun Micallef asked actor Josh Lawson how his latest film Any Questions for Ben? was performing.</p> <p> "Tremendously well," said Lawson, who was dressed as Romeo as part of the episode's Shakespearean theme. "Yeah, no, it's doing very well."</p> <p> "I should explain," said Micallef quickly to the viewers at home. "We did pre-record this at a point before the film had opened. Can we do the alternative just in case?"</p> <p> "Of course," Lawson agreed.</p> <p> "Josh, how is the film doing?"</p> <p> "People hate it," said Lawson promptly. "And they seem to specifically hate me in it."</p> <p> The reality seems to lie somewhere in between these two extremes for the latest comedy from Working Dog. Audiences aren't united in their hatred of Any Questions for Ben?, but then again, not many of them have seen it.</p> <p> The film grossed just $917,516 across 235 screens in its first week of release. The romantic comedy's distributor Roadshow is understood to have spent close to $2 million on the P&A, but it seems audience are yet to be convinced, despite flocking to Working Dog's previous films, The Castle and The Dish.</p> <p> "They've created something that nobody is quite going to expect," Lawson told IF in January, before the film's release. "I didn't think it looked or felt like an Australian film, it felt so big, so epic. I just didn't know where it was going - one moment I was laughing, the next minute I was really moved."</p> <p> Any Questions for Ben? stars Lawson as the eponymous Ben, a successful, if materialistic twentysomething who realises his lifestyle may not be all it's cracked up to be after speaking at a careers night where not a single student asks him a question.</p> <p> The filmmakers' interest in the subject matter developed after spending time socialising with young comedians during the filming of improvisation-based series Thank God You're Here.</p> <p> "We had plenty of ways to portray the perfect modern urban life but we hadn't come up with a way to derail it," says director and co-writer Rob Sitch. "Then one of us mentioned school. The 10 year mark. We tossed around those nights when you're invited back and fully expect it to be triumphant and then someone said, 'Any questions for Ben...any at all...come on.' We hadn't even worked out what the night was but we were laughing."</p> <p> The film features a solid cast, including Rachael Taylor (Red Dog, Transformers), Daniel Henshall (Snowtown) and popular comedian Felicity Ward.</p> <p> Both of Working Dog’s previous films have been box office successes and instant classics. The Castle earned $10.3 million in cinemas and The Dish grossed almost $18 million.</p> <p> “Any film by anyone comes with so much pressure and effort that it dwarfs any other thoughts you might have,” says Sitch. “I’m just happy to make a film that doesn’t start with The.”</p> <p> As a romantic comedy, the film is not only different from The Castle and The Dish, but also from many other local stories.</p> <p> “In a weird way, it’s a lot harder to make a romantic comedy in Australia than it is, say, to make a raw crime drama,” says Lawson. “So often filmmakers love to make films about the down and out. I’m really proud of being in something that captures a side of Australia that is rarely captured on screen.”</p> <p> Although acknowledging that Any Questions for Ben? is unlike the production company’s other offerings, Lawson believes the three films have one important thing in common. “The characters are so funny, but only because we know them,” he says. “We all have someone like [The Castle’s] Dale Kerrigan in our lives. That’s what Working Dog is so good at: reminding you that you’ve got these people in your life and so therefore, maybe, this movie is about you.”</p> <p> Any Questions for Ben? is in cinemas now.</p> <p> Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:44:28 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/American-Pie-Reunion-cast-and-filmmakers-to-head-to-Australia-for-premiere/ACECCUOCVQ.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/American-Pie-Reunion-cast-and-filmmakers-to-head-to-Australia-for-premiere/ACECCUOCVQ.html Sam Dallas <p> Cast your mind back to the late-‘90s and you’ll remember a film that pushed the boundaries of what you can and can’t do on film.</p> <p> The teen comedy about four Michigan boys on a quest to lose their virginity was a massive success, grossing $US235 million worldwide on just a $US11 million budget.</p> <p> It spawned two direct sequels and four straight-to-DVD spinoffs. Now, for the first time since 2003, the team is back together again. It’s the return of American Pie.</p> <p> The new film, titled American Pie: Reunion, will bring back such actors as Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Chris Klein. Co-writers and co-directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who both went on to do Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle and Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, will also return to the controversial franchise.</p> <p> Fans awaiting the highly-anticipated film will get to see those filmmakers and actors in the flesh, when they fly Down Under early next month for the flick's Australian premiere.</p> <p> The promising comedy, set for an official release on April 5, will see the characters return to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn’t, and that time and distance can’t break the bonds of friendship. In the years that have passed, Jim and Michelle married while Kevin and Vicky said goodbye. Oz and Heather grew apart, but Finch still longs for Stifler’s mum.</p> <p> Alyson Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas and Shannon Elizabeth – among many others – will also return for the Universal-distributed film.</p> <p> The Australian premiere will be held on March 7 at Hoyts Melbourne Central. The team will also be in Sydney a day earlier to promote the latest film. To see a trailer, click <a href="http://if.com.au/2011/10/14/article/YWULNGKYOF.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For more information, visit the official <a href="http://www.americanpiereunion.com.au" target="_blank">website</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" height="448" src="/image/AmericanPieCast.JPG" width="299" /> American Pie: Reunion - the team is back.</p> Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:38:32 +1100 http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/Lano-and-Woodleys-Frank-Woodley-is-back-on-ABC/SVELXXYJEX.html http://if.com.au/2012/02/17/article/Lano-and-Woodleys-Frank-Woodley-is-back-on-ABC/SVELXXYJEX.html Sam Dallas <p> The ABC is getting physical and there’s one man for the job: popular Aussie comedian Frank Woodley.</p> <p> One half of the lovable duo Lano and Woodley, Frank is back with a new, entirely-physical show, simply titled Woodley.</p> <p> Drawing on childhood loves such as The Goodies and Get Smart – not to mention comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton – Frank is taking a unique approach for 2012: all jokes are visual. There’s very little dialogue.</p> <p> "It's something that I’ve had this sort of weird obsession with for my entire performing career really," the Melbourne comedian explains of his love for physical humour.</p> <p> “A lot of these ideas would’ve been things that maybe Lano and Woodley would’ve moved towards as well – so in some ways it’s something I’ve been thinking about for five years and in some ways it’s stuff I’ve been working on for 25 years."</p> <p> Unfortunately his comedy partner for two-decades – Colin Lane – won’t be on the show, but it promises to be a series that fans of the duo would enjoy.</p> <p> Touted as “virtuosic physical mayhem”, the eight-part series follows Frank who is a devoted, accident-prone father of seven-year-old Ollie (Alexandra Cashmere). He tries to win back the heart of ex-wife Em (Justine Clarke), however this sours after she meets a new man (Tom Long): he’s reliable and focused – everything Woodley wasn’t when they were together.</p> <p> The refreshingly-original show reunites the comedian with the public broadcaster after mid-to-late-‘90s cult show The Adventures of Lano and Woodley, which ran for two seasons. Woodley says the duo almost got a feature film up during their two-decade partnership.</p> <p> “We wrote about five feature scripts and got really close to getting them up; we got really close to getting one of them up and then it just fell over at the 11th hour,” he says.</p> <p> The pair parted ways in 2006 after 20 years of touring together. “We loved doing Lano and Woodley so much – it was part of our lives for 20 years, we just loved it,” Woodley says, indicating they’re both still friends and would do something again down the track.</p> <p> “The whole thing was such a precious thing to us – but we thought we’d quit while we were ahead.”</p> <p> After the team called ‘cut’, Woodley began developing ideas for this new series. He says the show was challenging to write because of the two restrictions he placed upon himself (not to mention the restrictive egg suit in the first episode): 1) all the jokes were to be visual and 2) could possibly happen in the real world.</p> <p> Directed by <a href="http://if.com.au/2012/01/20/article/This-Christmas-from-the-team-behind-Review-With-Myles-Barlow-heading-to-ABC/HNZAYVLZAQ.html" target="_blank">Trent O’Donnell</a>, the comedy series is produced by Woodley, Andy Walker and UK-based Simon Wright.</p> <p> “The thing that I loved about the script was that it had so much heart – the family story in there is really quite beautiful,” adds Walker, who was instantly hooked after casting his eyes on the inventive scripts.</p> <p> “It was the most sensationally-compelling read and incredibly exciting but it was reading a script like you had never read before – there was little-to-no dialogue in there.”</p> <p> The series was shot by cinematographer Simon Chapman on the ARRI ALEXA (Zeiss Ultra Primes and an Angenieux 15-40mm zoom) and the RED (as a secondary camera), which were supplied by Inspiration Studios. It was filmed in Melbourne early-last year.</p> <p> "I feel really proud of it, regardless of how it goes. I just feel really wrapped as to how it's all worked out," Woodley says.</p> <p> For an in depth article on Frank and his new show, pick up a copy of IF Magazine’s February/March issue. Woodley is currently gearing up to perform his one-man show Bemusement Park around the country, including at The Adelaide Fringe and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival.</p> <p> Woodley can be seen on ABC1 from next Wednesday, February 22, at 8pm.</p> <p> Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:13:54 +1100