By Adam Coleman
The total box office for local 2009 releases is fast approaching the $9 million mark, with strong performances this week from Icon-distributed Disgrace – the film based on the 2003 Nobel Prize winning novel by author J.M. Coetzee – and the Camera D’Or winning Samson and Delilah.
Disgrace topped the box office taking $144,679 in its sixth week to pass the $1 million mark while Samson and Delilah – collaboratively distributed by Footprint Films, Transmission Films and Paramount Pictures Australia – took home $93,813 and remains well on top of local releases in 2009.
Footprint Films, Transmission Films and Paramount Pictures Australia also distribute Lucky Country, which performed marginally worse than its opening week taking home $10,095.
The Glendyn Ivin-directed Last Ride showed it still has plenty of mileage for its distributor Madman, taking $58,601 in its fourth week while Madman’s other vehicle Wake in Fright took $36,570 in its fifth week.
The total box office for local 2009 releases has now reached $8,819,899.
| Film | Budget | Distributor | Opening w/e | WIR | Box Office |
| Samson and Delilah | $1.6m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 199,163 | 12 | $ 2,832,701 |
| Mary and Max | $8m | Icon | $ 217,176 | 16 | $ 1,444,617 |
| My Year Without Sex | $3.8m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 177,461 | 9 | $ 1,004,191 |
| Love the Beast | Madman | $ 241,982 | 9 | $ 777,351 | |
| The Combination | $1.169m | AFS | $ 188,054 | 11 | $ 727,586 |
| Disgrace | $10m | Icon | $ 209,014 | 6 | $ 1,041,271 |
| Two Fists, One Heart | $8.5m | BVI | $ 96,999 | 2 | $ 295,500 |
| Last Ride | $4m | Madman | $ 76,459 | 5 | $ 298,973 |
| Wake in Fright | Madman | $ 25,446 | 5 | $ 298,973 | |
| Beautiful | $2m | Kojo/Jump Street | $ 22,406 | 6 | $ 55,619 |
| Closed for Winter | $2m | Omnilab Media | $ 19,449 | 6 | $ 48,197 |
| Shadows of the Past | $ 820,000 | Summer Night | $ 13,927 | 11 | $ 45,490 |
| Bastardy | $260,000 | Film Camp | $ 7,822 | 5 | $ 34,322 |
| The Chifleys of Busby St | Ronin | $ 3,760 | 1 | $ 13,123 | |
| Crush | $2m | Filmscope/Odin’s Eye | $ 8,304 | 1 | $ 13,051 |
| Lucky Country | Est, $2m | Para/Trans/Footprint | $ 11,413 | 2 | $ 23,136 |
| The Burning Season | Gil Scrine/Freshwater | $ | 3 | $ 7,065 | |
| Salvation | Hopscotch | $ 2,262 | 1 | $ 3,182 | |
| Prey | $4m | Damage Releasing | $ 1,089 | 1 | $ 1,089 |
| Total | $ 8,871,901 |
Source: IF magazine and MPDAA.