Screen NSW's feature film script workshop, Aurora, has selected five film projects for 2011.
The five selected scripts include projects by Oscar-nominated editor Veronika Jenet; the writer of Looking for Alibrandi, Melina Marchetta; television director Ray Quint; and Black Water producer Michael Robertson.
This year’s advisors include the local talent of writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana) and producer Jocelyn Moorhouse (Muriel’s Wedding) while US producer Anne Carey (The Savages) and British producer Olivia Stewart (Brassed Off) will join them.
The program, which began in 2002, has previously led to a number of films being produced including last year's award-winning Animal Kingdom, as well as Little Fish and Somersault.
“The NSW Government is proud of its commitment to developing the screen talent of this State with targeted funding and initiatives such as Aurora,” Screen NSW chief executive Tania Chamber said. One of the feature projects is from South Australia.
The five film projects selected for Aurora 2011 are:
• Dust
Writer: Patricia Cornelius; Director: Ray Quint; Producers: Veronika Jenet and Suzanne Brown
Synopsis: Danny Clarke’s best friend, Nile, is back in town. Having him around was a wild ride – the one thing worth living for in their vindictive, small-minded town. But after what Nile did, nothing can be the same. Now that everyone in town wants Nile to disappear, Danny will need to choose sides. But which side is worse? And when he’s pushed to the edge, what is Danny capable of? What are any of us capable of?”
• Dog Eat Dog
Writer/Director: Simon Portus; Producer: David Curzon
Synopsis: When Sam Pearson and his family moves to an isolated valley on Australia’s East Coast, their ideals are torn apart when a volatile local man becomes set on retribution. With the police providing little relief, Sam is forced to take the law into his own hands. This is the story of a man who only has 115 minutes to live. Only … he doesn’t know it yet.
• On The Jellicoe Road
Writer: Melina Marchetta; Director: Cathy Randall
Synopsis: Taylor is the reluctant heir to the Underground Community, one of the three battling school factions in the town of Jellicoe. For a generation the Boarders, Townies and Cadets have fought “the territory wars” a serious negotiation of land rife with surprise attacks, diplomatic immunities, and hand to hand combat. Only this year Taylor has a history with cadet leader, Jonah Griggs and the “enemy” may just have information Taylor needs to unlock the reason her mother abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.
• Falls Creek
Writer/Director: James Breen; Producers: Natalie Palomo and Michael Robertson
Synopsis: A high tension thriller that investigates paranoia’s crippling effect on us all. Exploding with entrapment and catch-22 dilemmas, its Cape Fear meets Insomnia topped with an ice cold “western style” shootout.
• One Hundred and Fifteen
Writer/Director: Steve Callen; Producer: Kristian Moliere
Synopsis: Holden Chase works in a video store and uses his job to meet tragically romantic women that hire RomComs. Typically Gen Y, Holden thinks that women that are attracted to that genre of films could possibly be shallow enough to date him. But one day he notices that parts of his life are missing and he becomes convinced that his life is being edited and played out like a movie. When Holden discovers that he is in his least desired genre of movies, the RomCom, he knows that he has to add some depth to his character to experience true love or risk his whole life being over in a very unsatisfying 115 minutes.
For more information go to the Screen NSW website here.