SPAAmart project Wake Up Dead, to be directed by Joel Kohn, and an adaptation of a stage play by former Sydneysider Jack Feldstein, are among the features being developed under Garry Charny’s new production company, Spotted Turquoise Films.
Charny has kept a low film profile since his former company, April Films, produced Ray Lawrence’s Jindabyne, which was in official selection at Cannes in 2006. He has been keen to re-enter the business, however, and has appointed VCA graduate and short film producer Josh Butt to work with him on development and packaging.
“I want to do films with heart," Charny told IF Magazine. "I will never make Snowtown or even Animal Kingdom, not because they are not good — or bad — but because they are just not what I want to make.” .
The film noir detective story Wake Up Dead was in Butt’s portfolio and had already sparked the interest of John Sloss and Bart Walker at Cinetic Media, who are acting as sales agents for North America and assisting with financing. Coincidentally, Cinetic were involved in Jindabyne.
The script was written by Ben Esler and Andrew Savva and actors Alex Russell (Chronicle, Bait 3D), who was recently cast in the US remake of horror film Carrie, Luke Ford and Maeve Dermody are attached. Further casting is being undertaken by Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels in the US and Marianne Jade in Australia, with the aim of going nto production early next year.
Charny and Butt, who have just returned from the US, are also working with Jack Feldstein, now based in New York, on Love and Sex Between Prime Numbers, a romantic comedy about an Australian mathematician who goes to New York and finds love. Charny directed a play of Feldstein’s 25 years ago.
A love story set in India is also being developed at Spotted Turquoise.
Charny owns racehorses and “his” jockeys wear turquoise with white spots, hence the name of the company. He also likes to compare the risks of filmmaking and horse racing.
He has spent the last couple of years establishing Boost Media, an international sales and advisory company in the television and newspaper space that operates in 12 countries and has offices in Australia, Malaysia, India and the US.
“I am still a major investor, deputy chair of the group and president of Boost Media North American, but am only focussed on board activities these days … You can’t be in film but stay on the sidelines. You’ve got to be passionate and committed.”