[Press Release by The Lantern Group]
Acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier and award-winning producer Meg LeFauve are in Sydney this week as international advisors for Screen Australia’s IndiVision.
Susanne Bier’s feature Den Eneste ene (The One and Only) was a critics’ favourite that acquired nearly a million admissions in Denmark alone, and boosted her reputation as a filmmaker. Two box office hits followed: the Dogma film Elsker dig for evigt (Open Hearts), which was selected for the San Sebastian, Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals, where it received Special Mention; and Brødre (Brothers), which was nominated for 11 European Film Academy Awards, and received an Audience Award at Sundance. Brothers is currently being remade starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Toby Maguire and Natalie Portman. Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding) was released to critical acclaim, and after screening at the Toronto and Rome Film Festivals was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Susanne’s most recent film, Things We Lost in the Fire starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro, has been released around the world, and like Bier’s other features has become a favourite with critics and audiences.
Meg LeFauve is an award-winning producer whose films have been nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, an IFP Spirit Award and a Peabody. She heads her own production company, 1-Eyed Dog Productions, working on studio and independent films – currently including a film based on the life of Leni Riefenstahl, to be directed by Anand Tucker. As an executive, Meg was President of Egg Pictures – Jodie Foster’s film company – where she worked on such films as Nell, Home for the Holidays, The Baby Dance, Waking the Dead and The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. She has attended the Sundance Labs as both a fellow in the Screenwriting Program and as a mentor in the Creative Producing Lab. Most recently Meg ran Film Independent’s (FIND) Screenwriting Lab in the US. She has also served as Co-chair and taught in the Graduate Producers’ Program at UCLA’s School of Film and Television.
Meg and Susanne will join local advisor producers Julie Ryan (Ten Canoes), Vincent Sheehan (Little Fish), actor Claudia Karvan (Love My Way), performance consultant Lindy Davies (Away From Her), concept artist Tam Morris (Buffalo Soldiers) and script advisors Joan Sauers and Scott Meek.
Confirmed as guest speakers at the Lab are Director of Zealot Helen Campbell, film marketing specialist Jonathan Chissick, director Serhat Caradee (Cedar Boys), producer Matthew Dagner (Cedar Boys), cinematographer Peter Holland and colourist Warren Lynch.
The 2008/09 IndiVision Project Lab starts in Sydney today. The Project Lab runs until Sunday 14 December 2008.