By Simon de Bruyn
Mary and Max took a further $108,500 over its fourth weekend, while Closed for Winter looks set to close this week.
The total gross for Mary and Max now stands at $1,006,280. Last year, only three Australian films crossed the $1 million threshold: The Black Balloon, Children of the Silk Road (a UK co-production) and Australia.
Mary and Max producer Melanie Coombs said the film has expanded to 67 screens and has started playing regional areas, and stayed relatively steady on the charts despite new openers each week.
“People are really embracing the film which is fantastic. We’ve done well and don’t think we’re done yet," she said. "We opened at number 13 and have stayed between nine and 15 the whole time we’ve been in release, each day, so we’re holding the top of the indie pops in a way."
Mary and Max was made for $8 million, and distributed by Icon, with a relatively modest P&A spend. Coombs and director Adam Elliot accompanied the film on an extensive screening tour across the nation, in a targeted strategy that is increasingly being used by Australian filmmakers in partnership with distributors.
Other Australian films such as The Combination and Love the Beast are still adding to their takings, with the latter taking a further $4,000 in its eighth weekend. Closed for Winter added a further $9,000 to end its second weekend with $39,000.
Meanwhile, Samson and Delilah took $20,000 from preview screenings across some states and territories, ahead of its limited release across 13 screens on Thursday.