Press release from Limelight PR
The book publishing and film financing industries meet again at the fourth edition of an expanded 37ºSouth’s Books at MIFF (BaM), which fosters links between the publishing and production industries to encourage screen adaptations of books.
BaM takes place on 23 July during the Melbourne International Film Festival’s four-day film co-financing event MIFF 37ºSouth Market. BaM kicks-off with Screen Australia’s Strategy and Research Assistant Manager Matthew Hancock launching new research on the economics of adaptations in Australia. Conducted in collaboration with the Australian Film TV & Radio School (AFTRS), this research marks the first comprehensive study of the supply and demand of underlying source material for Australian films. It draws on never-before published box office and production budget data, as well as industry consultation and international comparisons.
A subsequent panel discusses the report and explores the state of adaptations in Australia with panellists including Random House’s Margaret Seale, Text’s Michael Heyward, Curtis Brown’s Pippa Masson, Stacey Testro International’s Stacey Testro, Screen Australia Head of Development Martha Coleman, producer Robyn Kershaw (Bran Nue Dae), and director, writer, producer, Screen Australia Board member and AFTRS consultant Robert Connolly (Balibo).
More than 70 Australia and NZ film producers and some 21 Australian publishing companies/literary agents are registered for BaM, including; Allen & Unwin, Hachette, Hardie Grant/Egmont, HarperCollins, Melbourne University Publishing, Penguin/Puffin, Random House and Scribe. With pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings between publishers and producers, and a public pitching session by BaM’s reading panellists the day-long program will be jammed packed with networking and new opportunities. Also returning is the BaM film rights catalogue, listing some 50 book titles which are available for screen adaptation. From this catalogue, the BaM reading panel, comprising screen producers Helen Leake, Marian Macgowan, Sue Masters, Sue Maslin and Sue Murray, Film Victoria script manager Charlie Carman and MIFF Chair/script editor Claire Dobbin, have selected nine titles from eight companies that will be pitched publicly.
The selected titles are; The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do (Allen & Unwin), The FamilyLaw (Black Inc), The Lakewoman by Alan Gould (Calidris), Worst of Days: Inside the Black Saturday Firestorm (Hachette/Curtis Brown), Ghost Child by Caroline Overington (Curtis Brown), The Truth About Emma by Gary Crew (Hachette), Offsider by Patrick Mangan (Melbourne University Publishing), The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett (Puffin) and The Byron Journals by Daniel Ducrou (Text). BaM acknowledges the special support this year of Screen Australia’s Development Department. BaM is a major event of MIFF 37ºSouth Market, which runs 22-25 July during the opening weekend of MIFF.
For more details on BaM and other MIFF 37ºSouth Market co-presented events, which include the State of Play film financing panels, the Melbourne Digital Summit and In Search of Stories Worth Telling: Robert Rosen Lecture Series, go to www.miff37degreesSouth.com
For more information on the Melbourne International Film Festival visit www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au