Press release from TM Publicity
The NSW Government today welcomed a high level delegation of Chinese film industry representatives to Sydney for the World Premiere at the Sydney Film Festival of 33 Postcards. The film is the first official co-production between Australia and China to film in Sydney.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, the Hon. Marie Ficarra, welcomed the President of Zhejiang Hengdian Film Production Co Ltd, Mr Liu Zhijiang, one of China’s most senior entertainment industry figures, who is leading the delegation that includes Mr He Yue Hua, Director, Film Division of Zhejiang Hengdian Film Production Co Ltd, Mr Chua Chye Seng, Principal Investor, IFS Capital, Mr John Sim from SAPO Investment and Ms Zhu Lin, the lead actress in the film.
“33 Postcards is only the second official co-production between Australia and China to be filmed in Australia and we hope it the first of many to be made in New South Wales,” Ms Ficarra said.
“Film co-productions between NSW and China offer tremendous opportunities to strengthen ties between our communities, both culturally and economically”.
Zhejiang Hengdian Film Productions is the major Chinese investor in 33 Postcards, in which the NSW Government’s screen agency, Screen NSW, is also an investor. The Hengdian Group’s Film and Entertainment business was established in 1996 and is now the biggest filming base in the world, and one of the fastest growing entertainment groups in China.
Tania Chambers, Chief Executive of Screen NSW, said that 33 Postcards, directed by Pauline Chan, filmed over four weeks in Sydney last year with one week of filming in China at the Hengdian Chinese Film Industrial Park, Zhejiang. All post-production was undertaken in NSW.
“It’s a great coup for the Sydney Film Festival to host the world premiere of 33 Postcards and also fitting that the film’s international premiere will be next week at the Shanghai International Film Festival”, Ms Chambers said.
“Director Pauline Chan, and her team of producers from Australia and China, are to be congratulated for this important development for our screen industries.”
In 2010/11, Screen NSW has invested $9.6 million across 48 film, television and cross-platform productions. The expenditure in NSW across these projects will total $143 million, which is a direct injection into the NSW economy. This means that for every $1 invested by the NSW Government, $15 in direct production expenditure is generated for the State.
Also in Sydney for the World Premiere of 33 Postcards are director Pauline Chan, the Australian stars of the film Claudia Karvan and Rhys Muldoon, Australian producers Lesley Stevens, Penny Carl-Nelson and writers Martin Edmond and Philip Dalkin.
33 Postcards tells the story of Chinese orphan, Mei Mei, who arrives in Australia to meet her Australian sponsor Dean Randall and his beautiful family. Instead she finds him behind bars for manslaughter. Mismatched and unloved, both are lost souls but over a roller coaster ride of three weeks each helps the other to grasp their chance at life.
For more details go to Screen NSW’s website www.screen.nsw.gov.au.