Screen Australia has invested $2.4 million in two television projects: ABC sci-fi series Resistance and Nine telemovie Beaconsfield.
Resistance is a 26-part live action sci-fi children’s series for the ABC produced by Andrew Dillon and directed by Andrew Dillon and Geoff Bennett. The series is an Australian-Canadian co-production written by Naomi Janzen and Sarah Lambert and aims to combine action, thrills and cutting-edge special effects with the challenges of ordinary childhood life.
Beaconsfield is a three-hour telemovie produced by John Edwards for the Nine Network and is based on the true story of the Beaconsfield Mine disaster that occurred on Anzac Day, 2006. The adult-television drama will be directed by Glendyn Ivin and written by Judi McCrossin.
“Beaconsfield is a very well-written, tense and emotional version of the mine disaster and subsequent rescue of two men 15 days later which will be sure to attract a significant audience,” Screen Australia’s chief executive Ruth Harley said in a statement.
“Resistance is a mash-up of Alias meets Buffy meets Transformers meets Spooks and promises to be an entertaining children’s series which will be shot in Australia with a significant proportion of Australian cast and crew."
The national agency said the investment will trigger production worth over $17.5 million. The two projects complete Screen Australia’s television slate for the 2010-11 financial year with eight adult dramas, three low-budget dramas and four children’s series.
The total Screen Australia investment of $20.1 million has generated production budgets of $117.3 million, the agency said.
BEACONSFIELD
Southern Star Entertainment Pty Ltd
Producer: John Edwards
Writer: Judi McCrossin
Director: Glendyn Ivin
Broadcaster: Nine Network
International Sales: Endemol Worldwide
Synopsis: The true story of the 2006 Beaconsfield Mine collapse and the rescue of Todd Russell and Brant Webb.
RESISTANCE
That’s-A-Wrap Pty Ltd
Producer: Andrew Dillon
Writers: Naomi Janzen, Sarah Lambert
Directors: Andrew Dillon, Geoff Bennett
Executive Producers: Catherine Nebauer, Gary Kurtz
Broadcasters: ABC TV, YTV
International Sales: Shaftesbury Sales Company
Synopsis: The fate of humankind is in the hands of a small group of teenage resistance fighters. Armed with technology beyond the cutting edge and trained by a mysterious billionaire, they’re our last line of defence against alien invasion.