Press release from Gray Management Group
Two of Spirit Films’ very own have been recognised as emerging feature film directors, winning places in this year’s FilmLab initiative through the SAFC.
Christopher Houghton and Hugh Sullivan were among 22 applicants who pitched their feature film ideas, with Chris and Hugh each walking away with a grant for $350,000 to produce their projects.
Funded by the South Australian Government, FilmLab provides the opportunity for SA filmmakers to make the transition from short film into feature film, and is judged by a panel of world-class assessors including well-known film critic Margaret Pomeranz.
Of his success, Hugh said, “It’s an exciting step in my career as a writer/director, and one that I look forward to taking with close collaborators of many years.”
Hugh shares the limelight with fellow filmmakers Kate Croser, and Sandy Cameron, who make up one of four successful teams. Hugh will be writing and directing in consultation with industry professionals during the FilmLab sessions in November.
Christopher’s script entitled Touch is a genre flick, but he is staying tight-lipped about which one, “It will ruin the surprise!”
Working with Producer Vicki Sugars and a bunch of crew he’s “been wanting to work with for ages,” Christopher will be writing and directing the film which he hopes will be complete by the end of 2011.
For Christopher, it’s been a long time in the making and says, “This will be a departure from past work I’ve done that’s purely character-driven drama. I've a slate of projects I've been working up that are quite genre focussed, but that are also strong character works in their own right. TOUCH will be the first project in that slate to go into production so I’m excited.”
SAFC CEO Richard Harris said, “The panel was blown away by the level of talent in this state.”