Screen Australia has announced $4 million worth of production investment for one film, two television series and three online projects. They include a film adaptation of book 'Penguin Bloom', starring Naomi Watts and produced by Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories; a second season of ABC series 'Mystery Road'; Nine's 'Seachange' reboot; and 'Roborovski', a VR project from Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Dev Patel.
In this wrap: Beth Hart joins ITV Studios Australia as head of content; ACMI appoints Paul Bowers as director of exhibitions & collections; Infinity Squared adds director Nicholas Reynolds to its roster.
AFTRS has announced the 14 participants in its expanded Graduate Program, which this year incorporates ABC, BBC Studios, Endemol Shine Australia, Eureka Productions, Fremantle, ITV Studios Australia, SBS, Sky News Australia, Warner Bros., and WildBear Entertainment.
Sydney-based actor, writer and comedian Jane Watt is the inaugural winner of the Equity Comedy Scholarship, allowing her to undertake The Second City's conservatory program.
Premiering at 8.30pm on July 1, 'Who Gets to Stay in Australia?' follows the lives of 13 migrants and their families who want to settle in Australia. They’ve come here for love, family, work or for safety. The road to permanent residency is long, complex and challenging. This series follows people whose applications have previously been rejected and are in their final appeal to stay in the country
SBS will bring more new voices to the forefront in its upcoming drama slate, which includes four short-form productions from its Digital Originals initiative, as well as the upcoming series 'Safe Home', from producer Imogen Banks.
Eighteen years since 'SeaChange' ended its 39-episodes run on the ABC, Sigrid Thornton and John Howard will be back on screen in 2019 in a new version of the show created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox.
ITV Studios Australia MD David Mott is encouraged to see the Aussie networks are still looking to commission shows despite the slump in advertising revenues.