The titles that will contend for Best Feature Film Production, Best Drama Series Production, and Telemovie or Mini-Series Production of the Year at next year's Screen Producers Australia Awards have been revealed, with voting now open for the penultimate round of finalists.
The launches last weekend of Gregor Jordan's 'Dirt Music' and Alister Grierson's 'Bloody Hell' underlined the challenges facing independent films in a theatrical market that is severely weakened by the Victorian shutdown, limits on seating capacity and the absence of Hollywood tentpoles.
Jacki Weaver is starring alongside Naomi Watts and Andrew Lincoln in 'Penguin Bloom', the adaptation of Bradley Trevor Greive and Cameron Bloom’s novel directed by Glendyn Ivin.
Queer Christmas rom-com 'Happiest Season' helped to breathe some needed new life into the Aussie box office over the weekend, though most exhibitors continue to eagerly hang out for end-of-year releases 'Wonder Woman 1984' and 'The Dry'.
Roadshow Films CEO Joel Pearlman has touted the opening weekend result for 'RAMS', arguing it proves Australian audiences are enthusiastic to return to cinemas.
Unjoo Moon's 'I Am Woman' will premiere on Stan as a Stan Orginal on August 28 - the latest in a growing list of Australian films to bypass cinemas as the pandemic continues to depress the theatrical market.
This year's Gold Coast Film Festival will be bookended by two Aussie features, opening with Unjoo Moon's Helen Reddy biopic 'I Am Woman,' and closing with the locally shot comedic thriller 'Bloody Hell', directed by Alister Grierson.
Amid a dearth of new major releases, exhibitors are pleased with the staying power of Roadshow Films' 'RAMS', which held onto the top spot at the box office over its second weekend, as well as Rialto’s 'Honest Thief' and R & R Films’ 'Never Too Late'.