Opening on 250-plus screens on August 27, the day after its CinefestOZ premiere at Orana Cinemas in Busselton, Jeremy Sims' 'RAMS' will be the first Australian wide release since cinemas re-opened.
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.
Samuel Goldwyn Films continues to show a greater appetite for Australian films than any other North American distributor, with Jeremy Sims' 'RAMS' as the latest acquisition.
Roadshow Films CEO Joel Pearlman has touted the opening weekend result for 'RAMS', arguing it proves Australian audiences are enthusiastic to return to cinemas.
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'.
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'.
The experience of going to the movies remains "robust and durable" following a challenging year for the Australian box office, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (MPDAA).
Entertainment consultancy Nixco has appointed former Village Roadshow marketing and distribution manager Gabrielle Oldaker as director of marketing and integrated strategy.