Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason recognises the structural challenges facing independent films but does not subscribe to the view that this is a down year for Australian cinema.
Wayne Blair’s 'Top End Wedding' has edged past Shawn Seet’s 'Storm Boy' to rank as the highest grossing Australian film this year.
Exhibitors have renewed calls to address the challenges facing most Aussie films in the crowded theatrical market.
The box office results for the Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas this year underline yet again the deep polarisation in the indie film market between the higher earners and the also-rans.
The 18 Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas since the start of the year, plus holdovers, have racked up a modest $14.3 million.
It’s been a quiet start for the year for Australian films at the national box office, particularly compared to last year when Peter Rabbit and Sweet Country were drawing crowds.
Lorene Scafaria’s 'Hustlers' is a hit in the US but the crime caper starring Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart and Cardi B was never going to beat the second weekend of Todd Phillips’ blockbuster 'Joker' in Australia.
Is Todd Phillips’ 'Joker' an enthralling masterpiece or a disturbing and deeply derivative incitement to commit violence? The comic book inspired movie has polarised the critics but audiences in Australia and around the world have voted with their feet.