Jane Campion’s first TV series Top of the Lake and Australian-French co-production Two Mothers have been selected to screen at the Sundance Film Festival.
Both productions will screen as part of the Premieres program, which showcases a range of highly-anticipated dramatic world premieres.
The Top of the Lake series will be screened as a single six-hour film just once during the festival, marking the first time that Sundance has included a scripted long-form series. Top of the Lake follows a detective investigating the disappearance of a 12-year-old pregnant girl who is the daughter of a local drug lord and stars Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Holly Hunter (The Piano), Peter Mullan (War Horse) and David Wenham (Public Enemies).
In a Screen Australia statement anouncing the selections, executive producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning said: “It’s such a thrill to be showing Top of the Lake, See-Saw Films’ first foray into television. It is testament to the pioneering spirit of the Sundance Film Festival that they have invited us as well as a demonstration of the fact that there is no longer a divide between film and television. We are incredibly proud to have worked with the brilliant Jane Campion on Top of the Lake and look forward to sharing her vision with audiences in Utah.”
Top of the Lake will be shown in Australia on the BBC's UKTV channel in March 2013.
Two Mothers is an erotic tale of misguided love based on a Doris Lessing novel. The film stars Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Ben Mendelsohn, Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville.
Hopscotch Features co-founder Troy Lum (and executive producer of Two Mothers) said: “It’s an honour to be able to showcase our film amongst the cream of international talent in such a prestigious forum. We couldn’t be happier to have Sundance as the home of our world premiere.”
The Sundance Film Festival will take place January 17-27, 2013.
TOP OF THE LAKE
Synopsis: A 12-year-old girl walks out chest deep into the freezing waters of an alpine lake. The girl is Tui Mitcham, daughter of the local drug lord, Matt Mitcham. She is discovered to be five months pregnant and won’t say who the father is. Then she disappears.
Production Company: See-Saw Films Pty Ltd
Producer: Philippa Campbell
Executive Producers: Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jane Campion
Writers: Jane Campion, Gerard Lee
Directors: Jane Campion, Garth Davis
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Peter Mullan, David Wenham, Holly Hunter
Broadcasters: BBC Two (UK), UKTV (Australia/New Zealand) and Sundance Channel (US)
Sales and Distribution: BBC Worldwide
TWO MOTHERS
Synopsis: Nobel Prize for Literature winner Doris Lessing’s beautiful and heart-wrenching story of two lifelong friends who fall in love with each other’s teenage sons. Two Mothers is an erotic tale of misguided love and a celebration of the enduring nature of female friendship.
Production Companies: Hopscotch Features, Ciné-@, Mon Voisin Productions, Gaumont, France 2 Cinéma
Produced by: Andrew Mason, Philippe Carcassonne
Producers: Michel Feller, Barbara Gibbs
Executive Producers: Troy Lum, Sidonie Dumas, Naomi Watts
Co-producers: Dominique Besnehard, Francis Boespflug
Writer: Christopher Hampton
Director: Anne Fontaine
Cast: Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Sophie Lowe
International Sales: Gaumont
Australian Distributor: Hopscotch/eOne