Best-selling Australian novel, Runt” is to be adapted as a feature movie that will begin shooting from next month. Studiocanal is handling international rights sales and local distribution in Australia and New Zealand.
The story is a heartfelt, contemporary Australian tale, set in the country town of Upson Downs, where eleven-year-old Annie Shearer and her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt, try to save their family farm by competing in the Agility Course Grand Championships at the prestigious Krumpets Dog Show in London.
The book was released in 2022 and won a clean sweep of the major Australian literary awards including the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s book of the year for young readers, book of the year for younger children at the Australian Book Industry Awards, and overall book of the year at the Australian Indie Book Awards.
The movie is adapted for the screen by...
The story is a heartfelt, contemporary Australian tale, set in the country town of Upson Downs, where eleven-year-old Annie Shearer and her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt, try to save their family farm by competing in the Agility Course Grand Championships at the prestigious Krumpets Dog Show in London.
The book was released in 2022 and won a clean sweep of the major Australian literary awards including the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s book of the year for young readers, book of the year for younger children at the Australian Book Industry Awards, and overall book of the year at the Australian Indie Book Awards.
The movie is adapted for the screen by...
- 10/23/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Studiocanal handles international sales.
Jai Courtney, Celeste Barber, Deborah Mailman, Matt Day, Tom Budge, Genevieve Lemon and Jack Thompson have been cast in director John Sheedy’s second feature Runt, with cameras rolling on Monday (October 23) in Western Australia.
However it is Lily Latorre, who plays 11-year-old Annie, and adopted stray dog Squid in the title role of Runt, who will be the stand-out stars as their characters make up the champion dog agility double-act that might just save the family’s sheep farm. Latorre’s brother Jack is also in the cast.
Prolific author Craig Silvey wrote the script...
Jai Courtney, Celeste Barber, Deborah Mailman, Matt Day, Tom Budge, Genevieve Lemon and Jack Thompson have been cast in director John Sheedy’s second feature Runt, with cameras rolling on Monday (October 23) in Western Australia.
However it is Lily Latorre, who plays 11-year-old Annie, and adopted stray dog Squid in the title role of Runt, who will be the stand-out stars as their characters make up the champion dog agility double-act that might just save the family’s sheep farm. Latorre’s brother Jack is also in the cast.
Prolific author Craig Silvey wrote the script...
- 10/22/2023
- by Sandy George
- ScreenDaily
Upcoming titles handled by Embankment, Protagonist, Goodfellas and Studiocanal to receive a share of production funding.
Screen Australia is to allocate more than Aud$10m ($6.4m) of production funding to a raft of upcoming film and TV projects.
The national screen body will support six features including Sophie Hyde’s An Ideal Woman, starring Emilia Clarke; Dario Russo’s The Fox, starring Jai Courtney and from the producers of horror hit Talk to Me; and Charles Williams’ Inside, starring Guy Pearce. Further films to receive a share of the funding include David Vincent Smith drama He Ain’t Heavy, John Sheedy...
Screen Australia is to allocate more than Aud$10m ($6.4m) of production funding to a raft of upcoming film and TV projects.
The national screen body will support six features including Sophie Hyde’s An Ideal Woman, starring Emilia Clarke; Dario Russo’s The Fox, starring Jai Courtney and from the producers of horror hit Talk to Me; and Charles Williams’ Inside, starring Guy Pearce. Further films to receive a share of the funding include David Vincent Smith drama He Ain’t Heavy, John Sheedy...
- 9/25/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Special effects maestro Brian Cox and producer and costume designer Catherine Martin were both honoured at the Australian Production Design Guild Awards on Sunday.
Cox, whose 40-year career has included credits such as The Matrix and Moulin Rouge, was awarded the Canal Road Artisan Lifetime Achievement Award, while Martin -Australia’s most prolific Academy Award winner – was recognised with the Cameron Creswell Outstanding Contribution to Design Award.
The awards, which celebrated their 10th anniversary, also marked the end of an era as Apdg president and founder George Liddle announced he was stepping down after more than a decade at the helm.
Speaking at the virtual event, he said the future looked positive for the guild.
“Technological advances change the way we work, but they are mere tools,” he said.
“The creative design mind remains. That means design practitioners will remain an essential part of all successful productions in the live performance,...
Cox, whose 40-year career has included credits such as The Matrix and Moulin Rouge, was awarded the Canal Road Artisan Lifetime Achievement Award, while Martin -Australia’s most prolific Academy Award winner – was recognised with the Cameron Creswell Outstanding Contribution to Design Award.
The awards, which celebrated their 10th anniversary, also marked the end of an era as Apdg president and founder George Liddle announced he was stepping down after more than a decade at the helm.
Speaking at the virtual event, he said the future looked positive for the guild.
“Technological advances change the way we work, but they are mere tools,” he said.
“The creative design mind remains. That means design practitioners will remain an essential part of all successful productions in the live performance,...
- 11/10/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
CinefestOz has announced the launch of a new event to be held in the Wa town of Albany.
Taking place from April 29 to May 1, CinefestOZ Albany will feature opening and closing night events, free community screenings, and a short film set, as well as the Cinesnaps schools program, which offers a program of selected films, visiting filmmakers, online film content and a short film competition.
It will precede the 14th annual CinefestOZ festival, to take place in Wa’s Margaret River region from August 25-29.
CinefestOZ Albany event coordinator Annette Davis said she was “delighted” CinefestOZ had recognised the potential for a new festival in the Great Southern region.
“The Great Southern audience has been a hugely supportive home to many TV series and films over the past five years, including the 2019 CinefestOZ $100,000 Film Prize winner H is For Happiness,” she said.
“We are excited about the opportunity CinefestOZ Albany...
Taking place from April 29 to May 1, CinefestOZ Albany will feature opening and closing night events, free community screenings, and a short film set, as well as the Cinesnaps schools program, which offers a program of selected films, visiting filmmakers, online film content and a short film competition.
It will precede the 14th annual CinefestOZ festival, to take place in Wa’s Margaret River region from August 25-29.
CinefestOZ Albany event coordinator Annette Davis said she was “delighted” CinefestOZ had recognised the potential for a new festival in the Great Southern region.
“The Great Southern audience has been a hugely supportive home to many TV series and films over the past five years, including the 2019 CinefestOZ $100,000 Film Prize winner H is For Happiness,” she said.
“We are excited about the opportunity CinefestOZ Albany...
- 1/14/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Writer-director Roderick MacKay is keen to further explore frontier mythology following the release of his debut feature The Furnace this week.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two Crown-marked gold bars.
Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace – the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.
The cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
Having had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, the 1890s drama will open on 115 screens via Umbrella Entertainment tomorrow.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two Crown-marked gold bars.
Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace – the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.
The cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
Having had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, the 1890s drama will open on 115 screens via Umbrella Entertainment tomorrow.
- 12/9/2020
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Cate Blanchett-produced “Stateless” and Shannon Murphy’s feature directing debut “Babyteeth” dominated the nominations for the Australian Film Institute-Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts’ Aacta Awards.
Refugee drama series “Stateless” earned 18 nomination in the TV category, including best telefilm or miniseries, an acting nomination for Jai Courtney, and multiple screenplay and directing nominations. It was also nominated for editing, cinematography, casting and costume design.
The nominations race in the feature film segment was somewhat closer. “Babyteeth” was nominated in 13 categories, ahead of The True History of The Kelly Gang” with 12, and “H Is For Happiness” and The Invisible Man” with ten each.
Best film nominations went to “Babyteeth,” “H is For Happiness,” I Am Woman,” “The Invisible Man,”, The True History of the Kelly Gang,” and “Relic,” which was nominated in four categories. “Babyteeth” picked up four acting nominations for Toby Wallace, Eliza Scanlen, Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis.
Refugee drama series “Stateless” earned 18 nomination in the TV category, including best telefilm or miniseries, an acting nomination for Jai Courtney, and multiple screenplay and directing nominations. It was also nominated for editing, cinematography, casting and costume design.
The nominations race in the feature film segment was somewhat closer. “Babyteeth” was nominated in 13 categories, ahead of The True History of The Kelly Gang” with 12, and “H Is For Happiness” and The Invisible Man” with ten each.
Best film nominations went to “Babyteeth,” “H is For Happiness,” I Am Woman,” “The Invisible Man,”, The True History of the Kelly Gang,” and “Relic,” which was nominated in four categories. “Babyteeth” picked up four acting nominations for Toby Wallace, Eliza Scanlen, Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis.
- 11/19/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Composer, orchestrator and conductor Nerida Tyson-Chew will receive the 2020 Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award at the Screen Music Awards in December.
The prize, presented by the Apra Amcos board of directors, will recognise Tyson-Chew’s 35 year career, blazing a path for female composers, and her diverse and extensive portfolio of work, spanning feature films, television dramas, children’s productions, documentaries and wildlife films.
Tyson-Chew’s recent credits include H is for Happiness, for which she is currently nominated for an Aacta, as well as the BAFTA-nominated animated series The Deep, Rescue – Special Ops, Batman – The Animated Series and Taboo.
Other projects include 2004 blockbuster Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, children’s series Tracey McBean and 1995’s Hotel Sorrento, which won her an AFI Award.
Tyson-Chew told If she was delighted with the honour, noting that film scoring was the “ultimate collaborative art”.
“Our storytelling skills, as creators of music for the screen,...
The prize, presented by the Apra Amcos board of directors, will recognise Tyson-Chew’s 35 year career, blazing a path for female composers, and her diverse and extensive portfolio of work, spanning feature films, television dramas, children’s productions, documentaries and wildlife films.
Tyson-Chew’s recent credits include H is for Happiness, for which she is currently nominated for an Aacta, as well as the BAFTA-nominated animated series The Deep, Rescue – Special Ops, Batman – The Animated Series and Taboo.
Other projects include 2004 blockbuster Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, children’s series Tracey McBean and 1995’s Hotel Sorrento, which won her an AFI Award.
Tyson-Chew told If she was delighted with the honour, noting that film scoring was the “ultimate collaborative art”.
“Our storytelling skills, as creators of music for the screen,...
- 11/17/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Ben Lawrence took home the main prize – Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M+) – at last night’s Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg) Awards, for his debut narrative feature Hearts and Bones.
Held virtually and hosted by Greta Lee Jackson and Nina Oyama, this year’s Adg Awards also saw female directors take home 10 of the 19 prizes – marking the first time ever that women have made up more than 50 per cent of winners.
Among them were Josephine Mackerras, who took home Best Direction of A Feature Film (Budget under $1M) for the French-language Alice; Maya Newell whose In My Blood It Runs saw her win Best Direction of a Documentary Feature, and Emma Freeman, who won Best Direction of a TV or SVOD Mini-Series for Stateless: Episode 3.
The guild suggests this reflects the push for gender parity in the industry. Traditionally, women have been extremely underrepresented in director roles, and last week,...
Held virtually and hosted by Greta Lee Jackson and Nina Oyama, this year’s Adg Awards also saw female directors take home 10 of the 19 prizes – marking the first time ever that women have made up more than 50 per cent of winners.
Among them were Josephine Mackerras, who took home Best Direction of A Feature Film (Budget under $1M) for the French-language Alice; Maya Newell whose In My Blood It Runs saw her win Best Direction of a Documentary Feature, and Emma Freeman, who won Best Direction of a TV or SVOD Mini-Series for Stateless: Episode 3.
The guild suggests this reflects the push for gender parity in the industry. Traditionally, women have been extremely underrepresented in director roles, and last week,...
- 10/19/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Jason Behan.
After acquiring a raft of Australian feature films and documentaries for Universal Pictures Australasia over the past four years, Jason Behan is looking for new avenues to continue his involvement in development and production.
As VP acquisitions, he helped to transition the focus of acquisitions from the declining home entertainment business to an all-rights, all-platforms content strategy.
Among the titles he brought to the studio led by Mike Baard were John Sheedy’s H is for Happiness, Abe Forsythe’s Little Monsters, Alexs Stadermann’s 100% Wolf and Francis Annan’s Escape to Pretoria.
Kriv Stenders’ Slim & I and Brock: Over the Top, Mark Joffe’s Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy and Leanne Pooley’s New Zealand doc We Need to Talk About A.I. also found homes at Universal.
Among the upcoming releases secured during his tenure are first-time director Martin Wilson’s survival thriller Great White,...
After acquiring a raft of Australian feature films and documentaries for Universal Pictures Australasia over the past four years, Jason Behan is looking for new avenues to continue his involvement in development and production.
As VP acquisitions, he helped to transition the focus of acquisitions from the declining home entertainment business to an all-rights, all-platforms content strategy.
Among the titles he brought to the studio led by Mike Baard were John Sheedy’s H is for Happiness, Abe Forsythe’s Little Monsters, Alexs Stadermann’s 100% Wolf and Francis Annan’s Escape to Pretoria.
Kriv Stenders’ Slim & I and Brock: Over the Top, Mark Joffe’s Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy and Leanne Pooley’s New Zealand doc We Need to Talk About A.I. also found homes at Universal.
Among the upcoming releases secured during his tenure are first-time director Martin Wilson’s survival thriller Great White,...
- 10/8/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Monica Zanetti’s screenplay of Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), Ben Lawrence and Beatrix Christian’s Hearts and Bones and Ally Burnham’s Unsound have been nominated for best original feature in the 53rd annual Awgie Awards.
The contenders for the feature film adaptation prize are Thomas M. Wright and Erik Jensen’s Acute Misfortune, Lisa Hoppe’s H is for Happiness, Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps’ Penguin Bloom and C.S. McMullen’s The Other Lamb.
The TV series prize promises to be a close race between episodes of Glen Dolman’s Bloom, Michael Petroni’s Messiah for Netflix, Belinda Chayko’s Stateless, Samantha Strauss’ The End and Pip Karmel’s Total Control.
Timothy Hobart, John Ridley, Jeremy Nguyen, Alan Nguyen and Michele Lee’s Hungry Ghosts will square off against Matthew Cormack and Niki Aken’s The Hunting for best miniseries.
In the TV serial category it must...
The contenders for the feature film adaptation prize are Thomas M. Wright and Erik Jensen’s Acute Misfortune, Lisa Hoppe’s H is for Happiness, Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps’ Penguin Bloom and C.S. McMullen’s The Other Lamb.
The TV series prize promises to be a close race between episodes of Glen Dolman’s Bloom, Michael Petroni’s Messiah for Netflix, Belinda Chayko’s Stateless, Samantha Strauss’ The End and Pip Karmel’s Total Control.
Timothy Hobart, John Ridley, Jeremy Nguyen, Alan Nguyen and Michele Lee’s Hungry Ghosts will square off against Matthew Cormack and Niki Aken’s The Hunting for best miniseries.
In the TV serial category it must...
- 9/25/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
When settlers began opening up the wild frontier of Western Australia in the 19th century, they relied heavily on immigrant cameleers from India, Afghanistan, and Persia. The predominantly Muslim and Sikh group, commonly referred to as “Ghans,” were instrumental in settling the Outback, but their contributions to the formation of modern-day Australia have largely been scrubbed from history.
“The Furnace” is first-time writer-director Roderick MacKay’s attempt to shed light on that little-known past, with the story of a young man from Afghanistan who falls in with a mysterious bushman on the run from the law with stolen gold. The film stars Toronto Film Festival Rising Star Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham, and has its world premiere Sept. 4 in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival.
“The Furnace” is produced by Timothy White (“I Am Mother”) and Tenille Kennedy (“H Is For Happiness”), and co-produced by Georgia White,...
“The Furnace” is first-time writer-director Roderick MacKay’s attempt to shed light on that little-known past, with the story of a young man from Afghanistan who falls in with a mysterious bushman on the run from the law with stolen gold. The film stars Toronto Film Festival Rising Star Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham, and has its world premiere Sept. 4 in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival.
“The Furnace” is produced by Timothy White (“I Am Mother”) and Tenille Kennedy (“H Is For Happiness”), and co-produced by Georgia White,...
- 9/4/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Top: Nara Wilson, Julie Ryan. Bottom: Kath McIntyre, Petra Starke.
The South Australian Film Corporation (Safc) has made a host of new staff appointments, including new hires in Julie Ryan and Kath McIntyre, and promotions for Nara Wilson and Petra Starke.
Ryan will join Safc as a production executive. A prolific producer behind films such as Red Dog, Ten Canoes, Hotel Mumbai and H is for Happiness, Ryan comes to the agency from her company Cyan Films. Prior to that, she worked with director Rolf de Heer for more than 10 years. Across her career, her films have premiered at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Venice.
McIntytre has been appointed development and industry development executive. A factual director and field producer, McIntyre has worked for the past six years a program director of the Screenmakers Conference, and has held roles at Kojo as a business development executive and a tutor for Matchbox Pictures...
The South Australian Film Corporation (Safc) has made a host of new staff appointments, including new hires in Julie Ryan and Kath McIntyre, and promotions for Nara Wilson and Petra Starke.
Ryan will join Safc as a production executive. A prolific producer behind films such as Red Dog, Ten Canoes, Hotel Mumbai and H is for Happiness, Ryan comes to the agency from her company Cyan Films. Prior to that, she worked with director Rolf de Heer for more than 10 years. Across her career, her films have premiered at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Venice.
McIntytre has been appointed development and industry development executive. A factual director and field producer, McIntyre has worked for the past six years a program director of the Screenmakers Conference, and has held roles at Kojo as a business development executive and a tutor for Matchbox Pictures...
- 8/5/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
‘The Invisible Man.’
In this unprecedented, fractured year for Australian cinemas, finally enough Aussie films have been released to compile the top 10 titles.
In the chart from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, the contrast between the pre-covid-19 releases and those that entered the market after cinemas re-opened, could not be starker.
Arguably the $15.03 million total would have been somewhat higher had Natalie Erika James’ Relic , Unjoo Moon’s I Am Woman and Dean Murphy’s The Very Excellent Mr Dundee not gone straight to Stan or Amazon Prime.
In addition, early digital releases including Ben Lawrence’s Hearts and Bones, Maziar Lahooti’s Below and Kriv Stenders’ Brock: Over the Top deprived audiences of the chance to see them in the optimum way.
The closure of Victorian cinemas, the lack of major new releases and limits on sessions and seating capacity could mean a grim outlook for cinemas,...
In this unprecedented, fractured year for Australian cinemas, finally enough Aussie films have been released to compile the top 10 titles.
In the chart from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, the contrast between the pre-covid-19 releases and those that entered the market after cinemas re-opened, could not be starker.
Arguably the $15.03 million total would have been somewhat higher had Natalie Erika James’ Relic , Unjoo Moon’s I Am Woman and Dean Murphy’s The Very Excellent Mr Dundee not gone straight to Stan or Amazon Prime.
In addition, early digital releases including Ben Lawrence’s Hearts and Bones, Maziar Lahooti’s Below and Kriv Stenders’ Brock: Over the Top deprived audiences of the chance to see them in the optimum way.
The closure of Victorian cinemas, the lack of major new releases and limits on sessions and seating capacity could mean a grim outlook for cinemas,...
- 8/4/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Furnace.’
Writer-director Roderick MacKay’s debut feature The Furnace, an 1890s drama set during the gold rush in Western Australia, will have its world premiere in the Horizons section of the 77th Venice Film Festival.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two Crown-marked gold bars.
Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace – the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.
The cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
“I’m thrilled at this opportunity for the...
Writer-director Roderick MacKay’s debut feature The Furnace, an 1890s drama set during the gold rush in Western Australia, will have its world premiere in the Horizons section of the 77th Venice Film Festival.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two Crown-marked gold bars.
Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace – the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.
The cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
“I’m thrilled at this opportunity for the...
- 7/28/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Umbrella Films to distribute in Australia, New Zealand.
Arclight Films has come on board to represent worldwide sales excluding Australia and New Zealand on Venice Orizzonti selection The Furnace, an Australian adventure story that highlights the little-known history of Afghan cameleers.
Australian writer Roderick MacKay makes his directorial debut on the film starring Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham.
The Furnace is described as an unlikely hero’s tale set during the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia and highlights the forgotten history of the so-called ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and the Middle...
Arclight Films has come on board to represent worldwide sales excluding Australia and New Zealand on Venice Orizzonti selection The Furnace, an Australian adventure story that highlights the little-known history of Afghan cameleers.
Australian writer Roderick MacKay makes his directorial debut on the film starring Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham.
The Furnace is described as an unlikely hero’s tale set during the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia and highlights the forgotten history of the so-called ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and the Middle...
- 7/28/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Twenty-seven of Australia’s top cinematographers last night launched a social media campaign aimed at boosting the number of women employed in camera teams and, more broadly, encouraging greater diversity across the screen industry.
Using the hashtag #whoisinyourcrew, the six-week campaign is designed to reach all heads of department as well as directors and producers.
The initiative was conceived by Dop Bonnie Elliott on behalf of the Australian Cinematographers Society’s Diversity Committee, the reconfigured Acs Women’s Advisory Panel.
Appointed to Screen Australia’s Gender Matters task force this year, Elliott has led the way by maintaining gender equity across her own camera teams for the last four years.
“I am keen to empower my fellow cinematographers to help make change in the industry through their hiring practices,” says Elliott, whose recent credits include Stateless, The Furnace, Palm Beach, The Hunting, H is for Happiness and Daina Reid’s upcoming Run Rabbit Run.
Using the hashtag #whoisinyourcrew, the six-week campaign is designed to reach all heads of department as well as directors and producers.
The initiative was conceived by Dop Bonnie Elliott on behalf of the Australian Cinematographers Society’s Diversity Committee, the reconfigured Acs Women’s Advisory Panel.
Appointed to Screen Australia’s Gender Matters task force this year, Elliott has led the way by maintaining gender equity across her own camera teams for the last four years.
“I am keen to empower my fellow cinematographers to help make change in the industry through their hiring practices,” says Elliott, whose recent credits include Stateless, The Furnace, Palm Beach, The Hunting, H is for Happiness and Daina Reid’s upcoming Run Rabbit Run.
- 7/27/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Sophie Hyde, pictured here on the set of ‘Animals’, has been nominated for two Adg Awards.
First-time feature directors Thomas Wright (Acute Misfortune), John Sheedy (H is for Happiness), Ben Lawrence (Hearts and Bones) and Natalie Erika James (Relic) will vie for the Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg) Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film ($1 million or over) against Sophie Hyde (Animals) and Wayne Blair (Top End Wedding).
Up in the $1 million or under category are Josephine Mackerras for Alice, Imogen Thomas for Emu Runner, Lucy Colman for Hot Mess, Luke Sullivan for Reflections In The Dust and Samuel Van Grinsven for Sequin In A Blue Room.
The Adg announced nominees for its annual awards today, with winners to be announced in Sydney at a ceremony October 19. A record 202 entries were received this year, up from 117 in 2019.
“At these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we come...
First-time feature directors Thomas Wright (Acute Misfortune), John Sheedy (H is for Happiness), Ben Lawrence (Hearts and Bones) and Natalie Erika James (Relic) will vie for the Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg) Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film ($1 million or over) against Sophie Hyde (Animals) and Wayne Blair (Top End Wedding).
Up in the $1 million or under category are Josephine Mackerras for Alice, Imogen Thomas for Emu Runner, Lucy Colman for Hot Mess, Luke Sullivan for Reflections In The Dust and Samuel Van Grinsven for Sequin In A Blue Room.
The Adg announced nominees for its annual awards today, with winners to be announced in Sydney at a ceremony October 19. A record 202 entries were received this year, up from 117 in 2019.
“At these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we come...
- 7/14/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
‘Hi is for Happiness’ (Photo credit: David Dare Parker).
John Sheedy’s debut feature H is for Happiness has been acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films in North America and Germany’s Telepool as well as distributors in multiple other markets.
The comedy-drama which opened the Generation Kplus section at the Berlin International Film Festival is Goldywn’s fifth Australian acquisition this year.
The distributor released Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding in February and Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch in May, to be followed by Gregor Jordan’s Dirt Music on July 17 and Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure on September 4, all on VOD.
The international sales agent, Tine Klint’s LevelK, negotiated the H is for Happiness deals including the Middle East and North Africa (Front Row), the Nordics excluding Iceland (Angel Films/FilmCentrum), Estonia (Estin Film) Poland (New Horizons Assoc.), Eastern Europe (HBO Central Europe), Israel (yes Dbs...
John Sheedy’s debut feature H is for Happiness has been acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films in North America and Germany’s Telepool as well as distributors in multiple other markets.
The comedy-drama which opened the Generation Kplus section at the Berlin International Film Festival is Goldywn’s fifth Australian acquisition this year.
The distributor released Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding in February and Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch in May, to be followed by Gregor Jordan’s Dirt Music on July 17 and Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure on September 4, all on VOD.
The international sales agent, Tine Klint’s LevelK, negotiated the H is for Happiness deals including the Middle East and North Africa (Front Row), the Nordics excluding Iceland (Angel Films/FilmCentrum), Estonia (Estin Film) Poland (New Horizons Assoc.), Eastern Europe (HBO Central Europe), Israel (yes Dbs...
- 7/2/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
CinefestOZ, West Australia’s prestigious mini-festival, has confirmed that it will go ahead with live audiences at the end of August. It will be the first in the country to do so since the easing of restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The festival will run August 25-30 with at least 40 live events and screenings, in the Margaret River area, along with a selection of online screenings. A full program will be unveiled on July 31.
For the first time in the festival’s 13-year history, CinefestOZ will also include a short film competition. Available prizes include best short film, best indigenous short film, best West Australian short film, best West Australian female short filmmakers, best lead actor, best director and audience choice. The festival’s feature film prize is one of the richest, worth $69,000. Last year’s winner was John Sheedy’s locally-made “H Is For Happiness.”
The lifting...
The festival will run August 25-30 with at least 40 live events and screenings, in the Margaret River area, along with a selection of online screenings. A full program will be unveiled on July 31.
For the first time in the festival’s 13-year history, CinefestOZ will also include a short film competition. Available prizes include best short film, best indigenous short film, best West Australian short film, best West Australian female short filmmakers, best lead actor, best director and audience choice. The festival’s feature film prize is one of the richest, worth $69,000. Last year’s winner was John Sheedy’s locally-made “H Is For Happiness.”
The lifting...
- 7/2/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Samuel Goldwyn in North America and Telepool in Germany are some of the major buyers lured by “H is for Happiness,” the acclaimed feature debut of seasoned Australian theater director John Sheedy.
The Australian heartwarming comedy drama is represented in international markets by LevelK. It opened the Generation Kplus section at this year’s Berlinale, where it received the Children’s Jury Special Mention.
LevelK has scored deals for North America (Samuel Goldwyn), Germany (Telepool), the Middle East and North Africa (Front Row), the Nordics excluding Iceland (Angel Films/FilmCentrum), Estonia (Estin Film) Poland (New Horizons Assoc.), Eastern Europe Israel (yes Dbs) and Holland (Npo Holland).
Based on Australian author Barry Jonsberg’s popular young adult novel “My Life as an Alphabet,” the film follows Candice Phee, an optimistic 12-year-old girl from a small coastal town who is determined to bring her family back from the brink while facing the trials of adolescence.
The Australian heartwarming comedy drama is represented in international markets by LevelK. It opened the Generation Kplus section at this year’s Berlinale, where it received the Children’s Jury Special Mention.
LevelK has scored deals for North America (Samuel Goldwyn), Germany (Telepool), the Middle East and North Africa (Front Row), the Nordics excluding Iceland (Angel Films/FilmCentrum), Estonia (Estin Film) Poland (New Horizons Assoc.), Eastern Europe Israel (yes Dbs) and Holland (Npo Holland).
Based on Australian author Barry Jonsberg’s popular young adult novel “My Life as an Alphabet,” the film follows Candice Phee, an optimistic 12-year-old girl from a small coastal town who is determined to bring her family back from the brink while facing the trials of adolescence.
- 7/1/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
‘H is for Happiness’, previously supported by the Warff.
The Western Australian Government has topped up the state’s regional film fund with a further $16 million over the next four years.
Screenwest will administer the Wa Screen Fund, designed to encourage production in regional areas, boost local economies and drive tourism.
The funds come via the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
First launched in 2016, the Warff has helped to drive an upswing in production in Wa in recent years.
Among the projects the fund has backed are both seasons of Bunya Productions’ ABC drama Mystery Road, Lingo Pictures’ Upright, Komixx Entertainment’s children’s series Itch, docuseries Aussie Gold Hunters, as well as films such as Gregor Jordan’s Dirt Music, Simon Baker’s Breath, Jeremy Sims’ Rams, Owen Trevor’s Go!, Ben Elton’s Three Summers and John Sheedy’s H is for Happiness.
The new fund...
The Western Australian Government has topped up the state’s regional film fund with a further $16 million over the next four years.
Screenwest will administer the Wa Screen Fund, designed to encourage production in regional areas, boost local economies and drive tourism.
The funds come via the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
First launched in 2016, the Warff has helped to drive an upswing in production in Wa in recent years.
Among the projects the fund has backed are both seasons of Bunya Productions’ ABC drama Mystery Road, Lingo Pictures’ Upright, Komixx Entertainment’s children’s series Itch, docuseries Aussie Gold Hunters, as well as films such as Gregor Jordan’s Dirt Music, Simon Baker’s Breath, Jeremy Sims’ Rams, Owen Trevor’s Go!, Ben Elton’s Three Summers and John Sheedy’s H is for Happiness.
The new fund...
- 6/17/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Natalie Erika James, Ben Young and Zak Hilditch.
Australian directors working on productions in the Us get far more time, money and resources than they were accustomed to at home.
But there’s a downside: Loss of creative freedom.
“I liken working in the American studio system to working on a two-hour television commercial where you have a lot of different voices telling you that you are not allowed to do things the way you want to,” says Ben Young, who directed Extinction for Netflix and was co-directing Clickbait for the streamer when production was shut down.
“In making an American film you have way less freedom but way more support. The level of support and resources you get in the Us is amazing but I miss the control I had in Australia.
“What I’m desperately searching for is that middle ground where I can have the toys and...
Australian directors working on productions in the Us get far more time, money and resources than they were accustomed to at home.
But there’s a downside: Loss of creative freedom.
“I liken working in the American studio system to working on a two-hour television commercial where you have a lot of different voices telling you that you are not allowed to do things the way you want to,” says Ben Young, who directed Extinction for Netflix and was co-directing Clickbait for the streamer when production was shut down.
“In making an American film you have way less freedom but way more support. The level of support and resources you get in the Us is amazing but I miss the control I had in Australia.
“What I’m desperately searching for is that middle ground where I can have the toys and...
- 5/24/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
“Sheytan vojud nadarad” (“There Is No Evil”) has won the Golden Bear Award at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlin jury announced at a ceremony on Saturday.
The film by director Mohammad Rasoulof consists of four different stories about military men in Iran who are asked to perform executions. It won in a competition lineup that consisted of 18 movies and also included Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Sally Potter’s “‘The Roads Not Taken,” Philippe Garrel’s “The Salt of Tears,” Abel Ferrara’s “Siberia” and Christian Petzold’s “Undine.”
Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” the story of two teenage girls traveling from Pennsylvania to New York City for an abortion, won the Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-place award.
Also Read: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' Director Explains Why Her Stars Auditioned in a Bathroom (Video)
Acting awards went to Elio Germano for “Volevo nascondermi” (“Hidden Away...
The film by director Mohammad Rasoulof consists of four different stories about military men in Iran who are asked to perform executions. It won in a competition lineup that consisted of 18 movies and also included Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Sally Potter’s “‘The Roads Not Taken,” Philippe Garrel’s “The Salt of Tears,” Abel Ferrara’s “Siberia” and Christian Petzold’s “Undine.”
Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” the story of two teenage girls traveling from Pennsylvania to New York City for an abortion, won the Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-place award.
Also Read: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' Director Explains Why Her Stars Auditioned in a Bathroom (Video)
Acting awards went to Elio Germano for “Volevo nascondermi” (“Hidden Away...
- 2/29/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Rachel Griffiths, Liz Doran and Que Minh Luu.
Screen Australia has announced the 18 members of the new iteration of the Gender Matters Taskforce, which provides independent advice to the agency, and works beyond Screen Australia’s direct sphere of influence to deliver outcomes for female creatives and assist in broader industry efforts to achieve gender parity.
Formed in 2016 and updated in 2018, the Gender Matters Taskforce is a volunteer-based advisory body made up of women working across the Australian screen sector. Returning members include taskforce chair Joanna Werner; deputy chair Deanne Weir and Lisa French.
Werner said: “These 18 brilliant women represent a cross section of the screen sector and come from varying backgrounds with a range of expertise locally and internationally. This taskforce will be integral in helping to shape Screen Australia’s next steps as well as promoting the broader industry systemic change that is needed.”
“Whilst Screen Australia’s...
Screen Australia has announced the 18 members of the new iteration of the Gender Matters Taskforce, which provides independent advice to the agency, and works beyond Screen Australia’s direct sphere of influence to deliver outcomes for female creatives and assist in broader industry efforts to achieve gender parity.
Formed in 2016 and updated in 2018, the Gender Matters Taskforce is a volunteer-based advisory body made up of women working across the Australian screen sector. Returning members include taskforce chair Joanna Werner; deputy chair Deanne Weir and Lisa French.
Werner said: “These 18 brilliant women represent a cross section of the screen sector and come from varying backgrounds with a range of expertise locally and internationally. This taskforce will be integral in helping to shape Screen Australia’s next steps as well as promoting the broader industry systemic change that is needed.”
“Whilst Screen Australia’s...
- 2/27/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
More often than not, “A” festival competitions privilege the arty over the entertaining, so hats off to the Berlinale Generation section, where the two qualities frequently coexist. A case in point: the delightful coming-of-age dramedy “H Is for Happiness,” which provides feel-good entertainment for the entire family without pandering — and definitely without sacrificing style or substance. In his feature helming debut, Aussie theater director John Sheedy proves a talent to watch. . Other strong selling points include the source material, a prize-winning young adult novel (published in the U.S. as “The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee”), stellar performances from a talented youth cast and top-notch production work. Above all, “Happiness” is a heck of a lot of fun.
Shot on location in the timeless-looking Western Australia coastal town of Albany, the story provides a fresh exploration of universal themes such as dysfunctional families, friendship, loss, grief and acceptance of difference.
Shot on location in the timeless-looking Western Australia coastal town of Albany, the story provides a fresh exploration of universal themes such as dysfunctional families, friendship, loss, grief and acceptance of difference.
- 2/24/2020
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Screen Australia, the country’s federal support body, says the screen entertainment industry needs to come up with new business models in response to changes in audience behavior and the disruptive impact on content financing that has come from streaming. Public support bodies must change their relationships with the industry too, Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason says.
Illustrating that point, Australia has eight properties in prominent positions at the Berlin Film Festival. But from an industry recently evaluated to have an economic impact of $15 billion (A$22 billion), only two are feature films: “H is For Happiness,” which opened the Generation K Plus section, and “High Ground.”
Higher-profile slots go to premium TV series “Stateless,” which was conceived by and stars Cate Blanchett, and the second season of Outback crime series “Mystery Road.” Both play in the Berlinale Series section. Additionally, four Aussie shorts play elsewhere across the Berlinale.
Australia’s...
Illustrating that point, Australia has eight properties in prominent positions at the Berlin Film Festival. But from an industry recently evaluated to have an economic impact of $15 billion (A$22 billion), only two are feature films: “H is For Happiness,” which opened the Generation K Plus section, and “High Ground.”
Higher-profile slots go to premium TV series “Stateless,” which was conceived by and stars Cate Blanchett, and the second season of Outback crime series “Mystery Road.” Both play in the Berlinale Series section. Additionally, four Aussie shorts play elsewhere across the Berlinale.
Australia’s...
- 2/23/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
‘H is for Happiness.’
John Sheedy’s debut feature H is for Happiness seemingly had a fair bit of momentum in the lead-up to the Australian release last weekend.
The comedy-drama with mystical elements adapted from Barry Jonsberg’s young adult novel My Life as an Alphabet won last year’s $100,000 CinefestOZ Film Prize, as well as second place in the audience awards at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
In its international premiere the film starring Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Miriam Margolyes, Joel Jackson, Deborah Mailman and newcomers Daisy Axon and Wesley Patten will open the Berlin International Film Festival’s Generation KPlus section this month.
Pre-release, the film grossed $117,000 from advance screenings and the Perth Festival – so how to explain the modest opening weekend of $96,000 on 158 screens, distributed by R&R Films for Universal Pictures?
Julie Ryan, who produced with Tenille Kennedy and screenwriter Lisa Hoppe, tells If:
“It...
John Sheedy’s debut feature H is for Happiness seemingly had a fair bit of momentum in the lead-up to the Australian release last weekend.
The comedy-drama with mystical elements adapted from Barry Jonsberg’s young adult novel My Life as an Alphabet won last year’s $100,000 CinefestOZ Film Prize, as well as second place in the audience awards at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
In its international premiere the film starring Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Miriam Margolyes, Joel Jackson, Deborah Mailman and newcomers Daisy Axon and Wesley Patten will open the Berlin International Film Festival’s Generation KPlus section this month.
Pre-release, the film grossed $117,000 from advance screenings and the Perth Festival – so how to explain the modest opening weekend of $96,000 on 158 screens, distributed by R&R Films for Universal Pictures?
Julie Ryan, who produced with Tenille Kennedy and screenwriter Lisa Hoppe, tells If:
“It...
- 2/10/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘H is for Happiness.’
For producer, director, writer and distributor Robert Connolly, the clear challenge for Australian filmmakers is to create cinema works that speak to the issues the world is facing.
For writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner and his producer brother Tristan Roache-Turner, the solution to the declining indie market lies partly in developing multiple projects with various producers.
Coupled with that is the brothers’ willingness to spend hundreds of hours working with distributors to sell each film and push for more screens.
Producer Julie Ryan laments the increasing trend by some government agencies to encourage producers to pitch feature projects to streaming services rather than via the traditional sales agent/distributor model.
“I am not against having my film released on a streaming service but there isn’t any incentive for them to invest upfront and replace the market funds that were traditionally covered by the sales agent advance and Australia-New Zealand distribution guarantee,...
For producer, director, writer and distributor Robert Connolly, the clear challenge for Australian filmmakers is to create cinema works that speak to the issues the world is facing.
For writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner and his producer brother Tristan Roache-Turner, the solution to the declining indie market lies partly in developing multiple projects with various producers.
Coupled with that is the brothers’ willingness to spend hundreds of hours working with distributors to sell each film and push for more screens.
Producer Julie Ryan laments the increasing trend by some government agencies to encourage producers to pitch feature projects to streaming services rather than via the traditional sales agent/distributor model.
“I am not against having my film released on a streaming service but there isn’t any incentive for them to invest upfront and replace the market funds that were traditionally covered by the sales agent advance and Australia-New Zealand distribution guarantee,...
- 1/15/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Matteo Garrone to present ‘Pinocchio’ as the first Berlinale Special Gala.
The Berlinale has revealed the first films set to be screened at the 70th edition of the festival.
They include the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio, from Italian director Matteo Garrone, which is the first Berlinale Special Gala to be announced – a category that replaces ‘out of competition’. It will mark the international premiere of the film, starring Roberto Benigni, which is released in Italy this weekend.
Scroll down for full list of titles
The first 18 films selected for the Panorama strand have also been named, including 11 world premieres.
Among...
The Berlinale has revealed the first films set to be screened at the 70th edition of the festival.
They include the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio, from Italian director Matteo Garrone, which is the first Berlinale Special Gala to be announced – a category that replaces ‘out of competition’. It will mark the international premiere of the film, starring Roberto Benigni, which is released in Italy this weekend.
Scroll down for full list of titles
The first 18 films selected for the Panorama strand have also been named, including 11 world premieres.
Among...
- 12/17/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Matteo Garrone to present ‘Pinocchio’ as the first Berlinale Special Gala.
The Berlinale has revealed the first films set to be screened at the 70th edition of the festival.
They include the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio, from Italian director Matteo Garrone, which is the first Berlinale Special Gala to be announced – a category that replaces ‘out of competition’. It will mark the international premiere of the film, starring Roberto Benigni, which is released in Italy this weekend.
Scroll down for full list of titles
The first 18 films selected for the Panorama strand have also been named, including 11 world premieres.
Among...
The Berlinale has revealed the first films set to be screened at the 70th edition of the festival.
They include the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio, from Italian director Matteo Garrone, which is the first Berlinale Special Gala to be announced – a category that replaces ‘out of competition’. It will mark the international premiere of the film, starring Roberto Benigni, which is released in Italy this weekend.
Scroll down for full list of titles
The first 18 films selected for the Panorama strand have also been named, including 11 world premieres.
Among...
- 12/17/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
The 2020 Berlin Film Festival, the first edition under new artistic director Carlo Chatrian, has unveiled its first wave of titles.
Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio, starring Roberto Benigni, will have its international premiere at the festival as a Berlinale Special Gala. The team have removed the ‘out of competition’ classification this year and those films will now play as Special Galas. Pinocchio is released theatrically in Italy this weekend and Berlin will mark its festival premiere.
“Garrone succeeds in re-telling the well-known story with his very own world of images. Although he is faithful to Carlo Collodi’s ideas, he has nevertheless created a very personal Pinocchio that is much more cheerful than we’ve experienced before,” commented Carlo Chatrian on the selection.
Also announced today were four films in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino program, which presents debut features. The section will open with Kids Run from Barbara Ott, whose graduation...
Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio, starring Roberto Benigni, will have its international premiere at the festival as a Berlinale Special Gala. The team have removed the ‘out of competition’ classification this year and those films will now play as Special Galas. Pinocchio is released theatrically in Italy this weekend and Berlin will mark its festival premiere.
“Garrone succeeds in re-telling the well-known story with his very own world of images. Although he is faithful to Carlo Collodi’s ideas, he has nevertheless created a very personal Pinocchio that is much more cheerful than we’ve experienced before,” commented Carlo Chatrian on the selection.
Also announced today were four films in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino program, which presents debut features. The section will open with Kids Run from Barbara Ott, whose graduation...
- 12/17/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran actor, David Wenham and rising star Ahmed Malek are set to star in “The Furnace.” The adventure drama is by first time feature director Roderick MacKay, with production by Timothy White (“I Am Mother”) and Tenille Kennedy (“H Is For Happiness”).
Set in Western Australia’s 1890s gold rush, “The Furnace” is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land. It illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the country’s desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
Malek, an Egyptian actor who was named one of the Rising Stars at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018, will play a camel driver who teams up with a bushman, played by Wenham. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset gold bars at a secret furnace.
Set in Western Australia’s 1890s gold rush, “The Furnace” is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land. It illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the country’s desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
Malek, an Egyptian actor who was named one of the Rising Stars at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018, will play a camel driver who teams up with a bushman, played by Wenham. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset gold bars at a secret furnace.
- 9/13/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Locally-made family drama, “H is for Happiness” won the top prize at the CinefestOZ festival in Busselton, West Australia, on Saturday. The film is an uplifting tale about a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by an unusual new boy at her school and sets out to mend her broken family.
Directed by John Sheedy, and filmed in the South Western part of the state where the festival is held, the film claimed the A$100,000 first prize, which has made CinefestOZ one of the most generous festivals in the world.
The competition jury, headed by actress turned director Rachel Ward, collectively voted in favor of the film, calling it “surprising” and a “tribute to the power of young people.”
Other titles in competition included Mirrah Foulkes’ “Judy & Punch,” Paul Ireland’s “Measure for Measure,” Ben Lawrence’s “Hearts & Bones” and Owen Trevor’s Busselton-set teen film “Go!”.
The only other...
Directed by John Sheedy, and filmed in the South Western part of the state where the festival is held, the film claimed the A$100,000 first prize, which has made CinefestOZ one of the most generous festivals in the world.
The competition jury, headed by actress turned director Rachel Ward, collectively voted in favor of the film, calling it “surprising” and a “tribute to the power of young people.”
Other titles in competition included Mirrah Foulkes’ “Judy & Punch,” Paul Ireland’s “Measure for Measure,” Ben Lawrence’s “Hearts & Bones” and Owen Trevor’s Busselton-set teen film “Go!”.
The only other...
- 9/1/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
‘The Australian Dream’.
This year’s Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) opener – director Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream – has proved an audience favourite, winning the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.
The film, which was also nominated for an Aacta Award earlier this week, explores race, identity and belonging from the perspective of former Sydney Swans captain and Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes. Written by Stan Grant, it opened at Miff to a seven minute standing ovation.
The winner of the Best Narrative Feature went to Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which depicts a romance between a painter and her subject. It won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm in Cannes earlier this year.
John Sheedy’s debut feature H is For Happiness, which stars Daisy Axon, Wesley Patten,, Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Miriam Margolyes, Joel Jackson and Deborah Mailman, was the runner up in the narrative awards.
This year’s Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) opener – director Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream – has proved an audience favourite, winning the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.
The film, which was also nominated for an Aacta Award earlier this week, explores race, identity and belonging from the perspective of former Sydney Swans captain and Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes. Written by Stan Grant, it opened at Miff to a seven minute standing ovation.
The winner of the Best Narrative Feature went to Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which depicts a romance between a painter and her subject. It won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm in Cannes earlier this year.
John Sheedy’s debut feature H is For Happiness, which stars Daisy Axon, Wesley Patten,, Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Miriam Margolyes, Joel Jackson and Deborah Mailman, was the runner up in the narrative awards.
- 8/23/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Julie Ryan.
Producer Julie Ryan was in post-production for Hotel Mumbai when writer Lisa Hoppe’s script for H is for Happiness came across her desk. She loved it straight away – by page 40, she’d recognised it would make a heartwarming, funny family film.
Due to make its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival next month as the Family Gala film, H is for Happiness is based on Barry Jonsberg’s children’s book ‘My Life is an Alphabet’ and marks the feature debut of theatre director John Sheedy.
It follows Candice Phee, played by Daisy Axon, a 12-year-old with boundless optimism and a unique view of the world, determined to bring her dysfunctional family back from the brink. Alongside Axon (Judy & Punch) are Wesley Patten, who worked with Sheedy on his acclaimed short Mrs McCutcheon, Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Miriam Margolyes, Joel Jackson and Deborah Mailman.
Ryan,...
Producer Julie Ryan was in post-production for Hotel Mumbai when writer Lisa Hoppe’s script for H is for Happiness came across her desk. She loved it straight away – by page 40, she’d recognised it would make a heartwarming, funny family film.
Due to make its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival next month as the Family Gala film, H is for Happiness is based on Barry Jonsberg’s children’s book ‘My Life is an Alphabet’ and marks the feature debut of theatre director John Sheedy.
It follows Candice Phee, played by Daisy Axon, a 12-year-old with boundless optimism and a unique view of the world, determined to bring her dysfunctional family back from the brink. Alongside Axon (Judy & Punch) are Wesley Patten, who worked with Sheedy on his acclaimed short Mrs McCutcheon, Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Miriam Margolyes, Joel Jackson and Deborah Mailman.
Ryan,...
- 7/22/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Scandinavian sales outfit LevelK has acquired world sales rights to New Zealand comedy-drama “Bellbird,” the feature debut of Hamish Bennett.
Produced by Orlando Stewart for Stella Maris Productions and Catherine Fitzgerald for Blueskin Films, Bellbird tells the story of a dairy farmer struggling to cope with the sudden death of his beloved wife, and the gradual bond he builds with his gentle only son and the local community. The movie, written by Bennett, is set over four seasons in a modest Northland dairy farm.
“The characters of ‘Bellbird’ were inspired by my childhood neighbours in the small rural Northland community of Tauraroa…” said Bennett whose last short, “Rose & Beth,” won prizes in New Zealand.
“You don’t see many outward displays of affection or emotion, (but) the love, the loyalty, the reliance – it can all be found in the little moments, buried under the layers of cheeky banter and cow shit,...
Produced by Orlando Stewart for Stella Maris Productions and Catherine Fitzgerald for Blueskin Films, Bellbird tells the story of a dairy farmer struggling to cope with the sudden death of his beloved wife, and the gradual bond he builds with his gentle only son and the local community. The movie, written by Bennett, is set over four seasons in a modest Northland dairy farm.
“The characters of ‘Bellbird’ were inspired by my childhood neighbours in the small rural Northland community of Tauraroa…” said Bennett whose last short, “Rose & Beth,” won prizes in New Zealand.
“You don’t see many outward displays of affection or emotion, (but) the love, the loyalty, the reliance – it can all be found in the little moments, buried under the layers of cheeky banter and cow shit,...
- 6/21/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Richard Roxburgh, Daisy Axon and Emma Booth in ‘H is for Happiness.’
For Robert Connolly, 2019 is the year when filmmakers will need to rise to the challenge of the massive success of TV drama by offering unique experiences.
For Sue Maslin, the primary goal is for all players in the screen industry to take a more active part in understanding and shaping theatrical features instead of operating like a stack of dominoes in which “each falling tile triggers the movement along the value chain.”
With too many low budget films chasing too few distributors to qualify for the Producer Offset, Sue Milliken is one of many who advocates the government should start allowing contracts with streaming services as an alternative to the requirement for a theatrical release.
These are among the views on the challenges and opportunities facing the feature film industry from key players collated by If as part...
For Robert Connolly, 2019 is the year when filmmakers will need to rise to the challenge of the massive success of TV drama by offering unique experiences.
For Sue Maslin, the primary goal is for all players in the screen industry to take a more active part in understanding and shaping theatrical features instead of operating like a stack of dominoes in which “each falling tile triggers the movement along the value chain.”
With too many low budget films chasing too few distributors to qualify for the Producer Offset, Sue Milliken is one of many who advocates the government should start allowing contracts with streaming services as an alternative to the requirement for a theatrical release.
These are among the views on the challenges and opportunities facing the feature film industry from key players collated by If as part...
- 1/7/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.