News

Colin Firth plays a grieving father searching for answers in a series based on Dr. Jim Swire’s book.

I loved everything about Colin Firth in his last TV series, “The Staircase,” except the ending. The Academy Award winner is back in the limited series, “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth” premiering Thursday, Jan. 7 on Peacock. The five-part series tells the story of Dr. Jim Swire, a father who lost his daughter in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, when a terrorist attack brought down Pan Am Flight 103, killing 270 people. But this isn’t likely to be just a retelling of history - it’s a deeply personal look at a father’s grief, resilience, and pursuit of justice. Here’s everything you need to know about this limited series, “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.”

Sign Up $7.99+ / month peacocktv.com Everything you need toknow about ‘Lockerbie: A Search for Truth’:

What is ‘Lockerbie: A Search for Truth’ about?...

Exclusive: French sales outfit Charades has boarded its first UK production in the shape of BBC Films and BFI-backed Lynn And Lucy, from first-time feature filmmaker Fyzal Boulifa and producer Camilla Bray (Oranges And Sunshine).

Written and directed by Boulifa, a two-time winner of the Illy Prize for Best Short Film at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Bray produces for Rosetta Productions, with Ken Loach and Rebecca O’Brien’s Sixteen Films and Paris-based Vixens on board as associate producers. The film shot for five weeks in Harlow, UK at the end of 2018.

Currently in post-production, the debut is described to us as “a study of violence and hysteria at a societal level played out through the lives of two best friends, whose relationship is tested after a tragedy.” Starring are newcomer Roxanne Scrimshaw and Nichola Burley (Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights).

Pic was developed with support from BBC Films, Creative England and the BFI,...

“The only system is a sound system and if I can’t dance to it, it’s not my revolution,” preaches one of the lead characters in Beats, the UK rave culture film executive-produced by Steven Soderbergh. Here is some first footage, which channels iconic movies such as Trainspotting and La Haine.

Set over summer 1994 in Scotland, the coming of age story follows two friends who jump headfirst into the free party scene before their lives take them in different directions. Soundtrack is curated by Jd Twitch (Optimo) with tracks from The Prodigy, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, The Belleville Three, Carl Craig, Hudson Mohawke, Leftfield, Plastikman, Lfo, Orbital and The Golden Filter.

Directed by Brian Welsh (Black Mirror) and written by Welsh and Kieran Hurley (based on Hurley’s play by the same name), the film stars newcomers Cristian Ortega and Lorn Macdonald alongside Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad), Brian Ferguson (Outlander...

With apologies to Tolstoy: Each unhappy family may be unhappy in its own way, but miserable adolescents do tend to get repetitious. “Measure of a Man” is the latest among too many of what one might term “My Crappy but Formative Teenage Summer Vacation” movies. Worse, it’s a particularly generic one that brings no distinctive personality or plot angles to a very familiar set of misfit-hero woes and eventual, underwhelming triumphs. A first U.S. project for director Jim Loach, the primarily TV-trained son of Brit auteur Ken, this bland flashback lacks the cultural familiarity that boosted his Nottingham-set prior feature “Oranges and Sunshine.”

His voiceover narration just as pedestrian as everything else here, Bobby Marks (Blake Cooper from “The Maze Runner”) recounts how he dreaded his New York family’s summer forays to a lakeside cabin in small-town Rhode Island, where all the available outdoor activities seemed designed to humiliate his athletically challenged,...

Pete Dillon-Trenchard Jun 17, 2017

Doctor Who series 10 episode 10 is The Eaters Of Light. And we've been digging into it right here...

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve waited for 54 years for Doctor Who to explain why crows sound like they do, so now that they’ve finally tackled that important issue it’s time for our weekly round-up of callbacks, similarities and generally interesting things taken from this week’s episode. And as ever, if you’re sitting thinking ‘How can he have missed that?!’ (the answer is usually ‘ineptitude’), leave it down in the comments below…

See related Transformers: Age Of Extinction just shy of three hours long Transformers: the great toy massacre of 1986

Bad cat woman

The Eaters Of Light was written by Rona Munro, an award-winning Scottish writer responsible for films including Aimee & Jaguar and Oranges And Sunshine, as well as a multitude of theatre works.

Exclusive: BFI, Creative Scotland among backers of UK movie now in production.

Altitude Film Sales and Wild Bunch are teaming up to launch 90s rave movie Beats at Cannes, co-selling the feature which started production in the UK on 30 April.

Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh will serve as executive producer on the project, which will be produced by Camilla Bray (Oranges And Sunshine) of Rosetta Productions, which is housed under Ken Loach’s Sixteen Films.

Beats is being directed by Brian Welsh who recently helmed The Entire History Of You, a popular episode of Charlie Brooker’s hit series Black Mirror.

The screenplay was co-written by Welsh and emerging screenwriting talent Kieran Hurley whose original play inspired the feature and led to a residency for him at Scotland’s National Theatre.

Set in a small Scottish town in the mid 90s, the film tells the story of best friends Johnno and Spanner who, despite being total...

Exclusive: BFI, Creative Scotland among backers of UK movie now in production.

Altitude Film Sales and Wild Bunch are teaming up to launch 90s rave movie Beats at Cannes, co-selling the feature which started production in the UK on 30 April.

Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh will serve as executive producer on the project, which will be produced by Camilla Bray (Oranges And Sunshine) of Rosetta Productions, which is housed under Ken Loach’s Sixteen Films.

Beats is being directed by Brian Welsh who recently helmed The Entire History Of You, a popular episode of Charlie Brooker’s hit series Black Mirror.

The screenplay was co-written by Welsh and emerging screenwriting talent Kieran Hurley whose original play inspired the feature and led to a residency for him at Scotland’s National Theatre.

Set in a small Scottish town in the mid 90s, the film tells the story of best friends Johnno and Spanner who, despite being total...

Exclusive: Open Palm Films launches with Dromgoole-directed drama ‘Making Noise Quietly’; first-look image.

Dominic Dromgoole, former artistic director of London’s Globe theatre, has launched film production company Open Palm Films.

The indie outfit has recently wrapped its first production Making Noise Quietly (for which Screen can reveal the first image), a drama which is directed by Dromgoole and is adapted from Robert Holman’s well-received stage play of the same name.

The triptych of war-related stories follows a conscientious objector and a roaming artist during the Second World War; a bereaved mother struggling with the loss of her son who died in the Falklands; and an ageing holocaust survivor who seeks to bring peace to a disturbed young boy in Germany.

The film stars Deborah Findlay (The Lady In The Van), Barbara Marten (Oranges and Sunshine), Trystan Gravelle (National Treasure), Geoffrey Streafeild (Rush), Luke Thompson (Dunkirk) and Matthew Tennyson who reprises his role from the stage...

Twenty-two emerging producers to receive up to £2.2m; almost 500 applicants.Scroll Down For Recipients

The BFI has announced the recipients of its 2016-18 Vision Awards, comprising 22 investments in up-and-coming UK producers.

The awards, generally spread over two years, are designed to enable producers to build and develop their companies, slates and creative relationships.

The BFI had intended to give 20 awards but increased that allocation to 22 in response to the number of strong applications it received. Almost 500 companies applied for the awards, which are backed by a total commitment from the BFI of £2.2m of National Lottery funding.

Fifteen of the awards are to women producers or partnerships, while eight of the companies are based outside of London, located in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and York.

In a bid to foster sustainability, the third iteration of the Vision Awards will include an allowance to cover a producer’s fees and overheads of up to half...

Moving to another Ya adaptation following the Hunger Games films, Donald Sutherland is already part of the cast of Measure Of A Man. And he's now joined by Luke Wilson and Judy Greer. Jim Loach (son of Ken) is directing the film, based on the 1991 novel One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte.The Maze Runner's Blake Cooper leads the film - a 1970s coming-of-age drama - as Bobby Marks, an overweight kid struggling with summer camp and an ongoing saga involving a lawnmowing job. Wilson and Greer will be playing Bobby's less than helpful parents, with Liana Liberato his sister Michelle, and Sutherland as Dr. Kahn, owner of that troublesome lawn.Loach's last film was Oranges And Sunshine in 2010 (although his drama Chasing Satellites seems to be complete and awaiting a release). But he's been more prolific on television, clocking up the mini-series Life Of Crime, plus episodes of Dci Banks,...

Emily Watson will receive the Donostia Award in recognition of her career. Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival Emily Watson will receive the Donostia Award at this year's San Sebastian Film Festival. The award for the Oranges And Sunshine star is in recognition of her film career and comes in the same year she was awarded an OBE. Watson will collect the Award at a gala on September 25 in the Kursaal Auditorium.

The Islington-born actress made her film debut in Lars von Trier's controversial Breaking The Waves and other films include Hilary And Jackie, Punch Drunk Love, War Horse and Gosford Park.

Watson also participated in the television series Appropriate Adult, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination and won the Best Actress BAFTA. Her television credits include The Politician’s Husband, The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe and A Song For Jenny.

...

A host of Australian talent has descended on Winton, Queensland, as production for the contemporary Western thriller Goldstone commences.

Starring Aaron Pedersen (The Fear of Darkness, Mystery Road), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom), Alex Russell (Unbroken, Carrie), David Gulpilil (Charlies Country, The Proposition), David Wenham (Paper Planes, Oranges and Sunshine) and Tom E. Lewis (The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Red Hill), Goldstone is the latest film from acclaimed writer/director Ivan Sen (Mystery Road, Beneath Clouds) and long-term producing partner David Jowsey (Mystery Road, Satellite Boy).

.We are proud to be supporting and investing in Queensland.s award-winning writer and director Ivan Sen and his producing partner David Jowsey of Bunya Productions,. said Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira, in a statement issued to the media.

Queensland Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said Screen Queensland was investing $530,000 in Goldstone, which is expected to reap direct returns of $2.15 million...

Short-listed projects included On Screen Off Screen and How To Kill Uffie.

Interactive documentary The Flickering Flame, exploring Ken Loach’s 50-year career, has won the Arte International Prize at the Pixel Market.

The website, app and film is being overseen by Ken Loach’s long-time producer Rebecca O’Brien at Sixteen Films in collaboration with Paris-based digital production house Upian.

As previously reported by ScreenDaily, the production will explore Loach’s career through the battles he and his team faced to make his films.

The filmmaker’s son Jim Loach, whose own credits include Oranges and Sunshine and episodes of TV series such as Shameless and Dci Banks, is directing the central, interview-led documentary.

The Flickering Flame was among eight projects in the running for the Arte prize, all of which were pitched at the Pixel Market Finance Forum on Wednesday (Oct 8) and then discussed in one-to-one meetings in the Pixel Market the following day.[p...

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream.

streaming now, while it’s still in cinemas

Blood Ties: some excellent performances — by Clive Owen and Billy Crudup — can’t disguise the fact that there’s absolutely nothing here we haven’t seen too many times before [my review] [iTunes UK]

streaming now, before it’s on dvd

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: suffers badly by comparison with the cogent, witty Avengers flicks — this feels like a campy Saturday-morning cartoon left over from the 1970s [my review] [iTunes UK]

new to stream

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: stuns me with its scathing commentary on what is happening in the real world today, wrapped up in what is some of the most delicious, most comic-booky fantasy ever [my review] [iTunes UK] Tracks: romantic in the grandest sense, a visceral and hypnotic experience of idealistic aspirations set against the desolate beauty and danger of the...

Tulip Fever

Holliday Grainger ("The Borgias") has scored a supporting role as a maid in Justin Chadwick's adaptation of Deborah Moggach's beloved romance novel "Tulip Fever" at The Weinstein Company. Filming aims to begin in April.

Set in 17th century Amsterdam, the story follows a married woman (Alicia Vikander) who begins a passionate affair with an artist hired to paint her portrait. The lovers gamble on the booming market for tulip bulbs as a way to raise money to run away together. [Source: The Wrap]

Entourage: The Movie

Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) has scored the role of assistant to Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) in the upcoming movie based on the HBO series "Entourage" at Warner Bros. Pictures. Lloyd, Gold's previous long-suffering assistant, has been promoted to an agency rep in the new film. [Source: Deadline]

Untitled Jim Loach Project

Paz Vega, Edward James Olmos, Jessica Marais, Carmen Maura, Michael Crisafulli,...

Oranges and Sunshine director returning to Australia to film Spanish family drama starring Paz Vega.

The lead cast has been unveiled on British filmmaker Jim Loach’s second feature, which will begin production on March 3 at Adelaide Studios and across South Australia’s outback and vineyard regions.

The film, currently known as Untitled Jim Loach Project, marks a return to the country for the London-born director, who made Oranges and Sunshine in Australia in 2009.

The UK-Australia co-production is from Met Film and Southern Light Alliance, with investment from the UK’s Rattle & Hum Films and the South Australian Film Corporation.

Producers are Stewart le Maréchal and Anna Mohr-Pietsch for UK outfit Met Film alongside Australia’s Tim White and Anna Vincent for Southern Light Alliance.

Set within a multigenerational Spanish family, the upcoming film tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who realises he must escape his passionate yet dysfunctional family.

The script...

Spanish stars Paz Vega, Carmen Maura and Antonio de la Torre together with Edward James Olmos and Love Child.s Jessica Marais head the cast of Jim Loach.s movie which starts shooting in South Australia on March 3.

Scripted by Judy Morris (Happy Feet 2, The Eye of the Storm), the plot revolves around a multi-generational, dysfunctional Spanish family and a 12-year-old boy, Savino, who realises he has to escape to effect change. Sydney newcomer Michael Crisafulli will play Savino with Jarin Towney (Two Little Boys, Underbelly) as his buddy Skeet.

It.s the first film from Timothy White (Son of a Gun, The Boys are Back) and Anna Vincent.s Southern Light Alliance, an unofficial co-production with Stewart le Maréchal and Anna Mohr-Pietsch of the UK.s Met Film.

Vincent tells If that White was introduced to the project from an international contact, she then met the UK producers in...

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream on Netflix, blinkbox, BBC iPlayer, Curzon on Demand.

new to stream

African Cats: gorgeously photographed, astonishingly intimate documentary; you won’t believe it can have been possible for cameras to get so close without disturbing the animals they’re watching [my review] [at Netflix] Blood: smart British cop drama is a dream showcase for star Paul Bettany [at Netflix] Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God: enraging documentary about the Catholic Church’s pedophilia coverup will leave you feeling battered by grief and fury [my review] [at Netflix] Smash His Camera: engaging and provocative documentary about early papparazzo Ron Galella and the ethical and free-speech issues surrounding such photography [at Netflix] The Words: intriguing exploration of living with mistakes made features great performance by Bradley Cooper, yet peters out with too much left unsaid [at Netflix]

streaming now, before it’s...

Exclusive: The King’s Speech, Top of the Lake producer joins Cohen Media Group on adaptation of Second World War spy story Double Cross.

The King’s Speech and Top of the Lake producer See-Saw Films has joined Us-based distributor Cohen Media Group (Cmg) to co-develop an international TV series based on Ben Macintyre’s bestselling book Double Cross, about the double agents who kept D-Day a secret from Hitler.

Double Cross tells the true story of the eccentric and brilliant group of spies who were vital to the success of the Normandy landings in June 1944. The daring deception saved thousands of allied soldiers and helped turn the tide of the war.

The project marks Cmg’s first foray into TV drama.

Still at treatment stage, the two companies will attach a writer soon, with Macintyre on board as a consultant.

Shoot dates and locations are yet to be determined but both groups told ScreenDaily they see...

Exclusive: The King’s Speech, Top of the Lake producer joins Cmg on adaptation of Second World War spy story Double Cross.

The King’s Speech and Top of the Lake producer See-Saw Films has joined Us-based distributor Cohen Media Group (Cmg) to co-develop an international TV series based on Ben Macintyre’s bestselling book Double Cross, about the double agents who kept D-Day a secret from Hitler.

Double Cross tells the true story of the eccentric and brilliant group of spies who were vital to the success of the Normandy landings in June 1944. The daring deception saved thousands of allied soldiers and helped turn the tide of the war.

The project marks Cmg’s first foray into TV drama.

Still at treatment stage, the two companies will attach a writer soon, with Macintyre on board as a consultant.

Shoot dates and locations are yet to be determined but both groups told ScreenDaily they see the project...

Exclusive: The King’s Speech, Top of the Lake producer joins Cohen Media on Second World War spy series.

The King’s Speech and Top of the Lake producer See-Saw Films has joined Us-based distributor Cohen Media Group (Cmg) to co-develop a “big budget, international” TV series based on Ben Macintyre’s bestselling book Double Cross, about the double agents who kept D-Day a secret from Hitler.

Double Cross tells the true story of the eccentric and brilliant group of spies who were vital to the success of the Normandy landings in June 1944. The daring deception saved thousands of allied soldiers and helped turn the tide of the war.

The project marks Cmg’s first foray into TV drama.

Still at treatment stage, the two companies will attach a writer soon, with Macintyre on board as a consultant.

Shoot dates and locations are yet to be determined but both groups told ScreenDaily they see the project as a “prestige...

One of the most interesting U.S. Distributors these days is Cohen Media Group. Its films are daring and interesting, ranging from documentaries like Chasing Madoff and Frozen River to multi-award winning Spanish film Blancanieves. Later this month it will release the daring film The Attack based on the best selling novel L'Attentat by renowned Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra.

The Attack, directed by Ziad Doueiri and written by Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma won three honors at the recently concluded Col*Coa, the second largest French Film Festival in the world after Cannes. The Col*Coa Audience Award, the Critics Special Prize and the new Coming Soon Award, a prize given in association with Kpcc 89.3, to a film presented with an attached U.S. distributor.

“Stunning.... a film of intelligence and emotional power. Quite apart from its social importance, The Attack is a damn good, pulse-pounding mystery.”Victoria Ellison, La Weekly

“Chilling, brilliantly filmed and inherently fascinating. The film unfolds masterfully, without a single false step. It’s hard to imagine any audience remaining unmoved by this mournful tale. -- Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter

Cohen Media Group's principals are stellar and yet not flamboyantly "Hollywood". Charles Cohen, Chairman and CEO has developed the spectacular Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood as one of his real estate projects. I love how its red glass hull looms over my own neighborhood in West Hollywood and how I can write every day at the beautiful West Hollywood Library whose glass wall compasses the entire Pcd as the view from my seat.

Partner Edmondo Schwartz personifies the modern hybrid of both entrepreneur and financer. His interests encompass the real estate, entertainment, restaurant and financing fields. He is currently President of Ems Enterprises, a full service real estate firm; General Partner of The Saike Group, an investment-banking firm; and President of Burritos International, a restaurant concept development company, which owns, operates, and develops fast food restaurants. In the past, Schwartz has also served as President of Empire Pictures, a distributor of foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD and television markets throughout the United States. Mr. Schwartz currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Bergen Performing Arts Center. He is a former board member of the Make a Wish foundation of Metro New York and was involved with City Meals on Wheels.

On the filmic side of this company, partner Steve Scheffer served over twenty-five years as a senior executive at Home Box Office (HBO) primarily as President of Film Programming responsible for overseeing the acquisition of all motion pictures for HBO as well as HBO’s investments in and production of theatrical films. Prior to HBO, Scheffer held executive positions at Time Life Films, Allied Artists, Polydor Records, MGM and Columbia Pictures.

President Daniel Battsek most recently was President of National Geographic Films, where he acquired projects for development/production, operated a boutique theatrical domestic distribution arm for art-house titles and documentaries including the Oscar-nominated Restrepo, and oversaw National Geographic large-screen and IMAX projects. Prior to joining National Geographic, Mr. Battsek served at Miramax Films, where as head of international he established a very positive image and reputation for himself. He was instrumental in acquiring, green-lighting or distributing such renowned and award winning films as Tsotsi (Best Foreign Language Oscar), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Queen, Happy-Go-Lucky, No Country for Old Men (Best Feature Film Oscar) and There Will Be Blood.

And worker bee, Gary Ruben, Executive Vice President at the Cohen Media Group, has headed his own company and began his career in the first days of video, working with Media Home Entertainment as head of acquisitions so many years ago. Over 25 years of experience in the motion picture and television business, he formed and ran First Independent Pictures, a specialty distribution company, was Executive Vice President, Sales and Acquisitions for Artisan Entertainment, was at October Films, where he held the position of VP, Ancillary Distribution and Library Acquisitions.

A new addition is John Kochman who is helping Cmg with French films. He is also Unifrance's long-time New York-based director.

Cohen Media Group has Blancanieves now in U.S. release and coming soon are The Artist and the Model by Fernando Trueba and sold to them by 6 Sales, The Attack, In the House by Francois Ozon and also screening at Col*Coa, Terraferma, You Will Be My Son. Past films included The Other Son, The Thief of Bagdad, Tristana, Farewell, My Queen; The Lady, Delicacy, Chasing Madoff, Frozen River, My Afternoons with Margueritte, Oranges and Sunshine.

The Attack directed by Ziad Doueiri is a Lebanese feature, an intense drama about an Israeli-Palestinian man whose life is shattered after discovering the secrets his wife has kept from him. Co-written by Joelle Touma and the film's director Ziad Doueiri, the film stars Ali Sulliman (Paradise Now) and Reymonde Amsellem. It was in the Official Selection: 2012 Telluride Film Festival, Official Selection 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and received Special Mention of the Jury at the 2012 San Sebastian Film Festival and was the Winner of the Golden Star (Best Film) at the 2012 Marrakech International Film Festival.

The number of Australian film projects that are adaptations . that is, based on an existing novel, short story, stage play, musical or some other creative work . is declining, according to Screen Australia. Only 38 of the 200 Australian films produced between 1999 and 2008 were adaptations . compare that 19 per cent figure to the 1920s, when one-third of all Australian films were based on existing works.

And compare that figure to the current rate of adaptation in the Us where 50 per cent of all films are adaptations, and they account for 60-70 per cent of the box office take each year.

Why are adaptations important? The Australian Film Television and Radio school.s head of screenwriting, Ross Grayson Bell, believes these sorts of projects are vital for Australian producers. "Adaptations get better funding, and they do better at the box office," he says.

But Bell is concerned that the Australian film industry hasn't made the...

A short film by the writer of Happy Feet and Master and Commander is among a selection of films selected in ScreenWest’s latest film initiative.

John Collee wrote Tango Underpants, about an Australian backpacking through South America who, after a bad break up discovers the tango and, according to the synopsis ‘the importance of the right underwear’.

The short film is one of 29 projects selected as part of a fund-matching initiative between ScreenWest and crowd-funding site Pozible, in which for every dollar raised by the selected projects through Pozible, ScreenWest will contribute three dollars.

With a pre-defined budget projects must be between $20,000 to $200,000.

West Australian culture and the arts minister John Day said: “Each project will have a set time frame – up to a maximum of 90 days – to reach their funding target, although the $250,000 will be allocated on a ‘first past the post’ basis.”

“Some projects will also proceed in a scaled-down version,...

Local feature Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver, has begun filming in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The film is based on the inspirational true story of Robyn Davidson.s solo trek from Alice Springs through 2700 kilometres of Australian desert to the Indian Ocean, accompanied only by her loyal dog and four unpredictable camels.

The film is being directed by John Curran (The Painted Veil, We Don.t Live Here Anymore, Praise) and produced by Oscar-winners Emile Sherman and Iain Canning (The King.s Speech, Shame, Oranges and Sunshine). Julie Ryan (Red Dog, Ten Canoes) is co-producer.

Davidson said it was a strange experience to see her book (which has been translated into twenty languages) morphed into another form.

"I could not be more pleased with the people involved in conceiving this new avatar," she said in a statement. "Emile and Iain, unique among producers I think; John,...

This article originally appeared in If Magazine #141 (June-July 2011).

Cinematographer Denson Baker Acs was born in New Zealand but spent his childhood in Perth, Western Australia. Even though he was a child, he has distinct memories of the time, the atmosphere and the look of the city and its surroundings. It.s this prior knowledge and new research through studying .80s-era movies and photographs that helped Baker prepare for Oranges and Sunshine.

.It was always intended to be subtle and natural, not heavy-handed or obvious,. Baker tells If magazine from Bali. .We wanted to capture an atmosphere of a time and a place, not necessarily reference any films of the past..

Set in Perth, the filmmakers opted to shoot in Adelaide, which retains much of its past. Other parts of the film were shot in Nottingham, England . Margaret Humphreys. hometown. Director Jim Loach.s first choice was to shoot on 35mm...

Bullhead The best film for your money this week is the Oscar-nominated Bullhead. It's a film that's hard to prepare you for when I mix the fact it centers on a cattle farmer who gets mixed up with the mafioso in a meat trading business that's anything but on the up-and-up. The film will give you a proper introduction to Matthias Schoenaerts, whom you'll see again in this year's excellent Rust and Bone, preparing you for an international star that is going to play a much bigger part on the worldwide stage soon enough. You can read my full review of the film right here.

 

The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion Collection) I have not yet had the chance to watch this trilogy, but I cannot wait. I own Criterion's original DVD release of Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy and the quality is, let's just say, not great. The film is loaded with scratches and visual issues,...

See-Saw Films has hired former senior BBC executive Jamie Laurenson as its head of television, to be based in the company.s London office from July.

See-Saw, owned by Sydney-based Emile Sherman and UK-based Iain Canning, is currently in production on its first television show, Top of the Lake, a six-part series being directed by Jane Campion for BBC2, UKTV Australia and the Sundance Channel . and for distributor BBC Worldwide.

Laurenson was executive producer for BBC Films & commissioning editor for drama for BBC 4 for four years. Films he was involved in included An Education, My Week With Marilyn, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and the documentary Project Nim, and his television credits include Toast and Holy Flying Circus.

.Jamie is the perfect fit for our company,. said See-Saw in a statement. .As an incredibly experienced film and television executive we are excited by his decision to focus solely on developing and growing our television business.

The Film Critics Circle of Australia has announced its nominees for its Annual Awards for Australian Film for 2011.

Burning Man scored the most nominations, with a spot in 10 of 11 categories.

The film is director Jonathan Teplitzky’s third film and tells the story of an out-of-control chef who is struggling with a life crisis.

With the second most nominations was dark thriller Snowtown in eight categories.

The Hunter starring The Willem Dafoe and directed by Daniel Nettheim and The Eye of the Storm starring Geoffrey Rush and directed by Fred Schepsis both received seven nods.

Red Dog, the year’s highest grossing Australian film for 2011, received only three nominations, including best direction for Kriv Stenders while Oranges and Sunshine, directed by Jim Loach received four.

Ivan Sen’s Toomelah and Julia Leigh’s debut Sleeping Beauty both received one nomination for actors Daniel Connors and Emily Browning respectively.

Animal Kingdom...

Last year, production designer Melinda Doring won the If Award for Best Production Design for Australian-uk drama Oranges and Sunshine as well as an Aacta award for for her work on The Eye of the Storm. She tells fellow production designer John Rohde how she created the production design for Oranges and Sunshine while working on a tight budget.

John Rohde: How did you get involved with the film?

Melinda Doring: Oranges and Sunshine producer Emile Sherman (See Saw Films) suggested me to his UK co-producer Camilla Bray (Sixteen Films). I happened to be in the UK in the beginning of 2009 having just finished another UK -Australian co-production, The Boys Are Back, so I had the opportunity to meet with the director Jim Loach in London.

I loved Rona Munro.s script . it is based on the extraordinary autobiography Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys . so I found it easy...

Last year, production designer Melinda Doring won the If Award for Best Production Design for Australian-uk drama Oranges and Sunshine as well as an Aacta award for for her work on The Eye of the Storm. She tells fellow production designer John Rohde how she created the production design for Oranges and Sunshine while working on a tight budget. John Rohde: How did you get involved with the film? Melinda Doring: Oranges and Sunshine producer Emile Sherman (See Saw Films) suggested me to his UK co-producer Camilla Bray (Sixteen Films). I happened to be in the UK in the beginning of 2009 having just finished another UK -Australian co-production, The Boys Are Back, so I had the opportunity to meet with the director Jim Loach in London. I loved Rona Munro.s script . it...

Emily Watson has joined the cast of Neil Labute's Some Girl(s). The 45-year-old actress, who has appeared in films such as War Horse, Breaking the Waves and Oranges and Sunshine, will star alongside previously-confirmed cast members Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in Labute's film adaptation of the stage play. Watson will play Lindsay, a married woman who has an affair with Brody's character, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Some Girl(s) is directed by Jennifer Getzinger and tells the story of a man who revisits some of his scorned (more)...

The Australian Film Critics Association (Afca) has announced its winners for its 2012 film awards, which are focused primarily on Australian productions.

Thriller Snowtown was the big winner of the event winning best Australian film, best actor, best director and best screenplay.

The winners

Best Australian Film

The Eye Of The Storm

Mrs Carey’s Concert

Oranges And Sunshine

Sleeping Beauty

Snowtown

Best Overseas Film (English Language)

Drive

The Guard

Melancholia

Take Shelter

The Tree Of Life

Best Overseas Film (Foreign Language)

Certified Copy

In A Better World

Incendies

Pina

The Skin I Live In

Best Documentary

Bill Cunningham New York

Mrs Carey’s Concert

Pina

Project Nim

Senna

Best Actor

Daniel Henshall – Snowtown

Willem Dafoe – The Hunter

Matthew Newton – Face To Face

Geoffrey Rush – The Eye Of The Storm

Hugo Weaving – Oranges And Sunshine

David Wenham – Oranges And Sunshine

Best Actress

Emily Browning – Sleeping Beauty

Judy Davis – The Eye Of The Storm...

An Australian film will be release in the Us and Australia simultaneously, with the aim of getting international traction.

Jump Street Films, with production company Duo Art Productions, will release outback neo-noir film Swerve, written and directed by Craig Lahiff, in the Us through Cohen Media Group, the same company that handled Oranges and Sunshine in the Us.

Helen Leake, head of Duo Art Productions told Encore: “Our Australian market is so tricky I thought why not start overseas and bring it back home. If you fail in your home market you have a problem so we’re just quietly getting good sales overseas. We’ve sold Germany, UK, and we’re about to close with Benelux, all of which are happy to wait for the Us release.

“We have to balance this tightrope really well and break through the little film syndrome.”

The film about a guy who finds...

Australian-uk co-production The Railway Man will reunite actor Colin Firth with producer Andy Paterson after almost 10 years.

Firth, best known for winning an Academy Award for his portrayal of King George VI in The King.s Speech, last worked with Paterson on Girl With A Pearl Earring in 2003. The film received several gongs and nods on the circuit, mainly for cinematography (Eduardo Serra).

Since 2003, the UK-based Paterson has produced three films . Beyond the Sea (2004), Incendiary (2008) and last year.s dark tale Burning Man. The latter.s director . Jonathan Teplitzky . will also be reunited with Paterson on The Railway Man and will sit in the director.s chair.

.Jonathan.s a great guy and he.s perfect for it . he brings a kind of perception and energy to the whole project which is very exciting,. said Australian producer Chris Brown, who is undertaking producing duties alongside Paterson and Bill Curbishley.

Brown,...

Encore managing editor Brooke Hemphill attends the inaugural Aacta awards and comes away cringing.

Last night the inaugural Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts awards were held at Sydney’s Opera House as the Australian film and television community gathered to celebrate the achievements of the past 12 months and those who went along for the ride left vaguely amused, with little thanks to the event’s producers.

The show, produced by FremantleMedia, for delayed broadcast on Nine, provided a far different experience for the live audience member than the viewer at home. And Nine would have been grateful for the three-hour buffer from recording to broadcast – they certainly took full advantage of the delay. Entire award announcements were chopped from the show and with them the evening’s most memorable moment, director Stephan Elliott’s speech, delivered prior to his presentation of the best direction in television award, where...

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards took place in the Sydney Opera House last night. The film and TV awards ceremony, which was renamed and relaunched this year after previously being known as the AFIs, was hosted by Geoffrey Rush and attended by stars such as Miranda Kerr, Cate Blanchett and Jacki Weaver. Red Dog was named 'Best Film', The Eye of the Storm's Judy Davis took home the 'Best Actress' gong and Hugo Weaving took the 'Best Supporting Actor' prize for his role in Oranges and Sunshine. > Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards: Major winners Grisly murder movie Snowtown dominated the film segment of the ceremony, with Daniel Henshall winning the 'Best Actor' title for his role as a serial killer. Louise Harris (more)...

Digital Spy presents a list of the major winners and nominees at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards, celebrating the best of Australian-produced film and television in 2011. The ceremony was held at the Sydney Opera House on January 31, 2012. Film Samsung Aacta Award for Best Film

The Eye of the Storm

The Hunter

Mad B**tards

Oranges and Sunshine

Red Dog - Winner!

Snowtown Best Direction

The Eye of the Storm

The Hunter

Red Dog

Snowtown - Winner! Best Lead Actor

Willem Dafoe - The Hunter

Daniel Henshall - Snowtown - Winner!

Geoffrey Rush - The Eye of the Storm

David Wenham - Oranges and Sunshine Best Lead Actress

Judy Davis - The Eye of the Storm - Winner!

Frances O'Connor - The Hunter

Charlotte Rampling - The Eye of (more)...

It seems controversy leads to awards. The two big winners at last night.s inaugural Aacta Awards were thriller feature film Snowtown and TV drama series The Slap. Both renowned for their controversial nature, the film and TV series netted four and five gongs respectively.

Snowtown, about Australian serial killer John Bunting who befriends a 16-year-old, was honoured in the Best Direction (Justin Kurzel), Best Adapted Screenplay (Shaun Grant), Best Actor (Daniel Henshall) and Best Supporting Actress (Louise Harris) categories.

The last two awards were particularly impressive as neither actor had appeared in a feature film before. While Henshall had previously acted in such shows as Out of the Blue, it was Harris. first ever acting role.

The four gongs awarded last night at the Sydney Opera House brings the film.s tally to an impressive six Aacta Awards after receiving Best Editing (Veronika Jenet Ase) and Best Sound (Frank Lipson Mpse,...

Director Stephan Elliott took the opportunity to deliver a serve to film critic Jim Schembri at the inaugural Aacta awards at the Sydney Opera House last night. Elliott bit back at Schembri’s review of A Few Best Men, which branded the film ‘unreleasable’. Despite Schembri’s review, the film opened with solid box office takings last weekend. In a lengthy rant, Elliott slammed Schembri for “personal attacks” within the review of the film as he lashed out at people unwilling to support the Australian film industry. Elliott told the audience that his tirade would be removed from Channel Nine’s delayed broadcast of the awards as producers had flagged this, along with several other categories, to be excluded prior to the show.

The Aacta ceremony, delivered minus a host, saw box office champion Red Dog take home the best film award but the biggest success of the night was...

Australian comedy A Few Best Men raked in almost $1.9 million at the local box office in its opening weekend.

Directed by Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), the film . about a wedding that goes wrong . grossed an impressive $1,834,283 across 235 screens. Opening on Australia Day, the comedy . in third position . posted a screen average of $7805.

Its weekend figures were bigger than last year's two biggest films Red Dog ($1.78 million, 245 screens) and Sanctum ($1.59 million, 252 screens).

Written by Death At A Funeral screenwriter Dean Craig, the Icon-distributed film excited exhibitors last year when it screened at the Australian International Movie Convention. It marked Icon's first local film since Oranges and Sunshine (102 screens) in June, last year. In 2010, Icon distributed South Solitary (36 screens) and Triangle (4 screens), while in 2009 it released Mary And Max (49 screens), Disgrace (24 screens) and Blessed (15 screens).

"Stephan set out to make a film to entertain an audience...

Coming off the back of another successful year at the box office for Australian films, 2012 is gearing up for another run of hits. Last year's Red Dog, Sanctum (pictured) and Oranges and Sunshine were the big winners in terms of home grown cinema admissions. Red Dog took home $21.3million - the first Aussie film in two decades to break the $20 million mark without the backing of a major Hollywood studio.

Australian cinema dropped in the overall box office earnings in 2011, compared to the previous year, according to Screen Australia.

Last year Australian films took only 3.9% of the total box office, compared to 4.5% in 2010.

In total, national box office earnings totalled $1.09b. Of these, 44 were Australian, taking $42.9m.

In 2010, 41 Australian films were released, taking $50.6m, or 4.5% of the total, $1.13b.

Red Dog was far and away the best performer in 2011 making up half of the local takings, grossing $21.3m.

It is the first time in two decades an Australian film took over $20m without Hollywood backing.

In second place, the James Cameron produced Sanctum took $3.9m locally but over $100 million internationally. In third place Oranges and Sunshine was close behind with $3.8m.

Elsewhere, in Australian theatres, Us films accounted for 81.8% of the box office with UK films a distant second, taking 11.5% – a large portion of this from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Australian films grossed just 3.9 per cent of the total takings at the 2011 box office, new statistics reveal.

The 3.9 per cent . $42.9 million . from 44 local titles is down on the previous year's figures of $50.6 million (4.5 per cent, 41 titles)..

Feel-good family film Red Dog was largely responsible for the result ($21.3 million) in a year that saw audiences hand over $1.09 billion at cinema complexes.

Distributor Roadshow opened Red Dog on 245 screens in early-August before word-of-mouth kicked in. It posted increasing box office receipts and eventually rose to a maximum of 271 screens five weeks later.

Other popular local films included Oranges and Sunshine and Sanctum (which, with a worldwide gross of more than $US100 million, is now in the top 10 Australian films in overseas territories list).

Screen Australia.s acting chief executive, Fiona Cameron, praised the local achievements . particularly Bob Connolly/Sophie Raymond's feature documentary Mrs. Carey.s Concert, which raked in more than...

Australian films grossed just 3.9 per cent of the total takings at the 2011 box office, new statistics reveal. The 3.9 per cent . $42.9 million . from 44 local titles is down on the previous year's figures of $50.6 million (4.5 per cent, 41 titles).. Feel-good family film Red Dog was largely responsible for the result ($21.3 million) in a year that saw audiences hand over $1.09 billion at cinema complexes. Distributor Roadshow opened Red Dog on 245 screens in early-August before word-of-mouth kicked in. It posted increasing box office receipts and eventually rose to a maximum of 271 screens five weeks later. Other popular local films included Oranges and Sunshine and Sanctum (which, with a worldwide gross of more than $US100 million, is now in the top...

Australian films grossed just 3.9 per cent of the total takings at the 2011 box office, new statistics reveal. The 3.9 per cent . $42.9 million . from 44 local titles is down on the previous year's figures of $50.6 million (4.5 per cent, 41 titles).. Feel-good family film Red Dog was largely responsible for the result ($21.3 million) in a year that saw audiences hand over $1.09 billion at cinema complexes. Distributor Roadshow opened Red Dog on 245 screens in early-August before word-of-mouth kicked in. It posted increasing box office receipts and eventually rose to a maximum of 271 screens five weeks later. Other popular local films included Oranges and Sunshine and Sanctum (which, with a worldwide gross of more than $US100 million, is now in the top...

This week Jason Solomons meets Ralph Fiennes to discuss his directorial debut, Coriolanus. Fiennes talks about the challanges of both starring in and overseeing the transfer of Shakespeare's thorny political tragedy for the big screen, and why he decided to set his version in a war-torn Bosnia.

Jason also meets Emily Watson to talk about her role as Rose in Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of War Horse. Jason also discusses Emily's lead in the heart-wrenching Oranges and Sunshine, directed by Jim Loach and out last year.

Guardian film writer Xan Brooks joins Jason to review Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan in Shame and Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons in Margin Call.

Subscribe for free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed).

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The actor, 44, on blaming Shakespeare, not knowing what makes a marriage work, and being like a goldfish

I was a pretentious child. I grew up without a television. I read a lot of books and I loved Shakespeare. Still do. When I was nine my mother took me to see Much Ado About Nothing with Judi Dench, and I was hooked. I met my husband [Jack Waters] at the RSC. My daughter is called Juliet. I blame Shakespeare for everything.

In my early career I was like a goldfish. Rejection didn't affect me; I'd just forget how bad it was and keep going back for more. Then I got a break and I can't say there's been a lot of rejection since. I've hit a vein of success and been very lucky.

Working with Lars von Trier [in Breaking the Waves in 1996] was life changing. Moving from theatre to film felt like going from messing about to actual acting.

The first of several top ten film lists from the writers of WhatCulture!

We’ve reached the end of another calendar year, with what could, for once, be an interesting awards season just around the corner. While many of the big contenders for the BAFTAs and Oscars have yet to see the light of day in cinemas, it’s as good a time as any for me to look back on the year that was. And while we have had to endure many a stinker from Messrs. Bay, Snyder and Marshall, and see a number of good directors come unstuck (Ron Howard and Terence Davies spring to mind), there has overall been much to celebrate.

The Coen Brothers kicked things off optimistically with True Grit; while a semi-skimmed effort by their standards, it is far superior to the original. Wake Wood showed that the reborn Hammer is here to stay,...

Beau Bridges, George Clooney in Alexander Payne's The Descendants

Water For Elephants, Soul Surfer, The Guard Among Satellite Awards Winners

Best Film

The Artist

* The Descendants

Drive

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

Shame

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

Best Actor

George Clooney, The Descendants

Leonardo diCaprio, J. Edgar

Michael Fassbender, Shame

Brendan Gleeson, The Guard

* Ryan Gosling, Drive

Tom Hardy, Warrior

Woody Harrelson, Rampart

Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Actress

Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

* Viola Davis, The Help

Vera Farmiga, Higher Ground

Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Charlize Theron, Young Adult

Emily Watson, Oranges and Sunshine

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Michelle Yeoh, The Lady

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

* Albert Brooks, Drive

Colin Farrell, Horrible Bosses

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Nick Nolte,...