Exclusive: UK sales outfit Sc Films International has acquired world rights to the thriller Captive from producer Antony I. Ginnane (Screamers), and to be directed by Louise Alston (Back of the Net).
The film is set to start production this autumn. Billed as a “thrilling kidnap and ransom story,” the pic follows Mav, who wakes up in a confined space next to a dead body. She is tied and gagged and realizes she has been kidnapped. Her kidnapper explains that he knows she is the daughter of the richest woman in the State. He wants a $20,000,000 ransom paid in 12 hours, or he will kill her like the other passenger. A cat-and-mouse game ensues as her mother is unwilling to pay the ransom and neither the kidnappee nor the kidnapper are what they seem.
The pic comes from a screenplay by Stephen Vagg (All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane) and was...
The film is set to start production this autumn. Billed as a “thrilling kidnap and ransom story,” the pic follows Mav, who wakes up in a confined space next to a dead body. She is tied and gagged and realizes she has been kidnapped. Her kidnapper explains that he knows she is the daughter of the richest woman in the State. He wants a $20,000,000 ransom paid in 12 hours, or he will kill her like the other passenger. A cat-and-mouse game ensues as her mother is unwilling to pay the ransom and neither the kidnappee nor the kidnapper are what they seem.
The pic comes from a screenplay by Stephen Vagg (All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane) and was...
- 5/3/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Screen Canberra has backed seven projects with $355,000, including horror film Sissy, expected to shoot by the end of the year.
The Cbr Screen Fund has supported Sissy with production investment, and will also provide development support for Little One, a TV adaptation by Peter Papathanasiou of his memoir of the same title; Paranormal Blacktivity, a TV series conceived by Indigenous comedians, and comedy feature film Swing Set.
Cbr Screen Fund manager Sophie Harper said: “The quality, diversity and sheer number of projects we’re seeing as this challenging year comes to a close is heartening. It’s also wonderful to see feature film production up and running again in the Act with horror film Sissy set to shoot before the end of the year.”
Three projects will also share in development support via Made in Cbr, the agency’s Covid support fund. They include two TV series, Cipher from Naomi...
The Cbr Screen Fund has supported Sissy with production investment, and will also provide development support for Little One, a TV adaptation by Peter Papathanasiou of his memoir of the same title; Paranormal Blacktivity, a TV series conceived by Indigenous comedians, and comedy feature film Swing Set.
Cbr Screen Fund manager Sophie Harper said: “The quality, diversity and sheer number of projects we’re seeing as this challenging year comes to a close is heartening. It’s also wonderful to see feature film production up and running again in the Act with horror film Sissy set to shoot before the end of the year.”
Three projects will also share in development support via Made in Cbr, the agency’s Covid support fund. They include two TV series, Cipher from Naomi...
- 11/19/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
‘Relic’
While some distributors are cutting back, Umbrella Entertainment plans to release approximately 18 titles in cinemas this year, up from 14 in 2019.
The distributor has high hopes for its Australian acquisitions which run the gamut of genres from drama, horror and Western to sci-fi.
“We’re passionate about overcoming the cultural cringe that Australian audiences still have a tendency to display and are dedicated to fostering new Australian talent,” Umbrella head of acquisitions Ari Harrison tells If.
“As a small, close-knit team, we aim to concentrate our efforts on films that we love and can support from the ground up. We want to work hand-in-hand with the filmmakers with the goal of getting their film ‘out there’ so that it finds its audience.
“Essentially we aim to ensure that the films we acquire have the capacity for national theatrical success in Australia and New Zealand, with potential for continued growth via their ancillary platforms.
While some distributors are cutting back, Umbrella Entertainment plans to release approximately 18 titles in cinemas this year, up from 14 in 2019.
The distributor has high hopes for its Australian acquisitions which run the gamut of genres from drama, horror and Western to sci-fi.
“We’re passionate about overcoming the cultural cringe that Australian audiences still have a tendency to display and are dedicated to fostering new Australian talent,” Umbrella head of acquisitions Ari Harrison tells If.
“As a small, close-knit team, we aim to concentrate our efforts on films that we love and can support from the ground up. We want to work hand-in-hand with the filmmakers with the goal of getting their film ‘out there’ so that it finds its audience.
“Essentially we aim to ensure that the films we acquire have the capacity for national theatrical success in Australia and New Zealand, with potential for continued growth via their ancillary platforms.
- 2/16/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Stage Mums’.
Network 10 has acquired season two of the SundayArvo Productions and Ozpix Entertainment-produced comedy Stage Mums.
The Gold Coast-set parody of life behind-the-scenes with ambitious screen talent is co-produced, written by and stars SundayArvo’s Anna Waters-Massey.
Season one (8 x 7min) screened on 10 Peach last year and garnered a strong audience reception. The second season will be longer, 8 x 30min, and is in currently early pre-production, with the expectation it will air early next year.
The series began its life as a skit posted to YouTube, inspired Waters-Massey’s real life on the Gold Coast as an acting coach and mother of two aspiring thespians. Her daughter Cleo Massey also stars in the ensemble cast which includes Tara Page, Samantha Pearce, Gerry Connolly and Brooke Lee. Season two includes guest appearances by Us gossip columnist Perez Hilton. Both series are directed by Louise Alston (Back of The Net...
Network 10 has acquired season two of the SundayArvo Productions and Ozpix Entertainment-produced comedy Stage Mums.
The Gold Coast-set parody of life behind-the-scenes with ambitious screen talent is co-produced, written by and stars SundayArvo’s Anna Waters-Massey.
Season one (8 x 7min) screened on 10 Peach last year and garnered a strong audience reception. The second season will be longer, 8 x 30min, and is in currently early pre-production, with the expectation it will air early next year.
The series began its life as a skit posted to YouTube, inspired Waters-Massey’s real life on the Gold Coast as an acting coach and mother of two aspiring thespians. Her daughter Cleo Massey also stars in the ensemble cast which includes Tara Page, Samantha Pearce, Gerry Connolly and Brooke Lee. Season two includes guest appearances by Us gossip columnist Perez Hilton. Both series are directed by Louise Alston (Back of The Net...
- 10/7/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Peyton List on the set of ‘Swimming for Gold.’
American actress Peyton List, who starred in the Disney Channel series Jessie and the spin-off Bunk’d, is playing the protagonist in young adult feature film Swimming for Gold.
Now shooting in Brisbane, the narrative follows List’s Claire Carpenter, a 17-year-old elite swimmer who is reluctantly sent to Australia to coach a boys’ swimming team after a jet ski accident left her with a fear of water.
Lauren Esposito co-stars as Mikayla Michaels, Claire’s rival and sworn enemy with whom she is forced to share a room at the swimming camp.
Daniel Needs is Liam, the captain of the boys’ team who challenges Claire, explaining that if they don’t win, the camp will be forced to close.
The director Hayley MacFarlane is making her feature film debut after directing several shorts and spending several years in the UK directing reality shows Big Brother,...
American actress Peyton List, who starred in the Disney Channel series Jessie and the spin-off Bunk’d, is playing the protagonist in young adult feature film Swimming for Gold.
Now shooting in Brisbane, the narrative follows List’s Claire Carpenter, a 17-year-old elite swimmer who is reluctantly sent to Australia to coach a boys’ swimming team after a jet ski accident left her with a fear of water.
Lauren Esposito co-stars as Mikayla Michaels, Claire’s rival and sworn enemy with whom she is forced to share a room at the swimming camp.
Daniel Needs is Liam, the captain of the boys’ team who challenges Claire, explaining that if they don’t win, the camp will be forced to close.
The director Hayley MacFarlane is making her feature film debut after directing several shorts and spending several years in the UK directing reality shows Big Brother,...
- 8/14/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Angela Little.
Screen composer Angela Little is pursuing her career in Hollywood after completing her Master of Music in Screen Scoring at the University of Southern California while continuing to work on Australian productions.
Little has signed with the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, which represents numerous composers, music producers, songwriters, music supervisors and music editors.
“The agency wants to build a relationship with me and they told me to run all deals through them, which is really exciting,” she tells If via Skype.
She has just scored Mark Lamprell’s Never Too Late, a comedy-drama starring Jack Thompson, James Cromwell, Dennis Waterman and Roy Billing as Vietnam veterans who plan to break out of their nursing home. Jacki Weaver plays Norma, the long-lost love of Cromwell’s character Bronson, who was a Us soldier whom she met when he was in Australia on R&r.
Angela oversaw the live recording of two...
Screen composer Angela Little is pursuing her career in Hollywood after completing her Master of Music in Screen Scoring at the University of Southern California while continuing to work on Australian productions.
Little has signed with the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, which represents numerous composers, music producers, songwriters, music supervisors and music editors.
“The agency wants to build a relationship with me and they told me to run all deals through them, which is really exciting,” she tells If via Skype.
She has just scored Mark Lamprell’s Never Too Late, a comedy-drama starring Jack Thompson, James Cromwell, Dennis Waterman and Roy Billing as Vietnam veterans who plan to break out of their nursing home. Jacki Weaver plays Norma, the long-lost love of Cromwell’s character Bronson, who was a Us soldier whom she met when he was in Australia on R&r.
Angela oversaw the live recording of two...
- 8/7/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘2040’.
Five months into the year, 18 Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas since the start of the year, plus holdovers, have racked up a modest $14.3 million.
That compares with $37.6 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.4 million, Breath’s $3.6 million in four weeks (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.
Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy is the top title with nearly $5 million, a creditable result. But almost certainly that would have been rather higher if Sony Pictures had been able to use Geoffrey Rush in the publicity campaign.
Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding has grossed $4.7 million through Sunday, its sixth weekend, and could finish with $5.5 million.
Anthony Maras’ Hotel Mumbai collected $3.3 million, knee-capped by the dreadful co-incidence of opening on the same weekend as the Christchurch massacre.
Damon Gameau’s 2040 has earned $568,000 after its second weekend and, buoyed by word-of-mouth, distributor...
Five months into the year, 18 Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas since the start of the year, plus holdovers, have racked up a modest $14.3 million.
That compares with $37.6 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.4 million, Breath’s $3.6 million in four weeks (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.
Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy is the top title with nearly $5 million, a creditable result. But almost certainly that would have been rather higher if Sony Pictures had been able to use Geoffrey Rush in the publicity campaign.
Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding has grossed $4.7 million through Sunday, its sixth weekend, and could finish with $5.5 million.
Anthony Maras’ Hotel Mumbai collected $3.3 million, knee-capped by the dreadful co-incidence of opening on the same weekend as the Christchurch massacre.
Damon Gameau’s 2040 has earned $568,000 after its second weekend and, buoyed by word-of-mouth, distributor...
- 6/3/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Back of the Net.’
The Disney Channel has acquired the Us rights to Louise Alston’s young adult drama Back of the Net, which stars Sofia Wylie.
Produced by the Steve Jaggi Company, the film follows Wylie as American science student Cory Bailey, who finds herself stuck at a soccer academy in Sydney for the summer.
Despite her lack of interest in the sport she is determined to end her team’s losing streak and beat the school’s mean girl Evie (Tiarnie Coupland).
Scripted by Us writers Casie Tabanou and Alison Spuck McNeeley and also featuring Trae Robin, Gemma Chua-Tran, Ashleigh Maree Ross, Yasmin Honeychurch, Christopher Kirby and Kate Box, it will premiere on the Disney Channel and DisneyNow at 8 pm Edt/Pdt on Saturday June 15.
The network was the natural home for the movie as Wylie starred as Buffy Driscoll in Disney Channel’s Andi Mack series. She...
The Disney Channel has acquired the Us rights to Louise Alston’s young adult drama Back of the Net, which stars Sofia Wylie.
Produced by the Steve Jaggi Company, the film follows Wylie as American science student Cory Bailey, who finds herself stuck at a soccer academy in Sydney for the summer.
Despite her lack of interest in the sport she is determined to end her team’s losing streak and beat the school’s mean girl Evie (Tiarnie Coupland).
Scripted by Us writers Casie Tabanou and Alison Spuck McNeeley and also featuring Trae Robin, Gemma Chua-Tran, Ashleigh Maree Ross, Yasmin Honeychurch, Christopher Kirby and Kate Box, it will premiere on the Disney Channel and DisneyNow at 8 pm Edt/Pdt on Saturday June 15.
The network was the natural home for the movie as Wylie starred as Buffy Driscoll in Disney Channel’s Andi Mack series. She...
- 5/20/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Top End Wedding’.
It’s been a quiet start for the year for Australian films at the national box office, particularly compared to last year when Peter Rabbit and Sweet Country were drawing crowds.
However exhibitors are very optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year, including Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding which opened yesterday, Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach and Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (both August 8) and Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl (September 26).
Ten new releases plus holdovers collectively racked up $9.06 million through April 30, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That’s way below the first four months of 2018, which generated $32 million, with Will Gluck’s Peter Rabbit making $25.4 million en route to a final total of $26.7 million and Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country $2 million.
Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy pocketed nearly $5 million, not a bad result,...
It’s been a quiet start for the year for Australian films at the national box office, particularly compared to last year when Peter Rabbit and Sweet Country were drawing crowds.
However exhibitors are very optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year, including Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding which opened yesterday, Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach and Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (both August 8) and Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl (September 26).
Ten new releases plus holdovers collectively racked up $9.06 million through April 30, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That’s way below the first four months of 2018, which generated $32 million, with Will Gluck’s Peter Rabbit making $25.4 million en route to a final total of $26.7 million and Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country $2 million.
Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy pocketed nearly $5 million, not a bad result,...
- 5/3/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Curse of the Weeping Woman’
New Line/DC Entertainment’s family superhero adventure Shazam! easily retained the top spot in its third weekend virtually by default.
One reason for the dreary Easter weekend trading: Distributors were unwilling to launch films for fear of being crushed by the Disney/Marvel juggernaut Avengers: End Game, which opens on Wednesday.
But an underlying factor is the generally lousy performance of Hollywood films this year. In the Us pundits described the Easter business as the worst since 2003. The Us box office for the year to date stands at $2.9 billion, down 16 per cent on 2018.
The only new wide release was the James Wan-produced horror pic The Curse of the Weeping Woman (aka The Curse of La Llorona), which opened at No. 1 in the Us but was a distant fifth here.
Bollywood romantic drama Kalank and Korean thriller Burning fared best among the specialty...
New Line/DC Entertainment’s family superhero adventure Shazam! easily retained the top spot in its third weekend virtually by default.
One reason for the dreary Easter weekend trading: Distributors were unwilling to launch films for fear of being crushed by the Disney/Marvel juggernaut Avengers: End Game, which opens on Wednesday.
But an underlying factor is the generally lousy performance of Hollywood films this year. In the Us pundits described the Easter business as the worst since 2003. The Us box office for the year to date stands at $2.9 billion, down 16 per cent on 2018.
The only new wide release was the James Wan-produced horror pic The Curse of the Weeping Woman (aka The Curse of La Llorona), which opened at No. 1 in the Us but was a distant fifth here.
Bollywood romantic drama Kalank and Korean thriller Burning fared best among the specialty...
- 4/22/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Back of the Net’
Facing zero competition from the new releases, New Line/DC Entertainment’s family superhero adventure Shazam! continued its reign at Australian cinemas last weekend.
Lionsgate’s Hellboy reboot, Universal’s comedy Little, Fox’s romantic drama The Aftermath and Laika Studios/Roadshow’s stop-motion animated comedy Missing Link all struggled, generally mirroring their Us results.
Meanwhile Umbrella’s Back of the Net, a young adult drama directed by Louise Alston and scripted by Casie Tabanou and Alison Spuck, launched in Queensland and Victoria, netting $14,000 from limited sessions on 38 screens.
Don’t read too much into that because the film starring Sofia Wylie (the Disney Channel’s Andi Mack) as a soccer academy student who locks horns with the school’s star player Evie (Tiarnie Coupland) is rolling out over the next few weeks, dated for the school holidays.
Also, producer Steve Jaggi is soon expected to...
Facing zero competition from the new releases, New Line/DC Entertainment’s family superhero adventure Shazam! continued its reign at Australian cinemas last weekend.
Lionsgate’s Hellboy reboot, Universal’s comedy Little, Fox’s romantic drama The Aftermath and Laika Studios/Roadshow’s stop-motion animated comedy Missing Link all struggled, generally mirroring their Us results.
Meanwhile Umbrella’s Back of the Net, a young adult drama directed by Louise Alston and scripted by Casie Tabanou and Alison Spuck, launched in Queensland and Victoria, netting $14,000 from limited sessions on 38 screens.
Don’t read too much into that because the film starring Sofia Wylie (the Disney Channel’s Andi Mack) as a soccer academy student who locks horns with the school’s star player Evie (Tiarnie Coupland) is rolling out over the next few weeks, dated for the school holidays.
Also, producer Steve Jaggi is soon expected to...
- 4/15/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Ladies in Black.’
The Australian titles released in cinemas this year including holdovers will overtake the calendar 2017 total in the next week or so, boosted by Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black.
Through the end of September the Oz films and feature docs had grossed $47.8 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa), within spitting distance of last year’s $49.4 million.
After a second weekend drop of just 10 per cent Ladies in Black’s takings have increased by nearly $800,000 to $5.97 million, including $361,000 on Tuesday, so the 1950s-set comedy-drama distributed by Sony is on course to surpass $12 million.
Distributed by Universal Pictures as an alternate content release, Mark Joffe’s biopic Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy rang up $823,000, ranking as the year’s second biggest feature doc behind Paul Damian Williams’ Gurrumul, which made $984,000.
Among the other September debutantes, Mark Grentell’s The Merger collected $405,000 and Benjamin Gilmour...
The Australian titles released in cinemas this year including holdovers will overtake the calendar 2017 total in the next week or so, boosted by Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black.
Through the end of September the Oz films and feature docs had grossed $47.8 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa), within spitting distance of last year’s $49.4 million.
After a second weekend drop of just 10 per cent Ladies in Black’s takings have increased by nearly $800,000 to $5.97 million, including $361,000 on Tuesday, so the 1950s-set comedy-drama distributed by Sony is on course to surpass $12 million.
Distributed by Universal Pictures as an alternate content release, Mark Joffe’s biopic Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy rang up $823,000, ranking as the year’s second biggest feature doc behind Paul Damian Williams’ Gurrumul, which made $984,000.
Among the other September debutantes, Mark Grentell’s The Merger collected $405,000 and Benjamin Gilmour...
- 10/3/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘In Like Flynn.’
Robert Slaviero has joined Umbrella Entertainment as head of sales as the distributor continues its commitment to release a sizable slate of Australian feature films and documentaries.
While some distributors have largely shied away from handling local films Umbrella is keeping the faith with three titles scheduled to open in October and eight on the slate for 2019.
“We like working with people who are passionate about their work and who have a commercial sensibility,” Umbrella MD Jeff Harrison tells If, pointing to collaborators including Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings, Catherine Scott, Carver Films’ Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill, Steve Jaggi and Justin Dix. “We are very happy with what we’re doing.”
Head of acquisitions Ari Harrison says the firm evaluates up to 50 scripts at any one time and he laments the shortage of projects aimed at older females. “People...
Robert Slaviero has joined Umbrella Entertainment as head of sales as the distributor continues its commitment to release a sizable slate of Australian feature films and documentaries.
While some distributors have largely shied away from handling local films Umbrella is keeping the faith with three titles scheduled to open in October and eight on the slate for 2019.
“We like working with people who are passionate about their work and who have a commercial sensibility,” Umbrella MD Jeff Harrison tells If, pointing to collaborators including Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings, Catherine Scott, Carver Films’ Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill, Steve Jaggi and Justin Dix. “We are very happy with what we’re doing.”
Head of acquisitions Ari Harrison says the firm evaluates up to 50 scripts at any one time and he laments the shortage of projects aimed at older females. “People...
- 9/18/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Andi Mack’ Star Sofia Wylie Scores Big Screen Role With Australian Soccer Feature ‘Back Of The Net’
Exclusive: Sofia Wylie, the star of Disney Channel's hit series Andi Mack, has scored her first big screen role, playing the lead in Australian family soccer film Back of the Net. Wylie, who plays Buffy Driscoll in the coming-of-age series, which was lauded for being the first Disney series to incorporate an Lgbt storyline, will play Cory Bailey in the movie, which is directed by Louise Alston (All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane). The film, which is produced by The Steve…...
- 3/28/2018
- Deadline
Diversity champion Stephanie Allain to deliver keynote.
This year’s selected projects for Strategic Partners’ International Co-Production Market in Canada features producer delegates with more than 186 combined international festival awards.
The 85 delegates will convene in Halifax from September 14-16 to network with global industry leaders looking to invest.
Stephanie Allain (pictured), the founder of Homegrown Pictures and a champion of diversity who produced Hustle & Flow and served as executive producer on TV series Dear White People, among others, will deliver a keynote address under the auspices of In Conversation With.
“Now that films by and about women and people of colour are in the zeitgeist, Homegrown Pictures is doubling down on telling those stories despite the lack of foreign presales,” Allain said.
Laura Mackenzie, programme manager of Strategic Partners, said, “In an industry that is increasingly global – co-production should be at the forefront of all producers’ plans.”
Projects for the 2017 market include:
Exposure
Dir. Ian Gabriel
Do Productions...
This year’s selected projects for Strategic Partners’ International Co-Production Market in Canada features producer delegates with more than 186 combined international festival awards.
The 85 delegates will convene in Halifax from September 14-16 to network with global industry leaders looking to invest.
Stephanie Allain (pictured), the founder of Homegrown Pictures and a champion of diversity who produced Hustle & Flow and served as executive producer on TV series Dear White People, among others, will deliver a keynote address under the auspices of In Conversation With.
“Now that films by and about women and people of colour are in the zeitgeist, Homegrown Pictures is doubling down on telling those stories despite the lack of foreign presales,” Allain said.
Laura Mackenzie, programme manager of Strategic Partners, said, “In an industry that is increasingly global – co-production should be at the forefront of all producers’ plans.”
Projects for the 2017 market include:
Exposure
Dir. Ian Gabriel
Do Productions...
- 8/10/2017
- ScreenDaily
Arclight Films has announced some new information on two of their films, “Tracey’s Slumba Party” and “Dark Vengeance”. Darclight, Arclight’s horror/sci-fi unit, has picked up the foreign rights to the Australian movie “Tracey’s Slumba Party”, a horror spoof directed by Louise Alston (“Jucy: All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane”). Gary Hamilton, managing director of Darclight, announced that “Tracey’s Slumba Party” would be produced by Michael Robertson (“Road Kill”; “Black Water”; “The Reef”) and Kent Smith (“Martyrs”; “2:37″, “The Tree”) under their new genre banner Croweater Entertainment. Croweater Entertainment is a production alliance between Robertson’s Prodigy Movies and Smith’s producer/distributor Kojo Pictures. Darclight will produce with Croweater. “Darclight are pleased to...
- 5/21/2011
- by monique
- ShockYa
Prodigy Movies and Kojo Pictures have launched a new genre production alliance, Croweater Entertainment, which will produce horror-musical spoof Tracey's Slumba Party later this year. Arclight Films' horror/sci-fi unit Darclight will co-produce and has picked up foreign rights to the film (outside Australia and New Zealand and the United Kingdom). Croweater Entertainment is led by Prodigy's Michael Robertson (Road Train, Black Water, The Reef) and Kojo's Kent Smith (Martyrs, 2.37, The Tree). Tracey's Slumba Party will be directed by Louise Alston (Jucy, All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane) and will star Kate Geck and Mel Sano from the cult-punk girl group Toxic Lipstick. The film is about a teen girls. sleepover gone-wrong that quickly evolves from manicures...
- 5/19/2011
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
As you've no doubt noticed, news from Cannes is coming in fast and furious on a daily (almost hourly) basis so to keep things orderly, we're combining three bits of international distribution news into this one story. Films heading to Italy, the UK and France, and all over the world (excluding the UK, Australia and New Zealand) are Nurse 3D, Snowtown, and Tracey's Slumba Party.
Per Screen Daily Italian indie distributor M2 Pictures has closed a pre-sales deal from Lionsgate for the sexy, thriller comedy-horror Nurse 3D written by David Loughery and directed by Douglas Aarniokoski.
Synopsis:
By day Abby Russell is a dedicated nurse, someone you wouldn’t hesitate to trust your life with. But by night her real work begins…using her smoldering sexuality, she lures cheating men to their brutal deaths and exposes them for who they really are. When a younger nurse starts to suspect Abby's...
Per Screen Daily Italian indie distributor M2 Pictures has closed a pre-sales deal from Lionsgate for the sexy, thriller comedy-horror Nurse 3D written by David Loughery and directed by Douglas Aarniokoski.
Synopsis:
By day Abby Russell is a dedicated nurse, someone you wouldn’t hesitate to trust your life with. But by night her real work begins…using her smoldering sexuality, she lures cheating men to their brutal deaths and exposes them for who they really are. When a younger nurse starts to suspect Abby's...
- 5/18/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Arclight Films' Darclight banner has picked up foreign rights to director Louise Alston's next film, a horror musical spoof entitled Tracey's Slumba Party . The film would be produced by Michael Robertson ( The Reef ) and Kent Smith ( Martyrs ) under their new genre banner Croweater Entertainment. The film centers on a teen girls' sleepover gone-wrong that quickly evolves from "manicures and boy talk to murder and mayhem," says Smith. Alston expects to start filming later this year in South Australia with stars Kate Geck and Mel Sano from the cult punk girl group "Toxic Lipstick." Here's a teaser we discovered over at Alston's site that was cooked up to generate buzz with potential investors. Tracey's Slumba Party Taster from Louise on Vimeo...
- 5/18/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
The road to making your first feature film can be a steep one, marked by triumphant highs and discouraging lows. Just ask Australian filmmakers Andrew Traucki, Louise Alston and Gale Edwards who have each recently wrapped a local feature film soon to be released. Each of these directors will be taking part in a seminar on March 10 at Bondi's Apple Store - known for its free impromptu events - where they will speak about their journey to making a feature film. As these filmmakers are well aware, shooting the film is only one part in the process of making a feature.
- 2/15/2011
- FilmInk.com.au
Of all the films from down under, while Stuart Beattie's directing debut, With Tomorrow, When The War Began will likely grab the majority of the attention in the "market" portion at Tiff, this year there will be a half dozen Australian films featured at the film festival. Announced just last week, the Discovery program, a showcase for innovative new filmmakers will contain 3 Australian features. We have Blame (written and directed by Michael Henry) - the story of five vigilantes who seek vengeance over a sexual betrayal where the film is scheduled for a domestic Australian release in October. See pic below. Griff the Invisible (written and directed by Leon Ford) starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) is about an office worker/superhero who faces a dilemma when he meets a beautiful young scientist, Melody who shares his passion for the impossible. The screening will be a world premiere. Ben C...
- 8/31/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
All in all seven Australian films have made the cut for Toronto 2010 including Blame, Wasted on the Young, Griff the Invisible, and Jucy.
Billed as "a womantic comedy of platonic proportions" Jucy is the new film from director Louise Alston following her breakout first feature All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane.
Here's the lowdown, from the Tiff programme. Jackie (Cindy Nelson) and Lucy (Francesca Gasteen) are two twentysomething best friends who've made an art of not doing much. They're so inseparable that they've earned the collective moniker "Jucy." Working together in an alternative video store, they smoke pot, play video games and actively encourage each other's eccentricities and often delusional world view.
Hectored mercilessly by their families for their various failings and the perceived negative impact that their relationship is having on each other, the pair sets out to prove that they are capable of living grown-up lives. Determined to...
Billed as "a womantic comedy of platonic proportions" Jucy is the new film from director Louise Alston following her breakout first feature All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane.
Here's the lowdown, from the Tiff programme. Jackie (Cindy Nelson) and Lucy (Francesca Gasteen) are two twentysomething best friends who've made an art of not doing much. They're so inseparable that they've earned the collective moniker "Jucy." Working together in an alternative video store, they smoke pot, play video games and actively encourage each other's eccentricities and often delusional world view.
Hectored mercilessly by their families for their various failings and the perceived negative impact that their relationship is having on each other, the pair sets out to prove that they are capable of living grown-up lives. Determined to...
- 8/30/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Wow, that's a lot of flicks. Everything from Peter Mullan's Neds to Benedek Fliegauf's Womb (that's right, it's a trailer!) to more Greek weirdness in Athena Tsangari's Attenberg. I wish I was going.
It's late so I'm not writing much of a post here.. Maybe I'll update tomorrow.
Full list after the break via Variety.
Contemporary World Cinema
(World preems)
* "Home for Christmas," Bent Hamer (Norway/Germany/Sweden)
* "Behind Blue Skies," Hannes Holm (Sweden)
* "Even The Rain," Iciar Bollain (Spain/France/Mexico)
* "The First Grader," Justin Chadwick (I.K.)
* "Neds," Peter Mullan (U.K./France/Italy)
* "White Irish Drinkers," John Gray (U.S.)
* "22nd of May," Koen Mortier (Belgium)
* "African United," Deb Gardner-Paterson (U.K.)
* "Blessed Events," Isabelle Stever (Germany)
* "The Edge," Alexey Uchitel (Russia)
* "Jucy," Louise Alston (Australia)
* "Lapland Odyssey," Dome Karukoski (Finland)
* "Late Autumn," Kim Teo-Yong (South Korea)
* "Matariki" Michael Bennet (New Zealand)
* "Tracker" Ian Sharp (U.
It's late so I'm not writing much of a post here.. Maybe I'll update tomorrow.
Full list after the break via Variety.
Contemporary World Cinema
(World preems)
* "Home for Christmas," Bent Hamer (Norway/Germany/Sweden)
* "Behind Blue Skies," Hannes Holm (Sweden)
* "Even The Rain," Iciar Bollain (Spain/France/Mexico)
* "The First Grader," Justin Chadwick (I.K.)
* "Neds," Peter Mullan (U.K./France/Italy)
* "White Irish Drinkers," John Gray (U.S.)
* "22nd of May," Koen Mortier (Belgium)
* "African United," Deb Gardner-Paterson (U.K.)
* "Blessed Events," Isabelle Stever (Germany)
* "The Edge," Alexey Uchitel (Russia)
* "Jucy," Louise Alston (Australia)
* "Lapland Odyssey," Dome Karukoski (Finland)
* "Late Autumn," Kim Teo-Yong (South Korea)
* "Matariki" Michael Bennet (New Zealand)
* "Tracker" Ian Sharp (U.
- 8/25/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Louise Alston’s ‘womantic’ comedy Jucy will be part of the Contemporary World Cinema program at the Toronto International Film Festival; Michael Henry’s Blame, Leon Ford’s Griff the Invisible and Ben C. Lucas’ Wasted on the Young will screen in the Discovery program.
Jucy is about best friends Jackie and Lucy, who spend all their time together, but not everyone approves of their “womance.” Accused of being weird and codependent, they set out to prove their maturity. Jackie gets the guy and Lucy gets the job, but can their friendship survive their newfound independence?
Produced by Kelly Chapman; written by Stephen Vagg. International sales handled by Odin’s Eye Entertainment.
Blame tells the story of a group of young vigilantes seeking revenge for a sexual betrayal fall far from grace. When the truth is out, they find themselves on the dark side of justice. PackScreen will release it in October.
Jucy is about best friends Jackie and Lucy, who spend all their time together, but not everyone approves of their “womance.” Accused of being weird and codependent, they set out to prove their maturity. Jackie gets the guy and Lucy gets the job, but can their friendship survive their newfound independence?
Produced by Kelly Chapman; written by Stephen Vagg. International sales handled by Odin’s Eye Entertainment.
Blame tells the story of a group of young vigilantes seeking revenge for a sexual betrayal fall far from grace. When the truth is out, they find themselves on the dark side of justice. PackScreen will release it in October.
- 8/25/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Rachel Weisz in The Whistleblower The Toronto International Film Festival has added even more films to their line-up today as the complete line-up was announced, which ended up causing the festival's server to crash, but I was lucky enough to get in and get out before missing out on the information.
First off, the festival's Mavericks line-up is quite interesting, which includes a series of guest presentations and this year will see Edward Norton interview Bruce Springsteen, NBA All-Star and native Canadian Steve Nash will present his hour-long film Into the Wind, Apichatpong Weerasethakul will talk with the audience as his Cannes Palm d'Or-winning film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives was just added to the Masters programme, Ken Loach and Paul Laverty will be interviewed by Michael Moore on politics and cinema and Philip Seymour Hoffman will have his own panel. Also on hand will be Bill Gates,...
First off, the festival's Mavericks line-up is quite interesting, which includes a series of guest presentations and this year will see Edward Norton interview Bruce Springsteen, NBA All-Star and native Canadian Steve Nash will present his hour-long film Into the Wind, Apichatpong Weerasethakul will talk with the audience as his Cannes Palm d'Or-winning film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives was just added to the Masters programme, Ken Loach and Paul Laverty will be interviewed by Michael Moore on politics and cinema and Philip Seymour Hoffman will have his own panel. Also on hand will be Bill Gates,...
- 8/24/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The sophomore film from the director of Ex Drummer, Swedish thriller Bad Faith, Pablo Trapero's Carancho (my personal favorite film from Cannes 2010), Tsui Hark's Detective Dee, Tom Tykwer's Three and a host of others populate one of the more exciting lineups for the Tiff Contemporary World Cinema Program in recent years. Here's the complete lineup:
22nd of May Koen Mortier, Belgium World Premiere
The director of Ex-Drummer returns with an artful meditation on political violence. A security guard fails to prevent a horrific explosion in a shopping mall, then lives through the aftermath as a series of overlapping what-ifs.
Africa United Debs Gardner-Paterson, United Kingdom World Premiere
Africa United tells the extraordinary story of three Rwandan children and their bid to achieve their lifelong dream - to take part in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Football World Cup in Johannesburg.
Aftershock Feng Xiaogang, China North American Premiere...
22nd of May Koen Mortier, Belgium World Premiere
The director of Ex-Drummer returns with an artful meditation on political violence. A security guard fails to prevent a horrific explosion in a shopping mall, then lives through the aftermath as a series of overlapping what-ifs.
Africa United Debs Gardner-Paterson, United Kingdom World Premiere
Africa United tells the extraordinary story of three Rwandan children and their bid to achieve their lifelong dream - to take part in the opening ceremony of the 2010 Football World Cup in Johannesburg.
Aftershock Feng Xiaogang, China North American Premiere...
- 8/24/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Following the slew of bromances which seem to be hitting cinemas of late is the Australian chick buddy flick, Jucy, which was shot in Queensland in 2009 and is set for release later this year. Described as a "wo-mantic comedy," the film's director, Louise Alston says, "Hollywood gives us a lot of films about bromances, this shows us the female version. The buddy movie is very Australian too; Muriel's Wedding is the first one that springs to mind. Then there's friendship between men in Gallipoli, man and beast in Man from Snowy River, men in dresses in Pricilla.
- 3/22/2010
- FilmInk.com.au
Australian playwright and screenwriter Stephen Vagg and his wife, director Louise Alston, have teamed up again for Jucy, a new film about the payoffs and pitfalls that riddle modern relationships. The film has been described as "womantic" (the female equivalent of a "bromance") - it has the sentiment and trajectory of a romantic comedy, but it's about finding friends, not romance. Vagg and Alston are the creative team behind the indie Australian comedy, All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane. Jucy will be the second installment in what will hopefully be a trilogy of quarter-life-crisis themed films. Jucy is a subtly crafted script examining the suburban status quo, and the relationships that create it: "It's about the changing nature of relationships in the 21st century, and in particular the intense bonds that can form between platonic couples.
- 1/14/2009
- FilmInk.com.au
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