AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND - Prod Lists - Sep 15 2003

The Human Touch
(Illumination Films, Go Patterson Films Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia. Int'l sales: Cinemavault Releasing. Dist: Dendy (Aust/NZ). Drama. Anna and David's relationship is tested when a wealthy, charming, worldly gentleman enters Anna's life, causing her to lose some of her sexual inhibitions. Exec prods: William Marshall, Nick Stiliades, Irene Loewy. Prod: Mark Patterson. Dir/scr: Paul Cox. Shooting in late 2003 in South Australia and France.
Contact: Mark Patterson, (61) 409 673 582

Irresistible
(Irresistible Films, Kennedy Mellor, Spice Factory, Movision Entertainment) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, Movision. Int'l sales: Arclight. Dist: Palace (Aust/NZ), Momentum (UK), Blue Star (It). Psychological thriller. Sophie Hartley is convinced she is being stalked. She becomes increasingly certain that her husband's beautiful co-worker, Mara, wants her children, her husband, her life. But no-one believes her. Forced to prove her sanity, she makes a discovery more shocking than her worst fears. Exec prods: Sue Maslin, Gary Hamilton, Peter James, James Simpson. Prods: Tatiana Kennedy, Franziska Wagenfeld, Michael Cowan, Jason Piette. Dir/scr: Ann Turner. DoP: Martin McGrath. Ed: Ken Sallows. Sound design: Craig Carter. Shooting in Adelaide from January 19 to March 19, 2004.
Contact: Franziska Wagenfeld, (61) 412 818 464

Mozart Maulers
(Martin Brown Films) Budget: A$10 million. Backers: GreeneStreet Films, Film Finance Corporation Australia, Movie Network. Int'l sales: GreeneStreet Films. Dist: Roadshow (Aust/NZ). Romantic comedy. A student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music starts a rugby league team of musical misfits and takes on the greatest team in the country. Prod: Martin Brown. Dir: John Polson. Scr: Dorian Mode, Richard Sutherlin, Louis Nowra. Shooting early 2004.
Contact: Martin Brown, (61 2) 9280 3066

The Oyster Farmer
(Anthony Buckley Films [Aust], The Oyster Farmer Production [UK]) Budget: A$6.9m. Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, New South Wales Film and Television Office, Little Wing UK, Future Film UK. Int'l sales: Beyond Films. Dist: Dendy/Ocean (Aust/NZ). Modern romantic comedy. Eighth generation oyster farmers, Vietnam veterans with shotguns and 220 horsepower outboards, and other eccentrics in a frontier-style country. Prods: Anthony Buckley, Piers Tempest. Dir/scr: Anna Reeves. Main cast: David Kelly, Alex O'Lachlan, Kerry Armstrong, Jack Thompson, David Field. Shooting November 10 to December 19, 2003.
Contact: Hilary Davis, Beyond, (44 207) 636 9613

Power Surge
(City Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia. Int'l sales: ContentFilm. Psychological thriller. With the police snapping at their heels, a couple take a heartbroken agoraphobic hostage in an isolated house. Exec prod: John Schmidt. Prods: Andrew Mason, Ed Pressman, Lizzie Bryant. Dir: Stuart McDonald. Scr: Dave Warner. Shooting in Sydney in late 2003.
Contact: Lizzie Bryant, (61 2) 9380 2111

The Queen & I
(Street Films [Aust], Scala Productions [UK]) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia. Int'l sales: Winchester. Dist: Becker Group (Aust/NZ). Comedy. When Queen Elizabeth II is hit on the head with a boomerang during her tour of Australia, an entertainer whose impersonation of Her Majesty is faultless, is rapidly drafted by the Australian Government to fulfil the rest of her engagements, including the helm of Buckingham Palace. Prods: Nik Powell, Michael Pattinson, Margot McDonald. Dir: Michael Pattinson. Scr: Pattinson, Gerry Connolly. Shooting in Brisbane, London and Sydney from late 2003.
Contact: Winchester, (44) 20 7851 6500

Ten Canoes
(Fandango Australia/Vertigo Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide Film Festival, SBS Independent. Int'l sales: Wild Bunch. Dist: Palace (Aust/NZ), Fandango (It). Drama. A Yolngu tale in the Yolngu language set in Arnhem Land 120 years ago. Exec prods: Sue Murray, Domenico Procacci, Bryce Menzies. Prods: Julie Ryan, Rolf de Heer. Dirs: David Gulpilil, Rolf de Heer. Scr: De Heer. DoP: Ian Jones. Ed: Tania Nehme. Prod des/costume des/hair/make-up: Yolngu community. Cast: David Gulpilil. Shooting in Arnhem Land from December 2003 to May 2004.
Contact: Julie Ryan, (61 8) 8348 9382

Three Dollars
(Arenafilm) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, PMP/Showtime. Int'l sales: Maze. Dist: Footprint (Aust/NZ), Fandango (It). Comedy drama. An honest compassionate man finds himself, at age 38, with a wife and child and three dollars. Prod: John Maynard. Dir: Robert Connolly. Scr: Connolly, Elliot Perlman from a book by Perlman. DoP: Tristan Milani. Ed: Nick Meyers. Music: Alan John. Main cast: David Wenham. Shooting in Sydney from March 2004.
Contact: John Maynard, (61 2) 9319 7011

West
(City Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia. Int'l sales: ContentFilm. Drama. A group of young men are in desperate pursuit of a better life. Exec prods: John Schmidt, Lizzie Bryant. Prods: Andrew Mason, Ed Pressman. Co-prod: Matt Reeder, Anne Robinson. Dir/scr: Daniel Krige. Shooting in Sydney in late 2003.
Contact: Lizzie Bryant, (61 2) 9380 2111

You And Your Stupid Mate
(Mondayitis Productions) Backers: Nine Films and Television, Film Finance Corporation Australia. Int'l sales: Lightning Entertainment. Dist: Hoyts (Aust/NZ). Comedy. Mates for life, Jeffrey and Phillip are happily unemployed until everything starts to go wrong. They are put on a work-for-the-dole scheme, a freeway is built through the middle of their caravan park home, and their favourite TV show is to be axed. Exec prods: Jennie Hughes, Posie Graeme-Evans, Bryce Menzies. Prods: Marc Gracie, David Redman. Dir: Gracie. Scr: Dave O'Neil, Mark O'Toole. Shooting in late 2003.
Contact: Marc Gracie, (61 3) 9646 9222

Deck Dogz
(b:j Films) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, The Movie Network. Int'l sales: Arclight. Dist: UIP (Aust/NZ), Universal International (UK, Japan, Latin America). Teen. The one big aim of a trio of skateboard riders is to meet their hero, skating legend Tony Hawk. Exec prod: Richard Sheffield. Prods: Jennifer Bennett, Bill Bennett. Dir/scr: Steven Pasvolsky. DoP: Denson Baker. Ed: Jane Moran. Prod design: Sam Hobbs. Costume design: Sally Sharpe. Sound design: Wayne Pashley. Main cast: Tony Hawk. Shooting in Sydney from August to September 26, 2003.
Contact: Jennifer Bennett, (61 2) 9516 1000

More Than Scarlett
(Red Carpet Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, PMP/Showtime, New South Wales Film and Television Office. Int'l sales: Fortissimo. Dist: Hopscotch (Aust/NZ). Coming-of-age drama. An adolescent girl discovers the difference between sex and love in the winter landscape of an Australian ski resort town. Exec prod: Jan Chapman. Prod: Anthony Anderson. Dir/scr: Cate Shortland. DoP: Robert Humphreys. Ed: Scott Gray. Prod design: Melinda Doring. Costume design: Emily Seresin. Hair/make-up: Angela Conte. Main cast: Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran, Erik Thompson, Nathaniel Dean. Shooting in Jindabyne from September 1 to October 11, 2003.
Contact: Anthony Anderson, (61 2) 9356 8677/location office 6457 2722

Star Wars Episode III
(Jak Australia) Backers/int'l sales: 20th Century Fox. Prod:Rick McCallum. Dir/scr: George Lucas. Prod supervisor: Stephen Jones. First AD: Colin Fletcher. Prod design: Gavin Bocquet. Supervising art dirs: Peter Russell, Ian Gracie. DoP: David Tattersall. Cost design: Trisha Biggar. Make-up supervisor: Nikki Gooley. Ed: Roger Barton. Prod co-ord: Virginia Murray. Stunt co-ord: Nick Gillard. Prod accountant: Kevin Plummer. Props master: Ty Teiger. Set decorator: Richard Roberts. Creatures supervisor: Dave Elsey. Gaffer: Eddie Knight. Construction mgr: Greg Hajdu. Shooting at Fox Studios in Sydney from June 30 to September 17.

Strange Bedfellows
(Instinct Entertainment) Backers: Australian Film Finance Corporation, Becker Group, Film Victoria. Int'l sales: Eden Rock Media. Dist: Becker (Aust/NZ). Comedy. Two old timers in a small country town declare themselves a same sex couple on a tax return so one of them can escape a sticky financial situation. Exec prod: Shana Levine, Thomas Augsberger. Prods: David Redman, Nigel Odell. Dir: Dean Murphy. Scr: Murphy, Stewart Faichney. DoP: Roger Lanser. Ed: Peter Carrodus. Prod design: Ralph Moser. Costume design: Jeanie Cameron. Hair/make-up: Christine Miller. Main cast: Paul Hogan, Michael Caton, Pete Postlethwaite, Glynn Nicholas, Roy Billing, Paula Duncan. Shooting in Yackandandah from August 5 to September 26, 2003.
Contact: Nigel Odell, Instinct Entertainment, (61 3) 9646 0955

A Man's Gotta Do
(Oilrag Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, New South Wales Film and Television Office, The Movie Network. Int'l sales: The Works. Dist: Hopscotch (Aust/NZ). Comedy. Eddy has gotta do what he's gotta do to keep his eccentric family together. Prods: Chris Kennedy, John Winter. Dir/scr: Chris Kennedy. DoP: Kim Batterham. Ed: Emma Hayes. Prod design: Elizabeth Moore. Costume design: Jane Johnston. Hair/make-up: Sherry Hubbard. Main cast: John Howard, Rebecca Frith, Alyssa McClelland, Gyton Grantley. Shot in regional New South Wales from May 5, 2003.
Contact: Andrew Orr, The Works, (44) 20 7612 1080.

Grim
(Paperbark Films, Rough Beast) Backers: private. Dark modern fairytale. Two lovers search for a happy ending. Prod: Gregory Read. Dir: Jon Hewitt. Scr: Jon Hewitt, Belinda McClory. DoP: Franc Biffone. Ed: Cindy Clarkson. Cost design: Catherine Raven. Hair/make-up: Annie Single. Art dir: Kate Saunders. Main cast: Belinda McClory, Aaron Pedersen, Anthony Phelan, Sandy Gore, Chris Baz, David Bonney, James Wardlaw, Paul Capsis. Shot in inner Sydney from March 3 to 22, 2003.
Contact: Gregory Read, (61 2) 9365 5300

Illustrated Family Doctor
(Pod Film) Backers: Australian Film Finance Corporation, New South Wales Film And Television Office, SBS Independent, PMP/Showtime. Int'l sales: Moviehouse UK. Dist: Palace (Aust/NZ). Dark comedy. Gary Kelp is working on a medical guide for the lucrative mail order market and remains haunted by his father's recent death and the shock discovery that the body was 'harvested' for organ transplants. A modern fable that looks at what holds us together when everything else is falling apart. Prod: Catherine Kerr. Dir: Kriv Stenders. Scr: Kriv Stenders, David Snell from Snell's novel of the same name. DoP: Kevin Heywood . Prod design: Elizabeth Mary Moore. Main cast: Samuel Johnson. Shot in Sydney from August 2003.
Contact: Catherine Kerr, Pod Film, (61 2) 9281 6499

Missing Tom
(Rescued Films/Fandango Australia) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, Film Victoria, PMP/Showtime. Int'l sales: Cinemavault. Dist: Palace Films (Aust/NZ), Fandango Distuzione (It). Drama. One day Tom White throws in his job and decides to run away. He goes missing inside the circles of a contemporary urban world and it takes him three years to find his way home. Exec prods: Domenico Procacci, Sue Murray. Prods: Alkinos Tsilimidos, Daniel Scharf. Dir: Alkinos Tsilimidos. Scr: Daniel Keene. Line prod: Anna Molyneaux. DoP: Toby Oliver. Ed: Ken Sallows. Prod design: Dan Potra. Cost design: Jill Johansen. Main cast: Colin Friels, Rachael Blake, Loene Carmen, Bill Hunter, Dan Spielman, David Field. Shot in Melbourne from May 2 to June 8, 2003.
Contact: Sue Murray, Fandango, (61 2) 9267 0609

Peaches
(Point Blank Pictures) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, PMP/Showtime. Int'l sales: Cinemavault. Dist: Hopscotch (Aust/NZ). Drama. A love story that deals with accepting loss and change, and learning to move on. Tragedy can limit life if you let it or you can chose to reinvent your view of the world. Exec prod: Nick Stiliades. Prods: Craig Monahan, Don Reynolds. Dir: Craig Monahan. Scr: Sue Smith. DoP: Ernie Clark. Ed: Surresh Ayyer. Prod design: Robert Herriot. Composer: David Hirschfelder. Main cast: Hugo Weaving, Jacqueline McKenzie. Shot in Adelaide from March 24 to May 9, 2003.
Contact: Sally Steele, Hopscotch, (61 2) 9319 0233

Thunderstruck
(Wildheart Films, Eddie Wong Films) Backers: Australian Film Finance Corporation, New South Wales Film and Television Office, South Australian Film Corporation, ScreenWest, Sony Music Entertainment (Aust), PMP/Showtime. Int'l sales: BV International Pictures. Dist: Icon (Aust/NZ), Legend (Ger). Comedy. Five friends, all devoted AC/DC fans, make a pact to bury whoever dies first next to their idol Bon Scott. Eleven years later, four of them have to honour the promise. Exec prods: Al Clark, Andrena Finlay. Prod: Jodi Matterson. Dir: Darren Ashton. Scr: Shaun Angus Hall, Darren Ashton. DoP: Geoffrey Hall. Ed: Martin Connor. Prod design: Karen Harborow. Costume designer: Ariane Weiss. Music: David Thrussell, Francois Tetaz. Main cast: Damon Gameau, Stephen Curry, Ryan Johnson, Callan Mulvey, Sam Worthington. Shot in Western Australia and South Australia from March 24 to May 24 2003.
Contact: Jodi Matterson, Eddie Wong Films, (61 2) 9368 7233

Castle Of Lies
(First Sun [NZ], Parallel Pictures [UK]). Backers: tba. Int'l sales: New Zealand Film. Period drama. Conny breaks free from the shackles of her Victorian family life and marries the much older William Larnach but instead of the marriage liberating her, she becomes increasingly drawn to Larnach's son Douglas. Exec prods: Jonathan Duncan, Ann Geim, Graham Bradstreet. Prod: Dave Gibson. Co-prod: Bill Chamberlain. Dir: Yvonne Mackay. Scr: Emma Frost, based on Michaelanne Forster's play Larnach. DoP: Richard Bluck. Ed: Paul Sutorius. Prod design: Clive Memmott. Shooting from late 2003 in Wellington and Rotorua.
Contact: Dave Gibson, First Sun, (64 4) 384 7789

Fifty Ways Of Saying Fabulous
(MF Films) Backers: New Zealand Film Commission. Int'l sales: New Zealand Film. Dists: tba. Coming of age drama about a boy growing up in a small southern town. Prod: Michele Fantl. Dir: Stewart Main. Script: Main from Grame Aitken's novel. DoP: Simon Raby. Shooting in Central Otago from February 2004.
Contact: Kathleen Drumm (644) 382 7685

Perfect Creature
(Crimbil Equities [NZ], Roc Media [UK]). Budget: NZ$17m. Backers: New Zealand Film Fund, New Zealand Film Commission, UK equity fund. Int'l sales: Arclight. Dist: NZ Film (Aust/NZ). Science fiction thriller. An original retelling of the vampire myth. Prods: Tim Sanders, Russel Fischer, Haneet Vaswani. Dir/script: Glenn Standring. Cast: Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Shooting in Dunedin and Auckland, from March to May 2004.
Contact: Tim Sanders, (64) 274 586 231

In My Father's Den
(T.H.E. Film Ltd [NZ], Little Bird [UK]) Backers: UK Film Council, New Zealand Film Commission, Visionview, NZ On Air, Optimum Releasing (UK). Int'l sales: ElementX, NZ Film. Dist: Icon (Aust/NZ), Optimum Releasing (UK). Psychological mystery. A renowned war journalist returning home develops an intriguing friendship with a teenage girl, but when she mysteriously disappears he is implicated and forced to face dark family secrets. Exec prods: Sue Bruce Smith James Mitchell, Steve Robbins, Jim Reeves, Paul Trijbits. Prods: Trevor Haysom, Dixie Linder. Dir/scr: Brad McGann. DoP: Stuart Dryburgh. Ed: Chris Plummer. Prod design: Jennifer Kernke. Cost design: Kirsty Cameron. Hair/make-up: Denise Kym. 1st AD: Axel Paton. Main cast: Matthew MacFadyen, Miranda Otto, Colin Moy, Jodie Rimmer, Emily Barclay. Shooting in Otago and Auckland from September 8 to October 31.
Contact: Anne Chamberlain, unit publicist, (64) 21 399 159

Boogeyman
(Ghost House Pictures [US]) Budget/backers: n/a. Int'l sales: Senator International. Dist: Sony Screen Gems (North Am), Village Roadshow (Aust/NZ, Gr), AQS (Czech Rep), Belga Films (Benelux), Nordisk (Scan), Filmauro (It), Golden Village (Sing), Golden Screen (Malay) Gulg Film (Mid East), Hachette Filipacchi (Fr), I Vision (South Korea), LNK (Port), Maanga (Sp), Medya Vizyan (Turk), Monolith (Pol), Nippon Herald (Jap), Nontanund (Thai), Panasia (HK), Pioneer (Phil), Pro vision (ex Yugo) Prooptiki (Bul/Rom), Pyramid (CIS), Sam Film (Ice), Sun (Lat Am). Horror. A young man returns to his childhood home after his mother's death and must confront the terrifying visions that have haunted him all his life. Prods: Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert. Assoc prod: Michael Kirk. Line prod: Chloe Smith. Dir: Stephen Kay. Scr: Eric Kripke, Juliet Snowdon, Stiles White, Darren Lemke. DoP: Bobby Bukowski. Ed: John Axelrad. Prod design: Robert Gillies. Visual effects: Brent Gilmartin. Costume design: Jane Holland. Hair/make-up: Marjory Hamlin. Cast: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Tory Mussett, Lucy Lawless, Skye McCole Bartusiak. Shot in Auckland from June 24 until September 2, 2003.
Contact: Sue May, unit publicist, tel (64) 274 739 318

Fracture
(Kahukura Productions). Budget: NZ$2.6m. Backers: New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), NZ on Air, TV3. Int'l sales: New Zealand Film. Drama. A simple burglary goes wrong and the ripple effect reaches the robber, the victim and their families. But family reconciliations are possible. Prod: Charlie McClellan. Dir: Larry Parr. Scr: Larry Parr from the Maurice Gee novel Crime Story. DoP: Fred Renata. Prod design: Kayne Horsham. Ed: Jonno Woodford-Robinson. Cost design: Amanda Neale. Make-up: Frankie Karena. Cast: Kate Elliott, Jared Turner, Tim Lee, Miranda Harcourt, John Noble. Shot in Wellington from March 3 to April 18, 2002.
Contact: Kathleen Drumm (644) 382 7685