OZ and NEW ZEALAND Prod Lists - April 2 2004

DECEMBER BOYS
(Becker Films) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, South Australian Film Corporation. Int'l sales: MBM (German-speaking territories), Aura Entertainment (rest of world). Dist: Becker (Aust/NZ). Drama. Four orphans go for a holiday by the sea. Friendships are tested and new alliances made when rumours emerge that two seaside families are looking to adopt. Prod: Richard Becker. Dir: Rod Hardy. Scr: Marc Rosenberg from the book by Michael Noonan. Shooting in South Australia from late 2004.
Contact: Steve Bickel, Aura Entertainment, (1) 310 278 9991

DOWN & DIRTY
(Down & Dirty Productions) Backers: private investors. Int'l sales/Aust dist: Intertropic Films. Action adventure. A major heist goes wrong. Exec prod: Doug Waters. Prod: Phil Avalon. Co-prod: Jock Blair. Dir: Geoff Cox. Scr: James Simmonds. DoP: Robert Buckingham. Shooting in Queensland from April/May.
Contact: Lionel Midford, publicist, (61) 2 9328 6702.

HAPPY FEET
(Kennedy Miller) Backers: Warner Bros Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures. Dist: Roadshow (Aust/NZ). Animated musical. The adventures of a young penguin in Antarctica. Prods: George Miller, Doug Mitchell. Dir: George Miller. Scr: Miller, John Collee, Warren Coleman, Judy Morris. Main cast: Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Robin Williams. Shooting at Fox Studios Australia/Animal Logic in 2004.
Contact: Kennedy Miller, (61) 2 93572322

IRRESISTIBLE
(Irresistible Films) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, Spice Factory/Movision, Film Victoria, Future Films, Royal Bank Of Scotland. Int'l sales: Arclight. Dist: Palace (Aust/NZ), Momentum (UK), Blue Star (Italy). 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, Michael Cowan, Gary Hamilton. Prods: David Parker, Tatiana Kennedy, Franziska Wagenfeld. Dir/scr: Ann Turner. DoP: Martin McGrath. Ed: Ken Sallows. Sound design: Craig Carter. Shooting from late 2004.
Contact: David Parker, producer (61) 2 9646 4022

THE QUEEN & I
(Street Films [Aust], Scala Productions [UK]). Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, PFTC. Int'l sales: Arclight. Dist: Becker Group (Aust/NZ), MGM (UK). 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. Prods: Michael Pattinson, Nik Powell. Co-prod: Tom Burstall. Dir: Michael Pattinson. Script: Pattinson, Gerry Connolly. DoP: Ben Nott. Ed: Marc Van Buuren. Prod design: Eugene Intas. Shooting in Brisbane, London and Sydney from late August 2004.
Contact: Michael Pattinson, producer, (61) 409 646 503

WOLF CREEK
(GMF Pty Ltd). Backers: Australian Film Finance Corporation, South Australian Film Corporation, private investors. Int'l sales: Arclight. Dist: Arclight/Mushroom (Aust/NZ). Horror/thriller. Nighmarish events take over a group of young people in the remote and inhospitable Australian outback. Based on actual events. Exec prods: Martin Fabinyi, Gary Hamilton, George Adams, Matt Hearn, Simon Hewitt. Prods: David Lightfoot, Greg McLean. Dir/scr: Greg McLean. DoP: Will Gibson. Prod design: Rob Webb. Main cast: John Jarrett. Shooting in outback South Australia from May/June 2004.
Contact: Gary Hamilton, Arclight, (61) 2 9955 8825

THE EXTRA
(Extra Extra Film Productions) Backers: MacquarieNine Film and Television Fund, Film Victoria. Int'l sales: Nine Films and Television. Dist: Hoyts (Aust/NZ). Romantic comedy. A normal Joe Blow sees movie stars living the high life and says 'why not me''. Exec prods: Jennie Hughes, Posie Graeme-Evans. Prods: Bruno Charlesworth, Steve Luby, Mark Ruse. Dir: Kevin Carlin. Scr: Jimeoin McKeown. DoP: Mark Wareham. Ed: Angie Higgins. Prod design: Ben Morieson. Cost design: Kitty Stuckey. Hair/make-up: Kirsten Veysey. Music supervisor Norman Parkhill. Main cast: Jimeoin, Rhys Muldoon, Kristy Hinze, Katherine Slattery, Helen Dallimore, Bob Franklin. Shooting at Central City Studios in Melbourne from March 5 to April 23.
Contact: Kerrie Theobald, publicist (61) 3 9509 0229.

LIFE STORY
(Hibiscus Film) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, Adelaide Film Festival, South Australian Film Corporation, Film Victoria, SBS Independent. Int'l sales: Fortissimo. Dist: Footprint (Aust/NZ). Drama (live action with animated sequences). Over a fiercely hot weekend, four people grapple with life-changing news, wondering whether their fate is deserved or earned, and how happiness might be possible. Prod: Bridget Ikin. Assoc prods: Barbara Masel, Vicki Sugars. Dir/scr: Sarah Watt. DoP: Ray Argall. Prod design: Rita Zanchetta. Cost design: Edie Kurzer. Sound recordist: Toivo Lember. Ed: Denise Haratzis. Sound design: Ashley Klose Main. Main cast: William McInnes, Justine Clark, Anthony Hayes, Andrew Gilbert, Lisa Flanagan, Daniela Farinacci, Sacha Horler. Shooting in Adelaide from March 15 to April 30, 2004.
Contact: Wouter Barendrecht, Fortissimo, (852) 2311 8081

MASK SEQUEL (working title)
Prod co: The Mask II Productions. Backers/in'tl sales: New Line Cinema. Mischief! Mayhem! The Mask is back! The follow up to the 1994 hit sees the Mask of Loki finding its way into the hands of aspiring cartoonist Tim Avery. Nine months later his wife Tonya gives birth to baby Alvey ' and he's not quite like any other baby. Exec prods: Beau Marks, Scott Kroopf, Ted Field. Prod: Erica Huggins. Co-prod: Stephen Jones. Dir: Larry Guterman. Scr: Tom Gammill, Lance Khazei, Rob McKittrick, Max Post. DoP: Greg Gardiner. Ed: Malcolm Campbell. Prod design: Leslie Dilley. Art dir: Bill Booth. Unit prod mgr: Jennifer Cornwell. 1st asst dir: Toby Pease. Cost design: Mary Vogt. Main cast: Jamie Kennedy, Alan Cumming, Traylor Howard. Shooting in Sydney from November 24, 2003, to April 2, 2004.
Contact: Fiona Searson, Denis Davidson Associates, (61) 2 9955 5800

STEALTH
(Columbia Pictures, AFG Talon) Budget: A$50m. Backers: Columbia Pictures. Action. Three fighter pilots are members of a secret program that fuses stealth technology and artificial intelligence to revolutionise modern warfare. Prods: Laura Ziskin, Mike Medavoy, Amie Messer. Dir: Rob Cohen. Main cast: Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas, Joe Morton, Sam Shepard. Shooting in Sydney from January 20 to April 30, 2004.
Contact: Fiona Searson, Denis Davidson Associates, (61) 2 9955 5800.

THREE DOLLARS
(Arenafilm) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, PMP/Showtime, private equity. Int'l sales: Becker Films International. Dist: Dendy/Footprint (Aust/NZ), Fandango (Italy). Comedy drama. An honest decent man unfairly 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. Prod design: Luigi Pittorini. Ed: Nick Meyers. Music: Alan John. Main cast: David Wenham, Frances O'Connor, Sarah Wynter. Shooting in Melbourne from March 8 to May 1.
Contact: John Maynard, Arenafilm, (61) 3 9646 3769 or mail@ arenafilm.com.au

DARKLOVESTORY (formerly 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, and in December, 2003.
Contact: Gregory Read, (61) 2 9365 5300

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. Cost design: Sally Sharpe. Sound design: Wayne Pashley. Main cast: Tony Hawk. Shot in Sydney from August to September 26, 2003.
Contact: Jennifer Bennett, b:j Films, (61) 2 9516 1000

THE HUMAN TOUCH
(Illumination Films, Go Patterson Films Productions) Backers: Film Finance Corporation Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, Film Victoria, PMP/Showtime. Int'l sales: tba. 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. Prod: Mark Patterson. Dir/scr: Paul Cox. DoP: Ian Jones. Ed: Simon Whitington. Prod design: Asher Bilu. Costume/hair/make-up: Beverly Freeman. Music: Paul Grabowsky. Cast: Jacqueline McKenzie, Chris Haywood, Aaron Blabey, Rebecca Frith, Aden Young. Shot in France from Oct 13 until Oct 25 and in South Australia from Nov 5 until Dec 5, 2003.
Contact: Mark Patterson, Go Patterson Films Productions, (61) 409 673 582

THE OYSTER FARMER
(Anthony Buckley Films [Aust], The Oyster Farmer Production [UK]) Budget: A$6.9 million. 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/Sherman Pictures (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. Exec prod: Jonathan Shteinman. Prods: Anthony Buckley, Piers Tempest. Dir/scr: Anna Reeves. DoP: Alun Bollinger. Ed: Peter Beston. Prod design: Steven Jones-Evans. Cost designer: Emily Seresin. Hair/make-up: Deborah Lanser. Composer: Stephen Warbeck. Main cast: Jim Norton, Alex O'Lachlan, Kerry Armstrong, Jack Thompson, David Field. Shot near Sydney from November 10 until December 19, 2003.
Contact: Hilary Davis, Beyond Films, (44) 20 7636 9613

SCRATCHED
(Sapphire Pictures) Budget: low. Backers: private. Drama. Five Townsville university students spend one insane summer night tearing their share house apart looking for a hidden million-dollar scratchie ticket as an apocalyptic tropical cyclone looms outside. Prod/dir/scr: Travis Bain. Hair: Lucie Grevell. Make-up: Lana Calnan. Sound recordist: Billie Letic. 1st AD: Sophie Gromansperg. Main cast: Kamyra Orchard, Andre Seager, Michael Sealey, Steven O'Donnell, Emma Benison. Shot in Brisbane on and off from July 2002 to February 2004.
Contact: Travis Bain, Sapphire Pictures, (61) 407 248 399

YOU AND YOUR STUPID MATE
(Mondayitis Productions). Backers: MacquarieNine Film and Television Fund, Film Finance Corporation Australia, Film Victoria. Int'l sales: Lightning Entertainment. Dist: Nine Films and Television in association with Hoyts (Aust/NZ). Comedy. Jeffrey and Philip have been mates forever. They even live together, in an outer suburban caravan park, happily unemployed ' until everything goes wrong. Exec prods: Bryce Menzies, Posie Graeme-Evans, Jennie Hughes. Prods: Marc Gracie, David Redman. Dir: Gracie. Scr: Dave O'Neil, Mark O'Toole. DoP: Justin Brickle. Ed: Micheal Collins. Prod design: Penny Southgate. Cost design: Monica O'Brien. Main cast: Nathan Phillips, Angus Sampson, Rachel Hunter, Madeleine West, William McInnes. Shot in Melbourne from January 19 to early March.
Contact: Fiona Searson, Denis Davidson Associates, (61) 2 9955 5800

KING KONG
(Big Primate Pictures Limited) Backers: Universal Pictures. Drama. Remake of the 1933 classic. Prods: Peter Jackson, Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham. Peter Jackson. Scr: Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens. Unit production manager: Anne Bruning. DoP: Andrew Lesnie. Prod design: Grant Major. Supervising art dir: Dan Hennah. Music: Howard Shore. Main cast: Naomi Watts, Jack Black. Shooting at Miramar in Wellington, New Zealand, from April 30.
Contact: Judy Alley, publicity department, (64) 4380 6880

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
(Walden Media) Backers: The Walt Disney Company. Fantasy. Four children living in the country during World War II air raids on England, discover they can walk through a wardrobe to a strange land called Narnia filled with magical and fantastic people and creatures. They are enlisted to help the great lion Aslan to defeat the evil white witch. Exec prods: Perry Moore, Philip Steuer. Prods: Cary Granat, Mark Johnson. Co-prod: Douglas Gresham. Dir: Andrew Adamson. Scr: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Anne Peacock from the book by CS Lewis. Special effects supervisor: Richard Taylor. Prod design: Roger Ford. Make-up: Tami Lane. Shooting in New Zealand in 2004.
Contact: Lauren, publicist, (64) 9417 0500

PERFECT CREATURE
(Crimbil Equities [NZ], Roc Media [UK]). Budget: NZ$17 million. Backers: New Zealand Film Fund, New Zealand Film Commission, UK equity fund. Int'l sales: Arclight (worldwide), 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. DoP: Leon Narbey. Costume design: Kirsty Cameron. Composer: Anne Dudley. Cast: Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Shooting in Dunedin and Auckland from May until mid-August, 2004.
Contact: Tim Sanders, c/o New Zealand Film Commission, (64) 4382 7680

FIFTY WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS
(MF Films) Budget: NZ$2.5 million. Backers: New Zealand Film Commission. Int'l sales: NZ Film. Drama. Coming of age story of a boy growing up in a small southern town. Prod: Michele Fantl. Dir: Stewart Main. Scr: Main from Grame Aitken's novel. DoP: Simon Raby. Ed: Peter Roberts. Prod design: Ken Turner. Cost design: Kirsty Cameron. Hair/make-up: Tracey Sharman. Music: Peter Scholes. Main cast: Rima te Wiata, Michael Dorman. Shot in Central Otago from February 10 to March 27, 2004.
Contact: Kathleen Drumm, New Zealand Film, (64) 4382 7685

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. Int'l sales: Element X, NZ Film. Dist: Icon (Aust/NZ), Optimum (UK). Psychological mystery. A disillusioned war journalist is implicated in the disappearance of a teenager. Exec prods: Sue Bruce Smith, James Mitchell, Paul Trijbits, Jim Reeve, Steve Robbins. Prods: Trevor Haysom, Dixie Linder. Dir/scr: Brad McGann from the novel by Maurice Gee. DoP: Stuart Dryburgh. Ed: Chris Plummer. Prod design: Jennifer Kernke. Cost design: Kirsty Cameron. Music: Simon Boswell. Sound recordist: Richard Flynn. Hair/make-up: Denise Kum. 1st AD: Axel Paton. Main cast: Matthew MacFadyen, Miranda Otto, Colin Moy, Jodie Rimmer, Emily Barclay, Jimmy Keen, Vicky Haughton. Shot in Otago and Auckland from September 8 until October 31 2003.
Contact: Trevor Haysom, T.H.E Film, (64) 9 307 0036, or Dixie Linder, Little Bird, (44 20) 7380 3980

OLD MEN OF THE POINT
(RedEyeFilms) Backers: Creative Communities Waitakere, private investors. Documentary feature. The surf history of the West Coast of Auckland. Dir/DoP: Evan Booth. Music: local dub and electronica artists Zuvuya, Pitch Black, Epsilon Blue, Inspector Ital, 4D. Main cast: Andrew McAlpine, Wayne Parkes, Alistair Goodwin, Zane Goodwin, Karl Witten-Hannah. Shot at Bethels Beach, Piha and Kare Kare in New Zealand in mid-2003.
Contact: Evan Booth, director, (64) 9 817 6606.

QUIET NIGHT IN
(Burning Rope Productions) Budget/backers: n/a. Comedy. Young writer Jess Bartlett's life unravels in one evening at home when her self-centred friends, self-loathing book, a murder, and an intimate dinner for two all clash. Exec prods: Dean Spooner, Maureen Rainbow, Sel Rainbow. Prod/dir/script: Christopher Banks. DoP: Neil Morrison. Ed: Cameron Crawford. Prod design/costume design: Richard J Lambert. Hair/make-up: Bianca Whittaker. Main cast: Nicolette Kenny, Richard Lambeth, Lucy Gay, Brian Mckay, Kittichon Helviphat. Shot in Waitakere City from Feb 2 to 13.
Contact: Christopher Banks, producer/director/script, (64) 9 835 3784 or (64) 21 522 657

SPOOKED
(Silverscreenfilms/Ora Digital) Backers: NZ Film Commission, NZ On Air, Capital Pictures. Int'l sales NZ Film. Conspiracy thriller. A young man who thinks he's just buying second-hand computers until he discovers they contain sensitive banking records, mysteriously dies. Was Kevin murdered, or did he simply crash his car' Investigating journalist Mort Whitman will find out if it kills him. Exec prods: Eric Watson, Mark Hotchin. Prods: Don Reynolds, Merata Mita, Geoff Dixon, Geoff Murphy. Dir: Geoff Murphy. Scr: Murphy using material from Ian Wishart's book The Paradise Conspiracy. DoP: Rewa Harre. Ed: Mike Horton. Prod design: Shayne Radford. Cost design: Brett Garton. Hair/make-up: Linda Wall. Visual effects supervisor: Dean Lyon. Main cast: Cliff Curtis, Christopher Hobbs, Miriama Smith, John Leigh, Kelly Johnson. Shot in Auckland from Sept 21 until Oct 24, 2003
Contact Sue May, publicist, (64) 274 739 318.

TREASURE ISLAND KIDS (a trilogy)
THE MONSTER OF TREASURE ISLAND, THE MYSTERY OF TREASURE ISLAND, THE BATTLE OF TREASURE ISLAND
(Daybreak Productions [New Zealand], Aria Films [UK]) Backers/int'l sales: Global Cinema Group. Family adventure. There is great adventure ahead for the kids from all over the world attending summer camp on the original Treasure Island. Exec prod: Mark Huljick. Prods: Dale Bradley, Grant Bradley, Jozsef Fityus, Carlo Dusi. Dir: Michael Hurst. Scr: Gavin Scott. DoP: Renaud Maire. Ed: Nicola Smith. Prod design: Nigel Evans. Cost design: Sara Beale. Hair/make-up: Deidre Cowley. Main cast: Randy Quaid, John Callen, Beth Allen, Wickham Pack, Niko Vella. Shot in Auckland from October 2003 to January 2004.
Contact: Grant Bradley or Dale Bradley, Daybreak Productions, (64) 9 580 0402