All articles by Sandy George – Page 23
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News
Mason appointed chief executive of NZ Film Commission
Former PolyGram, Universal Pictures and Channel 4 executive Graeme Mason has been appointed chief executive of the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), replacing Ruth Harley who moved to head new Australian super agency Screen Australia last year. The appointment was announced early this morning (March 11)by NZFC chair David Cullwick. ...
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The Combination returns to screens after violent incidents
One of Australia's three biggest exhibitors, Greater Union Cinemas, last night reversed an earlier decision to withdraw Australian film The Combination from four of its Sydney screens after blaming the film for inciting violence. The Combination is the self-financed debut film of veteran actor David Field and is imbued with ...
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Samson and Delilah and Treeless Mountain toast ofAdelaide
The Adelaide Film Festival may only be in its fourth year but the event has developed a reputation far beyond its age by being the first Australian film festival to seriously launch an international feature film competition and the first to invest in films. Following its lead, Sydney now also ...
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Minority report: training in Australia
Minority training in AustraliaIndigenous Australians now comprise just 3% of the country's population and until the Australian Film Commission (AFC) stepped in to create a dedicated indigenous branch in 1993, they had virtually never had the chance to tell their own stories on screen.This year, the focus on indigenous film-makers ...
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Australia's ABC TV considers investing in film
Australian broadcaster, the ABC, is hoping to invest in 15 feature films over the next three years. 'We must be one of the few public broadcasters in the developed western world that does not have a connection with its national feature film industry,' said the director of ABC TV, Kim ...
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South Australian Film Corp launches producer equity scheme
South Australian Premier Mike Rann has announced the introduction of a producer equity scheme that will give producers of films with investment from the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) cash up front and a bigger share of the rewards from successful films. Under the scheme the SAFC will channel the ...
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Film Critics honour The Black Balloon as best Australian film
The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) tonight in Sydney presented its annual best Australian film award to The Black Balloon and voted the film's director, Elissa Down, the best in her category.Slumdog Millionaire topped the category for English-language foreign films and The Diving Bell And The Butterfly for foreign ...
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Working Title closes its Australian doors - again
Working Title will be closing the doors of its Australian office as of today, sources have confirmed. Deborah Balderstone has been the head of the Sydney office since relocating from the UK in late 2004. It is understood that things between her and head honchos Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan ...
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Jan Chapman honoured by Adelaide Festival
Ten days before the Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) opens, the board has announced that celebrated producer Jan Chapman is to receive the 2009 Don Dunstan Award, which recognizes outstanding contribution to the Australian film industry. Chapman's filmmaking spans 16 years and includes the period love story The Piano, which was ...
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Australia's Transmission picks up New Zealand duo
A year after launching itself in Australia as a distributor, Transmission Films is proving to be a good friend to New Zealand as well as Australian filmmakers. Principals Andrew Mackie and Richard Payten have acquired New Zealand rights to both The Volcano, local writer/director Taika Waititi's follow-up to Eagle vs ...
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Oliveira out and Woolridge in at Fox's Australian office
20th Century Fox Australia managing director Marcos Oliveira is to be replaced by his marketing director Marc Wooldridge. For Woolridge the promotion takes effect from February 9. He has been with the Sydney-based theatrical office for two years and fourth months, although he has had more than 17 years of ...
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Icon scores foreign film nods for Australia's FCCA Awards
Icon distributed three of the eight films nominated in the two best foreign film categories of the 25th annual Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) Awards, it was announced today. The films are In Bruges and Slumdog Millionaire in the English language category and The Diving Bell And The Butterfly ...
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France well represented in Adelaide's 13 competition titles
The Adelaide Film Festival has chosen 13 films for its competition section including two that will have their world premieres at the festival, Granaz Moussavi's My Tehran For Sale, and Australian director Sarah Watt's My Year Without Sex. France has the most contenders in the line-up with Sylvie Verheyde's a ...
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Reality check needed on film finance procedures and projections
It is not meaningful or helpful to assert that Canada or a particular US state is more attractive than South Africa, the UK, or any other popular location, that’s according to two Australians whose business it is to assist producers to secure financial incentives across the world.‘Circumstances, including financing plans, ...
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UK tops local fare down underbut Aussie releases less discriminate
UK films earned more than twice as much as Australian films in Australian cinemas in 2008 according to figures released today. The 40 Australian films contributing to the overall 2008 local share sold US$23.3 million (A$35.5m) worth of tickets and represented 3.8 per cent of the total annual box office ...
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NewsIn Focus: Sundance opener Mary And Max
Sundance opener Mary And Max’s director Adam Elliot : debut feature, yet he is far from a novice
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2008 a record breaking year for Australian box-office
Australians spent $672m (A$946m) on going to the movies in 2008, making it the second best year on record in revenue terms. The figures released today by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (MPDAA) show a six per cent year on year increase from 2007. They are also four ...
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Ausfilm to promote Oz technical talent at US event
Marketing body Ausfilm is going against tradition and promoting Australians who work behind the scenes in filmmaking as part of G’Day USA, the annual promotion that officially starts next week in Los Angeles and involves a range of industries. Ausfilm has previously concentrated on attracting offshore films to Australia by ...
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Coleman and Matthews get top jobs at Screen Australia
Martha Coleman, who recently returned to Australia after seven years working in the UK film industry, has been appointed head of development at Screen Australia and will work from the Sydney headquarters. A second senior appointment was also announced today: Melbourne-based Ross Matthews, an eight-year veteran of the now defunct ...
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Australian theatre director Gale Edwards to make her first feature
Accomplished theatre director Gale Edwards, winner of an International Emmy for her filmed version of the Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, is to direct her first feature film. The film, A Heartbeat Away, was one of four financed by Screen Australia. The others are: Being Dead, Lantana director Ray ...