All articles by Sandy George – Page 45
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Australia has mixed feelings about digital cinema
Hoyts executive chair Paul Johnson believes all Australiancinemas will be delivering pictures digitally within five years but UIP'smanaging director in Australia, Mike Selwyn, will be surprised if more thanhalf have converted to digital within a decade."I can't help feeling this is a product seeking anapplication," said Selwyn, during a robust ...
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Miracle works for audiences at Melbourne
Cannes competitor Life Is A Miracle, set in Bosniaand directed, co-produced and co-written by Emir Kusturica, was the mostpopular feature at this month's Melbourne International Film Festival.Runner up in the vote by audiences was The Life And DeathOf Peter Sellers, directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring festival patronGeoffrey Rush in ...
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NEW ZEALAND 16 August
Walking Tallknocked Hellboy off the top of thebox office chart after only one weekend at the top, just as Hellboy did to The Chronicles Of Riddick the previous weekend, and The Chronicles Of Riddick did to I, Robot on the one before that.But it was a close call. WalkingTall grossed ...
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AUSTRALIA 16 August
Man On Fire heldon to the top spot for its second weekend on release, taking A$1,112,405 for20th Century Fox from 262 screens. Snapping at its heels was newcomer Walking Tall, which grossed A$1,031,611from 192 screens for the same distributor, and in third place but not farbehind was Columbia TriStar's WhiteChicks, ...
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Australian producers mull alternative distribution models
Amending traditional distribution deals so that producersget more control and a greater share of returns was the dominant theme at Australia's annual conference ofproducers. Splitting rights was proposed, for example, as was adoptingwebsite-based sales systems, forfeiting high sales prices in exchange for boxoffice bonuses and under-reporting sales figures to avoid ...
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Impact of DVD boom on Cinema measured
The DVD boom is having a major impact on cinema-going -but it is a positive one and probably more pronounced in Australia than in anyother territory."As DVD sales continue to grow, and as rental behaviourstays strong, more people - not less -are attending the cinema," Video Ezy chief executive Stephen ...
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SPAA plans private development fund
Australia is to utilise its existing framework for pooleddevelopment funds (PDFs) to get more development money into the film industryand help provide producers with earnings between projects.The scheme is being put together by the Screen ProducersAssociation of Australia and Content Capital, one of two companies given theright to raise private ...
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Brown, Lake named producers of the year
Chris Brown was named independent producer of the year,while Trish Lake was named feature film producer of the year at the annualconference of the Screen Producers Association of Australia.Lake was producer on Gettin'Square alongside Martin Fabinyi and Tim White, and only moved recently intofilm from book publishing, although her early ...
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Oz production slumps as foreign investment soars
New research confirms that service work on US films issoaring while Australian features remain in the doldrums in terms of numbersmade and budget levels, while co-productions have practically disappeared.Only 15 homegrown films worth A$134m were made in the 12months to June 30, according to the Australian Film Commission's latest annualsurvey, ...
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Filming suspended on Vincent Ward's River Queen
In the face of rumours of trouble on the set, it has beenannounced that director Vincent Ward's RiverQueen has been delayed due to the illness of UK actress Samantha Morton,but that she remains committed to the project and the delays are covered byinsurance."She has been treated in hospital for severe ...
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Johnny To undertakes first production as financier
Milkyway Image, prolific Hong Kong filmmaker Johnny To's production entity, is to make its first investment in a film, despite the company having produced about 30 films since the mid-1990s.Election (working title) tracks a democratic election held within the world of triads, a subject To confidently expects to have strong ...
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Film New Zealand elects new chairman
David Madigan, former technicians guild president, is the new chair of Film New Zealand, which is responsible for marketing the country's filmmaking talents to the world.Elected deputy chair was Sue Thompson, ceo of Peter Jackson's Film Unit and Park Road Post and chair for four years up to when the ...
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Scottish producer Meek named head of drama at Australia's ABC
Scottish producer Scott Meek is relocating to Australia totake up the role of head of drama at public broadcaster the ABC.Meek was involved in such features as Velvet Goldmine, Sid And Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears when chief executive at Zenith Productions. Hehas served on the British Film Institute ...
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AUSTRALIA 2 August
Fahrenheit 9/11from Hopscotch outperformed UIP's TheChronicles Of Riddickon the weekend despite beingon 110 less screens. Theywere in thesecond and thirdspots in thechart respectively. Bothfilms were intheir first weekof official release,although 9/11 was buoyedby two weeks of previews-- and continuing debate onjust how closelyAustralia should alignitself with theUS.Fahrenheit 9/11took A$1,643,953 from116 ...
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NEW ZEALAND 2 August
The Chronicles OfRiddick opened in cinemas on the weekend and pushed I, Robot off the top spot, but there wasn't much between them. Riddick took NZ$385,766 from 47 screensfor UIP, while I, Robot tookNZ$354,212 from 60 screens in its second week on release.In third was Fahrenheit9/11 on its first official ...
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Colosimo, McKenzie sign on for Australian-UK co-production
Vince Colosimo (Lantana,Chopper) and Jacqueline McKenzie (RomperStomper, Angel Baby) are to star in director Peter Cattaneo's UK/Australianco-production Pobby And Dingan forsales agent Renaissance Films.The drama starts its eight-week shoot from August 19. Thesetting is the remote Australian opal town of Coober Pedy and filming will alsotake place in the city ...
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FFC pledges backing to Jindabyne, Revelation
Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) has pledged fundingon a conditional basis to Jindabyne, arelationship drama with mystery elements by Lantana director Ray Lawrence, and The Book OfRevelation, a follow-up to HeadOn for director Ana Kokkinos.Content International has world sales rights for The BookOf Revelation, which Kokkinos and AndrewBovell have adapted ...
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AUSTRALIA 26 July
In its second weekof previews, Fahrenheit 9/11 tookA$1,134,249 for Hopscotch from 89 screens to claim the third spot after I, Robot and King Arthur. This is an amazing result for a political documentaryand especially for one that is yet to officially open.I, Robot, in its opening weekend for 20th Century ...
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NEW ZEALAND 26 July
I, Robot grossed NZ$619,601 from 60 screens for 20th Century Fox in its firstweekend, taking top honours in the box office chart and pushing Shrek 2 down into second place.The green ogre tookNZ$239,178 from 84 screens for UIP. It has lead the chart for four of the sixweeks it has ...
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Veteran producers to pitch at SPAAMart
The 14 Australian and six New Zealand projects in thepre-financing market SPAAMart in Queensland next month include second featuresfrom the directors Ana Kokkinos (Head On),Ivan Sen (Beneath Clouds), andChristina Andreef (Soft Fruit).Producers coming with projects include Jan Chapman (ThePiano, Lantana), Trevor Haysom (InMy Father's Den), Daniel Scharf (RomperStomper), Martin Fabinyi ...