All articles by Sandy George – Page 49
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News
AUSTRALIA
The Passion Of The Christ took A$2,095,841 from 151 screens to retain first place in the chart during its second four-day weekend on release. This was about two thirds of the gross of the corresponding period a week earlier from a screen count that rose by six prints.Speaking of prints, ...
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Darclight readies Beowulf, Possession
Arclight genre label Darclight has announced that two films are about to go into pre-production.The supernatural thriller Possession, adapted from Peter James's novel, and Beowulf - Alien Meets Braveheart, inspired by the 9th Century Beowulf poem, both involve the UK's Spice Factory and film financier Movision Entertainment.The UK/Canadian co-production Possession ...
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News
AUSTRALIA
Icon's The Passion Of The Christ grossed A$3,610,618 from 145 screens in its first five days in Australian cinemas, giving it a whopping screen average of A$20,504. It opened on Wednesday, instead of the usual Thursday, but without its opening day tally it still came in just short of an ...
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South Australia launches Screen Industry Council
A screen industry council is to be formed in South Australia to bring under one roof all production sectors - from film and television to games and education - with the aim of sharing experiences and market intelligence."Our philosophy is that the industry needs to be more involved in policy ...
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Becker says G'Day to Oz idol
Reiko Bradley from BeckerFilms International has picked up international rights on two unmade films,Australian mainstream teen comedy G'Day LA to be directed by veteran filmmaker Tom Jeffrey, and the edgy LoveJunkie by English-born US-basedindependent writer/director Ash.Australian Idol contestantRobert Mills has been cast in G'Day LA in what is believed to ...
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News
AUSTRALIA
Roadshow's ambitious release of Australian dance party film One Perfect Day - 152 screens is a big number for a local film - earned it the seventh spot in the box office chart with a gross of A$437,248 from 152 screens.Another opener, Mona Lisa Smile from Columbia TriStar, leapt into ...
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Oz popstar signs for lead role in Hating Alison Ashley
Australian pop princess and former Neighbours star Delta Goodrem has made a move into movies by accepting the title role of Hating Alison Ashley, which goes into production in the first half of this year in Melbourne."I have been offered quite a few roles over the past two years and ...
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News
Oz's Accent takes My Flesh from Films Transit
Fledgling Australian distributor Accent Film Entertainment has struck a deal with Films Transit International for Australian rights to Jonathan Karsh's My Flesh And Blood.The film about a woman and her 11 adopted children, all of whom have various disabilities and special needs, won an audience award last year at Sundance ...
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New awards event planned for Asia-Pacific
The Queensland Government and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) have announced that they are to create a new film and television awards event to be broadcast across the world."We want to create an annual televised event to acknowledge the outstanding work of producers, directors and actors, and the cultural diversity ...
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News
NEW ZEALAND
There was considerable jostling for the top spot over the weekend and at the final count there was just NZ$560 separating the two top films, both of which were officially on release for the first time.Under The Tuscan Sun was victorious with a gross of NZ$248,940 from 44 screens for ...
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News
NEW ZEALAND
The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King, The Last Samurai and Cold Mountain were the first, second and third most popular films at the box office, just as they were last weekend, although takings for each of them dropped by between NZ$60,000 and NZ$90,000.Snapping at their ...
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News
OZ producers' conference moves date, location
The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) plans to stage its annual conference three months earlier than usual and relocate it to Queensland's Surfers Paradise, so that it overlaps with the Australian International Movie Convention."This decision can only grow Australia's film business because of the opportunities that will come from ...
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News
NEW ZEALAND
The Return Of The King continues to reign supreme at the New Zealand box office. In its seventh weekend it took NZ$384,449 from 86 screens, which was just 6% down on the previous week. As was the case last week, The Last Samurai is in second position with NZ$301,379 from ...
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Hopscotch pounces on documentaries
Hopscotch has picked up all Australian and New Zealand rights to 2004 Academy Award documentary nominee My Architect from the Film Sales Company, hoping that again loading the slate with non-fiction will prolong last year's winning streak.The film is already showing in the US and is directed by Nathaniel Kahn, ...
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News
AUSTRALIA
Along Came Polly held on to the top spot in its second weekend on release despite its gross dropping by over half, although admittedly the original result was for a five-day holiday weekend and the figures have now reverted to the usual four days.The UIP release did A$1,436,260 from 202 ...
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Crombie resigns from South Australian Film Corp
The South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is without both a contracted chief executive and a chair following the resignation of chief executive Judith Crombie during Friday's board meeting, effective immediately. The State Government had earlier decided not to reappoint David Minear as chair.Some mystery surrounds Crombie's decision to leave four ...
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News
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealanders' overwhelming sense of pride in and ownership of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was good news for the opening of the final instalment, The Return Of The King, which did an extraordinary NZ$2.6m last weekend.To put this in perspective, it accounted for more than 75% of the ...
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News
AUSTRALIA
UIP's Peter Pan was the most popular film in its opening weekend at the Australian box office, although its gross was a slightly underwhelming A$1,507,592 from 269 screens. This result was surprising given the extra publicity generated by it being shot in Australia by Australian expatriate director P J Hogan. ...
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News
Brennan joins Oz Film Commission as project manager
Veteran producer Richard Brennan, whose extensive credits across several decades include Cosi, Spotswood, Blood Oath, Grievous Bodily Harm, Starstruck, Stir and Newsfront, has joined the Australian Film Commission (AFC) as a project manager.The AFC is the Australian Government's key development agency for the film industry and Brennan will be working ...