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All articles by Sandy George – Page 72
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News
Australian film-makers win tax battle
Screen writers, actors, up-and-coming producers and others at the low salary end of the Australian film industry are breathing a sigh of relief following the Federal Government's decision to give them the same tax exemption that they recently gave to farmers.An earlier draft of Australia's new tax bill stated that ...
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LA Confidential's Hanson hits Melbourne festival
LA Confidential's Curtis Hanson will attend the Melbourne International Film Festival when the US director's Wonderboys opens the event.Hanson will also participate in a q&a session during the 19-day event, which runs from July 19 to August 6.Home-grown talent will be showcased on the closing night, with the local premiere ...
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Reviews
Cosy Dens wins audience vote at Sydney fest
Czech director Jan Hrebejk's black comedy Cosy Dens won the popularity vote among audiences at the Sydney Film Festival's traditional home, The State Theatre, while patrons of the new Dendy Opera Quays cinema voted for Dutch family film Little Crumb, directed by Maria Peters.The other favourites at The State were, ...
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News
News Corp, PBL reportedly to quit Foxtel
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and Kerry Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (PBL), which together own 50% of Australian pay-TV platform Foxtel, reportedly plan to switch allegiances and sign a significant programming deal with competitor Cable & Wireless Optus (C&W Optus). News Corp-owned newspaper The Australian reported today (June 20) that ...
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News
Oz giants get greenlight for joint Sydney cinema
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has greenlit a proposal from Australia's three largest exhibitors - Village Roadshow, Hoyts and Greater Union - to replace their separate cinemas on George Street, Sydney with a site in which they will share the same building, staff, box office and candy bar. ...
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News
Pinefilm taps Sorby to head up acquisitions
Australian distributor Pinefilm Entertainment has appointed Nicole Sorby as head of acquisitions replacing Peter Downer who left the company last week following a breakdown in relations with owner and managing director Sean Rothsey.Rothsey was formerly a financial backer of The Globe Film Co, when Downer was one of three partners ...
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News
Blockbusters bunch up in Oz
While the European box office fights soccer-mania and pre-summer seasonal box office lows, Australia's chart is riding high with help from the southern hemisphere winter and two hits carrying a high level of Australian content.Mission: Impossible 2 at number one has scooped $7.6m (A$13.3m) after just 12 days, a record ...
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Australia's Niche Pictures picks up Mr Death
Australian distributor Niche Pictures, which was recently acquired by Lyn McCarthy, has acquired local rights to Errol Morris's Mr Death: The Rise And Fall Of Fred A. Leuchter Jr. The 90-minute documentary was well received when it screened this week on the third day of the Sydney Film Festival. McCarthy ...
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News
M:I2 gives UIP biggest Oz weekend
Mission: Impossible 2's opening in Australia on June 1, one week after its blockbusting North American debut, grossed $3,675,654 (A$6,395,638) from 366 screens over the four-day weekend. This gives distributor UIP its biggest ever weekend and ranks third-highest in Australian history. This compares to the $3.4m (A$5.9m) brought in ...
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News
Oz exhibition giants partner for joint Sydney site
Australia's three largest exhibitors - Village Roadshow, Hoyts and Greater Union - are planning to replace their separate cinemas on George Street, Sydney with a site that will feature single management of both the ticket booth and the concessions area. The development will have over 15 screens and be the ...
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News
IMAX Oz franchise enters administration
Cinema Plus, the public company which holds the IMAX franchise for Australia and New Zealand, has been put in the hands of Sydney administrators Ferrier Hodgson, three-and-a-half years after listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Steve Sherman, who is in charge as a result ...
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News
South Australian government ups investment in film
South Australia's government has put aside an additional A$1m ($577,000) a year over three years to invest in Australian and international films that either shoot or undertake post-production in the state. The figure represents more than double the government's current commitment. Minister for Arts Diana Laidlaw announced the move as ...
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News
FFC gets Skase in latest funding round
Australia's Film Finance Corporation (FFC) is backing comedy Let's Get Skase, which draws on events surrounding Australian media mogul Christopher Skase who is currently sheltering from legal action in Majorca, Spain.Skase headed the Qintex group, former owner of Australia's Seven Network and aspiring owner of MGM, which collapsed with debts ...
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News
New Zealand boosts production with $10m fund
New Zealand's prime minister Helen Clark has put aside $10.8m (NZ$22m) for a feature film production fund, a huge commitment for a country with a population of less than four million people. It is envisaged that the fund will assist about 10 films at the rate of two or three ...
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News
China Star inks Star TV output deal
Hong Kong-based China Star Entertainment Group has finalised a US$30m three-year output deal with pay-TV provider Star TV for 100 films to be produced under its One Hundred Years Of Films production banner. Star is taking pay-TV rights for Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan on the titles. About a ...
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News
Alliance's Wrenn to fly to New Zealand
Miramax has acquired Lone Scherfig's dogme title Italian For Beginners, one of the hottest titles in the main competition at the Berlin Film Festival since its screening on Friday, for release in the US, Mexico and English-speaking Canada. Miramax is understood to have paid $600,000 for the romantic comedy, beating ...
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News
Mallboy team set to produce Melbourne-set Orange
The team behind Directors' Fortnight film Mallboy is now developing Orange, a love story set amid feuding families in a bustling wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Melbourne, Australia.Vincent Giarrusso is writing, directing, and working with script editor Tony Ayres, and Fiona Eagger is producing. This time around Chris Fitchett ...
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News
Daybreak signs up Laing for House Guest
John Laing has signed to directThe House Guest, the second film to go into production this year under the Daybreak Pictures production banner, and the second from the New Zealand company to be handled by UK sales outfit 2 Match. The film is being financed by presales, local private investors ...
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News
Dear moves to SBS from Film Four Australia
Channel Four and Film Four have lost Australian representative Miranda Dear to SBS Independent, the production arm of multicultural broadcaster SBS, where she takes up the role of commissioning editor of drama from early July. She replaces Barbara Masel who signified her intention to leave several months ago.
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News
Gladiator marches into Australia, Mexico
Ridley Scott's highly anticipated film Gladiator thrashed Australian competition when it reported its opening four-day gross May 4-7. The Roman epic became the fourth highest opening film ever in the territory marginally beating The Lost World: Jurassic Park distributed in May 1997. Playing on 287 screens, the UIP release scooped ...