All articles by Sandy George – Page 74
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Softbank invests in Content Capital
Japanese venture capitalist Softbank has taken a strategic stake in Australia's Content Capital, one of two government-sanctioned Film Licence Investment Companies (FLICs) aimed at coaxing private investment into Australian production. The investment is Softbank's first venture capital investment in Australia. Legislation restricts foreign companies from owning more than 33% of ...
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Record-breaking previews for Australia's Wog Boy
Australian comedy The Wog Boy has grossed a highly impressive A$1.2m from just three days of preview screenings (Feb 18-20), which would have placed it at number three in the chart had it been included. Previews are traditionally excluded from box office charts. Only two films performed better than this ...
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ABC's theatrical arm acquires Tank Engine movie
ABC Films has confirmed it has acquired all Australian and New Zealand rights to the US$20m family film Thomas And The Magic Railroad which director Britt Allcroft has adapted from the Thomas The Tank Engine hit television series she also created. To avoid Olympics fever, which will take over Australia ...
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Globe buys Human Voices for Australia, New Zealand
Despite withdrawing from international acquisitions, The Globe Film Co has signed on to handle Australian and New Zealand distribution on Til Human Voices Wake Us, one of two features which have just secured investment from the Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC). Director-writer Michael Petroni has sold several scripts to Hollywood ...
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Australia's Pennell moves into big-budget arena
Australian production outfit Pennell Motion Pictures is set to produce A$15-20m ($9.5-12.6m) romantic comedy Amorous Intrigue, displaying further evidence that the Australian production community is intent on moving into bigger-budget projects.The film is based on the true story of Aphra Bhenn, who was a writer in the UK over 300 ...
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House to produce Armstrong comedy, Broken Hill
Australian producer Lynda House has unveiled a slate of new projects including a comedy-drama to be directed by Gillian Armstrong and a $7.5m (A$12m) futuristic fairy-tale The Broken Hill, which has a pack of wild dogs as one of the cast members.Gillian Armstrong, who credits include Little Women and Oscar ...
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Village beefs up London office in exec reshuffle
Following Village Cinemas International's revelation that it is launching a chain of own brand cinemas in the UK, the company has announced several management changes, including the relocation of two Australian executives to its London office.George Livery has been promoted from managing director of Village Cinemas Australia to general manager ...
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AFC revamp takes shape with Warner
French production and distribution giant Le Studio Canal Plus has picked up international sales rights to The Princess And The Warrior (Der Krieger Und Die Kaiserin), the latest proejct from Run Lola Run director Tom Tykwer. Princess, produced by Stefan Arndt's X-Filme Creative Pool, is completed and due for ...
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Oz studio plans fail to attract cash
The ambitious plan to build a third major film studio in Australia - with the backing of US giant Viacom - is floundering because of a complete lack of interest from institutional investors.The public float has now been abandoned and the retail precinct shaved off the development to bring the ...
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Mason and Coote join Macquarie board
Producers Andrew Mason and Greg Coote have been appointed to the board of the Macquarie Film Corporation as the company gears up to release its second prospectus in March. Macquarie is one of two Australian companies awarded licences to raise A$20m ($12.6m) in concessional capital to help grow the film ...
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Granada ties TV production knot with Seven Network
The UK's Granada Media Group has become one of the top five shareholders in Australia's Seven Network, as part of a deal which sees the two entities form an as-yet-unnamed Australian-based production company.Granada will combine its Australian production company Artist Services, which has several feature credits, with Seven's in-house production.The ...
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Beyond to sing with Other Voices
Beyond Films has acquired worldwide rights, excluding North America, to Dan McCormack's debut feature Other Voices, which featured in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Beyond quietly signed for the film after getting a sneak preview prior to Sundance. Other Voices stars Campbell Scott, Peter Gallagher and Stockard Channing and ...
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FFC grants producers better terms of trade
The Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC) has unveiled plans to guarantee producers overhead payments and give them greater access to the revenue streams generated by their projects. A group of 24 producers calling itself the Independent Producers' Initiative (IDI) emerged in November to force some action on terms of trade ...
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Australia embraces DVD
DVD appears to have gained a foothold in the Australian market according to recent statistics that show that 63% of video stores were carrying DVDs at the end of 1999 compared to only 35% at the end of the previous year.In addition, a total of 529 titles were released ...
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Noosa Film Festival unlikely to return
Despite the success of last year's Noosa Film Festival in terms of profile and programming, director Luke Davis has admitted that unpaid debts and lack of sponsorship means there is unlikely to be a sequel. Davis confirmed the event has about A$300,000 in outstanding bills due to a sponsor withdrawing ...
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Oz bank Content Capital boards Monkey's Mask
Content Capital has announced it is to become a financial partner in the Australian and New Zealand release of Samantha Lang's A$4.5m lesbian detective thriller The Monkey's Mask. The move fits the company's strategy of establishing itself as a bank for the use of film-makers. The Monkey's Mask, which stars ...
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Australia lifts ban on Romance
Australia's Film Board of Review has overturned the recent decision by the Office of Film and Literature Classification not to classify Catherine Breillat's French film Romance, a judgement that meant the film could not be released in Australia. The decision will be a great relief to local film critics and ...
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Australia gains financier for genre pics
Australia has gained a new breed of financier - Kirkham Management Limited - which aims to coax private investors to plough funds into genre pictures.Set up by chartered accountant Stephen Kirkham - after spending the last six years planning the move - the outfit aims to fund four pictures annually ...
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Sharmill, Champion continue French-language vein
Australia's Sharmill Films and Champion Pictures have bought Australian rights to writer-director Radu Mihaileanu's World War II story Train Of Life from Menemsha Entertainment. The film was included in the programme of last year's French Film Festival and is set to get a mid-year release. Sharmill has a long history ...
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Mendel's sixth sense makes him partner Noonan
Barry Mendel, one of the producers on The Sixth Sense, is working with writer/director Chris Noonan on an adaptation of the novel Rule Of The Bone by Russell Banks, who also wrote the book on which The Sweet Hereafter was based. Sydney-based Noonan's most recent credit as a director was ...