Friday will see the launch of the first stage of the Australian Feature Film Summit, an event spearheaded by a working group across exhibition, distribution and production, which aims to break down sector silos to build further theatrical success for Australian features.
Its origins lie in provocative questions about the future of local film posed by producer and distributor Sue Maslin back in 2018.
Such as: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently? How can we get a better equation between risk/reward?
Maslin felt a disconnect between what exhibitors were prepared to show on screens and what filmmakers were making, with the vast majority of Australian films earning less than $1 million. It occurred to her that most producers had little to do with the ‘retail’ end of the industry.
Its origins lie in provocative questions about the future of local film posed by producer and distributor Sue Maslin back in 2018.
Such as: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently? How can we get a better equation between risk/reward?
Maslin felt a disconnect between what exhibitors were prepared to show on screens and what filmmakers were making, with the vast majority of Australian films earning less than $1 million. It occurred to her that most producers had little to do with the ‘retail’ end of the industry.
- 10/20/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Entertainment marketer Bridgette Graham is the recipient of this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship, with the $20,000 grant announcement made as part of today’s Australian Independent Distributors Association (Aida) Conference.
Graham works as a product marketing manager for Roadshow Films, specialising in creative and campaign strategies for locally produced Australian feature films, including The Dry, Penguin Bloom, and Rams.
Her previous roles have included marketing manager for Moving Story Entertainment and Dendy Cinemas Sydney general manager. In 2018, she was awarded the Film Victoria Women in Leadership and Development Fellowship.
Graham said the Nmf would further her creative application of data and technology with sociological insights to reach new audiences.
“I am honoured to join the ranks of recipients of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, a group I have admired since the beginning of my career in film, for their contributions to the industry in both innovation and culture,” he said.
“Endeavouring to continue this legacy,...
Graham works as a product marketing manager for Roadshow Films, specialising in creative and campaign strategies for locally produced Australian feature films, including The Dry, Penguin Bloom, and Rams.
Her previous roles have included marketing manager for Moving Story Entertainment and Dendy Cinemas Sydney general manager. In 2018, she was awarded the Film Victoria Women in Leadership and Development Fellowship.
Graham said the Nmf would further her creative application of data and technology with sociological insights to reach new audiences.
“I am honoured to join the ranks of recipients of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, a group I have admired since the beginning of my career in film, for their contributions to the industry in both innovation and culture,” he said.
“Endeavouring to continue this legacy,...
- 10/20/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Brisbane International Film Festival has announced two new senior appointments ahead of next month’s event, with Josh Martin taking the reins as CEO and Mark Melrose named operations manager.
As the CEO of Biff’s organising committee, Film Fantastic, Martin will also be responsible for leading the Gold Coast Film Festival.
He is a former CEO of the not-for-profit Connecting Southern Gold Coast and has held senior management roles with the Gold Coast Suns, Gold Coast Titans, and Img.
Martin said it was an honour to be joining the organisation ahead of this year’s program announcement.
“I can’t wait to release a first-look at our 2021 Biff program including the announcement of an amazing opening night film,” he said.
“We have assembled a highly-skilled team with decades of combined film festival experience to deliver our vision for Biff this year.
“Our talented program manager Sasha Close has meticulously...
As the CEO of Biff’s organising committee, Film Fantastic, Martin will also be responsible for leading the Gold Coast Film Festival.
He is a former CEO of the not-for-profit Connecting Southern Gold Coast and has held senior management roles with the Gold Coast Suns, Gold Coast Titans, and Img.
Martin said it was an honour to be joining the organisation ahead of this year’s program announcement.
“I can’t wait to release a first-look at our 2021 Biff program including the announcement of an amazing opening night film,” he said.
“We have assembled a highly-skilled team with decades of combined film festival experience to deliver our vision for Biff this year.
“Our talented program manager Sasha Close has meticulously...
- 9/13/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
In 2018, producer and distributor Sue Maslin posed some provocative questions regarding the future of Australian feature film.
Among them: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently?
It kicked off introspection among industry, and sparked lively conversation at that year’s Prism, hosted by Screen Producers Australia (Spa), that gathered executives from federal and state screen agencies, producers, distributors and exhibitors.
Out of that event hatched a cross-industry working group who for the past three years have met regularly to strategise how to grow a local feature film sector that makes more commercially successful and culturally relevant films.
Among its founding members are Maslin; Independent Cinemas Australia CEO Adrianne Pecotic; producer Antony I. Ginnane; Event Cinemas general manager of content Claire Gandy; Spa director of policy Holly Brimble; Motion Picture...
Among them: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently?
It kicked off introspection among industry, and sparked lively conversation at that year’s Prism, hosted by Screen Producers Australia (Spa), that gathered executives from federal and state screen agencies, producers, distributors and exhibitors.
Out of that event hatched a cross-industry working group who for the past three years have met regularly to strategise how to grow a local feature film sector that makes more commercially successful and culturally relevant films.
Among its founding members are Maslin; Independent Cinemas Australia CEO Adrianne Pecotic; producer Antony I. Ginnane; Event Cinemas general manager of content Claire Gandy; Spa director of policy Holly Brimble; Motion Picture...
- 9/7/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
The inaugural recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship is now at its helm, with Stan head of features and development executive, Rachel Okine, taking the reins following the departure of Sue Maslin.
Okine brings a wealth of experience within the film and television industry to the role, having previously served as vice president of international production and acquisitions at Studiocanal, vice president of international acquisitions at STX Entertainment, and managing director of Aquarius Films before joining Stan earlier this year.
Prior to this, she was a founding staff member of independent film distribution company, Hopscotch, initially working across publicity and marketing campaigns before expanding into development and production.
Okine said she “couldn’t be prouder” to take over from Maslin, who stepped down in May after serving on the management committee for more than 10 years.
“As a previous recipient, the Natalie Miller Fellowship has had an enormous impact on my career and my life,...
Okine brings a wealth of experience within the film and television industry to the role, having previously served as vice president of international production and acquisitions at Studiocanal, vice president of international acquisitions at STX Entertainment, and managing director of Aquarius Films before joining Stan earlier this year.
Prior to this, she was a founding staff member of independent film distribution company, Hopscotch, initially working across publicity and marketing campaigns before expanding into development and production.
Okine said she “couldn’t be prouder” to take over from Maslin, who stepped down in May after serving on the management committee for more than 10 years.
“As a previous recipient, the Natalie Miller Fellowship has had an enormous impact on my career and my life,...
- 7/19/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Women in the screen industry seeking a pathway to leadership are encouraged to apply for this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship.
Established in 2011 to recognise the contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller, the annual grant of up to $20,000 is designed to support women in the sector reach their full potential via attachments, internships, secondments, travel, and other means.
The 2020 recipient was Pauline Clague, founder and director of the Winda Film Festival and industry associate professor, and cultural resilience manager at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous education and research at Uts.
Speaking after being awarded last year’s grant in November, Clague said she was looking forward to writing works around Indigenous narratives and finding ways to “influence and engage our lens in a different way” through her work.
Pauline Clague.
“This fellowship will allow me to engage with the lens with innovation,” she said.
“To be supported by a...
Established in 2011 to recognise the contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller, the annual grant of up to $20,000 is designed to support women in the sector reach their full potential via attachments, internships, secondments, travel, and other means.
The 2020 recipient was Pauline Clague, founder and director of the Winda Film Festival and industry associate professor, and cultural resilience manager at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous education and research at Uts.
Speaking after being awarded last year’s grant in November, Clague said she was looking forward to writing works around Indigenous narratives and finding ways to “influence and engage our lens in a different way” through her work.
Pauline Clague.
“This fellowship will allow me to engage with the lens with innovation,” she said.
“To be supported by a...
- 7/5/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Producer and distributor Sue Maslin will step down as the president of the Natalie Miller Fellowship (Nmf) later this week, after guiding the organisation for 10 years.
The Dressmaker producer is among the founding members of the Nmf, with Chrissy Thomson, Annette Blonski, Jan Epstein, Jennifer Sabine, Zelda Rosenbaum and Heather Scott. In 2010, they got together informally and decided to raise funding towards an annual $10,000 fellowship named in honour of Sharmill Films and Cinema Nova founder Natalie Miller, awarded to aspirational women to pursue professional leadership.
Over the course of Maslin’s tenure as president, she has built relationships with the industry that would ultimately enable the annual fellowship to grow to $20,000. Current co-sponsors include Village Roadshow and Kojo.
Recipients of the Nmf over the years have included Rachel Okine; Harriet Pike; Rebecca Hammond; Courtney Botfield; Sasha Close; Kristy Matheson, Miriam Katsambis; Anna Kaplan; and Pauline Clague (founder and artistic director...
The Dressmaker producer is among the founding members of the Nmf, with Chrissy Thomson, Annette Blonski, Jan Epstein, Jennifer Sabine, Zelda Rosenbaum and Heather Scott. In 2010, they got together informally and decided to raise funding towards an annual $10,000 fellowship named in honour of Sharmill Films and Cinema Nova founder Natalie Miller, awarded to aspirational women to pursue professional leadership.
Over the course of Maslin’s tenure as president, she has built relationships with the industry that would ultimately enable the annual fellowship to grow to $20,000. Current co-sponsors include Village Roadshow and Kojo.
Recipients of the Nmf over the years have included Rachel Okine; Harriet Pike; Rebecca Hammond; Courtney Botfield; Sasha Close; Kristy Matheson, Miriam Katsambis; Anna Kaplan; and Pauline Clague (founder and artistic director...
- 5/11/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Back in July, when every cinema around the country was shut, Sue Maslin took a leap: she committed to a three month marketing and P&a campaign for feature documentary Brazen Hussies.
Today the film distributed via Maslin’s Film Art Media stands at $103,000 at the box office.
Directed by Catherine Dwyer and produced by Philippa Campey and Andrea Foxworthy, Brazen Hussies follows the Women’s Liberation Movement in Australia, piecing together archival footage, photographs, memorabilia and personal accounts from activists.
Reaching this point theatrically has been the result of a platform release, driven by a 11-woman team, and founded on grassroots campaigning, targeted publicity (led by Nicole Hurren) and strong word-of-mouth.
It’s the kind of campaign Maslin argues has been almost impossible for years, given the dominance of Hollywood blockbusters and a mindset that opening weekend is everything.
Designed in consultation with Sasha Close and Kylie Pascoe, the...
Today the film distributed via Maslin’s Film Art Media stands at $103,000 at the box office.
Directed by Catherine Dwyer and produced by Philippa Campey and Andrea Foxworthy, Brazen Hussies follows the Women’s Liberation Movement in Australia, piecing together archival footage, photographs, memorabilia and personal accounts from activists.
Reaching this point theatrically has been the result of a platform release, driven by a 11-woman team, and founded on grassroots campaigning, targeted publicity (led by Nicole Hurren) and strong word-of-mouth.
It’s the kind of campaign Maslin argues has been almost impossible for years, given the dominance of Hollywood blockbusters and a mindset that opening weekend is everything.
Designed in consultation with Sasha Close and Kylie Pascoe, the...
- 12/3/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Storyteller and producer Pauline Clague is the recipient of this year’s $20,000 Natalie Miller Fellowship.
Announced today at the virtual Australian Independent Distributors Association (Aida) Conference, Clague will use her fellowship to do more concentrated work on the theories she has been writing around Indigenous archetypes, structures and genres in cinema.
Upon receiving the grant, shesaid: “It is such an honour to be the recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship for 2020. This year has been so turbulent for our industry and so much of the arts has had a hit during this time of Covid-19.
“For me, the privilege has been in not being just a hashtag but raising the voice of Indigenous youth and communities during the Black Lives Matter and Deaths in Custody rallies.
“I look forward to writing works around Indigenous narratives and finding ways to influence and engage our lens in a different way through my work.
Announced today at the virtual Australian Independent Distributors Association (Aida) Conference, Clague will use her fellowship to do more concentrated work on the theories she has been writing around Indigenous archetypes, structures and genres in cinema.
Upon receiving the grant, shesaid: “It is such an honour to be the recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship for 2020. This year has been so turbulent for our industry and so much of the arts has had a hit during this time of Covid-19.
“For me, the privilege has been in not being just a hashtag but raising the voice of Indigenous youth and communities during the Black Lives Matter and Deaths in Custody rallies.
“I look forward to writing works around Indigenous narratives and finding ways to influence and engage our lens in a different way through my work.
- 11/19/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Clockwise from top left: Jennifer Peedom, Rachel Okine, Kyas Hepworth and Sue Maslin.
The Natalie Miller Fellowship (Nmf) organisers have appealed for more Indigenous female screen practitioners to apply for the fellowship that provides an annual $20,000 grant for leadership advancement.
Nmf president Sue Maslin lamented the small number of applicants from the Indigenous cohort in a Facebook Live session on Monday with director and Nmf ambassador Jennifer Peedom, Aquarius Films MD Rachel Okine and Nitv acting head Kyas Hepworth.
Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller, the Nmf is open to women with at least five years experience in any screen sector to help them reach their full leadership potential through attachments, internships, secondments and other means.
“We have not had a high level of applications yet from Indigenous women. We really want to make a focus on having Indigenous women applying,” Maslin said.
The Natalie Miller Fellowship (Nmf) organisers have appealed for more Indigenous female screen practitioners to apply for the fellowship that provides an annual $20,000 grant for leadership advancement.
Nmf president Sue Maslin lamented the small number of applicants from the Indigenous cohort in a Facebook Live session on Monday with director and Nmf ambassador Jennifer Peedom, Aquarius Films MD Rachel Okine and Nitv acting head Kyas Hepworth.
Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller, the Nmf is open to women with at least five years experience in any screen sector to help them reach their full leadership potential through attachments, internships, secondments and other means.
“We have not had a high level of applications yet from Indigenous women. We really want to make a focus on having Indigenous women applying,” Maslin said.
- 8/25/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Previous Nmf recipients Rachel Okine, Harriet Pike, Rebecca Hammond, Courtney Botfield, Sasha Close, Kristy Matheson, Miriam Katsambis and Anna Kaplan.
Applications are open for this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship: a grant of $20,000 for an established woman working in the screen industry to pursue professional leadership opportunities.
Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller, the fellowship supports women to undertake attachments, internships, secondments, travel and other means in order to reach their full leadership potential.
The vision of the fellowship is to achieve gender diversity in screen leadership, resulting in a greater breadth of storytelling, better company performances, innovation, and a more dynamic, inclusive and robust industry for everyone.
Previous recipients include Rachel Okine, Harriet Pike, Rebecca Hammond, Courtney Botfield, Sasha Close; Kristy Matheson, Miriam Katsambis; and Anna Kaplan.
“The Nmf has helped advance the leadership aspirations of numerous women including the stellar alumni of Fellowship recipients to date,...
Applications are open for this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship: a grant of $20,000 for an established woman working in the screen industry to pursue professional leadership opportunities.
Established in 2011 to recognise the unique contribution of screen industry pioneer Natalie Miller, the fellowship supports women to undertake attachments, internships, secondments, travel and other means in order to reach their full leadership potential.
The vision of the fellowship is to achieve gender diversity in screen leadership, resulting in a greater breadth of storytelling, better company performances, innovation, and a more dynamic, inclusive and robust industry for everyone.
Previous recipients include Rachel Okine, Harriet Pike, Rebecca Hammond, Courtney Botfield, Sasha Close; Kristy Matheson, Miriam Katsambis; and Anna Kaplan.
“The Nmf has helped advance the leadership aspirations of numerous women including the stellar alumni of Fellowship recipients to date,...
- 6/22/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
David Simpson.
David Simpson is departing Roadshow Films to join South Australian-based Wallis Cinemas as programming manager.
Starting on January 9, Simpson takes over from Sasha Close, who is now program manager of the Gold Coast Film Festival.
For the past three years the Adelaide-born Simpson was Roadshow Films’ asset manager, responsible for creating and maintaining theatrical operations, analytical/ home entertainment and technological strategies.
Previously he managed UK and Us content for NBC Sports, Universal Pictures, Syfy and E! Channels.
Earlier he served as senior media manager for Virgin Media and print manager for the British Film Institute.
The post Wallis Cinemas hires Roadshow’s David Simpson appeared first on If Magazine.
David Simpson is departing Roadshow Films to join South Australian-based Wallis Cinemas as programming manager.
Starting on January 9, Simpson takes over from Sasha Close, who is now program manager of the Gold Coast Film Festival.
For the past three years the Adelaide-born Simpson was Roadshow Films’ asset manager, responsible for creating and maintaining theatrical operations, analytical/ home entertainment and technological strategies.
Previously he managed UK and Us content for NBC Sports, Universal Pictures, Syfy and E! Channels.
Earlier he served as senior media manager for Virgin Media and print manager for the British Film Institute.
The post Wallis Cinemas hires Roadshow’s David Simpson appeared first on If Magazine.
- 12/9/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Knives Out.’
Disney’s Frozen 2 dominated the cinema business last weekend without matching its stellar Us results while Studiocanal’s crime caper Knives Out proved to be effective counter-programming.
Meanwhile Rialto launched Adrian Noble’s Mrs Lowry & Son on 43 screens, ringing up $48,000 and a decent $184,000 including revenues from festivals. The English comedy stars Timothy Spall as the artist L.S. Lowry and Vanessa Redgrave as his overbearing mother.
Selina Miles’ feature documentary Martha: A Picture Story, an alternate content release which profiles intrepid American photojournalist Martha Cooper, clocked $15,000 from limited sessions plus $29,000 from festivals for Umbrella Entertainment.
The winner of the Sydney Film Festival Documentary Audience Award, the film follows Cooper as she roams around Berlin, New York and Baltimore and her adventures come to life with archival footage and tales from subjects and peers.
The Aacta Awards to be announced on Wednesday are unlikely to give any box office momentum to the victors,...
Disney’s Frozen 2 dominated the cinema business last weekend without matching its stellar Us results while Studiocanal’s crime caper Knives Out proved to be effective counter-programming.
Meanwhile Rialto launched Adrian Noble’s Mrs Lowry & Son on 43 screens, ringing up $48,000 and a decent $184,000 including revenues from festivals. The English comedy stars Timothy Spall as the artist L.S. Lowry and Vanessa Redgrave as his overbearing mother.
Selina Miles’ feature documentary Martha: A Picture Story, an alternate content release which profiles intrepid American photojournalist Martha Cooper, clocked $15,000 from limited sessions plus $29,000 from festivals for Umbrella Entertainment.
The winner of the Sydney Film Festival Documentary Audience Award, the film follows Cooper as she roams around Berlin, New York and Baltimore and her adventures come to life with archival footage and tales from subjects and peers.
The Aacta Awards to be announced on Wednesday are unlikely to give any box office momentum to the victors,...
- 12/1/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Ford v Ferrari’
It was no-contest between Fox/Chernin Entertainment’s Ford v Ferrari and Sony Pictures’ Charlie’s Angels reboot at Australian cinemas last weekend.
Paradoxically, James Mangold’s drama based on the 1966 Le Mans race between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari opened marginally below the Us but streets ahead of Elizabeth Banks’ Charlie’s Angels which, however, outperformed the dismal Us bow.
Exhibitors were hoping for more from both titles. “Things are difficult in cinema land at the moment,” says Wallis Cinemas’ soon-to-depart programming manager Sasha Close. “It seems audiences might be waiting for the big Disney films, with Frozen 2 opening on November 28 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker launching on December 19.
“Both Ford v Ferrari and Charlie’s Angels fell slightly short of our estimates. Whilst Ford v Ferrari may be propelled along for a few weeks by good word of mouth and reviews, the Charlie’s Angels reboot...
It was no-contest between Fox/Chernin Entertainment’s Ford v Ferrari and Sony Pictures’ Charlie’s Angels reboot at Australian cinemas last weekend.
Paradoxically, James Mangold’s drama based on the 1966 Le Mans race between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari opened marginally below the Us but streets ahead of Elizabeth Banks’ Charlie’s Angels which, however, outperformed the dismal Us bow.
Exhibitors were hoping for more from both titles. “Things are difficult in cinema land at the moment,” says Wallis Cinemas’ soon-to-depart programming manager Sasha Close. “It seems audiences might be waiting for the big Disney films, with Frozen 2 opening on November 28 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker launching on December 19.
“Both Ford v Ferrari and Charlie’s Angels fell slightly short of our estimates. Whilst Ford v Ferrari may be propelled along for a few weeks by good word of mouth and reviews, the Charlie’s Angels reboot...
- 11/18/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Sasha Close.
Sasha Close, one of Australia’s most respected exhibitors, has resigned as programming manager at Wallis Cinemas after 16 years with the Adelaide-based company.
Close, who finishes up on December 4, is taking up the role of program manager of the Gold Coast Film Festival. That contract position runs until May and is renewable.
After that she tells If she will serve as a consultant to Australian producers, exhibitors and the wider screen industry.
“The festival has stamped itself on the festival calendar as innovative, forward thinking, inclusive and genuinely focused on diversity,” she says.
“It is an honour to be given the curatorial reigns and I warmly welcome submissions, conversations and collaborations for the 2020 program.”
In a note to industry colleagues she said: “Whilst this has been a difficult decision, I feel the timing is right for me and I have accepted an offer elsewhere in the screen industry.
Sasha Close, one of Australia’s most respected exhibitors, has resigned as programming manager at Wallis Cinemas after 16 years with the Adelaide-based company.
Close, who finishes up on December 4, is taking up the role of program manager of the Gold Coast Film Festival. That contract position runs until May and is renewable.
After that she tells If she will serve as a consultant to Australian producers, exhibitors and the wider screen industry.
“The festival has stamped itself on the festival calendar as innovative, forward thinking, inclusive and genuinely focused on diversity,” she says.
“It is an honour to be given the curatorial reigns and I warmly welcome submissions, conversations and collaborations for the 2020 program.”
In a note to industry colleagues she said: “Whilst this has been a difficult decision, I feel the timing is right for me and I have accepted an offer elsewhere in the screen industry.
- 11/14/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Emu Runner.’
Writer-director Imogen Thomas’ family drama Emu Runner and Tony D’Aquino’s female-driven survival thriller The Furies opened in limited sessions on a handful of screens last weekend.
The grosses were commensurately modest but The Furies has been sold to half a dozen major territories including the Us and Odin’s Eye Entertainment is negotiating deals for Latin America, Russia and Italy.
Los Angeles-based Timothy O’Brien of Ovation Films, who has represented Emu Runner since just before its Berlin premiere, is hopeful of international sales.
Thomas’ debut feature, which had its world premiere in the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival, revolves around a nine-year-old Indigenous girl (Rhae-Kye Waites) in the remote Brewarrina community, who finds solace in the company of a wild emu after her mother’s unexpected death.
The cast includes Wayne Blair, Maurial Spearim, Georgia Blizzard, Rob Carlton and newcomers Mary Waites, Letisha Boney,...
Writer-director Imogen Thomas’ family drama Emu Runner and Tony D’Aquino’s female-driven survival thriller The Furies opened in limited sessions on a handful of screens last weekend.
The grosses were commensurately modest but The Furies has been sold to half a dozen major territories including the Us and Odin’s Eye Entertainment is negotiating deals for Latin America, Russia and Italy.
Los Angeles-based Timothy O’Brien of Ovation Films, who has represented Emu Runner since just before its Berlin premiere, is hopeful of international sales.
Thomas’ debut feature, which had its world premiere in the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival, revolves around a nine-year-old Indigenous girl (Rhae-Kye Waites) in the remote Brewarrina community, who finds solace in the company of a wild emu after her mother’s unexpected death.
The cast includes Wayne Blair, Maurial Spearim, Georgia Blizzard, Rob Carlton and newcomers Mary Waites, Letisha Boney,...
- 11/11/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Anna Kaplan.
Producer Anna Kaplan, known for her work leading social impact campaigns on documentaries such as 2040, The Hunting Ground and That Sugar Film, has been awarded this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship.
Kaplan, whose career is spanned development, production, distribution and outreach, is a two-time Aacta nominee and has previously been awarded Film Victoria’s Women in Leadership Development Fellowship.
President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship Sue Maslin Ao said: “Anna Kaplan has an extensive background in using film and storytelling to ignite change. She is a respected leader in the field of impact producing and has an ambitious vision to mobilise the Australian screen industry to embrace more sustainable environmental practices. We are delighted to award the 2020 Natalie Miller Fellowship to Anna. ”
The Natalie Miller Fellowship is open to all women working in the Australian screen industry, and offers up to $20,000 for a professional development program that will...
Producer Anna Kaplan, known for her work leading social impact campaigns on documentaries such as 2040, The Hunting Ground and That Sugar Film, has been awarded this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship.
Kaplan, whose career is spanned development, production, distribution and outreach, is a two-time Aacta nominee and has previously been awarded Film Victoria’s Women in Leadership Development Fellowship.
President of the Natalie Miller Fellowship Sue Maslin Ao said: “Anna Kaplan has an extensive background in using film and storytelling to ignite change. She is a respected leader in the field of impact producing and has an ambitious vision to mobilise the Australian screen industry to embrace more sustainable environmental practices. We are delighted to award the 2020 Natalie Miller Fellowship to Anna. ”
The Natalie Miller Fellowship is open to all women working in the Australian screen industry, and offers up to $20,000 for a professional development program that will...
- 10/22/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Independent Cinemas Australia CEO Adrianne Pecotic and president Scott Seddon.
The global rise of streaming services has not directly impacted cinemagoing but it has hurt independent films which traditionally have performed well at indie cinemas.
That’s according to Scott Seddon, president of Independent Cinemas Australia, who notes that exhibitors are working with distributors to find new and co-operative ways to bring some films into the market.
“The competition our members are seeing from streaming is not directly for patrons. It is competition for actors and writers and directors and caterers and the thousands of people involved in making a movie,” Seddon said in the Ica’s annual report which was released at the organisation’s annual general meeting on Sunday.
“Those movies which gross between $1 million and $10 million at the Australian box office are the bread and butter of our industry. They are the films we really miss and...
The global rise of streaming services has not directly impacted cinemagoing but it has hurt independent films which traditionally have performed well at indie cinemas.
That’s according to Scott Seddon, president of Independent Cinemas Australia, who notes that exhibitors are working with distributors to find new and co-operative ways to bring some films into the market.
“The competition our members are seeing from streaming is not directly for patrons. It is competition for actors and writers and directors and caterers and the thousands of people involved in making a movie,” Seddon said in the Ica’s annual report which was released at the organisation’s annual general meeting on Sunday.
“Those movies which gross between $1 million and $10 million at the Australian box office are the bread and butter of our industry. They are the films we really miss and...
- 10/20/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Hustlers’ (Photo credit: Stx Films).
Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers is a hit in the Us but the crime caper starring Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart and Cardi B was never going to beat the second weekend of Todd Phillips’ blockbuster Joker in Australia.
Meanwhile Ang Lee’s $140 million-budgeted action thriller Gemini Man is shaping as a write-off for Paramount Pictures and co-investors Skydance, Alibaba and Fosun.
Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl maintained a fair clip in its third weekend while two alternate content releases, Nt Live: Fleabag and Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&m drew sizable audiences.
The top 20 titles generated $19.2 million last weekend, 13 per cent down on the previous frame, according to Numero.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the twisted, disenfranchised clown-for-hire and stand-up comic in 1980s Gotham, Joker rang up $7.4 million, easing by just 24 per cent, hoisting its total to $22 million.
The Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Bron Studios...
Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers is a hit in the Us but the crime caper starring Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart and Cardi B was never going to beat the second weekend of Todd Phillips’ blockbuster Joker in Australia.
Meanwhile Ang Lee’s $140 million-budgeted action thriller Gemini Man is shaping as a write-off for Paramount Pictures and co-investors Skydance, Alibaba and Fosun.
Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl maintained a fair clip in its third weekend while two alternate content releases, Nt Live: Fleabag and Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&m drew sizable audiences.
The top 20 titles generated $19.2 million last weekend, 13 per cent down on the previous frame, according to Numero.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the twisted, disenfranchised clown-for-hire and stand-up comic in 1980s Gotham, Joker rang up $7.4 million, easing by just 24 per cent, hoisting its total to $22 million.
The Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Bron Studios...
- 10/13/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Ride Like a Girl’.
Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl will take the crown of highest grossing Australian film on home soil this year.
Meanwhile the low visibility and modest returns from limited releases including Kim Farrant’s Angel of Mine, Sophie Hyde’s Animals and Rodd Rathjen’s Buoyancy have prompted renewed calls from exhibitors to address the challenges facing most Aussie films in the crowded theatrical market.
Griffiths’ biopic starring Teresa Palmer as ground-breaking jockey Michelle Payne pocketed nearly $4 million in its first eight days, including $317,000 on Thursday.
So the Transmission Films release co-starring Sam Neill as Payne’s father Paddy and her brother Stevie Payne as himself will overtake Palm Beach’s $4.4 million this weekend and will zoom past Top End Wedding’s $5.2 million and Storm Boy’s $5 million.
Exhibitors are confident the film is heading for upwards of $10 million and could reach Ladies in Black’s $12 million.
Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl will take the crown of highest grossing Australian film on home soil this year.
Meanwhile the low visibility and modest returns from limited releases including Kim Farrant’s Angel of Mine, Sophie Hyde’s Animals and Rodd Rathjen’s Buoyancy have prompted renewed calls from exhibitors to address the challenges facing most Aussie films in the crowded theatrical market.
Griffiths’ biopic starring Teresa Palmer as ground-breaking jockey Michelle Payne pocketed nearly $4 million in its first eight days, including $317,000 on Thursday.
So the Transmission Films release co-starring Sam Neill as Payne’s father Paddy and her brother Stevie Payne as himself will overtake Palm Beach’s $4.4 million this weekend and will zoom past Top End Wedding’s $5.2 million and Storm Boy’s $5 million.
Exhibitors are confident the film is heading for upwards of $10 million and could reach Ladies in Black’s $12 million.
- 10/4/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘It Chapter Two.’ (Photo credit: Warner Bros.)
Warner Bros/New Line’s It Chapter Two and Roadshow’s Chinese-American dramedy The Farewell gave the flagging Australian box office a much needed jolt last weekend while two new Oz releases struggled.
Kim Farrant’s psychological thriller Angel of Mine and Alan Lindsay’s romantic comedy The Naked Wanderer faced the same challenge which has bedeviled most Australian films this year: Opening on limited screens with minimal P&a, which means low visibility in the marketplace. So relying primarily on reviews, publicity and word of mouth is no guarantee to draw audiences.
Starring Noomi Rapace, Yvonne Strahovski, Annika Whiteley, Finn Little, Luke Evans, Richard Roxburgh and Rob Collins, Farrant’s follow-up to Strangerland grossed $26,000 on 42 screens and $43,000 including festival screenings for R&r Films.
As If reported, the movie co-funded by Screen Australia and Film Victoria has been sold by Fortitude International to...
Warner Bros/New Line’s It Chapter Two and Roadshow’s Chinese-American dramedy The Farewell gave the flagging Australian box office a much needed jolt last weekend while two new Oz releases struggled.
Kim Farrant’s psychological thriller Angel of Mine and Alan Lindsay’s romantic comedy The Naked Wanderer faced the same challenge which has bedeviled most Australian films this year: Opening on limited screens with minimal P&a, which means low visibility in the marketplace. So relying primarily on reviews, publicity and word of mouth is no guarantee to draw audiences.
Starring Noomi Rapace, Yvonne Strahovski, Annika Whiteley, Finn Little, Luke Evans, Richard Roxburgh and Rob Collins, Farrant’s follow-up to Strangerland grossed $26,000 on 42 screens and $43,000 including festival screenings for R&r Films.
As If reported, the movie co-funded by Screen Australia and Film Victoria has been sold by Fortitude International to...
- 9/9/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.’
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth movie Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood posted the biggest debut of his career in Australia last weekend, emulating its Us success.
The 1969-set drama/thriller starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and Damon Herriman opened 68 per cent bigger than his previous best effort Django Unchained in 2012.
The downside: The Sony Pictures release sucked a lot of air from the second weekends of Universal’s Palm Beach and Transmission Films’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
The top 20 titles raked in $14.4 million, 3 per cent up on the previous frame, according to Numero. Mind Blowing Films’ Bollywood film Mission Mangal and Magnum Films’ Hong Kong thriller Line Walker 2 had buoyant launches while Universal’s A Dog’s Journey opened with neither bark nor bite, mirroring its Us fate.
The lurid tale of a TV actor (DiCaprio) who wants...
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth movie Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood posted the biggest debut of his career in Australia last weekend, emulating its Us success.
The 1969-set drama/thriller starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and Damon Herriman opened 68 per cent bigger than his previous best effort Django Unchained in 2012.
The downside: The Sony Pictures release sucked a lot of air from the second weekends of Universal’s Palm Beach and Transmission Films’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
The top 20 titles raked in $14.4 million, 3 per cent up on the previous frame, according to Numero. Mind Blowing Films’ Bollywood film Mission Mangal and Magnum Films’ Hong Kong thriller Line Walker 2 had buoyant launches while Universal’s A Dog’s Journey opened with neither bark nor bite, mirroring its Us fate.
The lurid tale of a TV actor (DiCaprio) who wants...
- 8/19/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.’
The box office results for the Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas this year underline yet again the deep polarisation in the indie film market between the higher earners and the also-rans.
The top five titles – Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding, Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy, Anthony Marais’ Hotel Mumbai, Damon Gameau’s 2040 and Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence – accounted for $15.8 million or 93 per cent of the Oz releases’ takings.
The Aussie films plus holdovers racked up nearly $17 million through the end of July, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That’s a long way below the $40.6 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.6 million, Breath’s $4.4 million (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.
Surveying the challenges facing the indie film business, Transmission Films’ Andrew Mackie tells If:...
The box office results for the Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas this year underline yet again the deep polarisation in the indie film market between the higher earners and the also-rans.
The top five titles – Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding, Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy, Anthony Marais’ Hotel Mumbai, Damon Gameau’s 2040 and Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence – accounted for $15.8 million or 93 per cent of the Oz releases’ takings.
The Aussie films plus holdovers racked up nearly $17 million through the end of July, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That’s a long way below the $40.6 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.6 million, Breath’s $4.4 million (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.
Surveying the challenges facing the indie film business, Transmission Films’ Andrew Mackie tells If:...
- 8/2/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Lion King’ (Photo credit: Disney).
It’s been a memorable weekend for the Walt Disney Co. as The Lion King roared, Toy Story 4 topped $800 million worldwide and Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame skipped past Avatar to rank as the biggest film of all time globally.
In Australia the top 20 titles harvested $30 million, up 39 per cent on the previous weekend, according to Numero. Among the other new releases, Madman Entertainment’s Apollo 11, Forum Films’ Ardaas Karaan and Universal’s The White Crow made useful contributions.
Meanwhile Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence has raked in $893,000 for Madman after collecting $83,000 in its third outing, now on 55 screens, with 16 new regional locations booked for this Thursday.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the live action/CGI remake of The Lion King rang up $20.5 million at the weekend and $24.7 million on 930 screens since the Wednesday opening. “Audiences clearly decided the average reviews didn’t matter...
It’s been a memorable weekend for the Walt Disney Co. as The Lion King roared, Toy Story 4 topped $800 million worldwide and Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame skipped past Avatar to rank as the biggest film of all time globally.
In Australia the top 20 titles harvested $30 million, up 39 per cent on the previous weekend, according to Numero. Among the other new releases, Madman Entertainment’s Apollo 11, Forum Films’ Ardaas Karaan and Universal’s The White Crow made useful contributions.
Meanwhile Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence has raked in $893,000 for Madman after collecting $83,000 in its third outing, now on 55 screens, with 16 new regional locations booked for this Thursday.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the live action/CGI remake of The Lion King rang up $20.5 million at the weekend and $24.7 million on 930 screens since the Wednesday opening. “Audiences clearly decided the average reviews didn’t matter...
- 7/22/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Kylie Minogue and Michael Hutchence in ‘Mystify: Michael Hutchence.’
Takings at Australian cinemas jumped last weekend thanks to the school holidays, Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man sequel and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 4, while Richard Lowenstein’s Michael Hutchence documentary proved to be effective counter-programming.
Roadshow’s Us romantic drama After opened reasonably well considering its meagre Us results and Palace’s Argentinian rom-com An Unexpected Love appealed to upscale audiences.
The top 20 titles garnered $25.7 million, up 34 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero.
Spider-Man: Far From Home captured $10.4 million in the first four days and $17.4 million since its launch last Monday. So the Jon Watts-directed sequel will surpass Spider-Man: Homecoming, which ended up with $25.6 million in 2017.
The superhero adventure starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal and Aussies Remy Hii and Angourie Rice has generated $580 million worldwide in just 10 days.
The 6-day domestic debut...
Takings at Australian cinemas jumped last weekend thanks to the school holidays, Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man sequel and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 4, while Richard Lowenstein’s Michael Hutchence documentary proved to be effective counter-programming.
Roadshow’s Us romantic drama After opened reasonably well considering its meagre Us results and Palace’s Argentinian rom-com An Unexpected Love appealed to upscale audiences.
The top 20 titles garnered $25.7 million, up 34 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero.
Spider-Man: Far From Home captured $10.4 million in the first four days and $17.4 million since its launch last Monday. So the Jon Watts-directed sequel will surpass Spider-Man: Homecoming, which ended up with $25.6 million in 2017.
The superhero adventure starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal and Aussies Remy Hii and Angourie Rice has generated $580 million worldwide in just 10 days.
The 6-day domestic debut...
- 7/7/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Yesterday.’
Universal/Working Title’s The Beatles-inspired musical romantic fantasy Yesterday charmed audiences in Australia last weekend, outperforming the Us and UK debuts.
The Danny Boyle-directed film written by Love Actually’s Richard Curtis entered Oz in second place behind the second frame of Disney/Pixar’s blockbuster Toy Story 4.
Starring Himesh Patel as a struggling songwriter who awakes after an accident in a parallel universe where no one had heard of the band and rips off their songs to propel himself to stardom, Yesterday rang up $3.4 million on 281 screens and $3.6 million with previews and the Sydney Film Festival screening.
That ranks as the biggest opening weekend for a Danny Boyle film and is in line with Bridget Jones’s Baby, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Intern and La La Land. Pro-rata, that eclipsed the estimated $US17 million opening in the Us and was well up...
Universal/Working Title’s The Beatles-inspired musical romantic fantasy Yesterday charmed audiences in Australia last weekend, outperforming the Us and UK debuts.
The Danny Boyle-directed film written by Love Actually’s Richard Curtis entered Oz in second place behind the second frame of Disney/Pixar’s blockbuster Toy Story 4.
Starring Himesh Patel as a struggling songwriter who awakes after an accident in a parallel universe where no one had heard of the band and rips off their songs to propel himself to stardom, Yesterday rang up $3.4 million on 281 screens and $3.6 million with previews and the Sydney Film Festival screening.
That ranks as the biggest opening weekend for a Danny Boyle film and is in line with Bridget Jones’s Baby, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Intern and La La Land. Pro-rata, that eclipsed the estimated $US17 million opening in the Us and was well up...
- 7/1/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Jo Bladen and Marc Wooldridge.
Today marks the end of an era in the Australian screen industry with the departures of Jo Bladen, Disney’s general manager, studios and live entertainment, and Marc Wooldridge, Fox Film Distributors MD for Australasia.
Exhibitors, distributors, filmmakers and former colleagues are lamenting the loss of two highly experienced executives resulting from the Walt Disney Company’s $US71.3 billion takeover of most of 21st Century Fox’s prized assets.
In this area of consolidation and downsizing among majors and independents alike, some question the capacity of studios to release small-to-medium budget movies without the expertise and experience of executives like Wooldridge and Bladen.
Former Paramount Pictures Australia MD Mike Selwyn observes: “The distribution/exhibition industry seems to be going through a period of real uncertainty. At the heart of this is the steady erosion of income from post-theatrical exploitation.
“This is eating away at the...
Today marks the end of an era in the Australian screen industry with the departures of Jo Bladen, Disney’s general manager, studios and live entertainment, and Marc Wooldridge, Fox Film Distributors MD for Australasia.
Exhibitors, distributors, filmmakers and former colleagues are lamenting the loss of two highly experienced executives resulting from the Walt Disney Company’s $US71.3 billion takeover of most of 21st Century Fox’s prized assets.
In this area of consolidation and downsizing among majors and independents alike, some question the capacity of studios to release small-to-medium budget movies without the expertise and experience of executives like Wooldridge and Bladen.
Former Paramount Pictures Australia MD Mike Selwyn observes: “The distribution/exhibition industry seems to be going through a period of real uncertainty. At the heart of this is the steady erosion of income from post-theatrical exploitation.
“This is eating away at the...
- 6/27/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Toy Story 4’ (Photo credit: Disney/Pixar).
The fourth installment in the Disney/Pixar Toy Story franchise has smashed the opening weekend record for an animated title worldwide, ending a run of sequels and reboots which audiences showed they did not want or need.
Directed by Josh Cooley, Toy Story 4 grabbed $244.5 million, beating Incredibles 2‘s $235.8 million, although the $120.9 million domestic debut was only the fourth biggest for the genre, trailing Incredibles 2 ($182 million), Finding Dory ($135 million) and Shrek the Third ($121 million).
It was a buoyant weekend in Oz as Toy Story 4 and Universal/Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets sequel drew kids and families and fans of Indian cinema turned out for Kabir Singh and Shadaa.
However Child’s Play, the remake of the 1988 horror movie about a ghastly voodoo doll named Chucky, found few takers for Roadshow. Among the specialty releases, Sony’s Never Look Away...
The fourth installment in the Disney/Pixar Toy Story franchise has smashed the opening weekend record for an animated title worldwide, ending a run of sequels and reboots which audiences showed they did not want or need.
Directed by Josh Cooley, Toy Story 4 grabbed $244.5 million, beating Incredibles 2‘s $235.8 million, although the $120.9 million domestic debut was only the fourth biggest for the genre, trailing Incredibles 2 ($182 million), Finding Dory ($135 million) and Shrek the Third ($121 million).
It was a buoyant weekend in Oz as Toy Story 4 and Universal/Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets sequel drew kids and families and fans of Indian cinema turned out for Kabir Singh and Shadaa.
However Child’s Play, the remake of the 1988 horror movie about a ghastly voodoo doll named Chucky, found few takers for Roadshow. Among the specialty releases, Sony’s Never Look Away...
- 6/24/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Courtney Botfield, Rebecca Hammond and Sasha Close at the Nmf Brilliant Careers Leadership Conference 2017.
The Natalie Miller Fellowship (Nmf) and Film Victoria will host a forum this October to encourage female leadership in the Australian screen industry.
The Brilliant Careers Leadership program will build upon the Brilliant Careers national conference in 2017. This year’s event, to be held in Melbourne, will address the gender imbalance in decision-making roles in the industry and support the emergence of the next generation of female leaders.
Also supported by Screen Australia, the one-day conference is expected to bring close to 200 women together for sessions on navigating leadership, developing confidence, influence and presence, in addition to offering valuable opportunities for attendees to make new connections across the screen industry.
President and founding member of the Nmf Sue Maslin said: “Over the past three years, we have seen the impact of women leaders making a profound...
The Natalie Miller Fellowship (Nmf) and Film Victoria will host a forum this October to encourage female leadership in the Australian screen industry.
The Brilliant Careers Leadership program will build upon the Brilliant Careers national conference in 2017. This year’s event, to be held in Melbourne, will address the gender imbalance in decision-making roles in the industry and support the emergence of the next generation of female leaders.
Also supported by Screen Australia, the one-day conference is expected to bring close to 200 women together for sessions on navigating leadership, developing confidence, influence and presence, in addition to offering valuable opportunities for attendees to make new connections across the screen industry.
President and founding member of the Nmf Sue Maslin said: “Over the past three years, we have seen the impact of women leaders making a profound...
- 6/20/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix.’
After 12 films in 20 years including sequels, prequels and spin-offs, the final edition of Fox’s X-Men franchise is a global disaster.
The Simon Kinberg-directed X—Men: Dark Phoenix posted the lowest debut ever for the series in the Us and Australia, in the latter entering in third spot behind Aladdin’s triumphant third weekend and Rocketman’s second.
Meanwhile Damon Gameau’s 2040 climbed to $780,000 after making $139,000 from Thursday-Monday on 86 screens in its third weekend for Madman Entertainment, easing by just 17 per cent. Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding reached $4.9 million after taking $115,00 in its sixth for Universal.
In the Us pundits questioned the wisdom of entrusting the $200 million X-Men finale to a first-time director (albeit an experienced screenwriter and producer) and said the marketing campaign suffered in the handover from Fox to Disney. Apart from the rotten reviews, the fundamental problem...
After 12 films in 20 years including sequels, prequels and spin-offs, the final edition of Fox’s X-Men franchise is a global disaster.
The Simon Kinberg-directed X—Men: Dark Phoenix posted the lowest debut ever for the series in the Us and Australia, in the latter entering in third spot behind Aladdin’s triumphant third weekend and Rocketman’s second.
Meanwhile Damon Gameau’s 2040 climbed to $780,000 after making $139,000 from Thursday-Monday on 86 screens in its third weekend for Madman Entertainment, easing by just 17 per cent. Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding reached $4.9 million after taking $115,00 in its sixth for Universal.
In the Us pundits questioned the wisdom of entrusting the $200 million X-Men finale to a first-time director (albeit an experienced screenwriter and producer) and said the marketing campaign suffered in the handover from Fox to Disney. Apart from the rotten reviews, the fundamental problem...
- 6/11/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Rocketman’
It’s fair to surmise there are far more Elton John fans in Australia than followers of the Godzilla franchise, judging by the opening weekends of Rocketman and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The Elton John biopic easily beat the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros monsters movie, the reverse of their positions in the Us last weekend. However neither could catch the magical second weekend of Disney’s Aladdin.
Meanwhile Damon Gameau’s 2040 maintained momentum in its second weekend as Palace Cinemas extended their first weekend offer of free tickets to students on Saturday and Sunday, joined by some locations at Event Cinemas, Wallis Cinemas and independents. Screen Australia made a financial contribution to help distributor Madman Entertainment promote the incentive to students.
Gameau’s journey, which explores what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted, delivered $149,000 on 88 screens,...
It’s fair to surmise there are far more Elton John fans in Australia than followers of the Godzilla franchise, judging by the opening weekends of Rocketman and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The Elton John biopic easily beat the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros monsters movie, the reverse of their positions in the Us last weekend. However neither could catch the magical second weekend of Disney’s Aladdin.
Meanwhile Damon Gameau’s 2040 maintained momentum in its second weekend as Palace Cinemas extended their first weekend offer of free tickets to students on Saturday and Sunday, joined by some locations at Event Cinemas, Wallis Cinemas and independents. Screen Australia made a financial contribution to help distributor Madman Entertainment promote the incentive to students.
Gameau’s journey, which explores what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted, delivered $149,000 on 88 screens,...
- 6/3/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Damon Gameau.
Disney’s live action update of 1992 animated blockbuster Aladdin cast its spell over cinemas in Australia and worldwide last weekend while Damon Gameau’s feature documentary 2040 attracted appreciative audiences and is positioned for a long run.
Gameau’s journey, which explores what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted, raked in $198,000 on 92 screens, which brings the total including extensive previews and festival screenings to $321,000.
Takings on Sunday were up 5 per cent on Saturday, reversing the usual trend. The Palace circuit, which offered free tickets to students aged up to 18 on Saturday and Sunday, accounted for more than 30 per cent of total admissions.
The distributor, Madman Entertainment MD Paul Wiegard expects a first-week take of $400,000, telling If: “The Sunday uptick is super encouraging, indicating the film is playing well with family audiences.
“We are very pleased with where the film has landed.
Disney’s live action update of 1992 animated blockbuster Aladdin cast its spell over cinemas in Australia and worldwide last weekend while Damon Gameau’s feature documentary 2040 attracted appreciative audiences and is positioned for a long run.
Gameau’s journey, which explores what the world could look like by 2040 if the best solutions already available to improve the planet are adopted, raked in $198,000 on 92 screens, which brings the total including extensive previews and festival screenings to $321,000.
Takings on Sunday were up 5 per cent on Saturday, reversing the usual trend. The Palace circuit, which offered free tickets to students aged up to 18 on Saturday and Sunday, accounted for more than 30 per cent of total admissions.
The distributor, Madman Entertainment MD Paul Wiegard expects a first-week take of $400,000, telling If: “The Sunday uptick is super encouraging, indicating the film is playing well with family audiences.
“We are very pleased with where the film has landed.
- 5/27/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Miriam Katsambis, Natalie Miller and Sue Maslin.
Applications are now open for the $20,000 Natalie Miller Fellowship, which aims to support the next generation of female leaders in the screen industry.
The fellowship is open to all women working in the Australian screen industry, and is designed to be used for professional development through educational programs such as internships, attachments or secondments.
Last year’s recipient was Miriam Katsambis, legal counsel eOne Australia/New Zealand.
Reflecting on receiving the grant said, she said: “To be the first lawyer to be awarded the Nmf was a tremendous shock, but also such a golden opportunity. The application process was deeply reflective for me; I actually changed my professional development proposal as a result of drafting the document because I had never really taken the time for introspection. I realised that my passion for connecting audiences with dynamic and diverse stories, and interest in...
Applications are now open for the $20,000 Natalie Miller Fellowship, which aims to support the next generation of female leaders in the screen industry.
The fellowship is open to all women working in the Australian screen industry, and is designed to be used for professional development through educational programs such as internships, attachments or secondments.
Last year’s recipient was Miriam Katsambis, legal counsel eOne Australia/New Zealand.
Reflecting on receiving the grant said, she said: “To be the first lawyer to be awarded the Nmf was a tremendous shock, but also such a golden opportunity. The application process was deeply reflective for me; I actually changed my professional development proposal as a result of drafting the document because I had never really taken the time for introspection. I realised that my passion for connecting audiences with dynamic and diverse stories, and interest in...
- 5/21/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
‘John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum.
Defying the law of diminishing returns for sequels, the latest iteration of Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise made more money in its first weekend in Australia than the lifetime total of the previous edition.
Meanwhile Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame set new milestones in the Us and internationally and Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding maintained momentum in its third weekend.
Bollywood romantic comedy De De Pyaar De had a respectable debut while Mike Leigh’s Peterloo and Spanish thriller The Realm tanked.
The top 20 titles generated $14.4 million, 13 per cent down on the previous weekend, according to Numero.
Released by Studiocanal, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum grabbed $4.1 million on 260 locations and $4.3 million including previews. That eclipsed the predecessor which opened with $1.8 million in 2017 and ended up with $4.25 million.
Directed by series regular Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane and Angelica Huston,...
Defying the law of diminishing returns for sequels, the latest iteration of Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise made more money in its first weekend in Australia than the lifetime total of the previous edition.
Meanwhile Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame set new milestones in the Us and internationally and Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding maintained momentum in its third weekend.
Bollywood romantic comedy De De Pyaar De had a respectable debut while Mike Leigh’s Peterloo and Spanish thriller The Realm tanked.
The top 20 titles generated $14.4 million, 13 per cent down on the previous weekend, according to Numero.
Released by Studiocanal, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum grabbed $4.1 million on 260 locations and $4.3 million including previews. That eclipsed the predecessor which opened with $1.8 million in 2017 and ended up with $4.25 million.
Directed by series regular Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane and Angelica Huston,...
- 5/20/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Top End Wedding.’
Pokémon fans flocked to the franchise’s second movie in 20 years last weekend but even more people were keen to see Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, which reigned again in its third frame.
Meanwhile word-of-mouth is paying off for Universal’s Top End Wedding, which eased by just 22 per cent in its second weekend.
Universal’s comedy The Hustle, a female reboot of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, over-indexed its Us opening, probably due to co-star Rebel Wilson.
Roadshow’s Poms, an ensemble comedy about seniors in a retirement home who form a cheer-leading squad, had little to cheer about, unwisely scheduled against The Hustle.
A passion project for Kenneth Branagh, Sony’s Shakespearean drama All is True had a respectable debut on limited screens. Of the two new Indian releases, Maharshi proved far more appealing than Student Of The Year 2.
The top 20 titles generated $16.5 million, down 9 per cent...
Pokémon fans flocked to the franchise’s second movie in 20 years last weekend but even more people were keen to see Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, which reigned again in its third frame.
Meanwhile word-of-mouth is paying off for Universal’s Top End Wedding, which eased by just 22 per cent in its second weekend.
Universal’s comedy The Hustle, a female reboot of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, over-indexed its Us opening, probably due to co-star Rebel Wilson.
Roadshow’s Poms, an ensemble comedy about seniors in a retirement home who form a cheer-leading squad, had little to cheer about, unwisely scheduled against The Hustle.
A passion project for Kenneth Branagh, Sony’s Shakespearean drama All is True had a respectable debut on limited screens. Of the two new Indian releases, Maharshi proved far more appealing than Student Of The Year 2.
The top 20 titles generated $16.5 million, down 9 per cent...
- 5/12/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Top End Wedding.’
Released in the slipstream of the Disney/Marvel Studios’ juggernaut Avengers: Endgame, Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding proved effective counter-programming last weekend.
The romantic comedy starring Miranda Tapsell, Gwilym Lee, Kerry Fox, Huw Higginson and Shari Sebbens wooed $1.1 million at 287 locations and $1.588 million with paid previews for Universal Pictures.
The opening was slightly behind that of Jeremy Sims’ Last Cab to Darwin’s $1.14 million, which finished with $7.4 million.
So, given the largely positive reviews and favourable word-of-mouth, the film co-written by Tapsell and Joshua Tyler and produced by Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne and Kojo’s Kate Croser could well reach $7 million.
The launch date was locked in before Universal took over eOne’s theatrical releases and before anyone knew the latest Marvel title would smash industry records in Australia and globally.
The superhero action adventure directed by the Russo brothers scored $13.6 million in Oz,...
Released in the slipstream of the Disney/Marvel Studios’ juggernaut Avengers: Endgame, Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding proved effective counter-programming last weekend.
The romantic comedy starring Miranda Tapsell, Gwilym Lee, Kerry Fox, Huw Higginson and Shari Sebbens wooed $1.1 million at 287 locations and $1.588 million with paid previews for Universal Pictures.
The opening was slightly behind that of Jeremy Sims’ Last Cab to Darwin’s $1.14 million, which finished with $7.4 million.
So, given the largely positive reviews and favourable word-of-mouth, the film co-written by Tapsell and Joshua Tyler and produced by Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne and Kojo’s Kate Croser could well reach $7 million.
The launch date was locked in before Universal took over eOne’s theatrical releases and before anyone knew the latest Marvel title would smash industry records in Australia and globally.
The superhero action adventure directed by the Russo brothers scored $13.6 million in Oz,...
- 5/6/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Top End Wedding’.
It’s been a quiet start for the year for Australian films at the national box office, particularly compared to last year when Peter Rabbit and Sweet Country were drawing crowds.
However exhibitors are very optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year, including Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding which opened yesterday, Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach and Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (both August 8) and Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl (September 26).
Ten new releases plus holdovers collectively racked up $9.06 million through April 30, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That’s way below the first four months of 2018, which generated $32 million, with Will Gluck’s Peter Rabbit making $25.4 million en route to a final total of $26.7 million and Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country $2 million.
Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy pocketed nearly $5 million, not a bad result,...
It’s been a quiet start for the year for Australian films at the national box office, particularly compared to last year when Peter Rabbit and Sweet Country were drawing crowds.
However exhibitors are very optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year, including Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding which opened yesterday, Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach and Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (both August 8) and Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl (September 26).
Ten new releases plus holdovers collectively racked up $9.06 million through April 30, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That’s way below the first four months of 2018, which generated $32 million, with Will Gluck’s Peter Rabbit making $25.4 million en route to a final total of $26.7 million and Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country $2 million.
Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy pocketed nearly $5 million, not a bad result,...
- 5/3/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Lego Movie 2’
The Australian box office slump continued last weekend despite respectable debuts for Warner Bros’ The Lego Movie 2 and Universal’s Fighting with My Family.
Icon’s British comedy-drama Swimming With Men sank while Madman Entertainment’s Destroyer looks like joining the list of Nicole Kidman films which get critical plaudits and play to niche audiences.
Bollywood action film Kesari had an impressive launch while Icon’s Hotel Mumbai held well in its second weekend, suggesting the impact of opening amid the Christchurch massacre is no longer a factor.
The top 20 titles generated $10.6 million last weekend, down 20 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero.
Disney/Marvel’s Captain Marvel reigned again despite tumbling by 47 per cent in its third outing, scoring nearly $3.9 million. The sci-fi fantasy co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck advanced to $31.6 million.
The global haul for the movie co-starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson,...
The Australian box office slump continued last weekend despite respectable debuts for Warner Bros’ The Lego Movie 2 and Universal’s Fighting with My Family.
Icon’s British comedy-drama Swimming With Men sank while Madman Entertainment’s Destroyer looks like joining the list of Nicole Kidman films which get critical plaudits and play to niche audiences.
Bollywood action film Kesari had an impressive launch while Icon’s Hotel Mumbai held well in its second weekend, suggesting the impact of opening amid the Christchurch massacre is no longer a factor.
The top 20 titles generated $10.6 million last weekend, down 20 per cent on the previous frame, according to Numero.
Disney/Marvel’s Captain Marvel reigned again despite tumbling by 47 per cent in its third outing, scoring nearly $3.9 million. The sci-fi fantasy co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck advanced to $31.6 million.
The global haul for the movie co-starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson,...
- 3/24/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Jason Isaacs and Nazanin Boniadi in ‘Hotel Mumbai.’
The timing could not have been worse: Hotel Mumbai opening in Australian cinemas the day before the horrific slaughter of innocents at two mosques in Christchurch.
Anthony Maras’ thriller based on the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai is a superbly-made film but the subject was not something that many Australian cinemagoers wanted to experience amid the shock and grief over events in Christchurch.
Released by Icon, the film co-written by Maras and John Collee, starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher and Tilda Cobham-Hervey, opened in second spot, taking $979,000 on 268 screens and $1.06 million including previews.
To be fair to the producers, Basil Iwanyk, Gary Hamilton, Mike Gabrawy, Julie Ryan, Andrew Ogilvie and Jomon Thomas, that is not a bad result and receipts may well build on word of mouth – but my guess is the total would have been at least $500,000 higher...
The timing could not have been worse: Hotel Mumbai opening in Australian cinemas the day before the horrific slaughter of innocents at two mosques in Christchurch.
Anthony Maras’ thriller based on the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai is a superbly-made film but the subject was not something that many Australian cinemagoers wanted to experience amid the shock and grief over events in Christchurch.
Released by Icon, the film co-written by Maras and John Collee, starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher and Tilda Cobham-Hervey, opened in second spot, taking $979,000 on 268 screens and $1.06 million including previews.
To be fair to the producers, Basil Iwanyk, Gary Hamilton, Mike Gabrawy, Julie Ryan, Andrew Ogilvie and Jomon Thomas, that is not a bad result and receipts may well build on word of mouth – but my guess is the total would have been at least $500,000 higher...
- 3/18/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Green Book.’
Three Academy Awards including best film and for supporting actor Mahershala Ali gave Green Book a sizable bounce in Australian cinemas last weekend while the best actor Oscar for Rami Malek has helped prolong Bohemian Rhapsody’s marathon run.
In other respects it was another bleak trading session as family adventure A Dog’s Way Home had a mediocre opening, well ahead of the other wide new releases, English heist caper King of Thieves and gory thriller Greta.
Flying the Nest, an animated family film which follows a young bird who sets off on a journey through a harsh and unrelenting winter in order to reunite with his true love, had minimal impact as an alternate content release.
Cinemas are marking time until the arrival this Thursday of Disney/Marvel’s Captain Marvel. The top 20 titles collectively generated $9.7 million, 6 per cent down on the previous weekend according to Numero.
Three Academy Awards including best film and for supporting actor Mahershala Ali gave Green Book a sizable bounce in Australian cinemas last weekend while the best actor Oscar for Rami Malek has helped prolong Bohemian Rhapsody’s marathon run.
In other respects it was another bleak trading session as family adventure A Dog’s Way Home had a mediocre opening, well ahead of the other wide new releases, English heist caper King of Thieves and gory thriller Greta.
Flying the Nest, an animated family film which follows a young bird who sets off on a journey through a harsh and unrelenting winter in order to reunite with his true love, had minimal impact as an alternate content release.
Cinemas are marking time until the arrival this Thursday of Disney/Marvel’s Captain Marvel. The top 20 titles collectively generated $9.7 million, 6 per cent down on the previous weekend according to Numero.
- 3/3/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Alita: Battle Angel’ (Photo: 20th Century Fox)
Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel reigned in the Us, Australia and 40 other markets last weekend – but the studio’s prospects of turning the lavish James Cameron production into a franchise don’t look great.
The futuristic sci-fi adventure directed by Robert Rodriguez posted respectable figures which suggest the studio will be hard pressed to recoup the astronomical production budget of $170 million – reduced from the original $200 million thanks to New Zealand and Texas tax credits – and P&A spend.
The good news for Aussie exhibitors is that business rallied last weekend after several lousy weeks, boosted by Alita, Paramount’s comedy What Men Want and Forum Films’ Indian import Gully Boy.
The Universal/Blumhouse slasher-comedy Happy Death Day 2U had an anaemic bow while the Oscar nominations for eOne’s If Beale Street Could Talk and Transmission Films’ At Eternity’s Gate did not count for much.
Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel reigned in the Us, Australia and 40 other markets last weekend – but the studio’s prospects of turning the lavish James Cameron production into a franchise don’t look great.
The futuristic sci-fi adventure directed by Robert Rodriguez posted respectable figures which suggest the studio will be hard pressed to recoup the astronomical production budget of $170 million – reduced from the original $200 million thanks to New Zealand and Texas tax credits – and P&A spend.
The good news for Aussie exhibitors is that business rallied last weekend after several lousy weeks, boosted by Alita, Paramount’s comedy What Men Want and Forum Films’ Indian import Gully Boy.
The Universal/Blumhouse slasher-comedy Happy Death Day 2U had an anaemic bow while the Oscar nominations for eOne’s If Beale Street Could Talk and Transmission Films’ At Eternity’s Gate did not count for much.
- 2/18/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Combination Redemption’.
Sony’s psychological thriller Escape Room was the top title last weekend, yet with a mediocre result which would have normally seen the film opening at No. 5 or 6, as ticket sales continued to free fall.
Meanwhile the sequel to 2009 cult hit The Combination struggled to make an impact despite positive coverage by David Stratton and Fairfax Media’s Garry Maddox, underlining yet again the challenges facing most Aussie films which go out on limited screens with minimal P&A support.
Audiences are sick and tired of watching a vengeful Liam Neeson brandishing a gun, judging by the debuts of Cold Pursuit here and in the Us.
The Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex, eOne’s third last release before the distributor shuts at the end of March, fared Ok at upmarket locations but poorly at multiplexes.
A contender for the best foreign language Oscar,...
Sony’s psychological thriller Escape Room was the top title last weekend, yet with a mediocre result which would have normally seen the film opening at No. 5 or 6, as ticket sales continued to free fall.
Meanwhile the sequel to 2009 cult hit The Combination struggled to make an impact despite positive coverage by David Stratton and Fairfax Media’s Garry Maddox, underlining yet again the challenges facing most Aussie films which go out on limited screens with minimal P&A support.
Audiences are sick and tired of watching a vengeful Liam Neeson brandishing a gun, judging by the debuts of Cold Pursuit here and in the Us.
The Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex, eOne’s third last release before the distributor shuts at the end of March, fared Ok at upmarket locations but poorly at multiplexes.
A contender for the best foreign language Oscar,...
- 2/11/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Aquaman’ (Photo: Warner Bros.)
Australian exhibitors and distributors did not have a lot to celebrate over Christmas/New Year, as ticket sales lagged well behind the previous year – but the forecast for the rest of January is upbeat.
Warner Bros’ Aquaman is the stand-out thus far while How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Universal’s first release from DreamWorks Animation, began brilliantly on January 3. Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet and Mary Poppins Returns are generating tidy sums.
But none of the new releases looks capable of matching the 2017-2018 blockbusters, Disney’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which finished with $58.1 million, and Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which made $48.8 million. Paramount’s Bumblebee, an under-achiever in the Us, is tracking a bit better here, as is Sony’s Holmes & Watson.
Among the upscale titles, Fox’s The Favourite, eOne’s Vice and Palace’s Cold War are drawing sizable audiences.
Australian exhibitors and distributors did not have a lot to celebrate over Christmas/New Year, as ticket sales lagged well behind the previous year – but the forecast for the rest of January is upbeat.
Warner Bros’ Aquaman is the stand-out thus far while How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Universal’s first release from DreamWorks Animation, began brilliantly on January 3. Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet and Mary Poppins Returns are generating tidy sums.
But none of the new releases looks capable of matching the 2017-2018 blockbusters, Disney’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which finished with $58.1 million, and Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which made $48.8 million. Paramount’s Bumblebee, an under-achiever in the Us, is tracking a bit better here, as is Sony’s Holmes & Watson.
Among the upscale titles, Fox’s The Favourite, eOne’s Vice and Palace’s Cold War are drawing sizable audiences.
- 1/7/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation).
Sony Animation’s Spider-Man reboot swung into Australian cinemas last weekend but trailed Universal/Illumination’s powerhouse The Grinch, which ruled again in its third frame.
Andre Rieu fans turned out for his concert filmed at Sydney Town Hall while Fox’s M-rated Once Upon a Deadpool had a middling start, in line with its Us debut.
Meanwhile Peter Jackson, Universal Pictures and co-financiers Media Rights Capital and Perfect World Pictures are facing a write-off of $100 million or more on Mortal Engines, which bombed in the Us.
Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black is winding down after 13 weeks, having generated $11.9 million for Sony.
Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, which chronicles a turbulent year in the lives of a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City, is having a brief run in a handful of cinemas including the Ritz, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne and...
Sony Animation’s Spider-Man reboot swung into Australian cinemas last weekend but trailed Universal/Illumination’s powerhouse The Grinch, which ruled again in its third frame.
Andre Rieu fans turned out for his concert filmed at Sydney Town Hall while Fox’s M-rated Once Upon a Deadpool had a middling start, in line with its Us debut.
Meanwhile Peter Jackson, Universal Pictures and co-financiers Media Rights Capital and Perfect World Pictures are facing a write-off of $100 million or more on Mortal Engines, which bombed in the Us.
Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black is winding down after 13 weeks, having generated $11.9 million for Sony.
Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, which chronicles a turbulent year in the lives of a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City, is having a brief run in a handful of cinemas including the Ritz, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne and...
- 12/16/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Storm Boy’ (Photo: Matt Nettheim).
Given the record number of titles flooding into cinemas this year, Australian feature films and documentaries overall have performed respectably, most as limited releases with minimal marketing.
Some 59 Oz titles have launched this year and the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa) expects the final tally will be 61 – six more than in 2017.
The Mpdaa estimates 722 films will have gone out theatrically by the end of the year – up from 697 last year. Collectively Oz films and feature docs including holdovers have racked up $55.2 million, beating last year’s $49.4 million, which was a market share of 4.1 per cent.
(Source: Mpdaa)
That was also ahead of the 2009 total of $54.8 million. The stand-out of the past 10 years was 2015’s $88.1 million, the year of Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker and Oddball.
The Mpdaa’s stats do not include Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased, which has qualified for the...
Given the record number of titles flooding into cinemas this year, Australian feature films and documentaries overall have performed respectably, most as limited releases with minimal marketing.
Some 59 Oz titles have launched this year and the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa) expects the final tally will be 61 – six more than in 2017.
The Mpdaa estimates 722 films will have gone out theatrically by the end of the year – up from 697 last year. Collectively Oz films and feature docs including holdovers have racked up $55.2 million, beating last year’s $49.4 million, which was a market share of 4.1 per cent.
(Source: Mpdaa)
That was also ahead of the 2009 total of $54.8 million. The stand-out of the past 10 years was 2015’s $88.1 million, the year of Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker and Oddball.
The Mpdaa’s stats do not include Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased, which has qualified for the...
- 11/30/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Miriam Katsambis.
Miriam Katsambis, legal counsel at Entertainment One Australia/New Zealand, has been awarded the Natalie Miller Fellowship for 2018.
Katsambis has spent more than 12 years in various legal, advocacy and policy development roles across state and federal government screen agencies, guilds and industry bodies.
“Miriam has a successful background working in distribution, the Awg and a strong interest in business,” Natalie Miller said today.
“She is clearly a leader with great potential in screen industry policy and direction. Miriam was chosen from a strong field of applicants but the judging panel felt that what set her apart was that her vision to become a leader in an area of growing importance to the Australian screen industry was clear and her proposal to do the Asia Link Program was timely and strategic.”
Established in 2011, the Fellowship is open to all women in the Australian screen industry and provides financial assistance...
Miriam Katsambis, legal counsel at Entertainment One Australia/New Zealand, has been awarded the Natalie Miller Fellowship for 2018.
Katsambis has spent more than 12 years in various legal, advocacy and policy development roles across state and federal government screen agencies, guilds and industry bodies.
“Miriam has a successful background working in distribution, the Awg and a strong interest in business,” Natalie Miller said today.
“She is clearly a leader with great potential in screen industry policy and direction. Miriam was chosen from a strong field of applicants but the judging panel felt that what set her apart was that her vision to become a leader in an area of growing importance to the Australian screen industry was clear and her proposal to do the Asia Link Program was timely and strategic.”
Established in 2011, the Fellowship is open to all women in the Australian screen industry and provides financial assistance...
- 11/21/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Boy Erased.’
Given the challenging subject, Joel Edgerton’s gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased opened very respectably in Australia last weekend, its first international market after platforming in the Us.
In part that speaks to the star power of Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as well as Lucas Hedges’ impressive turn as the teenage protagonist and Edgerton’s direction, screenplay and supporting role.
Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Warner Bros’ A Star is Born continued to dominate ticket sales as Sony’s sequel to the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo flopped.
Hindi action-adventure Thugs of Hindostan drew plenty of Bollywood fans while They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s artful mix of restored WW1 footage owned by the Imperial War Museum and BBC audio generated an impressive $178,000 from limited sessions on Sunday.
Meanwhile Disney’s British live action romantic comedy Patrick, Transmission’s polarising Suspiria and Icon...
Given the challenging subject, Joel Edgerton’s gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased opened very respectably in Australia last weekend, its first international market after platforming in the Us.
In part that speaks to the star power of Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as well as Lucas Hedges’ impressive turn as the teenage protagonist and Edgerton’s direction, screenplay and supporting role.
Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Warner Bros’ A Star is Born continued to dominate ticket sales as Sony’s sequel to the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo flopped.
Hindi action-adventure Thugs of Hindostan drew plenty of Bollywood fans while They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s artful mix of restored WW1 footage owned by the Imperial War Museum and BBC audio generated an impressive $178,000 from limited sessions on Sunday.
Meanwhile Disney’s British live action romantic comedy Patrick, Transmission’s polarising Suspiria and Icon...
- 11/11/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Ladies in Black.’
As the Australian feature films and feature docs released in cinemas this year have surpassed the calendar 2017 total exhibitors generally are happy with the diversity of product and the number of titles that have resonated with mainstream audiences.
While some say there have been too many niche and small-scale films, the consensus is that local films overall have held their own in a fragmented theatrical market and in the face of competition for eyeballs from the burgeoning Netflix and Stan.
Their outlook for 2019 is even more optimistic – if distributors and exhibitors are smart with their dating.
Through Wednesday, Oz films and feature docs including holdovers have racked up $54.2 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa), beating last year’s $49.4 million, which was a market share of 4.1 per cent.
So the industry will finish the year ahead of the 2009 total of $54.8 million. The stand-out...
As the Australian feature films and feature docs released in cinemas this year have surpassed the calendar 2017 total exhibitors generally are happy with the diversity of product and the number of titles that have resonated with mainstream audiences.
While some say there have been too many niche and small-scale films, the consensus is that local films overall have held their own in a fragmented theatrical market and in the face of competition for eyeballs from the burgeoning Netflix and Stan.
Their outlook for 2019 is even more optimistic – if distributors and exhibitors are smart with their dating.
Through Wednesday, Oz films and feature docs including holdovers have racked up $54.2 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa), beating last year’s $49.4 million, which was a market share of 4.1 per cent.
So the industry will finish the year ahead of the 2009 total of $54.8 million. The stand-out...
- 11/2/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Ladies in Black.’
Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black opened impressively in Australian cinemas last weekend, considering that the primary target audience – mature cinemagoers – don’t normally rush out to see films in the first weekend.
Benefiting from glowing reviews and copious publicity, the 1959-set comedy-drama starring Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Alison McGirr, Noni Hazlehurst and Vincent Perez, looks set for a long run.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Sony release did not open at No. 1. That honour went to Universal’s spy comedy Johnny English Strikes Again, seven years after the release of Johnny English Reborn.
Dark comedy/fantasy The House with a Clock in Its Walls opened in top spot in the Us but under-performed here while Warner Bros’ animated adventure Smallfoot began reasonably well, positioned to cash in on the school vacation.
Madman Entertainment launched Ben Lawrence’s feature documentary Ghosthunter, which won the $10,000 Documentary...
Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black opened impressively in Australian cinemas last weekend, considering that the primary target audience – mature cinemagoers – don’t normally rush out to see films in the first weekend.
Benefiting from glowing reviews and copious publicity, the 1959-set comedy-drama starring Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Alison McGirr, Noni Hazlehurst and Vincent Perez, looks set for a long run.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Sony release did not open at No. 1. That honour went to Universal’s spy comedy Johnny English Strikes Again, seven years after the release of Johnny English Reborn.
Dark comedy/fantasy The House with a Clock in Its Walls opened in top spot in the Us but under-performed here while Warner Bros’ animated adventure Smallfoot began reasonably well, positioned to cash in on the school vacation.
Madman Entertainment launched Ben Lawrence’s feature documentary Ghosthunter, which won the $10,000 Documentary...
- 9/24/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Ladies in Black.’
As momentum builds for the September 20 launch of Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black, the distributor and exhibitors are increasingly confident of a sizable opening weekend and a long run sustained by word-of-mouth and repeat business.
Sony Pictures Releasing will launch the 1959-set comedy-drama starring Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Alison McGirr, Noni Hazlehurst and Vincent Perez on 300 screens.
No one will be watching the opening weekend and the ensuing business more closely than the team at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, which snapped up global distribution rights last year.
“We aim to establish the film as a major success, which will make the rest of the world sit up and take notice,” Sony Releasing MD Stephen Basil-Jones tells If.
A Q&A screening with Beresford at the Hayden Orpheum on Tuesday night and a preview at the Randwick Ritz on Wednesday night are sold out.
As momentum builds for the September 20 launch of Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black, the distributor and exhibitors are increasingly confident of a sizable opening weekend and a long run sustained by word-of-mouth and repeat business.
Sony Pictures Releasing will launch the 1959-set comedy-drama starring Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Alison McGirr, Noni Hazlehurst and Vincent Perez on 300 screens.
No one will be watching the opening weekend and the ensuing business more closely than the team at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, which snapped up global distribution rights last year.
“We aim to establish the film as a major success, which will make the rest of the world sit up and take notice,” Sony Releasing MD Stephen Basil-Jones tells If.
A Q&A screening with Beresford at the Hayden Orpheum on Tuesday night and a preview at the Randwick Ritz on Wednesday night are sold out.
- 9/11/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
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