Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making noise in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.
This week we’re coming to you early, with our pick from Australia, House of Gods, playing in International Competition at Series Mania this coming week. The series follows an Australian-Iraqi family, whose progressive patriarch challenges a conservative rival to become head cleric at a mosque in the suburbs of Sydney.
Name: House of Gods
Country: Australia
Network: ABC
Producer: Matchbox Pictures
International sales: NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution
For fans of: The Sopranos, Succession, Ali’s Wedding
Osamah Sami took the idea for...
This week we’re coming to you early, with our pick from Australia, House of Gods, playing in International Competition at Series Mania this coming week. The series follows an Australian-Iraqi family, whose progressive patriarch challenges a conservative rival to become head cleric at a mosque in the suburbs of Sydney.
Name: House of Gods
Country: Australia
Network: ABC
Producer: Matchbox Pictures
International sales: NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution
For fans of: The Sopranos, Succession, Ali’s Wedding
Osamah Sami took the idea for...
- 3/15/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Australian streamer Stan has today unveiled a 25-strong slate, adding scripted titles from Matchbox Pictures and the producers behind Colin From Accounts, acquisitions from the UK and U.S. and a new version of Drag Race to its ranks.
Content from the likes of All3Media, AMC, Banijay, the BBC, Fremantle, ITV, Lionsgate, Universal Internatational Studios, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros Discovery is on the slate, which was showcased at the iconic Sydney Opera House as Stan’s latest salvo in Australia’s competitive streaming market.
Among the key scripted originals is Critical Incident, a psychological crime thriller from Matchbox, the Australian production subsidiary of Universal Studio Group-owned Universal International Studios. Written by Sarah Bassiuoni (The Secrets She Keeps), it recently completed production in Western Sydney, with major production investment from Screen Australia.
The six-part show depicts life in the Western suburbs of Sydney and delves into the complex...
Content from the likes of All3Media, AMC, Banijay, the BBC, Fremantle, ITV, Lionsgate, Universal Internatational Studios, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros Discovery is on the slate, which was showcased at the iconic Sydney Opera House as Stan’s latest salvo in Australia’s competitive streaming market.
Among the key scripted originals is Critical Incident, a psychological crime thriller from Matchbox, the Australian production subsidiary of Universal Studio Group-owned Universal International Studios. Written by Sarah Bassiuoni (The Secrets She Keeps), it recently completed production in Western Sydney, with major production investment from Screen Australia.
The six-part show depicts life in the Western suburbs of Sydney and delves into the complex...
- 3/12/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
A new council has been established with the aim of building stronger ties between the Australian and Indian film industries.
Director Anupam Sharma will chair the inaugural board of the Australia India Film Council (Aifc), which includes vice chair and former head of Film Victoria Julie Marlow, and producers Sheila Jayadev, Jomon Thomas, Deepti Sachdeva, Kartik Mohandas and Vikrant Kishore.
The council will work collaboration with practitioners, producers, investment bodies and seek support from government bodies for the benefit of Australian screen professionals.
In a statement, Sharma spoke of the mutual benefits both industries could stand to gain from engaging with each other.
“India is one of the most prolific film industries in the world and Australia is one of the most professional film industries in the world,” he said.
“By providing a platform for the two to engage, Aifc will be able to encourage a whole new era of innovation,...
Director Anupam Sharma will chair the inaugural board of the Australia India Film Council (Aifc), which includes vice chair and former head of Film Victoria Julie Marlow, and producers Sheila Jayadev, Jomon Thomas, Deepti Sachdeva, Kartik Mohandas and Vikrant Kishore.
The council will work collaboration with practitioners, producers, investment bodies and seek support from government bodies for the benefit of Australian screen professionals.
In a statement, Sharma spoke of the mutual benefits both industries could stand to gain from engaging with each other.
“India is one of the most prolific film industries in the world and Australia is one of the most professional film industries in the world,” he said.
“By providing a platform for the two to engage, Aifc will be able to encourage a whole new era of innovation,...
- 11/30/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Here Out West, which opens Sydney Film Festival tomorrow evening, is an anthology feature in which a baby being kidnapped from a hospital sets off a series of events that brings complete strangers together over a single day.
The project is the result of Co-Curious’ Behind Closed Doors initiative, a two year development program designed to connect new voices to experienced talent, backed by Screen Australia and Screen Nsw.
The script was written by eight emerging writers from Western Sydney, Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran, and the film directed by Ana Kokkinos, Leah Purcell, Julie Kalceff, Fadia Abboud and Lucy Gaffy.
Newcomers Khoi Trinh, Jaime Ureta and De Lovan Zandy star alongside Das, Geneviève Lemon, Rahel Romahn and Leah Vandenberg.
Annabel Davis from Co-Curious and Bree-Anne Sykes produce the film, alongside Emerald Productions’ Sheila Jayadev. Blake Ayshford, Lyn Norfor...
The project is the result of Co-Curious’ Behind Closed Doors initiative, a two year development program designed to connect new voices to experienced talent, backed by Screen Australia and Screen Nsw.
The script was written by eight emerging writers from Western Sydney, Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran, and the film directed by Ana Kokkinos, Leah Purcell, Julie Kalceff, Fadia Abboud and Lucy Gaffy.
Newcomers Khoi Trinh, Jaime Ureta and De Lovan Zandy star alongside Das, Geneviève Lemon, Rahel Romahn and Leah Vandenberg.
Annabel Davis from Co-Curious and Bree-Anne Sykes produce the film, alongside Emerald Productions’ Sheila Jayadev. Blake Ayshford, Lyn Norfor...
- 11/1/2021
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) crowned the winners from its 2020 awards ceremony today, with Babyteeh and Stateless dominating the film and TV categories respectively.
Shannon Murphy’s tragi-comedy Babyteeth was the big winner on the film side, scooping Best Film, Best Direction, Screenplay (Rita Kalnejais), Actor (Toby Wallace), Actress (Eliza Scanlen), Supporting Actor (Ben Mendelsohn) and Supporting Actress (Essie Davis).
On the TV side, Stateless, the series starring and created by Cate Blanchett, won Best Mini Series, Lead Actor (Fayssal Bazzi), Lead Actress (Yvonne Strahovski), Supporting Actor (Darren Gilshenan), Supporting Actress (Blanchett), Screenplay (Elise McCredie), and Direction (Emma Freeman).
Further winners included Rebel Wilson, who took Best Presenter for Lol: Last One Laughing Australia, and Tim Minchin, who won Comedy Performer for Upright.
Elsewhere, Better Days took Best Asian Film, the Bryon Kennedy Award was presented to The Babadook filmmaker Jennifer Kent, and Steve Bedwell, Bryan Cockerill...
Shannon Murphy’s tragi-comedy Babyteeth was the big winner on the film side, scooping Best Film, Best Direction, Screenplay (Rita Kalnejais), Actor (Toby Wallace), Actress (Eliza Scanlen), Supporting Actor (Ben Mendelsohn) and Supporting Actress (Essie Davis).
On the TV side, Stateless, the series starring and created by Cate Blanchett, won Best Mini Series, Lead Actor (Fayssal Bazzi), Lead Actress (Yvonne Strahovski), Supporting Actor (Darren Gilshenan), Supporting Actress (Blanchett), Screenplay (Elise McCredie), and Direction (Emma Freeman).
Further winners included Rebel Wilson, who took Best Presenter for Lol: Last One Laughing Australia, and Tim Minchin, who won Comedy Performer for Upright.
Elsewhere, Better Days took Best Asian Film, the Bryon Kennedy Award was presented to The Babadook filmmaker Jennifer Kent, and Steve Bedwell, Bryan Cockerill...
- 11/30/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Ana Kokkinos, Leah Purcell, Julie Kalceff, Fadia Abboud and Lucy Gaffy will helm anthology feature drama Here Out West, penned by eight emerging writers and now shooting in Sydney.
The project is the result of Co-Curious’ Behind Closed Doors initiative, a two year development program designed to connect new voices to experienced talent, backed by Screen Australia and Screen Nsw.
Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran are the scribes in question, having written a work follows the desperate kidnapping of a baby from hospital; an act that sets off a chain of events that bring together complete strangers over the course of one dramatic day.
Newcomers Khoi Trinh, Jaime Ureta and De Lovan Zandy will star alongside Das, Geneviève Lemon, Rahel Romahn and Leah Vandenberg.
Selected via a competitive application process, the eight writers worked with writer-producer Blake Ayshford...
The project is the result of Co-Curious’ Behind Closed Doors initiative, a two year development program designed to connect new voices to experienced talent, backed by Screen Australia and Screen Nsw.
Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran are the scribes in question, having written a work follows the desperate kidnapping of a baby from hospital; an act that sets off a chain of events that bring together complete strangers over the course of one dramatic day.
Newcomers Khoi Trinh, Jaime Ureta and De Lovan Zandy will star alongside Das, Geneviève Lemon, Rahel Romahn and Leah Vandenberg.
Selected via a competitive application process, the eight writers worked with writer-producer Blake Ayshford...
- 11/3/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Second features from directors Natalie Erika James (Relic) and Samuel Van Grinsven (Sequin in a Blue Room) are among the 28 projects to recently share in $1 million worth of development funding from Screen Australia.
The agency announced the funding recipients today, with money going towards seven features, 16 TV drama and five online projects.
These are the first projects to be announced for the 2020-21 financial year, from both the Premium and Generate funds.
Projects funded via Premium Plus, the additional development funding allocation Screen Australia launched to support the industry through Covid-19, are expected to be announced later today.
Screen Australia head of development Nerida Moore said: “It’s great to see producers thinking globally and developing unique stories for Australian audiences and the world. We’re excited to support these original story ideas, many with distinct storyworlds and fantastic comedic imaginations that I’m confident will resonate. We’re also...
The agency announced the funding recipients today, with money going towards seven features, 16 TV drama and five online projects.
These are the first projects to be announced for the 2020-21 financial year, from both the Premium and Generate funds.
Projects funded via Premium Plus, the additional development funding allocation Screen Australia launched to support the industry through Covid-19, are expected to be announced later today.
Screen Australia head of development Nerida Moore said: “It’s great to see producers thinking globally and developing unique stories for Australian audiences and the world. We’re excited to support these original story ideas, many with distinct storyworlds and fantastic comedic imaginations that I’m confident will resonate. We’re also...
- 10/28/2020
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Michael and Danny Philippou.
YouTube sensations RackaRacka – aka Danny and Michael Philippou – will make their big screen debut with horror feature Talk to Me, produced by Causeway Films.
The project is one of six announced today as sharing in $6 million of production funding from Screen Australia.
Other projects backed include anthology feature Here Out West from Co-Curious and Emerald Productions, set in Western Sydney, as well as second seasons of Every Cloud Productions’ Ms Fisher’s MODern Murder Mysteries and Northern Pictures’ kids series Hardball; recently announced children’s series MaveriX; and Lgbtiqia teen series Flunk for YouTube.
Screen Australia head of content Sally Caplan said: “Australian creators continue to capture audiences around the world, such as the RackaRacka team which has built a huge following on YouTube and are now set to deliver a new experience for fans and newcomers alike with their debut feature film. Fans will be delighted...
YouTube sensations RackaRacka – aka Danny and Michael Philippou – will make their big screen debut with horror feature Talk to Me, produced by Causeway Films.
The project is one of six announced today as sharing in $6 million of production funding from Screen Australia.
Other projects backed include anthology feature Here Out West from Co-Curious and Emerald Productions, set in Western Sydney, as well as second seasons of Every Cloud Productions’ Ms Fisher’s MODern Murder Mysteries and Northern Pictures’ kids series Hardball; recently announced children’s series MaveriX; and Lgbtiqia teen series Flunk for YouTube.
Screen Australia head of content Sally Caplan said: “Australian creators continue to capture audiences around the world, such as the RackaRacka team which has built a huge following on YouTube and are now set to deliver a new experience for fans and newcomers alike with their debut feature film. Fans will be delighted...
- 7/6/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Laura Gordon and Olive DeJonge in ‘Undertow’.
In crafting her debut feature Undertow – in cinemas today – writer-director Miranda Nation was driven to depict a complex and multifaceted relationship between two women – one that wasn’t necessarily romantic or sexual.
Set in Nation’s hometown of Geelong, Undertow follows Claire (Laura Gordon), who is still grieving the loss of her stillborn baby when she begins to suspect her husband Dan (Rob Collins) is having an affair with a teenager, Angie (Olivia DeJonge).
When Claire then discovers Angie is pregnant, she develops an irrational obsession that sees her lose touch with reality and put at risk both of their lives.
Produced by Lyn Norfor and Ep’d by Liz Watts, Prue Williams and Sheila Jayadev, it also stars Josh Helman, Martin Blum, Darci McDonald and the late Damian Hill.
At the heart of the film is a complex portrait of sexuality, loss and trauma.
In crafting her debut feature Undertow – in cinemas today – writer-director Miranda Nation was driven to depict a complex and multifaceted relationship between two women – one that wasn’t necessarily romantic or sexual.
Set in Nation’s hometown of Geelong, Undertow follows Claire (Laura Gordon), who is still grieving the loss of her stillborn baby when she begins to suspect her husband Dan (Rob Collins) is having an affair with a teenager, Angie (Olivia DeJonge).
When Claire then discovers Angie is pregnant, she develops an irrational obsession that sees her lose touch with reality and put at risk both of their lives.
Produced by Lyn Norfor and Ep’d by Liz Watts, Prue Williams and Sheila Jayadev, it also stars Josh Helman, Martin Blum, Darci McDonald and the late Damian Hill.
At the heart of the film is a complex portrait of sexuality, loss and trauma.
- 3/5/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Asher Keddie and Darren Gilshenan in ‘Stateless’ (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti).
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding Australia to Stateless, the six-part drama about four strangers whose lives collide in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert, co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie.
The series produced by Matchbox Pictures and Blanchett and Andrew Upton’s Dirty Films, which premieres on the ABC this Sunday, will roll out on the streamer later this year.
The first two episodes of the drama starring Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Fayssal Bazzi, Asher Keddie and Blanchett have their world premiere on Wednesday night at the sixth edition of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Berlinale Series.
Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse directed the series scripted by the showrunner McCredie and Belinda Chayko and produced by Sheila Jayadev and Paul Ranford.
Strahovski plays Sofie Werner, an airline hostess on the run from her...
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding Australia to Stateless, the six-part drama about four strangers whose lives collide in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert, co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie.
The series produced by Matchbox Pictures and Blanchett and Andrew Upton’s Dirty Films, which premieres on the ABC this Sunday, will roll out on the streamer later this year.
The first two episodes of the drama starring Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Fayssal Bazzi, Asher Keddie and Blanchett have their world premiere on Wednesday night at the sixth edition of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Berlinale Series.
Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse directed the series scripted by the showrunner McCredie and Belinda Chayko and produced by Sheila Jayadev and Paul Ranford.
Strahovski plays Sofie Werner, an airline hostess on the run from her...
- 2/25/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Netflix has swooped in and taken global rights outside Australia to the Cate Blanchett-starring and exec-produced refugee drama series “Stateless,” following its world premiere in Berlin this week.
Australian public broadcaster ABC, which commissioned the six-part series, will air “Stateless” on March 1, with the streaming giant going out later this year. It is believed the show was a straight acquisition for the platform. “Stateless” is produced by Matchbox Pictures along with Blanchett and Andrew Upton’s production banner Dirty Films.
A timely story five years in the making, the series follows four people caught up in an immigration system that severely impacts their lives, with each character confronting issues around protection and border control in a different way. Australia, in particular, has a troubling track record around immigration and its handling of refugees looking to enter the country.
The show’s central quartet includes an flight attendant on the...
Australian public broadcaster ABC, which commissioned the six-part series, will air “Stateless” on March 1, with the streaming giant going out later this year. It is believed the show was a straight acquisition for the platform. “Stateless” is produced by Matchbox Pictures along with Blanchett and Andrew Upton’s production banner Dirty Films.
A timely story five years in the making, the series follows four people caught up in an immigration system that severely impacts their lives, with each character confronting issues around protection and border control in a different way. Australia, in particular, has a troubling track record around immigration and its handling of refugees looking to enter the country.
The show’s central quartet includes an flight attendant on the...
- 2/25/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Cate Blanchett in ‘Stateless.’ (Photo: Ben King).
The first two episodes of Matchbox Pictures’ Stateless and the second series of Bunya Productions’ Mystery Road will have their world premieres at the sixth edition of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Berlinale Series.
In addition, Goalpost’s Dark Victory from writer-director Matthew Saville is among eight titles selected for the Co-Pro Series 2020, which seeks to link projects with international partners.
Adapted from the book by David Marr and Marian Wilkinson, Dark Victory is the story of the Howard government’s refusal to allow Norwegian frieghter Tampa, with hundreds of mainly Afghan refugees on board, to enter Christmas Island.
The Berlinale Series line-up consists of eight series from around the world including Damien Chazelle’s Paris-set musical-drama The Eddy for Netflix, Jason Segel’s AMC series Dispatches from Elswehere and the BBC-HBO Max’s Trigonometry.
“An abundance of topics and...
The first two episodes of Matchbox Pictures’ Stateless and the second series of Bunya Productions’ Mystery Road will have their world premieres at the sixth edition of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Berlinale Series.
In addition, Goalpost’s Dark Victory from writer-director Matthew Saville is among eight titles selected for the Co-Pro Series 2020, which seeks to link projects with international partners.
Adapted from the book by David Marr and Marian Wilkinson, Dark Victory is the story of the Howard government’s refusal to allow Norwegian frieghter Tampa, with hundreds of mainly Afghan refugees on board, to enter Christmas Island.
The Berlinale Series line-up consists of eight series from around the world including Damien Chazelle’s Paris-set musical-drama The Eddy for Netflix, Jason Segel’s AMC series Dispatches from Elswehere and the BBC-HBO Max’s Trigonometry.
“An abundance of topics and...
- 1/14/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Rose Riley (L) and Emma Harvie in ‘Diary of an Uber Driver.’
Rose Riley is getting ready to have her first crack at Hollywood amid the most successful year of her career since graduating from Waapa in 2013.
This week the actor is heading to the Us for the first time for meetings with producers, casting directors and other players set up by her Us agent, Authentic Talent & Literary Management’s Jessica Morgulis.
Rose met Morgulis when the agent visited Sydney, arranged by her Oz rep United Management, before she started work in Stateless, the six-part ABC drama about four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert, co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie.
“I will always be very passionate about Australian stories and Australian cinema, TV and theatre but working overseas would be a total dream; ideally I will find a balance,” she tells If.
Rose Riley is getting ready to have her first crack at Hollywood amid the most successful year of her career since graduating from Waapa in 2013.
This week the actor is heading to the Us for the first time for meetings with producers, casting directors and other players set up by her Us agent, Authentic Talent & Literary Management’s Jessica Morgulis.
Rose met Morgulis when the agent visited Sydney, arranged by her Oz rep United Management, before she started work in Stateless, the six-part ABC drama about four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert, co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie.
“I will always be very passionate about Australian stories and Australian cinema, TV and theatre but working overseas would be a total dream; ideally I will find a balance,” she tells If.
- 8/19/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Yvonne Strahovski, Cate Blanchett and Jai Courtney.
Cate Blanchett co-created, co-produces and will play a key supporting role in Stateless, a six-part drama about four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert commissioned by the ABC.
Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Fayssal Bazzi and Asher Keddie will play the leads in the series scripted by showrunner Elise McCredie and Belinda Chayko, to be directed by Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse.
Strahovski is cast as an airline hostess who is escaping a cult-like self-improvement group, with Bazzi as an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution. Courtney is a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and Keddie is a bureaucrat who is caught up in a national scandal.
When their lives intersect they are pushed to the brink of sanity, yet unlikely and profound emotional connections are made within the group.
In her first Australian TV role since Rake in 2014, Cate...
Cate Blanchett co-created, co-produces and will play a key supporting role in Stateless, a six-part drama about four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert commissioned by the ABC.
Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Fayssal Bazzi and Asher Keddie will play the leads in the series scripted by showrunner Elise McCredie and Belinda Chayko, to be directed by Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse.
Strahovski is cast as an airline hostess who is escaping a cult-like self-improvement group, with Bazzi as an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution. Courtney is a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and Keddie is a bureaucrat who is caught up in a national scandal.
When their lives intersect they are pushed to the brink of sanity, yet unlikely and profound emotional connections are made within the group.
In her first Australian TV role since Rake in 2014, Cate...
- 5/14/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Cate Blanchett is set to star in Australian television series “Stateless,” which she co-created, alongside Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie. The six-part drama series follows a group of people stuck in an immigration detention center.
Yvonne Strahovski and Dominic West also star. Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, will produce via their Dirty Films banner, along with the Australian Broadcasting Corp., Screen Australia and Matchbox Pictures. NBCUniversal will distribute worldwide. Production will begin in June at South Australia’s Adelaide Studios.
“Whilst this story centers on Australia, the dilemmas that it explores through four absorbing characters will resonate globally: the desire for personal freedom, the need for social stability, an escalating lack of faith in the political process and the deeply unsettling impact this has on individual lives,” Blanchett said in a statement.
Also Read: Sarah Paulson, John Slattery Among 11 Cast in Cate Blanchett's FX Limited Series 'Mrs America'
Per the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Yvonne Strahovski and Dominic West also star. Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, will produce via their Dirty Films banner, along with the Australian Broadcasting Corp., Screen Australia and Matchbox Pictures. NBCUniversal will distribute worldwide. Production will begin in June at South Australia’s Adelaide Studios.
“Whilst this story centers on Australia, the dilemmas that it explores through four absorbing characters will resonate globally: the desire for personal freedom, the need for social stability, an escalating lack of faith in the political process and the deeply unsettling impact this has on individual lives,” Blanchett said in a statement.
Also Read: Sarah Paulson, John Slattery Among 11 Cast in Cate Blanchett's FX Limited Series 'Mrs America'
Per the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
- 5/14/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Cate Blanchett, Yvonne Strahovski and Dominic West are set to star in “Stateless,” a six-part TV series about people stuck in an immigration detention center. NBCUniversal will handle worldwide distribution on the drama, which is being produced by Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, through their Dirty Films banner, alongside the Australian Broadcasting Corp., Screen Australia and Matchbox Pictures.
Production begins next month at Adelaide Studios in South Australia. Major production funding comes from Screen Australia and the ABC, with additional financial support from the South Australian Film Corp.
Co-created by Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie, the series centers on four strangers — a flight attendant escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat caught up in a national scandal — who are stuck in an immigration detention center in the Australian desert. Each character deals with the contradictions...
Production begins next month at Adelaide Studios in South Australia. Major production funding comes from Screen Australia and the ABC, with additional financial support from the South Australian Film Corp.
Co-created by Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie, the series centers on four strangers — a flight attendant escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat caught up in a national scandal — who are stuck in an immigration detention center in the Australian desert. Each character deals with the contradictions...
- 5/14/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Cate Blanchett is to star in and has co-created Australian drama Stateless. She will appear in the six-part limited immigration drama alongside Dominic West. It was commissioned by Australian broadcaster ABC.
The series, which also stars Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Asher Keddie and Fayssal Bazzi, follows four people caught up in an immigration system that profoundly affects their lives. Each character deals with the contradictions of protection and border control from a unique perspective, offering relevant and timely insight into issues that countries are grappling with around the world.
Co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie, the series centres on four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert. They are an airline hostess escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat caught-up in a national scandal. When their lives intersect they are pushed to the brink of sanity,...
The series, which also stars Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Asher Keddie and Fayssal Bazzi, follows four people caught up in an immigration system that profoundly affects their lives. Each character deals with the contradictions of protection and border control from a unique perspective, offering relevant and timely insight into issues that countries are grappling with around the world.
Co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie, the series centres on four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert. They are an airline hostess escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat caught-up in a national scandal. When their lives intersect they are pushed to the brink of sanity,...
- 5/14/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Alastair McKinnon.
A generational change is sweeping through Matchbox Pictures as the NBCUniversal-owned production company develops a raft of projects with emerging writers and producers.
“Talent development has always been a priority for Matchbox,” says Alastair McKinnon, who started as MD last December after three years with the ABC, most recently as head of content investment and planning,
McKinnon signed on just as the company founded by Penny Chapman, Tony Ayres, Helen Bowden, Michael McMahon and Helen Panckhurst was celebrating its 10th anniversary. “That was the perfect time to reflect and think about what Matchbox has done incredibly successfully over that time as the leading drama production company in Australia,” he tells If in his first interview since taking charge.
“But the industry has transformed in that 10 years and is unrecognisable if you think about the sorts of shows, how they are financed and the distribution models of drama.
A generational change is sweeping through Matchbox Pictures as the NBCUniversal-owned production company develops a raft of projects with emerging writers and producers.
“Talent development has always been a priority for Matchbox,” says Alastair McKinnon, who started as MD last December after three years with the ABC, most recently as head of content investment and planning,
McKinnon signed on just as the company founded by Penny Chapman, Tony Ayres, Helen Bowden, Michael McMahon and Helen Panckhurst was celebrating its 10th anniversary. “That was the perfect time to reflect and think about what Matchbox has done incredibly successfully over that time as the leading drama production company in Australia,” he tells If in his first interview since taking charge.
“But the industry has transformed in that 10 years and is unrecognisable if you think about the sorts of shows, how they are financed and the distribution models of drama.
- 2/10/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Film won best screenplay from Australian Academy.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding China, Australia and New Zealand to the Australian rom-com Ali’s Wedding from Beta Cinemas.
Ali’s Wedding won best original screenplay from the Australian Academy and the Sydney Film Festival audience award, as well as the Awgie Award from the Australian Writers’ Guild for best original feature film.
Jeffrey Walker directed Ali’s Wedding, based on a convoluted true-life state of affairs in which the film’s star and co-writer Osamah Sami found himself in an arranged marriage that lasted less than two hours, while falling in love with another person.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding China, Australia and New Zealand to the Australian rom-com Ali’s Wedding from Beta Cinemas.
Ali’s Wedding won best original screenplay from the Australian Academy and the Sydney Film Festival audience award, as well as the Awgie Award from the Australian Writers’ Guild for best original feature film.
Jeffrey Walker directed Ali’s Wedding, based on a convoluted true-life state of affairs in which the film’s star and co-writer Osamah Sami found himself in an arranged marriage that lasted less than two hours, while falling in love with another person.
- 5/6/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
It’s over but it opened L.A.’s newest spring season of unlimited international film screenings all over the city throughout the month of April and into Cannes.
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) opened with “Lipstick Under My Burkha” and its impressive ensemble cast of Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur in a dramatic, but irreverent and vibrant film about women and faith. The film premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival 2016 and has been lighting up the festival circuit, including just winning the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival. Director Alankrita Shrivastava is confirmed to attend and additional talent to be confirmed.
“Lipstick Under My Burkha”
Iffla concluded on April 9 with a red carpet and gala that featured the Los Angeles premiere of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” starring Adil Hussain who was in attendance, as well as the...
The 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) opened with “Lipstick Under My Burkha” and its impressive ensemble cast of Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur in a dramatic, but irreverent and vibrant film about women and faith. The film premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival 2016 and has been lighting up the festival circuit, including just winning the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival. Director Alankrita Shrivastava is confirmed to attend and additional talent to be confirmed.
“Lipstick Under My Burkha”
Iffla concluded on April 9 with a red carpet and gala that featured the Los Angeles premiere of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s “Hotel Salvation” starring Adil Hussain who was in attendance, as well as the...
- 4/21/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
George Miller and David Stratton pore over 'Fury Road' storyboards in Stratton's new ABC series.
Fred Schepisi will host David Stratton in a special in-conversation event at the Adelaide Film Festival this Saturday October 29.
Stratton is in Adelaide to present a work-in-progress screening of his series David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema, set to premiere on the ABC next year.
Featured in the three-part series are George Miller, Schepisi himself, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and many, many others. Transmission Films are planning a theatrical release (at feature doc length) prior to the series going to air.
Stratton and Schepisi will be joined on the red carpet by series producer Jo Anne McGowan and director Sally Aitken..
Also world premiering in Adelaide is Jeffrey Walker's Ali's Wedding, written by and starring Osamah Sami. Sami co-wrote the script with Hacksaw Ridge's Andrew Knight.—.the pair won an Awgie Award for the film on Friday.
Fred Schepisi will host David Stratton in a special in-conversation event at the Adelaide Film Festival this Saturday October 29.
Stratton is in Adelaide to present a work-in-progress screening of his series David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema, set to premiere on the ABC next year.
Featured in the three-part series are George Miller, Schepisi himself, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and many, many others. Transmission Films are planning a theatrical release (at feature doc length) prior to the series going to air.
Stratton and Schepisi will be joined on the red carpet by series producer Jo Anne McGowan and director Sally Aitken..
Also world premiering in Adelaide is Jeffrey Walker's Ali's Wedding, written by and starring Osamah Sami. Sami co-wrote the script with Hacksaw Ridge's Andrew Knight.—.the pair won an Awgie Award for the film on Friday.
- 10/26/2016
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
George Miller and David Stratton pore over 'Fury Road' storyboards in Stratton's new ABC series.
Fred Schepisi will host David Stratton in a special in-conversation event at the Adelaide Film Festival this Saturday October 29.
Stratton is in Adelaide to present a work-in-progress screening of his series David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema, set to premiere on the ABC next year.
Featured in the three-part series are George Miller, Schepisi himself, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and many, many others.
Stratton and Schepisi will be joined on the red carpet by series producer Jo Anne McGowan and director Sally Aitken.
Also world premiering in Adelaide is Jeffrey Walker's Ali's Wedding, written by and starring Osamah Sami. Sami co-wrote the script with Hacksaw Ridge's Andrew Knight.—.the pair won an Awgie Award for the film on Friday..
Knight will also appear in conversation, discussing his long list of credits. They include.Seachange,...
Fred Schepisi will host David Stratton in a special in-conversation event at the Adelaide Film Festival this Saturday October 29.
Stratton is in Adelaide to present a work-in-progress screening of his series David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema, set to premiere on the ABC next year.
Featured in the three-part series are George Miller, Schepisi himself, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and many, many others.
Stratton and Schepisi will be joined on the red carpet by series producer Jo Anne McGowan and director Sally Aitken.
Also world premiering in Adelaide is Jeffrey Walker's Ali's Wedding, written by and starring Osamah Sami. Sami co-wrote the script with Hacksaw Ridge's Andrew Knight.—.the pair won an Awgie Award for the film on Friday..
Knight will also appear in conversation, discussing his long list of credits. They include.Seachange,...
- 10/26/2016
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
Kriv Stenders on a recce for Wake In Fright in Broken Hill.
The Nsw Government has invested over $2 million to secure four new feature films, four television drama series and four factual TV series, as well as several one-off documentaries, a web series and a multiplatform project. The productions are predicted to create 1080 new screen jobs and generate a direct production spend of almost $35 million in Nsw. Included among them is Ten.s recently announced mini-series Wake In Fright, the first local production to be supported under the Screen Nsw.s $20 million Made in Nsw Fund. The other 15 productions are being supported through the Film Production Finance Fund. According to Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant the fund can now support many more local film and television productions because funds have been freed-up by the Made in Nsw Fund. The full list of funding recipients: Project: Ali's Wedding...
The Nsw Government has invested over $2 million to secure four new feature films, four television drama series and four factual TV series, as well as several one-off documentaries, a web series and a multiplatform project. The productions are predicted to create 1080 new screen jobs and generate a direct production spend of almost $35 million in Nsw. Included among them is Ten.s recently announced mini-series Wake In Fright, the first local production to be supported under the Screen Nsw.s $20 million Made in Nsw Fund. The other 15 productions are being supported through the Film Production Finance Fund. According to Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant the fund can now support many more local film and television productions because funds have been freed-up by the Made in Nsw Fund. The full list of funding recipients: Project: Ali's Wedding...
- 9/12/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Brazilian film debuted in Competiton at Cannes.
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian social justice drama Aquarius has won the $47,000 (Au$63,000) Sydney Film Prize, the major award of the Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19).
Mendonca Filho’s story of a strong-willed homeowner’s battle against unscrupulous real estate developers was awarded the top prize at the closing night of the 63rd Sff on Sunday.
Jury president and UK producer Simon Field said Aquarius, which premiered in Competition at Cannes last month, is “a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil, and the power of an individual standing up for what she believes.”
“Mendonça Filho has created a film that is both political and personal – witty, sexy and playful. A film of effortless verve and intelligence,” he said.
“At the heart of the film is Sonia Braga’s astonishing and brave performance of a fearless character, resisting pressures from her family, and the corporate...
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian social justice drama Aquarius has won the $47,000 (Au$63,000) Sydney Film Prize, the major award of the Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19).
Mendonca Filho’s story of a strong-willed homeowner’s battle against unscrupulous real estate developers was awarded the top prize at the closing night of the 63rd Sff on Sunday.
Jury president and UK producer Simon Field said Aquarius, which premiered in Competition at Cannes last month, is “a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil, and the power of an individual standing up for what she believes.”
“Mendonça Filho has created a film that is both political and personal – witty, sexy and playful. A film of effortless verve and intelligence,” he said.
“At the heart of the film is Sonia Braga’s astonishing and brave performance of a fearless character, resisting pressures from her family, and the corporate...
- 6/20/2016
- ScreenDaily
Dan Jackson (right) was the winner of the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary
The 63rd Sydney Film Festival closed last night at the State Theatre, with the festival.s award winners announced before a screening of Whit Stillman.s Love and Friendship. . Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho was the recipient of the $63,000 Sydney Film Prize for Aquarius. Jury president Simon Field said the film, starring Sonia Braga, had .effortless verve and intelligence.. .Aquarius is a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil, and the power of the individual standing up for what she believes,. he said. Sydney filmmaker Dan Jackson picked up the $15,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary for his debut feature In the Shadow of the Hill, also set in Brazil. . Jackson lived in Rio De Janeiro slum Rocinha, which has been under police occupation since 2011, for over a year, documenting the story of a...
The 63rd Sydney Film Festival closed last night at the State Theatre, with the festival.s award winners announced before a screening of Whit Stillman.s Love and Friendship. . Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho was the recipient of the $63,000 Sydney Film Prize for Aquarius. Jury president Simon Field said the film, starring Sonia Braga, had .effortless verve and intelligence.. .Aquarius is a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil, and the power of the individual standing up for what she believes,. he said. Sydney filmmaker Dan Jackson picked up the $15,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary for his debut feature In the Shadow of the Hill, also set in Brazil. . Jackson lived in Rio De Janeiro slum Rocinha, which has been under police occupation since 2011, for over a year, documenting the story of a...
- 6/20/2016
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
When Jeffrey Walker was offered the chance to direct his first feature, Ali.s Wedding, he hesitated initially, feeling intimidated by the milieu of a Muslim immigrant who is torn between his upbringing and the Australian way of life. But as he got deeper into the screenplay by Osamah Sami and his frequent collaborator Andrew Knight, he saw a universal theme in the romantic comedy based on Sami.s experiences. .I got a real feel for the characters and their journey,. says Walker, who started shooting in Melbourne today with a cast of familiar and new faces. Sami plays Ali, the affable son of a Muslim cleric (Don Hany) who had migrated to Australia from Iraq. In an attempt to live up to the expectations of his community and his father, Ali tells a series of well-intentioned lies, which result in him pretending to be a medical student based on forged exam marks.
- 11/8/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
In his feature debut Jeffrey Walker will direct Ali.s Wedding, a romantic comedy based on a true story for Matchbox Pictures.
Scripted by actor Osamah Sami and Andrew Knight, the plot follows Ali, the son of a Muslim cleric, who is caught between his sense of duty to his family and following his heart.
The film is inspired by Sami.s first marriage which lasted precisely one hour and 48 minutes.
Shooting is due to start in Melbourne in the first week of November, produced by Sheila Jayadev and Helen Panckhurst. No casting has been confirmed yet.
"Jeffrey is one of Australia.s most exciting directors and we are thrilled to be working with him on Ali.s Wedding," Jayadev tells If. "With his extensive experience in directing comedy both in Australia and the Us, he will create a fresh, contemporary and hugely entertaining film."
Osamah has just launched his memoir Good Muslim Boy,...
Scripted by actor Osamah Sami and Andrew Knight, the plot follows Ali, the son of a Muslim cleric, who is caught between his sense of duty to his family and following his heart.
The film is inspired by Sami.s first marriage which lasted precisely one hour and 48 minutes.
Shooting is due to start in Melbourne in the first week of November, produced by Sheila Jayadev and Helen Panckhurst. No casting has been confirmed yet.
"Jeffrey is one of Australia.s most exciting directors and we are thrilled to be working with him on Ali.s Wedding," Jayadev tells If. "With his extensive experience in directing comedy both in Australia and the Us, he will create a fresh, contemporary and hugely entertaining film."
Osamah has just launched his memoir Good Muslim Boy,...
- 6/25/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Wayne Blair, Rachel Perkins, Greg McLean, Cameron and Colin Cairnes get green lights for new Australian films, including a new feature starring Kevin Bacon.
The directors of two of Australia’s biggest hits of the last five years, Rachel Perkins (Bran Nue Dae) and Wayne Blair (The Sapphires) have had new films financed in Screen Australia’s last funding round for the year.
Six films in all got a green light: another is Jungle from Wolf Creek director Greg McLean, who recently made his first Us film, 6 Miranda Drive, and has cast Kevin Bacon in this cinematic recreation of the true story of Yossi Ghinsberg managing to survive in the Amazon rainforest.
Perkins will direct the adaptation of the extremely popular book Jasper Jones in Western Australia next year. No cast are yet attached to the coming-of-age murder mystery written by Shaun Grant who was thrust into the limelight when the film of his debut script [link=tt...
The directors of two of Australia’s biggest hits of the last five years, Rachel Perkins (Bran Nue Dae) and Wayne Blair (The Sapphires) have had new films financed in Screen Australia’s last funding round for the year.
Six films in all got a green light: another is Jungle from Wolf Creek director Greg McLean, who recently made his first Us film, 6 Miranda Drive, and has cast Kevin Bacon in this cinematic recreation of the true story of Yossi Ghinsberg managing to survive in the Amazon rainforest.
Perkins will direct the adaptation of the extremely popular book Jasper Jones in Western Australia next year. No cast are yet attached to the coming-of-age murder mystery written by Shaun Grant who was thrust into the limelight when the film of his debut script [link=tt...
- 11/27/2014
- by Sandy.George@me.com (Sandy George)
- ScreenDaily
During a break in filming the Sbs telemovie Saved in 2009, actor Osamah Sami told director Tony Ayres and his co-star Claudia Karvan an amazing story.
Sami related how his first marriage lasted precisely one hour and 48 minutes. .I immediately thought, .there.s a film in that,.. Ayres tells If.
Andrew Knight came on board to collaborate with Sami on the screenplay of Ali.s Wedding and Screen Australia has agreed to invest in the project.
At one point Ayres was keen to direct but he has a full schedule as the Ep of Glitch and Nowhere Boys, so Wayne Blair will direct the romantic comedy.
Sheila Jayadev and Helen Panckhurst will produce for Matchbox Pictures, with Ayres, Michael McMahon, Greg Sitch and Nina Stevenson as EPs.
The plot follows Ali, the son of a Muslim cleric, who is caught between his sense of duty to his family and following his heart.
Sami related how his first marriage lasted precisely one hour and 48 minutes. .I immediately thought, .there.s a film in that,.. Ayres tells If.
Andrew Knight came on board to collaborate with Sami on the screenplay of Ali.s Wedding and Screen Australia has agreed to invest in the project.
At one point Ayres was keen to direct but he has a full schedule as the Ep of Glitch and Nowhere Boys, so Wayne Blair will direct the romantic comedy.
Sheila Jayadev and Helen Panckhurst will produce for Matchbox Pictures, with Ayres, Michael McMahon, Greg Sitch and Nina Stevenson as EPs.
The plot follows Ali, the son of a Muslim cleric, who is caught between his sense of duty to his family and following his heart.
- 11/26/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Screen Australia announced today it will invest nearly $10.7 million in 11 television and film projects which will trigger production worth almost $59 million.
In one of the most hotly contested funding rounds, six features succeeded. They include Wayne Blair.s romantic comedy Ali.s Wedding; Joe Cinque.s Consolation, a thriller about a troubled law student who tries to kill her boyfriend, from director Sotiris Dounoukos, whose A Single Body won best short at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Cameron and Colin Cairnes. horror movie Scare Campaign.
The other three are Taboo, the narrative feature debut of documentary filmmakers Bentley Dean and Martin Butler; Rachel Perkins. murder mystery Jasper Jones, based on the novel and play by Craig Silvey, adapted by Shaun Grant;. and Greg Mclean.s true-life thriller Jungle.
The TV projects are Shine Australia.s Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door for the Seven Network; a Jack...
In one of the most hotly contested funding rounds, six features succeeded. They include Wayne Blair.s romantic comedy Ali.s Wedding; Joe Cinque.s Consolation, a thriller about a troubled law student who tries to kill her boyfriend, from director Sotiris Dounoukos, whose A Single Body won best short at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Cameron and Colin Cairnes. horror movie Scare Campaign.
The other three are Taboo, the narrative feature debut of documentary filmmakers Bentley Dean and Martin Butler; Rachel Perkins. murder mystery Jasper Jones, based on the novel and play by Craig Silvey, adapted by Shaun Grant;. and Greg Mclean.s true-life thriller Jungle.
The TV projects are Shine Australia.s Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door for the Seven Network; a Jack...
- 11/26/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
The Ring and Mulholland Drive producer Neal Edelstein is serving as the executive producer on Ashes, an Australian supernatural thriller/horror film about three generations of women who battle a curse.
Jonathan auf der Heide is attached to direct the film written by Mike Jones and produced by Damsel Pictures. Raquelle David.
As a first-time feature producer, David knew she had to enlist an experienced Ep to qualify for financial support from Screen Australia and Screen Nsw. She approached a lot of Australian EPs, who turned her down, evidently due to concerns about the genre.
Via Jones, she got in touch with Edelstein and met the Us producer last October at the American Film Market, which she attended with Screen Australia.s assistance.
Edelstein responded to the script, which has parallels with Haunting Melissa, a digital, transmedia ghost story he has created via his company Hooked Digital Media, and agreed...
Jonathan auf der Heide is attached to direct the film written by Mike Jones and produced by Damsel Pictures. Raquelle David.
As a first-time feature producer, David knew she had to enlist an experienced Ep to qualify for financial support from Screen Australia and Screen Nsw. She approached a lot of Australian EPs, who turned her down, evidently due to concerns about the genre.
Via Jones, she got in touch with Edelstein and met the Us producer last October at the American Film Market, which she attended with Screen Australia.s assistance.
Edelstein responded to the script, which has parallels with Haunting Melissa, a digital, transmedia ghost story he has created via his company Hooked Digital Media, and agreed...
- 1/27/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
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