All articles by Sandy George – Page 67
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ABC journalists protest against Shier
Some of Australia's most respected current affairs journalists and commentators declared war this week on Jonathan Shier, who took up the post of managing director of Australian public broadcaster, the ABC, in March. Maxine McKew, Kerry O'Brien and Robin Williams were among eight senior employees of the ABC who made ...
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Australia's Showtime bags rights to Star Wars pics
All four Star Wars movies will be shown on Australian pay-TV channel Showtime next year, following a deal between Showtime parent company Premium Movie Partnership (PMP) and 20th Century Fox. PMP chief executive Bob Donoghue believes it will be the first time that all four films will be shown as ...
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Village blames weak results on exhibition arm
Village Roadshow Ltd (VRL) chairman John Kirby has told shareholders that the company's unsatisfactory profits in the last two to three years are entirely due to the exhibition arm of the business, most recently because of a downturn in film quality. Speaking at the company's annual general meeting last week, ...
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De Heer's Tracker secures FFC investment
The Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC) has approved investment in The Tracker, described as "an Australian western with attitude", according to writer-director Rolf de Heer, who is also producing the film alongside Julie Ryan. Principal photography on the film, which is set in the 1920s, begins on February 26 next ...
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Australia's WIN Television set to go public
One of Australia's largest privately-owned media companies, WIN Television, owned by former Paramount TV International president Bruce Gordon, is planning to float on the Australian Stock Exchange early next year.The regional network was sold to Gordon by Rupert Murdoch about 20 years ago and was a public company for about ...
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Murdoch, Packer tipped to back investment bank
Australia's two biggest media moguls, Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch, are to bankroll a new investment bank that also has backing from Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services, according to Australia's Sydney Morning Herald.The Packer family company, Consolidated Press Holdings Investment Corporation, is to tip in $28m (A$55m) into the new ...
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Selwyn readies Maori Merchant Of Venice
Veteran executive producer-director Don Selwyn has accessed $0.96m (NZ$2.4m) in public funding for a Maori-language adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice (Te Tangata Whai Rawa O Weneti).Films are rarely made in a language other than English in New Zealand and it took Selwyn three attempts in 10 years to ...
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Looking For Alibrandi finds five AFI Awards
Australia's third biggest local hit of 2000, teen flick Looking For Alibrandi, scooped five awards including best film at the AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards on Saturday night (Nov 18). The other four awards went to school teacher Melina Marchetta's adapted script, lead actress Pia Miranda, supporting actress Greta Scacchi ...
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Moulin Rouge boosts Oz production
The total value of features made in Australia in the 12 months to June 30, 2000 rose 7% to $66m (A$127m), compared to $62m (A$119m) the previous year, according to the Australian Film Commission (AFC). The rise was mostly due to the impact of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge which is ...
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Australia's Nine Network to invest in film
On the eve of Australia's annual producers conference, Kerry Packer's Nine Network has announced that it intends to commission a slate of feature films and is currently seeking both developed proposals and new strategic relationships to facilitate the plan.The enterprise is to be headed by Nine drama director Kris Noble ...
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AFC to test development scheme with Bennelong
Development agency the Australian Film Commission (AFC) will finally be able to test its "matched" development scheme on Bennelong, an epic tale to be directed by Bill Bennett and set soon after the arrival of Europeans in Australia. The scheme aims to find extra sources of much-needed development cash by ...
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ScreenCorp, Unity set sail with Batavia
Sydney-based Screen Corporation Ltd (ScreenCorp) is partnering with Michael Cerenzie's LA-based company Unity Productions for its first project, titled Batavia. The bloodthirsty epic adventure is based on the real events that occurred after the sinking of the Dutch United East India Company ship of the same name off the coast ...
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Smithies confirmed as Cinemedia CEO
Victoria's state government agency Cinemedia, based in Melbourne, has finally confirmed that John Smithies has signed a 12-month contract as CEO. The former deputy director had been acting in this crucial role since Jenifer Hooks left the post in February this year. Smithies has the twin challenges of responding to ...
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TelstraSaturn partners with TVNZ on digital TV
New Zealand telco and pay-TV operator TelstraSaturn is to partner with public broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ) on the delivery of satellite-based digital television to local audiences. Few details are available on the nature of the venture's programming although it will probably include acquired and commissioned material and be on ...
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Rothwell wins New Zealand film-makers' vote
Director Hamish Rothwell was made young film-maker of the year by the Screen Producers and Directors Association of New Zealand (SPADA), on the first evening of their annual conference (November 9). The title is a vote of confidence for the commercials director's stylish debut feature Stickmen, which will be released ...
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Anderson moves to UIP Australia
Expatriate Australian Jon Anderson is returning home to take up the role of marketing manager of UIP Australia from November 20. Anderson was most recently Columbia TriStar's London-based director of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Throughout the 1980s he worked for the merged Fox Columbia company in ...
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Fox Studios Australia slashes entry prices
Fox Studios Australia has reduced admission prices to its Backlot entertainment area in an effort to increase visitor numbers. The move represents a partial merger of the Backlot with the adjacent Bent Street cinema and restaurant precinct.From mid-November adult prices to various attractions, which include the Titanic experience and the ...
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Joint Security Area a hit for South Korea
South Korea's current local box office hit, Joint Security Area (JSA), has attracted 1.875 million admissions in Seoul and over 4.1 million admissions across the country since its release on September 9. Set in one of the most militarised frontiers in the world, the film tells of the friendship between ...
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Macquarie strikes distribution pact with UIP
Australian private investment vehicle Macquarie Film Corp (MFC) has signed a two-year distribution pact with UIP. Under the terms of the deal, UIP will have first option to handle the Australian theatrical release of all titles backed by MFC. The two partners will jointly devise marketing strategies and share p&a ...
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Local film dishes up Australian record
Rob Sitch-directed The Dish has crashed through the record barrier with the highest weekend opening gross for an Australian film at the local box office. The Roadshow release grossed $1.56m (A$2.985m) from 281 prints on its four-day opening weekend - more than any other Australian film in history. Including its ...