All articles by Sandy George – Page 72
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New Zealand boosts production with $10m fund
New Zealand's prime minister Helen Clark has put aside $10.8m (NZ$22m) for a feature film production fund, a huge commitment for a country with a population of less than four million people. It is envisaged that the fund will assist about 10 films at the rate of two or three ...
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China Star inks Star TV output deal
Hong Kong-based China Star Entertainment Group has finalised a US$30m three-year output deal with pay-TV provider Star TV for 100 films to be produced under its One Hundred Years Of Films production banner. Star is taking pay-TV rights for Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan on the titles. About a ...
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Alliance's Wrenn to fly to New Zealand
Miramax has acquired Lone Scherfig's dogme title Italian For Beginners, one of the hottest titles in the main competition at the Berlin Film Festival since its screening on Friday, for release in the US, Mexico and English-speaking Canada. Miramax is understood to have paid $600,000 for the romantic comedy, beating ...
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Mallboy team set to produce Melbourne-set Orange
The team behind Directors' Fortnight film Mallboy is now developing Orange, a love story set amid feuding families in a bustling wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Melbourne, Australia.Vincent Giarrusso is writing, directing, and working with script editor Tony Ayres, and Fiona Eagger is producing. This time around Chris Fitchett ...
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Daybreak signs up Laing for House Guest
John Laing has signed to directThe House Guest, the second film to go into production this year under the Daybreak Pictures production banner, and the second from the New Zealand company to be handled by UK sales outfit 2 Match. The film is being financed by presales, local private investors ...
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Dear moves to SBS from Film Four Australia
Channel Four and Film Four have lost Australian representative Miranda Dear to SBS Independent, the production arm of multicultural broadcaster SBS, where she takes up the role of commissioning editor of drama from early July. She replaces Barbara Masel who signified her intention to leave several months ago.
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Gladiator marches into Australia, Mexico
Ridley Scott's highly anticipated film Gladiator thrashed Australian competition when it reported its opening four-day gross May 4-7. The Roman epic became the fourth highest opening film ever in the territory marginally beating The Lost World: Jurassic Park distributed in May 1997. Playing on 287 screens, the UIP release scooped ...
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McLean tipped to direct Haysom's Golden Delicious
Sydney director Alison McLean, whose most recent film was Jesus' Son, is tipped to helm Golden Delicious, a black comedy about four women who kidnap a male prostitute. Written by Christine Rogers and Anne Kennedy, Golden Delicious is being produced by Trevor Haysom who was associate producer on McLean's Crush. ...
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Stuart Little gets bigger in Australia
Fuelled by school holidays and the Easter weekend, Columbia TriStar's Stuart Little has brought in a phenomenal $8.7m (A$14.9m) after 20 days.The film clocked up $3.5m from 323 screens in its second week (April 12-19) - a rise of 24% from its opening seven days - giving it the biggest ...
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Location: Fiji
Fiji is launching a series of initiatives aimed at attracting film-makers including 100-150% tax deductions and a film studio.The government of the group of Pacific islands is expected to pass legislation in May allowing for tax deductions of 100-150% for capital investment in projects. At least 35% of the ...
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New Zealand's First Sun makes film push with Lies
New Zealand production outfit First Sun has unveiled its debut feature development slate which includes an adaptation of Michelanne Forster's play Castle Of Lies.The play, set in the 1890s, revolves around the true story of charismatic politician William Larnach who blew his brains out in the New Zealand Parliament, an ...
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Oz talent lobbies Howard for film funding boost
A high-powered group of signatories has sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister John Howard urging him to increase film industry funding when he hands down the 2000-2001 budget in early May. The group includes producers Jan Chapman and Lynda House, directors Gillian Armstrong, Scott Hicks and Chris Noonan and ...
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DND converts to Instinct; cranks up Voices
Melbourne-based DND Productions has changed its name to Instinct Entertainment as it gears up to start production on Till Human Voices Wake Us, set to star Helena Bonham Carter and Guy Pearce.Human Voices is the first directorial effort of writer Michael Petroni who won the best new script award for ...
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Telstra, Pacific form Internet alliance
Australian telecommunications giant Telstra has formed a strategic alliance with Hong Kong-based Pacific Century Cyber Works (PCCW), the largest Internet group in Asia outside Japan.The billion dollar deal creates one of the largest Internet, data and business services groups in the pan-Asian region. It covers an Australian-based interactive content service, ...
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Australia's RGM agency forms packaging venture
Sydney-based talent agency RGM Associates, which boasts clients including Cate Blanchett and Anthony La Paglia, has formed a joint venture that will work with producers to package and raise finance for film and TV projects. Partnering with RGM is Black Rock Entertainment, the new Melbourne-based entity created by former Scanbox ...
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Chapman, Lawrence team for FFC-backed thriller
Leading Australian producer Jan Chapman (Holy Smoke, The Piano) has teamed with award-winning director Ray Lawrence (Bliss) to make Lantana, one of four films which have just received backing from the Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC). Lantana marks Lawrence's first film for 15 years when he won best director at ...
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Oz commission attacks broadcasting legislation
One of the Australian government's advisory bodies, the Productivity Commission, has warned that Australia's digital conversion plan faces "serious risk of failure".The warning is a slap in the face for both the government that formulated the plan and the influential existing free-to-air television networks which it clearly favours. The commission ...
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Rothkrans becomes Australia's offshore ambassador
Trisha Rothkrans has been appointed chief executive of AusFILM, the national marketing alliance that aims to attract offshore productions to Australia. She replaces Judith Crombie who takes up her new role as head of the South Australian Film Corporation on May 1. Rothkrans was previously the manager of production liaison ...
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The Wog Boy sails past A$10m mark
The Wog Boy, a broad Australian comedy with a strong Greek influence, has passed the A$10m mark at the local box office, and now has only four titles to overtake to make it into the all-time top 10 of locally-produced films.A mainstream film that reaches A$10m is regarded as a ...
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Australia's REP buys New Zealand's Scarfies
Australia's REP Film Distributors has bought New Zealand's second biggest local hit from last year, Robert Sarkies' comedy thriller Scarfies, about a group of students who quickly discover that crime should be left to professionals. Traditionally films do not travel between Australia and New Zealand, despite the two countries being ...