All articles by Sandy George – Page 73
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Becker Group signs on for Rowe comedy
Australia's Becker Group has signed on as international sales agent for producer David Rowe's A$3m contemporary comedy Tempe Tip, scheduled to start shooting in October.REP will handle Australian distribution of the film, while international sales will be contracted out. Michael Ralph is set to direct the project from his own ...
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Beyond, Seven support on-line Evolution
Two of Australia's biggest content suppliers - Beyond International and the Seven Network - have thrown their weight behind a new high-speed network that plans to pump entertainment and services into Australian homes.Operated by fledgling Australian company Evolution Technologies, the venture plans to concentrate on providing services to high-density housing ...
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Foxtel loses grip on Telstra network
Australia's Seven Network has won its battle to gain access to Telstra's cable network, in a move that loosens cable operator Foxtel's existing dominance of the country's pay-TV market.Telstra owns 50% of Foxtel and 100% of the network which passes about one third of all Australian homes. The Australian Consumer ...
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Kodak, Atlab restore Australian cinema classics
Miramax Films, Miramax Television, HBO and Good Will Hunting writers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming up to launch a US contest in which a total unknown writer will have his or her screenplay greenlit.Starting in the summer, anyone in the US can submit a screenplay electronically to www.projectgreenlight.com. ...
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SPAA calls for higher funding levels
The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) is calling on the Australian government to lift production and development funding in film and television to "more realistic investment levels" in the 2000/2001 budget, which will be released in early May. However Australian arts minister Peter McGauran admitted today (March 24) that ...
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Macquarie launches fresh bid to lure investors
Macquarie Film Corporation (MFC) launched its second prospectus this week in a bid to entice Australian investors to tip A$18.4m into film and TV production before the deadline of June 21. MFC is one of two Film Licensed Investment Companies (FLICS) awarded licences by the Australian government to raise up ...
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Internet and mobile services boost Telstra profit
Australian telco Telstra has reported a record after-tax profit of $1.27bn (A$2.1bn) for the six months to December 31, an increase of 15.6% on the corresponding period last year. The result was on turnover of $2bn (A$3.3bn) before tax and interest.Telstra chief executive Ziggy Switkowski said non-traditional services such as ...
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Producer takes legal action against Southern Star
Australian producer Hal McElroy's family-owned company Eden Productions has commenced legal proceedings against Southern Star Entertainment and the Southern Star Group, claiming it is owed more than $6.4m (A$10.5m). But McElroy's former employer has moved quickly to say it is Eden which owes money to Southern Star.The issue has been ...
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Australian critics give Two Hands best film award
Two Hands, produced by Marian Macgowan, won best film at the Australian Film Critics Circle Awards on March 3 but writer-director Gregor Jordan did not take home everything he was eligible for as he did at last year's Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards. Instead, John Curran was judged best director ...
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Blomfield replaces Mockridge at Foxtel
Veteran television executive Jim Blomfield has been named CEO of dominant Australian pay-TV outfit Foxtel replacing Tom Mockridge who is to head up the joint venture between News Corp's Star TV and Cable & Wireless HKT in Hong Kong.In recent years Blomfield has been working on the commercial television aspirations ...
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PMP announces Meers, O'Halloran double act
The Premium Movie Partnership (PMP) has confirmed that Sam Meers and Nuala O'Halloran - the two people who worked most closely with former acquisitions and production head Marion Pilowsky - will be covering for her. Former business affairs director Meers becomes director of investment responsible for all film development and ...
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Former PolyGram exec to be general manager of REP
Former PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/Universal Pictures International executive David Collins will take up the newly created role of general manager of REP Distribution from March 6. Collins will oversee day-to-day operations reporting to parent company Becker Entertainment's head of film Mark Gooder. The position makes Collins directly responsible for all REP's ...
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Ripley performs but Wog Boy claims top spot
The Talented Mr Ripley gave a strong performance in its opening four days to February 27, taking A$1,850,546 from 190 screens. However, it was not good enough to beat homegrown comedy The Wog Boy, which claimed the top spot by earning about A$180,000 more from 198 screens. "I know Ripley ...
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Germany's RTV buys Australian Energee
German animation production-distribution entity Ravensburger Film & TV (RTV) has purchased a 69% stake in one of Australia's most significant animation companies, Energee Entertainment, in a move that will spur production activity at the company's new studios opened late last year in Sydney. RTV paid $24.6m (DM48m) in shares and ...
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Softbank invests in Content Capital
Japanese venture capitalist Softbank has taken a strategic stake in Australia's Content Capital, one of two government-sanctioned Film Licence Investment Companies (FLICs) aimed at coaxing private investment into Australian production. The investment is Softbank's first venture capital investment in Australia. Legislation restricts foreign companies from owning more than 33% of ...
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Record-breaking previews for Australia's Wog Boy
Australian comedy The Wog Boy has grossed a highly impressive A$1.2m from just three days of preview screenings (Feb 18-20), which would have placed it at number three in the chart had it been included. Previews are traditionally excluded from box office charts. Only two films performed better than this ...
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ABC's theatrical arm acquires Tank Engine movie
ABC Films has confirmed it has acquired all Australian and New Zealand rights to the US$20m family film Thomas And The Magic Railroad which director Britt Allcroft has adapted from the Thomas The Tank Engine hit television series she also created. To avoid Olympics fever, which will take over Australia ...
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Globe buys Human Voices for Australia, New Zealand
Despite withdrawing from international acquisitions, The Globe Film Co has signed on to handle Australian and New Zealand distribution on Til Human Voices Wake Us, one of two features which have just secured investment from the Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC). Director-writer Michael Petroni has sold several scripts to Hollywood ...
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Australia's Pennell moves into big-budget arena
Australian production outfit Pennell Motion Pictures is set to produce A$15-20m ($9.5-12.6m) romantic comedy Amorous Intrigue, displaying further evidence that the Australian production community is intent on moving into bigger-budget projects.The film is based on the true story of Aphra Bhenn, who was a writer in the UK over 300 ...
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House to produce Armstrong comedy, Broken Hill
Australian producer Lynda House has unveiled a slate of new projects including a comedy-drama to be directed by Gillian Armstrong and a $7.5m (A$12m) futuristic fairy-tale The Broken Hill, which has a pack of wild dogs as one of the cast members.Gillian Armstrong, who credits include Little Women and Oscar ...