Difficult to make a film just for the money: Byrne
Director Sean Byrne has been offered “generic horror films” due to the international festival success of his debut feature The Loved Ones, but he’s turned them down because a career path is more important than money or visibility.
“I couldn’t do [these generic films]. A film takes two years of your life; you have to get out of bed and inspire a cast and crew. You must do it for the right reasons, and if the blueprint has problems it’s just doomed to failure. I would never do something just for the money, because it’s such a public medium that at the end of the day, everyone’s going to see it,” Byrne told Encore. Read more »
Encore invites you to the Movie Convention!
Encore has two full registrations for this year’s Australian International Movie Convention (August 15-19, Gold Coast), valued at $1,100 each.
This opportunity is open to producers and independent cinema owners who wish to attend the event. 
Read more »
X – teaser
Jon Hewitt’s Kings Cross-set thriller X will be distributed by PackScreen in 2011.
South Solitary: no film is an island
Director Shirley Barrett didn’t get to shoot South Solitary on her dream island, but she found that Plan B is sometimes better. Miguel Gonzalez writes.
Eight years ago Barrett stayed at the first cast concrete lighthouse in Australia, Green Cape, in southern NSW – it now provides accommodation for visitors. She was there doing research for a film she had written, about whaling in the early 1900s. Read more »
Definition of ‘commercial’, a kind of censorhip: Granik
American director Debra Granik is in Australia to present her acclaimed feature Winter’s Bone, which was called “heavy and dark” by film executives and had to fight the image of ’self-righteousness’ that independent films sometimes get.
“Having things that cannot be solved with a bullet, that’s ‘dark’ for American executives. It is easier to solve things with a bullet; emotion cannot be solved, it sits there… It’s a kind of censorship; the idea that ‘commercial’ means a very specific kind of entertainment,” Granik told Encore. Read more »
AFI announces feature contenders
The Australian Film Institute has published its list of feature film contenders for this year’s AFI Awards.
The AFI emphasised the fact that eight out of the 19 films were directed by women: “In an international industry where women are still significantly under-represented, Australia is heading in the right direction,” said CEO Damian Trewhella.
The King’s Speech selected for Toronto
The UK/Australia co-production The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper and produced by See Saw Films (Emile Sherman/Iain Canning) and Bedlam Productions, will have its premiere at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival in September.
It is the first Australian film announced for TIFF, although Encore understands that at least one more title – a thriller starring a rising female actress- has already been selected for the festival. Read more »
Time for producers to step up to multi-platform
The XMediaLab: Film X-tended transmedia conference is taking place today in Melbourne, and keynote speakers and participants told Encore what they’re expecting audiences to learn at the event.
For Nathan Mayfield, chief creative officer and co-founder of the award-winning company Hoodlum, “it’s an exciting time for producers to step up and really learn about multi-platform.”
To watch these videos, please select the speed of your connection.
$4.5m for 20 docos
Screen Australia has invested $4.5m in 20 documentaries, with a production volume worth $15m.
The agency said the demands on this month’s round of the domestic documentary program were high, with ABC, SBS and pay TV “using close to their full allocation for the financial year”. Therefore, Screen Australia will pool its funds across the domestic and international programs for a total alloction of $7.5m. Read more »
Killing Time
Killing Time is a crime series based on the true story of criminal lawyer Andrew Fraser. It stars David Wenham, Colin Friels, Diana Glenn and Kris McQuade. It will premiere on TV1 on September 5.