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Opinion
It’s a steal
Australian internet users are facing enormous and ongoing restrictions to their legitimate access to popular content, in terms of both timeliness and price [...] If content providers want to thrive, they will have to start responding to user demands for reasonable, timely and fairly priced content.
The SMH wonders why Gossip Girl costs A$34.99 on iTunes US vs. A$74.75 here.
Unique appeal
What [...] you won’t see in another film: a snake used to replace a broken engine belt, Geoffrey Rush shitting on the side of a road, a condom tree and a hot Aboriginal girl singing ” Stand By Your Man”.
Influential US site Ain’t It Cool news reviews Bran Nue Dae.
No, there is another one…
”Who doesn’t know I’m Australian?” she joked. ”Let’s have them beaten.”
Garry Maddox unearths the Aussie citizenship of District 9 producer Carolynne Cunningham.
One-line synopsis
Many Australian movies have valued “quality” and “cultural content” over “entertainment” and “commercialism” [...] Little Fish, about a recovering heroin junkie’s family conflicts; Romulus, My Father, about the difficulties of migrant life in Australia during the 1960s; and Beautiful Kate, about family tragedy, secrets and incest.
QUT’s Dr. Mark Ryan is not a big fan of drama and is not afraid to show it.
Offset remains hazy
Proyas said, however, that there was a “desire and willingness” on Screen Australia’s part to provide more clarity and it and, alongside that, filmmakers are also learning from each other.
Alex Proyas called for clarification on the Producer Offset process.
Against the flow
The movie industry is in the same position that the music people were in before they got into bed with iTunes and Apple. All the great media industries will have to find ways to work with the new modes of distribution. To work against them ultimately will spell ruin.
Season passes: Precious
Courtesy of Icon Film, we have passes for the Oscar-nominated Precious.A powerful film, Precious feels almost like a contemporary take on The Colour Purple, with its story of abuse and survival. It is so good that even Mariah Carey can act in it. Read more »
Jackman’s Asian debut
(Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) would be Jackman’s first project in China, adding him to a growing list of Hollywood stars — including most recently Kevin Spacey — who are coming East to work in the world’s fastest-growing movie market.
Emerging industries prove that the world doesn’t begin and end at Hollywood.
His brilliant career
From time to time a litany of journalists, actors, directors and the like join in the Australia-is-racist chorus [...] Yet Thornton, who has an indigenous background, is a successful Australian whose work has been supported by the taxpayer. His brilliant career, so far, suggests that Australia is anything but in pre-fascist mode.
Sydney Institute executive director disagrees with Warwick Thornton’s views on racism in Australia.
Animal confusion
Just look at the picture. What is the film about? Does it scream gritty underworld crime flick? Does it scream – if you like Martin Scorsese or Tarantino go see this film?
Why the Animal Kingdom’s Sundance poster shouldn’t have to explain it’s “A Crime Story”.
Daybreakers, third most pirated film online
TorrentFreak reports that Daybreakers is only behind Oscar nominees Avatar and The Hurt Locker in BitTorrent downloads. Read more »
Qantas buys My Tehran for Sale
Qantas will show the unofficial Iran/Australia co-production My Tehran for Sale as part of its in-flight entertainment selection from February to April.
Producer Kate Croser told Encore that the film will also screen at pay-TV channel World Movies later this year, and she’s still trying to ‘get it out there’ in spite of the limited opportunities for art house films. Read more »
ABC caught in Chinese diplomacy controversy
John Lewis, producer of the controversial documentary The 10 Conditions of Love, hopes that the ABC will air the documentary soon and laments that Chinese pressure is making his doco ‘unsellable’.
“I’ll be very clear about this. I can simply say I hope that [a diplomatic reason] is not the case,” Lewis told Encore. Read more »
Million-dollar debut for Daybreakers
The vampire film by the Spierig brothers reached the third spot at the Australian box office this weekend (Feb 7), with $1.03m, while Bran Nue Dae remained in the top 10 with $566,109 (#9). Read more »
Pullen pulls out of The Lab as post facility re-structures
The general manager of the Omnilab Media-owned post-production facility Lewis Pullen leaves the company to become Qantas’ executive manager for marketing.
With Pullen’s departure, The Lab will undergo a re-structure that included the addition of former Engine exec Alistair Stephen, as executive producer of the advertising arm of the company. Read more »
TTOC absorbed into TAFE NSW – North Sydney Institute
The Television Technical Operators College has been fully transitioned to NSI, with courses developed to address film/TV industry skill shortages. It has been renamed TAFE Technical Operations Centre. Read more »
License fee rebates for broadcasters in 2010 and 2011
The Government announced a rebate to ‘protect’ Australian content on commercial television.
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy said the rebate recognises the current level of Australian license fees compared to the US, the UK and Canada, as well as the broadcasters’ financial difficulties. Read more »
Richard Moore leaves Melbourne Film Festival
Melbourne International Film Festival executive director Richard Moore will leave the organisation after this year’s edition; the board will recruit for two new positions.
Moore told Encore that he announced his decision to the MIFF board two weeks ago, but declined to reveal his plans until February 22, when he expects to make an official announcement. He is currently in Europe for the Gothenburg and Berlin festivals, and will still be in charge of the 2010 edition. Read more »
Animal Logic secures Sucker Punch VFX work
The company will work on the Warner Bros. production Sucker Punch, directed by Zack Snyder and currently being shot in Vancouver, Canada.
This deal was secured with assistance from the NSW Film and Television Attraction Fund, as well as Warner’s and Snyder’s solid relationship with the VFX studio. Read more »
WA releases short film marketing guide
ScreenWest and Perth’s Film & Television Institute launched Short Film Marketing: Producer’s Guide, to assist emerging filmmakers with their short film efforts.
CEO Ian Booth told Encore that the guide was developed to ensure local filmmakers are well informed about marketing and distribution of short films. Read more »