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Opinion
Cameron in Queensland
I have been aware of the Gold Coast studios for many years and I have been budgeting for films here for many years.
Blue-Tongue times
Blue-Tongue, a loose-jointed Australian moviemaking collective, is now flooding American festivals, the awards circuit and those who look for Hollywood’s next big thing with its rough-and-tumble fare, and can now add an Oscar nomination to its résumé.
3D blindness
All of this is rolling forward without any thought to the potential health hazards of continuous, long-term exposure to 3D. None of the television manufacturers have done any health & safety testing around this.
Nice to meet you, Ms. Streep
It is total name drop city.
Oscar nominee Luke Doolan on the Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon.
Bob Ellis: Rough Cut
Bob Ellis on In The Loop and Invictus.Anyone who’s hung round political backrooms (like me) will recognise the terrifying truth of In The Loop, Read more »
Tomorrow captures Australian beauty
“The added colour depth offered by 35mm film helped to accurately capture the beauty of the Australian landscape … an important story point.”
Ben Nott on his Daybreakers digital shoot vs. Tomorrow, When the War Began in 35mm.
Smaller screen, bigger ideas
Television is an avenue we really wanted to explore.
The Spierig brothers may revisit Daybreakers in a new medium.
Billing against piracy
If you illegally download a movie that I am in from the internet, or buy a pirated DVD of Underbelly Two you are stealing from me and everyone who put their investment, talent and effort into that production.
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.
ABC TV strengthens Indigenous production
Head of Screen Australia’s Indigenous Unit Sally Riley will move to ABC TV in May as head of it’s Indigenous Department.
In the newly-created position, Riley will develop and commission more prime-time drama and documentary – in addition to the public broadcaster’s ongoing program Message Stick. Read more »
Foreign films disappearing from cinema screens
According to the general manager of Accent Films, George Papadopoulos, it is increasingly harder for independent distributors to release their titles theatrically.
“From its inception in 2003, Accent’s aim was to only release films theatrically if they warrant such a release and that we feel can find an audience,” told Encore. Read more »
Umbrella promotes controversial doco with Q&As
Umbrella Entertainment will promote the DVD release of the controversial documentary The 10 Conditions of Love with Q&A sessions with director Jeff Daniels in Melbourne and Sydney.
The documentary, which has enraged the Chinese government for its depiction of Rebiya Kadeer, the leader of the Uyghur people, was released on DVD without the TV broadcast the distributor had hoped would help with the promotion. Read more »
61 percent of Australians support local films
A Hungry Beast poll found that 61 percent of the ABC program’s audience supports Australian films when asked “should we cut them, or print them?”
“Both perspectives are valid simply because that is how many people view the local industry,” Hungry Beast reporter Nicholas Hayden told Encore. Read more »
Journo union demands response from Indonesian President on Balibo
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has asked Foreign Minister Stephen Smith to raise the banning of Robert Connolly’s film Balibo with Indonesian President Susilo Bamban Yudhoyono during his visit to Australia this week.
‘The fact that the government of Dr Yudhoyono will not even allow the film to be shown to the Indonesian public suggests that this matter is far from resolved,” said MEAA’s federal secretary Christopher Warren. Read more »
Odin’s Eye picks up ‘womantic’ comedy Jucy
Odin’s Eye Entertainment has picked up Louise Alston’s ‘womantic’ comedy Jucy for worldwide representation.
Jucy was produced by Kelly Chapman through her company KCDC. It was shot in Brisbane early last year, with private financing and support from Screen Queensland.
Rotten Tomatoes stays, but content to be centralised in LA
A spokesperson for Flixster in the United States has told Encore that the company is “absolutely committed to continuing the localised versions of Rotten Tomatoes in the UK and Australia”.
The statement, sent by email to Encore, added that the company is “centralising editorial content in Hollywood”, and that “one editorial position in each location is being affected, but localised content for each market will continue to be created and will remain part of Rotten Tomatoes.” Read more »
Mining companies support Red Dog feature
Rio Tinto, Woodside and WestTrac will provide finance and logistical support for Red Dog, the film about the famous kelpie that travelled throughout the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
According to Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh, the project will be an opportunity to showcase their industry and the story of the Pilbara region to the world. Read more »
No Oscar for Australia, but six for Hurt Locker
There were no Oscars for Australians at the 82nd Academy Awards, but the Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker did receive six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow – the first woman to ever receive his honour.
The film, distributed in Australia by Village Roadshow, won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Script, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Editing. Its strongest rival, Avatar, won three in the technical categories of Art Direction, Cinematography and VFX. Read more »
Burton’s Alice sets March box office record
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland earned $10.3m at the box office on its opening weekend, the best ever for March and Disney’s third ever behind Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3.
The film, directed by Tim Burton and starring Australian actress Mia Wasikowska as the title character, also marked the highest grossing weekend for 2010 so far. It is currently screening on 5 IMAX screens, 234 stereoscopic 3D cinemas and 209 regular screens across Australia. Read more »