Exclusive: Australian chef and restauranteur Matt Moran is to front a food format in which he explores explores the personal lives of celebrities such as Richard Roxburgh through the lens of food.
Memory Bites With Matt Moran will air on state broadcaster Sbs’s Sbs Food and Sbs On-Demand services, with Moran, Big Owl Pictures and Globe Wealth co-producing and BBC Studios (Bbcs) distributing the format and finished series internationally. Stars such as Elvis and Rake actor Roxburgh, Wentworth‘s Pia Miranda and comedian Ross Noble will feature.
Each episode of Memory Bites will see renowned chef Moran dive into the personal and emotional histories of well-known Australians, exploring their life stories through the lens of food. Each episode centres around a significant meal from the guest’s past — a dish that evokes powerful memories of childhood, family and love. The dish could be a simple one cooked by loved one,...
Memory Bites With Matt Moran will air on state broadcaster Sbs’s Sbs Food and Sbs On-Demand services, with Moran, Big Owl Pictures and Globe Wealth co-producing and BBC Studios (Bbcs) distributing the format and finished series internationally. Stars such as Elvis and Rake actor Roxburgh, Wentworth‘s Pia Miranda and comedian Ross Noble will feature.
Each episode of Memory Bites will see renowned chef Moran dive into the personal and emotional histories of well-known Australians, exploring their life stories through the lens of food. Each episode centres around a significant meal from the guest’s past — a dish that evokes powerful memories of childhood, family and love. The dish could be a simple one cooked by loved one,...
- 10/30/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Jessica Mauboy, star of 2013 Australian breakout hit “The Sapphires,” returns to a leading film role for the first time in over a decade in family feature “Windcatcher.”
Directed by Tanith Glynn-Maloney, from a screenplay by Boyd Quakawoot, the film is branded as a Stan Original and will play on the Australia-only streamer from March 28.
Set in a small country town, “Windcatcher” follows the unlikely friendship between Percy Boy, newcomer Keithy Cobb and the spirited Daisy Hawkins, as they band together to take the local school sports day title from a group of grade five bullies. But as Percy Boy trains with the help of his mates, he then discovers his supernatural ability to see lost souls – a gift passed down from his grandfather. Percy Boy must overcome his fears, prove his resilience and become a force to be reckoned with.
Mauboy, who is an iconic figure in Australian entertainment has...
Directed by Tanith Glynn-Maloney, from a screenplay by Boyd Quakawoot, the film is branded as a Stan Original and will play on the Australia-only streamer from March 28.
Set in a small country town, “Windcatcher” follows the unlikely friendship between Percy Boy, newcomer Keithy Cobb and the spirited Daisy Hawkins, as they band together to take the local school sports day title from a group of grade five bullies. But as Percy Boy trains with the help of his mates, he then discovers his supernatural ability to see lost souls – a gift passed down from his grandfather. Percy Boy must overcome his fears, prove his resilience and become a force to be reckoned with.
Mauboy, who is an iconic figure in Australian entertainment has...
- 2/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Australian Survivor has wrapped up its stellar Heroes V Villains season, where Liz Parnov was crowned Sole Survivor over Matt Sharp and Gerry Gelch. Liz is a 28-year-old Russian-born pole-vaulter from Perth, Western Australia. As a two-time Olympian, Liz began the season as a member of the Villains tribe due to her cutthroat approach to the game.
On Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains, Liz formed a strong early bond with returnees Shonee Bowtell and "King" George Mladenov. The trio referred to themselves as the "Spice Girls," while the suballiance duo of Liz and Shonee dubbed themselves "The Shiz." Unfortunately, George turned on Liz and Shonee when he orchestrated Shonee's blindside after the merge. However, Liz continued to work with George while secretly planning to get her revenge, which materialized when she voted him out at the Final Four, paving her path to a unanimous victory over Matt and Gerry.
Related:...
On Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains, Liz formed a strong early bond with returnees Shonee Bowtell and "King" George Mladenov. The trio referred to themselves as the "Spice Girls," while the suballiance duo of Liz and Shonee dubbed themselves "The Shiz." Unfortunately, George turned on Liz and Shonee when he orchestrated Shonee's blindside after the merge. However, Liz continued to work with George while secretly planning to get her revenge, which materialized when she voted him out at the Final Four, paving her path to a unanimous victory over Matt and Gerry.
Related:...
- 3/29/2023
- by Lee Whitten
- ScreenRant
Lady On Fire
Cutting edge French director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma has been appointed as president of the jury at the Giornate degli Autori (aka Venice Days), a sidebar to the Venice Film Festival. She will preside over a special jury made up of 27 young European cinephiles present in a campus. “[Sciamma] has thoroughly upended the basic structure of our society and masterfully created new images and new memories. With her latest film, ‘Petite Maman,’ she has provided further proof that the prevailing canon of film production can indeed be challenged,” said Venice Days’ artistic director Gaia Furrer. Sciamma’s earlier credits include: “Bande de filles” in 2014; “Tomboy” in 2011 and “Naissance des Pieuvres” in 2009. The appointment is a homecoming of sorts for the director of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” ever since she was shortlisted for the 2014 Lux Prize at 27 Times Cinema, the initiative organized by Giornate degli Autori, the...
Cutting edge French director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma has been appointed as president of the jury at the Giornate degli Autori (aka Venice Days), a sidebar to the Venice Film Festival. She will preside over a special jury made up of 27 young European cinephiles present in a campus. “[Sciamma] has thoroughly upended the basic structure of our society and masterfully created new images and new memories. With her latest film, ‘Petite Maman,’ she has provided further proof that the prevailing canon of film production can indeed be challenged,” said Venice Days’ artistic director Gaia Furrer. Sciamma’s earlier credits include: “Bande de filles” in 2014; “Tomboy” in 2011 and “Naissance des Pieuvres” in 2009. The appointment is a homecoming of sorts for the director of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” ever since she was shortlisted for the 2014 Lux Prize at 27 Times Cinema, the initiative organized by Giornate degli Autori, the...
- 7/14/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount-owned British network Channel 5, Australia’s Network 10 and Fremantle are looking to a post-Neighbours future and working on a primetime thriller from Neighbours exec Jason Herbison, starring Stay Close actor Jo Joyner.
Filming will get underway shortly in Australia on four-parter Riptide, which will follow Alison (Joyner), whose life is plunged into despair when her new Australian husband vanishes after a morning surf. It quickly becomes obvious there is more to the story than meets the eye as she sets out to investigate his disappearance.
Joyner will play the lead and Herbison created the show. He was an exec on Channel 5/Network 10 miniseries Lie With Me and Neighbours, the soap produced by Fremantle for Channel 5 and Network 10’s (and streamer 10 Peach) that is about to end after three-and-a-half decades, as the UK network pushes further into original drama such as Riptide.
Joining Joyner is Ciarán Griffiths and Australian actors David Berry, Peter O’Brien, Ally Fowler (Wentworth), Pia Miranda, rising stars Benny Turland, Asher Yasbincek and Yazeed Dahar, and newcomers Benjamin Samaddar and Sonya Suares.
“Lie With Me proved incredibly popular with our viewers and I’m looking forward to expanding our drama slate even further, working hand in hand with our production partners Fremantle Australia and Network 10,” said Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment, Unscripted, Channel 5 & Paramount+.
Filming will get underway shortly in Australia on four-parter Riptide, which will follow Alison (Joyner), whose life is plunged into despair when her new Australian husband vanishes after a morning surf. It quickly becomes obvious there is more to the story than meets the eye as she sets out to investigate his disappearance.
Joyner will play the lead and Herbison created the show. He was an exec on Channel 5/Network 10 miniseries Lie With Me and Neighbours, the soap produced by Fremantle for Channel 5 and Network 10’s (and streamer 10 Peach) that is about to end after three-and-a-half decades, as the UK network pushes further into original drama such as Riptide.
Joining Joyner is Ciarán Griffiths and Australian actors David Berry, Peter O’Brien, Ally Fowler (Wentworth), Pia Miranda, rising stars Benny Turland, Asher Yasbincek and Yazeed Dahar, and newcomers Benjamin Samaddar and Sonya Suares.
“Lie With Me proved incredibly popular with our viewers and I’m looking forward to expanding our drama slate even further, working hand in hand with our production partners Fremantle Australia and Network 10,” said Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment, Unscripted, Channel 5 & Paramount+.
- 7/14/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
When it comes to The Wog Boy, Frank Lotito has enjoyed a progression from stage to screen.
The Melbourne actor turned director went from joining Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo, and Alex Dimitriades in The Wogboys Live tour of 2015 to being behind the camera for the upcoming third instalment of the film franchise.
Slated for release early next year, Wog Boys Forever signals the return of Steve Karamitsis (Giannopoulos), who is working as a taxi driver and still single. His life takes a turn when he becomes the target of a revenge plan hatched by Brianna Beagle-Thorpe (Annabel Marshall-Roth), the Minister for Immigration, and her brother (Liam Seymour), who blame him for destroying their mother Raelene’s political career.
Vince Colosimo reprises his role as Frank Di Benedetto in the film, which is written and produced by Giannopoulos.
Lotito, who is long-time friends with Colosimo, said he was invited to work...
The Melbourne actor turned director went from joining Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo, and Alex Dimitriades in The Wogboys Live tour of 2015 to being behind the camera for the upcoming third instalment of the film franchise.
Slated for release early next year, Wog Boys Forever signals the return of Steve Karamitsis (Giannopoulos), who is working as a taxi driver and still single. His life takes a turn when he becomes the target of a revenge plan hatched by Brianna Beagle-Thorpe (Annabel Marshall-Roth), the Minister for Immigration, and her brother (Liam Seymour), who blame him for destroying their mother Raelene’s political career.
Vince Colosimo reprises his role as Frank Di Benedetto in the film, which is written and produced by Giannopoulos.
Lotito, who is long-time friends with Colosimo, said he was invited to work...
- 9/22/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
The film adaptation of Melina Marchetta’s beloved bestseller understood the cruelty, cluelessness and soul-crushing indignities of teenage girlhood
Cursed women, shame, class, migrant identity, death – these are the themes that coalesce in the singular, coming-of-age film Looking for Alibrandi. Twenty years after release it has lost none of its emotional sting.
Adapted from Melina Marchetta’s beloved, best-selling 1992 novel, the film follows the stubborn and smart-mouthed Josie Alibrandi (Pia Miranda) in her final year of high school. She navigates a jagged relationship with her matriarchal Italian family, including mother (Greta Scacchi) and grandmother (Elena Cotta), confronts xenophobia and class anxiety at her private Catholic school, develops a relationship with her out-of-the-picture father (Anthony Lapaglia), dates, studies and wrestles with her own in-flux identity.
Cursed women, shame, class, migrant identity, death – these are the themes that coalesce in the singular, coming-of-age film Looking for Alibrandi. Twenty years after release it has lost none of its emotional sting.
Adapted from Melina Marchetta’s beloved, best-selling 1992 novel, the film follows the stubborn and smart-mouthed Josie Alibrandi (Pia Miranda) in her final year of high school. She navigates a jagged relationship with her matriarchal Italian family, including mother (Greta Scacchi) and grandmother (Elena Cotta), confronts xenophobia and class anxiety at her private Catholic school, develops a relationship with her out-of-the-picture father (Anthony Lapaglia), dates, studies and wrestles with her own in-flux identity.
- 5/15/2020
- by Isabella Trimboli
- The Guardian - Film News
Sam Neill. (Photo: Ross Coffey)
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) will next month bestow actor Sam Neill with its highest honour, the Longford Lyell Award.
First presented in 1968, the award honours Australian film pioneer Raymond Longford and his partner in filmmaking and life, Lottie Lyell. It recognises a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia’s screen environment and culture.
Neill joins previous recipients such as Peter Weir, Fred Schepisi, Jan Chapman, David Stratton, Don McAlpine, Al Clark, Jacki Weaver, Andrew Knight, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Noyce and most recently, Bryan Brown.
“I am very thrilled by this honour indeed,” said Neill. “And very surprised! Let me check just in case they’ve made a mistake…”
Neill made his feature debut in Roger Donaldson’s Sleeping Dogs in 1979, which led to a breakthrough role in Gillian Armstrong’s My Brilliant Career opposite Judy Davis.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) will next month bestow actor Sam Neill with its highest honour, the Longford Lyell Award.
First presented in 1968, the award honours Australian film pioneer Raymond Longford and his partner in filmmaking and life, Lottie Lyell. It recognises a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia’s screen environment and culture.
Neill joins previous recipients such as Peter Weir, Fred Schepisi, Jan Chapman, David Stratton, Don McAlpine, Al Clark, Jacki Weaver, Andrew Knight, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Noyce and most recently, Bryan Brown.
“I am very thrilled by this honour indeed,” said Neill. “And very surprised! Let me check just in case they’ve made a mistake…”
Neill made his feature debut in Roger Donaldson’s Sleeping Dogs in 1979, which led to a breakthrough role in Gillian Armstrong’s My Brilliant Career opposite Judy Davis.
- 11/22/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
The third season of ‘Mustangs Fc’ is underway in Melbourne (Photo: Sarah Enticknap).
The third season of Matchbox Pictures’ children’s series Mustangs Fc is currently shooting in Melbourne for the ABC and new co-commissioning partner Nitv.
Season three, supported by Film Victoria, sees all-girl soccer team The Mustangs enter a harsh new league in which they’re forced to merge with their nemesis, The Wildcats.
Mustangs Fc is produced by Amanda Higgs and Rachel Davis, who have promoted women on set each season; more than 60 per cent of the cast and crew for the third series are female.
The scripts were penned by Kirsty Fisher, Magda Wozniak, Rae Earl, Alix Beane, Shanti Gudgeon and Marisa Nathar, and director Beck Cole joins this season alongside the returning directors Ana Kokkinos, Roger Hodgman and Corrie Chen. Further, Amie Batalibasi, who completed a Film Victoria Key Talent Placement on Mustangs Fc season two,...
The third season of Matchbox Pictures’ children’s series Mustangs Fc is currently shooting in Melbourne for the ABC and new co-commissioning partner Nitv.
Season three, supported by Film Victoria, sees all-girl soccer team The Mustangs enter a harsh new league in which they’re forced to merge with their nemesis, The Wildcats.
Mustangs Fc is produced by Amanda Higgs and Rachel Davis, who have promoted women on set each season; more than 60 per cent of the cast and crew for the third series are female.
The scripts were penned by Kirsty Fisher, Magda Wozniak, Rae Earl, Alix Beane, Shanti Gudgeon and Marisa Nathar, and director Beck Cole joins this season alongside the returning directors Ana Kokkinos, Roger Hodgman and Corrie Chen. Further, Amie Batalibasi, who completed a Film Victoria Key Talent Placement on Mustangs Fc season two,...
- 8/2/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Australia short film fest reveals 16 finalists.
Tropfest 2014 (Dec 7) has announced 16 finalists for this year’s festival held in Sydney.
Local actors to appear in films include Steve Vizard, Pia Miranda, Roy Billing and Cassandra Magrath.
The judges will pick the winner live on the Festival Night, with the first prize-winning filmmaker taking home a Toyota, $10,000 cash, a trip to Los Angeles for a week of meetings with film executives (courtesy of Motion Picture Association and the Australian Screen Association), a Nikon D810 and Dslr camera and $2,000 Rrp worth of Nikkor lenses and accessories.
“It’s been twenty three years since Tropfest first began and every year the films entered into the competition remind me of why I started this in the first place - to raise the profile of creative filmmakers and to share stories that, without this platform, might not otherwise be told,” said Tropfest founder and director John Polson.
The festival...
Tropfest 2014 (Dec 7) has announced 16 finalists for this year’s festival held in Sydney.
Local actors to appear in films include Steve Vizard, Pia Miranda, Roy Billing and Cassandra Magrath.
The judges will pick the winner live on the Festival Night, with the first prize-winning filmmaker taking home a Toyota, $10,000 cash, a trip to Los Angeles for a week of meetings with film executives (courtesy of Motion Picture Association and the Australian Screen Association), a Nikon D810 and Dslr camera and $2,000 Rrp worth of Nikkor lenses and accessories.
“It’s been twenty three years since Tropfest first began and every year the films entered into the competition remind me of why I started this in the first place - to raise the profile of creative filmmakers and to share stories that, without this platform, might not otherwise be told,” said Tropfest founder and director John Polson.
The festival...
- 11/12/2014
- ScreenDaily
The ABC is looking to commission a second series of It.s a Date, the narrative comedy created by Peter Helliar.
Brendan Dahill, Head of Programming for ABC1 and ABC2, rates It.s a Date and Upper Middle Bogan as the broadcaster.s stand-out comedy hits of last year. The shows aired back-to-back on Thursday nights.
Gristmill Productions. Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler are producing another eight episodes of Upper Middle Bogan.
Dahill says he is talking to the producers of It.s a Date, Princess Pictures, about a second series. The show explores the tension, expectation and complication of finding true love, with each episode following two self-contained dates as they head toward desire or disaster.
It had an all-star cast including Asher Keddie, Kate Ritchie, John Wood, Lisa McCune, Stephen Curry, Sibylla Budd, Shane Jacobson, Sophie Lowe, Nadine Garner, Pia Miranda and Helliar.
Helliar was lead writer with a team of Phil Lloyd,...
Brendan Dahill, Head of Programming for ABC1 and ABC2, rates It.s a Date and Upper Middle Bogan as the broadcaster.s stand-out comedy hits of last year. The shows aired back-to-back on Thursday nights.
Gristmill Productions. Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler are producing another eight episodes of Upper Middle Bogan.
Dahill says he is talking to the producers of It.s a Date, Princess Pictures, about a second series. The show explores the tension, expectation and complication of finding true love, with each episode following two self-contained dates as they head toward desire or disaster.
It had an all-star cast including Asher Keddie, Kate Ritchie, John Wood, Lisa McCune, Stephen Curry, Sibylla Budd, Shane Jacobson, Sophie Lowe, Nadine Garner, Pia Miranda and Helliar.
Helliar was lead writer with a team of Phil Lloyd,...
- 2/19/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Peter Helliar.s narrative comedy It.s a Date has won the award for best scripted format in an international competition at the Mipcom market in Cannes.
ABC Commercial represents the series internationally, which won one of the key categories in the International Format Awards staged by C21 Media and Frapa, the Format Recognition and Protection Association.
The candidates for the awards were initially selected by C21Media.net.s community of 35,000 international TV executives. A panel of buyers then voted on 10 selected formats in seven genre categories.
Produced by Laura Waters, each episode of It.s a Date followed the people involved in two self-contained dates as they headed toward success or failure. The casts included Asher Keddie, Kate Ritchie, John Wood, Lisa McCune, Stephen Curry, Sibylla Budd, Shane Jacobson, Sophie Lowe, Nadine Garner, Pia Miranda and Helliar.
Waters tells If a second series is in development and discussions...
ABC Commercial represents the series internationally, which won one of the key categories in the International Format Awards staged by C21 Media and Frapa, the Format Recognition and Protection Association.
The candidates for the awards were initially selected by C21Media.net.s community of 35,000 international TV executives. A panel of buyers then voted on 10 selected formats in seven genre categories.
Produced by Laura Waters, each episode of It.s a Date followed the people involved in two self-contained dates as they headed toward success or failure. The casts included Asher Keddie, Kate Ritchie, John Wood, Lisa McCune, Stephen Curry, Sibylla Budd, Shane Jacobson, Sophie Lowe, Nadine Garner, Pia Miranda and Helliar.
Waters tells If a second series is in development and discussions...
- 10/10/2013
- by Staff writer
- IF.com.au
Well, I can.t believe it.s been almost a decade since graduating from drama school and almost a decade since I.ve done any further drama study. I mean, I.ve worked closely with dialect coaches over the years and privately with teachers preparing auditions, but in terms of flexing the muscle in a classroom environment I haven.t done much.
Having spent the last two pilot seasons in La, it.s incredible to see the commitment actors make to the evolution of their craft. It.s not unusual to find professional actors taking two classes a week alongside their usual filming or stage commitments. That.s before their regular voice class, Alexander class and weekly session with a therapist which, according to renowned American acting coach, Larry Moss, are a must.
It.s funny, but in my late-teens and early-20s I couldn.t get enough of everything .drama.. There was Atyp,...
Having spent the last two pilot seasons in La, it.s incredible to see the commitment actors make to the evolution of their craft. It.s not unusual to find professional actors taking two classes a week alongside their usual filming or stage commitments. That.s before their regular voice class, Alexander class and weekly session with a therapist which, according to renowned American acting coach, Larry Moss, are a must.
It.s funny, but in my late-teens and early-20s I couldn.t get enough of everything .drama.. There was Atyp,...
- 3/5/2012
- by Zoe Naylor
- IF.com.au
Two agents from elite talent agency Shanahan Management have parted ways with the company and opened their own agency, taking several high profile clients along with them. Lee-Anne Higgins and Natasha Harrison left Shanahan last week and have opened United Management with former Rgm and Alchemy Artists agent, Trish McAskill. At the time of writing, 15 former Shanahan clients were listed on casting website Showcast as belonging to United Management. Actors that have migrated to the new agency include Asher Keddie (Offspring, Paper Giants), Maeve Dermody (Griff the Invisible), Pia Miranda, (Surviving Georgia, Looking for Alibrandi), Anthony Hayes (The Slap, Killing Time), Rodger Corser (Rush, The Cup) and Dan Wyllie (Burning Man, The Hunter). When contacted, Shanahan confirmed...
- 11/2/2011
- by Amanda Diaz
- IF.com.au
Vallance, left, and Miranda in the independently distributed Surviving Georgia
Independent producer Spencer McLaren has claimed he was forced to set up his own distribution company to ensure his film Surviving Georgia found an audience after he was unable to persuade existing distributors to take it on.
McLaren, whose film opened to a limited release at the weekend, told Encore that films that fall between arthouse and mainstream struggle to find an appropriate distributor. Surviving Georgia was directed by Sandra Sciberras and Kate Whitbread, and shot for a budget of a million dollars. It stars Holly Valance and Pia Miranda as sisters Rose and Heidi dealing with the reappearance of their odd mother Georgia (Caroline O’Connor) into their lives. The film also features Shane Jacobson and McLaren.
From his conversations with larger distributors, McLaren said: “I had one person say, ‘If you had Meryl Streep we’d distribute it.
Independent producer Spencer McLaren has claimed he was forced to set up his own distribution company to ensure his film Surviving Georgia found an audience after he was unable to persuade existing distributors to take it on.
McLaren, whose film opened to a limited release at the weekend, told Encore that films that fall between arthouse and mainstream struggle to find an appropriate distributor. Surviving Georgia was directed by Sandra Sciberras and Kate Whitbread, and shot for a budget of a million dollars. It stars Holly Valance and Pia Miranda as sisters Rose and Heidi dealing with the reappearance of their odd mother Georgia (Caroline O’Connor) into their lives. The film also features Shane Jacobson and McLaren.
From his conversations with larger distributors, McLaren said: “I had one person say, ‘If you had Meryl Streep we’d distribute it.
- 10/18/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The producer of Australian film Surviving Georgia has insisted that there was no intention to fool the public after a positive comment left anonymously by a reader on The Guardian’s website was promoted in publicity material as if it was an endorsement from the British newspaper itself.
The comment from “lutherfilms” said:
“Overall a film that touches your heart, and leaves you with a smile. What more could you want?”
But producer Spencer McLaren told Encore there was no intention to mislead filmgoers and there had been a slip-up by his marketing team. The film opens in Australia later this week.
Directed by Sandra Sciberras and Kate Whitbread, the film starring Pia Miranda, Holly Valance and Shane Jacobson came under fire last week from Stale Popcorn’s Glenn Dunks and Crikey’s Luke Buckmaster who pointed out the trailer suggests the film received four stars and glowing praise from The Guardian.
The comment from “lutherfilms” said:
“Overall a film that touches your heart, and leaves you with a smile. What more could you want?”
But producer Spencer McLaren told Encore there was no intention to mislead filmgoers and there had been a slip-up by his marketing team. The film opens in Australia later this week.
Directed by Sandra Sciberras and Kate Whitbread, the film starring Pia Miranda, Holly Valance and Shane Jacobson came under fire last week from Stale Popcorn’s Glenn Dunks and Crikey’s Luke Buckmaster who pointed out the trailer suggests the film received four stars and glowing praise from The Guardian.
- 10/10/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Film Victoria has announced a new round of investment funding worth $992,500.
The recipients are the feature Surviving Georgia, Southern Star drama Offspring, a Princess Pictures comedy, two documentaries and an online portal to complement the Sbs doco series Second Australians.
Talking about the significant investment on television, Film Victoria Sandra Sdraulig said the small screen was essential for the state, because of the consistency of expenditure and employment opportunities..
The chosen projects are:
Online
The Multicultural History Portal
The Chocolate Liberation Front; Producers Dan Fill, Frank Verheggen ; Writer Andrew Jacobuwicz.
A series of interactive documentary features that capture the history of immigration to Australia. It will act as a companion piece to Second Australians.
Documentary
The First Interview
Jungle Pictures; Producer Fiona Cochrane; Writer/Director Dennis Tupicoff; Network ABC
A documentary that goes bacck to Paris, 1886, to a conversation between great French scientist Michel-Eugene Chevreul and famous photographer Nadar – the...
The recipients are the feature Surviving Georgia, Southern Star drama Offspring, a Princess Pictures comedy, two documentaries and an online portal to complement the Sbs doco series Second Australians.
Talking about the significant investment on television, Film Victoria Sandra Sdraulig said the small screen was essential for the state, because of the consistency of expenditure and employment opportunities..
The chosen projects are:
Online
The Multicultural History Portal
The Chocolate Liberation Front; Producers Dan Fill, Frank Verheggen ; Writer Andrew Jacobuwicz.
A series of interactive documentary features that capture the history of immigration to Australia. It will act as a companion piece to Second Australians.
Documentary
The First Interview
Jungle Pictures; Producer Fiona Cochrane; Writer/Director Dennis Tupicoff; Network ABC
A documentary that goes bacck to Paris, 1886, to a conversation between great French scientist Michel-Eugene Chevreul and famous photographer Nadar – the...
- 5/20/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Film Review: Three Blind Mice
Venue: Sydney Film Festival
"Three Blind Mice" is a freewheeling "On the Town"-style romp with a dark heart that proves a triumph for young triple-threat Matthew Newton. The actor shows off an idiosyncratic style with this sure-footed detour into writing and directing, selected for the Sydney Film Festival's inaugural competition, the Sydney Film Prize. Smart and sophisticated, the film scampers along on a raft of quick-witted dialogue and naturalistic interplay between members of a playful ensemble cast. There's even an emotional pay-off.
Local audiences will find the savvy writing a breath of fresh air and, with a Who's Who of Aussie actors in cameo roles (including a surprisingly funny Alex Dimitriades), this distinctive dramedy should have no trouble attracting a domestic distributor.
Newton plays Harry, one of three young Australian sailors enjoying a 24-hour shore-leave in Sydney before shipping out to Iraq. He's a mouthy trouble-maker, the ship's comedian. But like his fellow adventurers Sam Ewen Leslie) and Dean (Toby Schmitz, ) there are unexpected layers to his character. As the night wears on, the trio pinballs around the city striking up an immediate rapport with a series of strangers in what at first appears to be merely a succession of talky set pieces.
When Sam decides to go AWOL, hooking up with a random waitress (Gracie Otto in a fine debut), and Dean makes a brutal confession during a sake-soaked dinner with his fiancee's parents, the dynamics shift beneath the banter to reveal a subtle anti-war message. The looseness of the storyline makes it supple not slack and, even if some scenes overstay their welcome, Newton manages to pack a lot in.
Production companies: Dirty Rat Productions and Odin's Eye Entertainment. Cast: Matthew Newton, Ewen Leslie, Toby Schmitz, Gracie Otto, Pia Miranda. Director/screenwriter: Matthew Newton. Executive producers: Michael Favelle and Ben Ferris. Producer: Ben Davis. Co-producer: Caitlin Stanton. Director of photography: Hugh Miller. Production designer: Paul Finch. Music: John Foreman. Editor: Gracie Otto
Sales: Odin's Eye Entertainment
92 minutes.
"Three Blind Mice" is a freewheeling "On the Town"-style romp with a dark heart that proves a triumph for young triple-threat Matthew Newton. The actor shows off an idiosyncratic style with this sure-footed detour into writing and directing, selected for the Sydney Film Festival's inaugural competition, the Sydney Film Prize. Smart and sophisticated, the film scampers along on a raft of quick-witted dialogue and naturalistic interplay between members of a playful ensemble cast. There's even an emotional pay-off.
Local audiences will find the savvy writing a breath of fresh air and, with a Who's Who of Aussie actors in cameo roles (including a surprisingly funny Alex Dimitriades), this distinctive dramedy should have no trouble attracting a domestic distributor.
Newton plays Harry, one of three young Australian sailors enjoying a 24-hour shore-leave in Sydney before shipping out to Iraq. He's a mouthy trouble-maker, the ship's comedian. But like his fellow adventurers Sam Ewen Leslie) and Dean (Toby Schmitz, ) there are unexpected layers to his character. As the night wears on, the trio pinballs around the city striking up an immediate rapport with a series of strangers in what at first appears to be merely a succession of talky set pieces.
When Sam decides to go AWOL, hooking up with a random waitress (Gracie Otto in a fine debut), and Dean makes a brutal confession during a sake-soaked dinner with his fiancee's parents, the dynamics shift beneath the banter to reveal a subtle anti-war message. The looseness of the storyline makes it supple not slack and, even if some scenes overstay their welcome, Newton manages to pack a lot in.
Production companies: Dirty Rat Productions and Odin's Eye Entertainment. Cast: Matthew Newton, Ewen Leslie, Toby Schmitz, Gracie Otto, Pia Miranda. Director/screenwriter: Matthew Newton. Executive producers: Michael Favelle and Ben Ferris. Producer: Ben Davis. Co-producer: Caitlin Stanton. Director of photography: Hugh Miller. Production designer: Paul Finch. Music: John Foreman. Editor: Gracie Otto
Sales: Odin's Eye Entertainment
92 minutes.
- 6/30/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Senior agent Isaacs heads to Endeavor
Senior talent agent Adam Isaacs has left UTA to become a partner at Endeavor. Isaacs' move is a substantial boost to the Endeavor talent roster, with a long list of major players -- including Keira Knightley, Matt LeBlanc and Juliette Binoche -- following him to his new home. Other clients confirmed at press time to be making the move include Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lambert, Toni Collette, Matthew Goode, Pia Miranda, Lena Olin, Miranda Otto, Rosamund Pike, Jonathan Pryce, Dougray Scott and Tom Waits.
- 1/11/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Star power high for Sundance
A Sony Pictures Classics film starring Billy Bob Thornton as an ex-convict on his way to redemption after serving a 19-year murder sentence will set the stage for the 2003 Sundance Film Festival as the opening-night film in Salt Lake City on Jan. 16. The Ed Solomon-directed Levity also features a name cast of Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter and Kirsten Dunst. The Park City roster then kicks into gear the next night with the Premiere Category selection The Singing Detective, from Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey's Icon Prods. Gibson also stars in the Keith Gordon-helmed feature, which is about a writer (Robert Downey Jr.) who hallucinates musical numbers and paranoid plots. Robin Wright Penn, Adrien Brody and Katie Holmes round out the cast. Both star-heavy projects are indicative of the other selections in Sundance's Premiere Category, most of which star top-level Hollywood talent. Included in the set is the Larry Charles-helmed Masked and Anonymous, from Intermedia Film and Spitfire Pictures, which stars Bob Dylan as a musician who encounters a cast of characters played by Jessica Lange, Penelope Cruz, Val Kilmer, Jeff Bridges, Luke Wilson, Ed Harris, Angela Bassett and others on his way to a benefit concert after his release from jail. Al Pacino, Tea Leoni, Kim Basinger and Ryan O'Neal turn out in Miramax Films' People I Know from director Daniel Algrant. The drama, set for release next year after a postponement because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, finds Pacino as a New York publicist who gets drawn into the world of politics and celebrity when his famous actor-client becomes involved in a scandal. The star contingent continues with Lions Gate Films' Confidence, directed by James Foley. Dustin Hoffman, Edward Burns and Andy Garcia topline the story of a con man's latest scam that puts him in debt with the Mafia. Paul Giamatti, Donal Logue, Rachel Weisz and Morris Chestnut round out the cast. Fox Searchlight Pictures has two films in the Premiere Category with Jim Sheridan's In America, starring Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine, and Alex Proyas' Garage Days featuring Kick Gurry, Maya Stange and Pia Miranda.
- 12/4/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Garage Days
Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas, famed for the high-style visual flair showcased in his cult successes "The Crow" and "Dark City", turns his highly developed eye to the gritty Sydney music scene in "Garage Days". Despite the straightforward drive of the screenplay (co-written by Proyas with Michael Udesky and musician Dave Warner), Proyas can't help bringing his visual pyrotechnics to bear on its very flimsy story.
There's a lot to like about "Garage Days", but the 20th Century Fox-backed film might have worked better if it had stuck a little closer to the spirit of its title. Its smooth, high-style finish is totally at odds with the straight-up lack of ambition in the script.
Freddy (Kick Gurry), Tanya (Pia Miranda), Joe (Brett Stiller) and Lucy (Chris Sadrinna) all have tedious daytime lives. At night, they come alive as a band, bashing away for hours and trying to get a spot on a Sydney stage -- any stage.
Clueless manager Bruno (Russell Dykstra) is no help, so bandleader Freddy takes charge by making the most of a coincidental meeting with Shad Kern (Marton Csokas), the biggest band manager in the country. Freddy also has trouble in the romance department, torn between feelings for his bass player Tanya and his guitarist's winsome girlfriend, Kate (Maya Stange).
Proyas indulges in slow motion, freeze frames, varying film stock and a multitude of shooting processes in a way that smacks of narcissism. "Garage Days" has an irreverence that's equally forced; injections of sex and drugs seem there solely to grab a young audience.
The film's detour into drug experimentation is sadly clubfooted. In trying to create an air of libertine cool, Proyas succeeds in looking like someone who's trying too hard. All attempts at raunchy sex escapades, including some light bondage, go down a similarly misguided road.
The film's pileup of styles is only equaled by its wildly divergent performances. Gurry struggles within the bland strictures of leading-man status, while Miranda pushes sassiness just a little too far. Newcomer Sadrinna, as the drugged-out drummer, is just plain weird. Stiller, a handsome and commanding presence as the band's brooding guitarist, gets saddled with the film's most absurd sub-plot, which has him playing papa to a rockmelon to prove to his girlfriend he'd make a good father. Stange, though, is captivating and magnetic at every turn.
The best performance comes from Csokas ("XXX"), who mixes equal parts broad humor and sexy edginess to steal every scene he's in as the sleazy band manager.
GARAGE DAYS
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Mystery Clock Cinema Prods. in association with Fox Searchlight Pictures and the Australian Film Finance Corp.
Credits:
Director: Alex Proyas
Screenwriters: Alex Proyas, Michael Udesky, Dave Warner
Producers: Alex Proyas, Topher Dow
Director of photography: Simon Duggan
Production designer: Michael Philips
Editor: Richard Learoyd
Music: David McCormack, Andrew Lancaster, Antony Partos
Cast:
Freddy: Kick Gurry
Tanya: Pia Miranda
Joe: Brett Stiller
Lucy: Chris Sadrinna
Shad Kern: Marton Csokas
Kate: Maya Stange
Bruno: Russell Dykstra
Kevin: Andy Anderson
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
There's a lot to like about "Garage Days", but the 20th Century Fox-backed film might have worked better if it had stuck a little closer to the spirit of its title. Its smooth, high-style finish is totally at odds with the straight-up lack of ambition in the script.
Freddy (Kick Gurry), Tanya (Pia Miranda), Joe (Brett Stiller) and Lucy (Chris Sadrinna) all have tedious daytime lives. At night, they come alive as a band, bashing away for hours and trying to get a spot on a Sydney stage -- any stage.
Clueless manager Bruno (Russell Dykstra) is no help, so bandleader Freddy takes charge by making the most of a coincidental meeting with Shad Kern (Marton Csokas), the biggest band manager in the country. Freddy also has trouble in the romance department, torn between feelings for his bass player Tanya and his guitarist's winsome girlfriend, Kate (Maya Stange).
Proyas indulges in slow motion, freeze frames, varying film stock and a multitude of shooting processes in a way that smacks of narcissism. "Garage Days" has an irreverence that's equally forced; injections of sex and drugs seem there solely to grab a young audience.
The film's detour into drug experimentation is sadly clubfooted. In trying to create an air of libertine cool, Proyas succeeds in looking like someone who's trying too hard. All attempts at raunchy sex escapades, including some light bondage, go down a similarly misguided road.
The film's pileup of styles is only equaled by its wildly divergent performances. Gurry struggles within the bland strictures of leading-man status, while Miranda pushes sassiness just a little too far. Newcomer Sadrinna, as the drugged-out drummer, is just plain weird. Stiller, a handsome and commanding presence as the band's brooding guitarist, gets saddled with the film's most absurd sub-plot, which has him playing papa to a rockmelon to prove to his girlfriend he'd make a good father. Stange, though, is captivating and magnetic at every turn.
The best performance comes from Csokas ("XXX"), who mixes equal parts broad humor and sexy edginess to steal every scene he's in as the sleazy band manager.
GARAGE DAYS
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Mystery Clock Cinema Prods. in association with Fox Searchlight Pictures and the Australian Film Finance Corp.
Credits:
Director: Alex Proyas
Screenwriters: Alex Proyas, Michael Udesky, Dave Warner
Producers: Alex Proyas, Topher Dow
Director of photography: Simon Duggan
Production designer: Michael Philips
Editor: Richard Learoyd
Music: David McCormack, Andrew Lancaster, Antony Partos
Cast:
Freddy: Kick Gurry
Tanya: Pia Miranda
Joe: Brett Stiller
Lucy: Chris Sadrinna
Shad Kern: Marton Csokas
Kate: Maya Stange
Bruno: Russell Dykstra
Kevin: Andy Anderson
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/21/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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