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Award-winning choreographer Darrin Henson influenced an entire generation, lacing entertainment’s hottest stars with electric dance routines still celebrated by millions today. In the world premiere of “Darrin’s Dance Grooves: The Untold Darrin Henson Story,” viewers will get...

A spin-off of High Maintenance, starring Yael Stone, and a comedic crime series from Jungle Entertainment are among the 21 projects that will share in more than $600,000 in story development funding from Screen Australia.

The slate includes 14 feature films, six television dramas and an online project, with 11 titles supported through the Generate Fund and 10 through the Premium Fund.

Screen Australia’s head of development Nerida Moore, who will depart the agency in December after nine years, said she felt privileged to support more many creative projects and people during the time she has left in the role.

“This is an exciting mix of projects and it’s great to support creatives expand on their careers and take on new challenges, including producer Alex White working on her first TV series, and writer Arka Das and writer/director Hannah Hilliard on their debut feature films,” he said.

“The shared vision we are...

Commission

Discovery Plus has commissioned Chimp Television and Kremelwood to produced “Richard Hammond’s Workshop” (working title), a new six-part docuseries featuring the former “Top Gear” co-host as he sets out to start a prestige classic car restoration and repair business near his hometown of Herefordshire.

In the program, Hammond will work to learn the business of restoration from scratch. He will be joined by father-son duo Neil and Anthony Greenhouse, who actually know what they’re doing. The series will also feature members of Hammond’s family, offering a look into the person behind the persona made famous on “Top Gear” and “The Grand Tour.”

“I’ve spent 25 years critiquing other people’s cars and now I’m putting my own work out there,” Hammond said in a release. “My grandfather was an automotive craftsman, who knows, maybe I’ve inherited some of his skill! So, this is a real business,...

Marvel projects may be drawing a slew of high-profile actors to Australia, but it seems there are also local productions inversely capable of attracting MCU talent.

Christopher James Baker has been back in his native country for the past year following more than a decade in New York, during which he starred in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and also shot the upcoming DC Universe Series, Stargirl.

He has been able to hit the ground running following his return, with roles in Stan’s eight-part mystery drama Eden, as well as Goalpost’s gold rush drama New Gold Mountain.

Baker will first be seen in the former, which is set to premiere on the streaming platform on June 11.

The Every Cloud Productions/Balloon Entertainment series centres on the disappearance of a young woman and a subsequent chain of events that serves to lay bare dark and hidden secrets within the titular coastal town.

In an idyllic coastal town, the disappearance of a young woman triggers a devastating chain of events which lay bare dark and hidden secrets.

Stan’s eight-part mystery drama Eden will premiere on the service June 11, with all episodes dropping at once.

The Every Cloud Productions/Balloon Entertainment series boasts a cast that includes BeBe Bettencourt, Sophie Wilde, Keiynan Lonsdale, Cody Fern, Christopher James Baker, Samuel Johnson, Rachael Blake, Leeanna Walsman, Simon Lyndon and Maggie Kirkpatrick.

Created by Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox together with Skins creator Bryan Elsley, Eden is produced by Fiona McConaghy and directed by John Curran, Mirrah Foulkes and Peter Andrikidis. All eight episodes of the series are shot by award-winning cinematographer Geoffrey Hall.

Eden also boasts an all female writing team, led by head writer Vanessa Gazy, alongside Jess Brittain, Anya Beyersdorf, Clare Sladden and Penelope Chai.

Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen Nsw.

Stan’s upcoming eight-part drama Eden is set in an idyllic coastal town, where the disappearance of a young woman triggers a devastating chain of events which lay bare the dark and hidden secrets of the town.

The Every Cloud Productions/Balloon Entertainment series boasts a cast that includes BeBe Bettencourt, Sophie Wilde, Keiynan Lonsdale, Cody Fern, Christopher James Baker, Samuel Johnson, Rachael Blake, Leeanna Walsman, Simon Lyndon and Maggie Kirkpatrick.

Created by Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox together with Skins creator Bryan Elsley, Eden is produced by Fiona McConaghy and directed by John Curran, Mirrah Foulkes and Peter Andrikidis. All eight episodes of the series are shot by award-winning cinematographer Geoffrey Hall.

Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen Nsw. Financed with support from all3media International who is the global distribution partner.

Stan is expected to announce the premiere date soon.

The post ‘Eden’ (Teaser) appeared first on If Magazine.

Aacta and Screenworks have extended the deadline for the Regional Landscapes pitch until March 1.

The national pitching and screenwriting initiative is aimed at developing an original feature film that celebrates Australia’s regional areas – one where the regional setting lends itself as a central character to the narrative.

Submissions must include the first five pages of the screenplay, an outline/synopsis of up to 1,000 words, and a 250 word description of the regional setting.

Up to five finalists will be shortlisted, ahead of a live pitch at Screenworks’ Regional to Global Screen Forum.

The judges for the initiative have also been unveiled, and include:

Event Cinemas general manager of content Clare GandyActor and writer Pallavi Sharda GoodThing Produtions head of production Virginia WhitwellMelbourne International Film Festival industry director Mark Woods See Pictures producer Isabel Stanfield

This year, finalists will be pitching for the chance to receive professional script development sessions; profiling...

The industry’s proactive approach to the coronavirus pandemic should serve as an example for other areas of the sector, including in the development of new voices, producer Fiona Eagger says.

Eagger’s company Every Cloud Productions, which she co-founded with Deb Cox, felt the pandemic’s impact on the industry last year as its productions were thrown into limbo.

She and Cox have since been able to build momentum across their slate, delivering A Sunburnt Christmas for Stan before Christmas and completing on eight-part series Eden, also for the streamer, with Balloon Entertainment.

They are also in the process of filming the second series of Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries for Seven/Acorn TV.

Eagger paid tribute to the federal and state agencies for finding innovative ways to keep production alive, while also assisting with budgets for Covid risk minimisation.

“When Covid-19 hit, we were financing Eden and...

Downton Abbey and Legion vet Dan Stevens is taking on not one but two royal roles: The actor will voice both Prince Charles and Prince Philip in HBO Max’s upcoming animated comedy The Prince, a satire of British royals told through the eyes of a young Prince George, eldest child of Prince William and Princess Kate.

Created and executive-produced by Gary Janetti (Family Guy) and inspired by his popular Instagram account, The Prince will take a biting look at the life of the youngest heir to the British throne, as he navigates the trials and tribulations of being a royal child.

Spectrum Originals has headed down under to find its latest international drama – Australian thriller Eden.

The Charter Communications broadcaster has picked up the eight-episode drama, which comes from Australian streamer Stan and distributor All3Media International. It will air in 2021.

It becomes the latest international series set to air on the platform – Spectrum has already aired British drama Temple and teamed with UK streamer BritBox for Cold War espionage series A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis and Dominic West.

Eden is centered around an idyll waterside town that holds some very dark secrets. It follows the disappearance of a girl in Byron Bay, an Australian town that seems to be a paradise. Each episode is told from a different character’s perspective, and the mystery unfolds through multiple lenses as the secrets that bind this supposed nirvana are exposed.

The cast includes Sophie Wilde (Bird), Samuel Johnson Oam (The Secret Life of Us...

Spectrum Originals is adding a new drama to its slate.

Charter Communications’ Ott service has picked up Australian drama “Eden,” with the aim of debuting the eight-episode series on Spectrum on Demand in 2021.

“Eden” hails a from “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” creators Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox, as well as “Skins” co-creator Bryan Elsley and Vanessa Gazy. It follows the disappearance of a girl in Byron Bay, an Australian town that seems to be a paradise. Each episode is told from a different character’s perspective, and the mystery unfolds through multiple lenses as the secrets that bind this supposed nirvana are exposed.

The cast of “Eden” includes Sophie Wilde (“Bird”), Samuel Johnson Oam (“The Secret Life of Us”), Bebe Bettencourt (“The Dry”), Christopher James Baker, Cody Fern (“American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace”), Keiynan Lonsdale (“The Flash”), Claude Jabbour (“Stateless”) and Cassandra Sorrell (“Plastic”).

“Eden” is a...

Fiona Eagger.

The biggest challenge facing TV producers next year is figuring out ways to keep Australian dramas screening on the free-to-air broadcasters, according to Fiona Eagger.

Eagger, who co-founded Every Cloud Productions with Deb Cox, welcomes the raising of the TV Producer Offset to 30 per cent but laments the abolition of the local content sub-quotas for Fta networks.

“For Australian producers our greatest challenge is keeping Australian drama alive on our free-to-airs,” she tells If. “All the networks want to keep making Australian drama because when it hits the sweet spot, it creates great audience loyalty to a brand.

“But they’re worried about their revenues and livelihoods so, hand-in-glove with Screen Australia and the state agencies, we have to be really clever in how we put deals together.

“We are resilient and inventive but it’s not easy when the government gives on one hand but takes away on the other hand.

Production is underway in Adelaide, South Australia, on seasonal comedy film “A Sunburnt Christmas.” The film is set as an original production for local streaming platform Stan.

Directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren (“Bondi Hipsters,” “The Other Guy”), the film is the story of a single mother struggling to raise her children on their family farm. Their hardscrabble life is interrupted by the arrival of a runaway criminal who smashes his way into their property and their lives.

The cast is headed by Daniel Henshall (Snowtown, Bloom), Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom, Ride Like A Girl), and Ling Cooper Tang. Child actors include Lena Nankivell, Eaden McGuinness and Tatiana Goode.

“Sunburnt Christmas” is an Every Cloud Productions film, in association with Highview Productions, from an original concept by Gretel Vella, Eillot Vella and Tim Walker. Lisa Scott of Highview Productions is producer, with executive producers Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox for Every Cloud,...

‘A Sunburnt Christmas.’

Daniel Henshall, Sullivan Stapleton, Ling Cooper Tang and newcomers Lena Nankivell, Eaden McGuinness and Tatiana Goode are starring in A Sunburnt Christmas, a Stan Original film directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren.

Now shooting in Adelaide, produced by Every Cloud Productions in association with Highview Productions, the comedy-of-errors is created and written by Gretel Vella, Elliot Vella and Tim Walker.

The plot follows a single mum and her kids who are doing it tough on their outback farm until a runaway criminal dressed as Santa Claus crashes into their property and their lives.

Henshall plays Daryl, the kindly crim who is mistaken for Santa by the young and fearless Daisy (Nankivell). McGuinness and Goode play Daisy’s older siblings, her anxious brother Tom and wily teenage sister Hazel who sees Daryl as an opportunity to get her family back on track.

Stapleton is Dingo, a mobster on the hunt for Daryl,...

‘Miss S.’

Miss S, the Chinese adaptation of Every Cloud Productions’ Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, will premiere in South East Asia next month on WarnerMedia’s HBO Asia.

Tencent Penguin Pictures, Shanghai 99 Visual Company and Easy Entertainment produced the 30 x 1 hour drama starring Mai Yi Li as Miss Su Wen Li, a beautiful and witty socialite who forms an unlikely alliance with righteous inspector Luo Qiuheng (Gao Weiguang).

The pair solve numerous cases in and around Shanghai while Su Wen Li chases clues behind her sister’s disappearance.

In a deal negotiated by All3Media International, the 1930s-set series will air as an HBO Asia Original on regional streaming service HBO Go and then the HBO channel.

WarnerMedia also acquired the rights to the Mandarin-language drama in the US. In China, the series will screen on Tencent and its several satellite channels simultaneously.

This is the first Australian television series to have been re-versioned in China.

‘Bump.’

Stan today unveiled five Stan Original productions – two drama series, a true crime docuseries, a film and a comedy special – as part of an ambitious plan to ramp up local commissions.

The Nine-owned streamer said it plans to invest in more than 30 productions per year within five years, drawing on Nine’s production facilities and via co-productions with international partners including Hollywood studios and international networks.

It will continue to build on relationships with state and national screen agencies including initiatives such as the Stan and Film Victoria Development Fund and the Screen Queensland and Stan Premium Drama Development Fund.

The slate announced today includes Every Cloud Productions and Balloon Entertainment’s eight-part murder mystery Eden; Claudia Karvan, Kelsey Munro and Roadshow Rough Diamond’s 10-part half-hour drama Bump; and After the Night, a four-part true crime docuseries from Eq Media Group and Salon Pictures, created and directed by Thomas Meadmore.

Toni Collette.

Toni Collette’s directorial debut, an animated series based on The Sapphires and a Shakespeare-inspired anthology are among the 42 projects to recently share in $1.4 million of development funding from Screen Australia.

The slate, which includes 14 features, eight online projects and 20 TV dramas, marks the final development funding Screen Australia awarded in the 2019-20 financial year.

These projects come from both the existing Premium and Generate development funds. Generate Fund is for lower budget projects with an emphasis on new and emerging talent, or experienced talent wanting to take creative risks. The Premium Fund is for higher budget projects of ambition and scale from successful screen content makers.

The agency reports receiving over 534 applications across both funds, up 41 per cent on the 378 application received in 2018-19.

Screen Australia’s Head of Development Nerida Moore said, “While this has been a turbulent, challenging time for many in the industry, it hasn’t stopped the drive,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announced a premiere date for “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,” and Acorn TV has commissioned a second season of “Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries.”

Renewals

Acorn TV renewed “Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries” for a second season. A spin-off of “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” created by Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox, the show follows Phryne Fisher’s niece Peregrine (Geraldine Hakewill), who has inherited the detective gene from her famous aunt and uses it to solve the most puzzling crimes in 1960s Melbourne. “Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries” is set to begin production in October and will premiere in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia in 2021.

Dates

Netflix announced that “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous” will premiere on the platform Sept. 18. Produced by DreamWorks Animation in association with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, the animated series takes place in the...

Exclusive: AMC Networks streamer Acorn TV has commissioned a second season of Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries after licensing the first season of the Australian crime drama.

The show, originally brought to Acorn subscribers last year, is a spin-off of Australian broadcaster ABC’s series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Every Cloud Productions will produce Season 2 in association with distributor All3Media International and with funding from Acorn Media Enterprises.

Acorn TV will premiere the drama, which stars Geraldine Hakewill as the charming 1960s detective Peregrine Fisher, in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and in its home country of Australia in 2021. Seven Network, which commissioned the first season of Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, will show the second season after it has debuted on Acorn.

Season 1 took place in Melbourne, and features Fisher taking up the detective mantle from her aunt Phryne Fisher — who featured in the original ABC drama...

Michael and Danny Philippou.

YouTube sensations RackaRacka – aka Danny and Michael Philippou – will make their big screen debut with horror feature Talk to Me, produced by Causeway Films.

The project is one of six announced today as sharing in $6 million of production funding from Screen Australia.

Other projects backed include anthology feature Here Out West from Co-Curious and Emerald Productions, set in Western Sydney, as well as second seasons of Every Cloud Productions’ Ms Fisher’s MODern Murder Mysteries and Northern Pictures’ kids series Hardball; recently announced children’s series MaveriX; and Lgbtiqia teen series Flunk for YouTube.

Screen Australia head of content Sally Caplan said: “Australian creators continue to capture audiences around the world, such as the RackaRacka team which has built a huge following on YouTube and are now set to deliver a new experience for fans and newcomers alike with their debut feature film. Fans will be delighted...

Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger were looking for a book to adapt into a television series. They chose Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries not only because the main character had such a wide appeal but also because the setting and time period were unique and compelling. What began as an Australian written and produced show has traveled worldwide. The show has been nominated for several awards for acting, writing, costuming, and music and has gone international.

Related: Every Book Being Adapted Into A Netflix Series

The show is interesting to watch because of the mysteries and sometimes shocking details hidden in a character's past or backstory. Viewers of the show who have also read the books will be a step ahead. There are some things you'll understand better about the show if you're familiar with the books, and other details that will fly right over your head if you've never read them at all.

Georgina Jenkins.

Georgina Jenkins’ feature concept Blackbird has won the Aacta Pitch: Regional Landscapes competition.

Blackbird tells the story of a feisty but forgetful Greek woman who, when forced into aged care, must manipulate her carer into taking her on a road trip to retrieve her lifesavings before the family home is sold.

The Aacta pitch comp, put on in partnership with Screenworks, called for ideas inspired by Australia’s regional landscapes.

Blackbird was one of five finalists, with Jenkins’ prize including script development from Emma Jensen, industry connection opportunities through the Australian Writers’ Guild Pathway Program, and ongoing feedback from the judging panel, who included producers Michele Bennett and Deb Cox, Sbs acting head of scripted Amanda Duthie and Umbrella Entertainment MD Jeff Harrison. The writer will also receive Screenworks annual membership, Awg membership and tickets to the Aacta Awards.

“We operate in a highly competitive industry largely driven by relationships,...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

The world of Miss Fisher is filled with many rich character dynamics, but the relationship between Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) and Detective Jack Robinson (Nathan Page) has always been at the heart of the period mystery drama. Three seasons of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries chronicled their ever-burgeoning romance, as they slowly fell in love over various murdered bodies (it’s more romantic than it sounds). The dynamic is also at the heart of Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, the feature film continuation of Phryne’s story, which sees Jack pulled back into Phryne’s orbit after some time apart.

“His heart was already half-broken,” says Page of where we find Jack when The Crypt of Tears begins. Phryne flew away at the end of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, leaving Jack behind in Melbourne, which strained the “string between them,...

Warning: This Miss Fisher article contains spoilers for Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears is rollicking and romantic adventure in the style of Indiana Jones or Sherlock Holmes—but with the one and only Phryne Fisher, as played by the one and only Essie Davis, at its centers. Like those other fictional character, lady detective Miss Fisher has already proven herself able to support many a story. From the three seasons of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries to the recently-released feature film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, this world has legs. Will we get to see more Miss Fisher adventures?

“Oh yes,” says Davis when asked if there are questions she still has about her on-screen counterpart. “I mean there’s a million things she hasn’t done yet and what can’t she do? She’d try it all.”

While...

When Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries launched in 2012, the period murder mystery show wasn’t necessarily looking for an international audience, let alone one as massive and dedicated as it would find. An Australian TV series based on a series of historical mysteries by Australian author Kerry Greenwood, the Miss Fisher TV show blew up in the United States when it became available on Netflix in September 2014. Six years later, the franchise debuts its first feature feature film, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, partially funded by fans from around the world.

“[Producer Deb Cox and I] were actually talking about what the links were between the North American audience and the Australian audience who particularly seem to love Phryne,” says producer Fiona Eagger when we speak on the phone about the new film, now available to stream on Acorn TV. “I think the popularity of the books, the series, and now,...

There have been dozens of fan campaigns to resurrect TV shows that have gone nowhere: the pies that were sent to ABC in a bid to resurrect “Pushing Daisies”; the 20 tons of peanuts dumped at CBS for “Jericho” — and has anyone checked on the actress outside of Netflix’s Hollywood headquarters staging a hunger strike for “The Oa” recently?

Then there is the fan campaign for the Australian TV show “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”, the progenitor to the film “Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears,” which is starting to stream on Acorn TV March 23. Based on a series of novels by Kerry Greenwood, “Miss Fisher” aired for three seasons on Australian broadcaster ABC starting in 2012, and has enjoyed a healthy afterlife on streaming platforms including Netflix and its current home on Acorn.

More from IndieWire'Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears' Trailer: Cult Favorite Returns in Acorn TV's Film -- Exclusive'Ms.

Aacta, in partnership with Screenworks, has announced the five finalists for its feature film pitching competition, which called for ideas inspired by Australia’s regional landscapes.

They are:

The Artisan, Amanda Bridgeman, Western Australia

An eternally hopeful baker befriends a pessimistic graffiti artist, and together they fight to revive their dying town through art in order to win back the regional fair. Big Things, Anna Lindner, regional South Australia

When wide-eyed roller girl Stevie has a chance encounter with her long absent father, her dream comes true as they reconnect on a road trip across Australia to see the country’s ‘big things’. However, she soon suspects her father’s real motives for the journey are far bigger than any pineapple or prawn. Blackbird, Georgina Jenkins, Australian Capital Territory

Forced into aged care, a feisty but forgetful Greek woman must manipulate her carer into taking her on a road trip...

Alison Bell and Mike Jones.

Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox’s Every Cloud Productions is ramping up its development slate after hiring screenwriter/story editor Mike Jones.

Jones, who was story producer on Every Cloud’s ABC iview series Deadlock, is working as head of content and development.

“Mike brings a complementary skill set, which allows Deb to focus on her role as creative director/producer and both of us as executive producers,” Eagger tells If.

Jones spent four years as story editor and script developer at Vicki Madden’s Sweet Potato Films, working on The Gloaming and The Kettering Incident.

He also did script development of the anthology horror series Deadhouse Dark produced by Enzo Tedeschi and Rachele Wiggins with funding from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.

Of his new role he said: “It’s a big change that has left me both thrilled and daunted equally as I...

‘The Invisible Man’ (Photo credit: Universal Pictures).

Given that they appeal to very different audiences, the first-day ticket sales for The Invisible Man and Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears in Australia were very healthy.

Leigh Whannell’s Sydney-shot edge-of-the-seat thriller opened bigger yesterday, although the murder-mystery/adventure/romance staring Essie Davis and Nathan Page had already earned a hefty sum from paid prevews.

Produced by Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum and Goalpost Pictures’ Kylie du Fresne, The Invisible Man grossed $375,000 on 315 screens for Universal, tracking just below A Quiet Place’s first day.

Roadshow launched Every Cloud Productions’ movie directed by Tony Tilse on 376 screens, raking in $180,000 and $389,000 including advance screenings, outperforming the Universal release in some regional locations.

Both are set to generate very good business over the weekend, particularly as Miss Fisher’s more mature fans aren’t the type to rush out to see movies on day one.

Nathan Page and Essie Davis at the premiere.

More than 1,200 people including numerous Phryne Fisher look-alikes flocked to the sold-out premiere of Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace on Thursday night.

Essie Davis and Nathan Page spoke at each of the three public sessions – where applause erupted from the opening scene – and at two VIP/media screenings.

Davis told fans it is a joy to play the character and if enough people pay to see the film “it will give us the opportunity to make more.”

Among the emotional responses, one woman told the producer, Every Cloud Productions’ Fiona Eagger and writer/executive producer Deb Cox, that watching the TV series had “saved her life.”

She did not elaborate but Cox surmises that many women feel “invisible” and depressed and can draw strength from Phyrne.

One young woman told Eagger and Cox she...

(L-r) Daniel Lapaine, Jacqueline McKenzie, Nathan Page and director Tony Tilse on set in Victoria.

The relationship between Essie Davis’ Phryne Fisher and Nathan Page’s Jack Robinson breaks new ground in Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

That’s according to Tony Tilse, who directed Every Cloud Productions’ murder-mystery/adventure/romance, which premieres in Australian cinemas on February 27.

“The lovely tension between Phryne and Jack is always there but the two of them on screen together is just magic in a way we haven’t seen before,” Tilse tells If.

“Nathan is fantastic, absolutely up there with Essie’s performance level. It’s beautiful to watch.”

Tilse, who was the set-up director of Ms Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, was the natural choice by producer Fiona Eagger and scriptwriter/executive producer Deb Cox

to helm the feature.

“After the third series we started talking about the movie as a way to continue the franchise,...

Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger on location in Morocco.

Every Cloud Productions’ Miss Fisher movie and TV franchise will be spotlighted at the second Make It Monthly, a Melbourne-based program of free screen industry talks and networking next month.

The creative team led by Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger will discuss the evolution of Essie Davis’ sleuth Phryne Fisher from the TV series which began in 2012 to the feature Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, which opens in cinemas on February 27.

Cox and Eagger will discuss what makes the audience so passionate that they contributed more than $800,000 in crowd-funding to the production budget.

Also speaking will be Every Cloud Productions’ commercial director Drew Grove and Roadshow Films Australian production executive Edwina Waddy.

Make It Monthly is a partnership between Aftrs, Media Mentors Australia and Acmi.

Media Mentors’ Denise Eriksen will moderate the session at the Acmi on March 5, which is free,...

Top: Amanda Duthie, Cieron Cody, Susie Jones. Bottom: Andy Ryan, Lana Greenhalgh, Stephen Oliver.

Screenworks has secured a range of commissioners and broadcaster execs for its annual Business of Producing seminar in Ballina next month.

Amanda Duthie, Susie Jones, Andy Ryan, Stephen Oliver, Lana Greenhalgh, and Cieron Cody will each deliver a ‘Meet the Broadcaster’ session at the seminar where they will talk about what they are currently commissioning. They will also participate in panel discussions and be available for limited, pre-booked one-on-one meetings with attendees.

“We are delighted to bring together key representatives from Australian broadcasters and SVODs to connect with attendees at our 2020 Business of Producing seminar,” said Screenworks CEO, Ken Crouch.

“We are creating opportunities for attendees who would otherwise not have the chance to hear from and network with these industry professionals where they can garner valuable advice which could advance their careers.”

The previously announced...

When we left Phryne Fisher five years ago after the third season of “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” the Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s glamorous Jazz Age private eye was jetting off in her own biplane, flying away from a bunch of stylishly solved murders and a complicated relationship with Melbourne Detective Inspector Jack Robinson.

This, obviously, was just a thoroughly and totally unacceptable way to end the show.

Based on the 20-book series of “Miss Fisher” mysteries by Kerry Greenwood, fans knew there were plenty more stories waiting to be embodied by the cult favorite character, played by Essie Davis. Another season of the television show wasn’t in the cards at ABC, so producers Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger, via their production company Every Cloud Productions, turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for a movie-length installment — which promptly almost tripled its fundraising goal and started filming.

The trailer for that film,...

Aacta will hold a live pitching competition at Screenworks’ 2020 Business of Producing seminar in March, with the call out for feature film ideas inspired by Australia’s regional landscapes.

Put on with the support of the Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg), the brief is for story concept in which a regional setting lends itself as a central character.

Up to five finalists will be selected for the comp, with the winner to receive industry connection opportunities through the Awg’s Pathway program; script development from Emma Jensen; feedback and ongoing guidance from the judging panel; a three-day pass to all sessions at the Screenworks’ seminar; Aacta, Screenworks, and Awg annual memberships and two tickets to the 2020 Aacta Awards.

The judging panel will consist of:

Producer Michele Bennett Every Cloud Productions creative director and co-founder Deb Cox Sbs acting head of scripted and former Adelaide Film Festival CEO/creative director Amanda Duthie...

Essie Davis in ‘Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.’ (Photo credit: Ben King)

Greg J. Walker’s original motion picture soundtrack of Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears will be released on February 21, six days before the film opens in Australian cinemas.

Composer, recording artist, arranger and producer Walker wrote the score for the TV series produced by Every Cloud Productions.

For the movie which follows Essie Davis’ Miss Phyrne Fisher as she heads to Jerusalem to fight injustice and oppression, he composed an orchestral score with new, exotic instruments to match the escapades on screen.

Walker used Lawrence of Arabia and the Indiana Jones movies as key musical references as well as the cheeky spirit of the 1920s.

“I had to, in some ways, start from scratch and get out of my comfort zone; there was a long period of searching for the right musical keys to unlock this one,...

Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher.

Essie Davis sports an array of dashing outfits as the heroine in Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, which opens in Australia on February 27 and starts streaming on Acorn TV in the Us on March 23.

Costume designer Margot Wilson created 15 different looks for Phryne Fisher as the sleuth shows her prowess at fencing, jumps from a cliff onto a train and through windows, dances the tango, flies a plane and drives a car.

Wilson also enjoyed swapping the detective suit traditionally worn by Nathan Page’s Inspector Jack Robinson for a safari suit made from linen table cloths.

“Jack would have looked ridiculous in a heavy suit in the desert. The linen safari suit moves him more towards Phryne visually,” Margot says.

Roadshow has released a selection of stills of the movie directed by Tony Tilse, scripted by Every Cloud Productions’ Deb Cox and produced by Fiona Eagger.

Nathan Davis and Essie Davis in Palm Springs.

The creators of Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears were always confident the movie would appeal to the legion of Essie Davis’ Phryne Fisher fans, but what about those who have never seen the TV series?

Any doubts soon vanished during the world premiere of the 1929-set adventure-murder mystery-romance, the first of three sold-out screenings at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Director Tony Tilse likened the atmosphere to a rock concert as 865 people whooped, hollered and laughed and gave a standing ovation at the end.

“People who had never seen the TV series told me how much they enjoyed it,” Tilse, who was set-up director on the series, tells If. “The enthusiasm and love for the film was overwhelming and very humbling.”

Every Cloud Productions’ Fiona Eagger, who co-created the franchise based on Kerry Greenwood’s novels with screenwriter Deb Cox,...

‘Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears’.

Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears, the feature film spin-off Every Cloud Productions’ series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and writer-director Michael Bentham’s indie Disclosure, will both make their world premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in early January.

Each will screen as part of the World Cinema Now section, alongside other Australian films, Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth and Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch. Samuel Van Grinsven’s Sequin in a Blue Room will screen as part of Queer Cinema Today & the GayLA, and as Australia’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, Rodd Rathjen’s Buoyancy will also screen alongside the other 51 submissions for the Oscar from around the world.

‘Disclosure’.

Directed by the series’ set up director Tony Tilse from a screenplay by Deb Cox, Miss Fisher & Crypt of Tears was shot on location in Melbourne and in Morocco,...

Matt Cameron.

For years as a screenwriter Matt Cameron had to get accustomed to a common response from some producers when he handed in scripts.

“Thanks for the script,” he was often told. “Bye-bye, we will let you know when it’s on air.”

That has changed significantly in the past few years as writers are increasingly employed as showrunners or producers, actively involved through to completion.

“The change has been quite swift and profound,” he tells If. “There are still some old school producers who are really hanging on to the past because the old structure suited them well. They liked going to Mipcom each year and not have writers in the room for key meetings.

“The best producers we have in this country, and there’s lots, have really embraced the international approach, which is that it makes no sense not to have the writer in the room...

Jonathan Groff and Anna Torv in ‘Mindhunter’ (Photo credit: Netflix).

Five Aussies played key creative roles in the second season of Mindhunter, the Netflix drama which follows the early investigative work of the FBI’s criminal psychology and criminal profiling division.

Damon Herriman joins the cast as serial killer Charles Manson in the series created by the UK-born, Adelaide-raised Joe Penhall and executive produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron, which premieres on August 16.

Anna Torv reprises her role as Dr Wendy Carr, an intuitive psychologist who assists detectives Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany).

Kiwi-born, Australian-raised Andrew Dominik directed three episodes and Shaun Grant scripted the finale at the invitation of Theron. Fincher directed three episodes.

“Mindhunter has been a fantastic experience, the most creatively fulfilling I’ve had in television. David [Fincher] in particular has been a wonderful leader to collaborate with,” Grant tells If from Los Angeles,...

The writers of All Is True, Hotel Mumbai, Relic, Ride Like a Girl and The Favourite have been nominated for best original feature film in the 52nd annual Awgie Awards.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (Deb Cox) and True History of the Kelly Gang (Shaun Grant) are the contenders for the feature film adaptation category.

Andrew Knight scored two nominations, for Ride Like a Girl (shared with Elise McCredie) and for TV series or miniseries for an episode of ABC’s Jack Irish, competing with Bloom (Glen Dolman), Secret City: Under the Eagle (Matt Cameron) and The End (Samantha Strauss).

Ben Elton wrote All is True, John Collee and Anthony Maras wrote Hotel Mumbai, Christian White and Natalie Erika James scripted Relic and Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis collaborated on The Favourite.

In the running for telemovie or miniseries up to four hours are The Cry (Jacquelin Perske...

Novant Health and Michael Jordan have announced a $7 million gift to open two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte.

These comprehensive medical clinics will serve some of the most at-risk and underserved communities in Charlotte and are expected to open in late 2020.

The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics will provide vital access to primary and preventive care to individuals in the community who have little or no health care. By providing an avenue to affordable, high-quality care – including behavioral health, physical therapy, social work, oral health and family planning – children and families will have a stable, integrative medical home to address their health care needs right in their neighborhoods.

“I am proud to partner with Novant Health to bring critical health services to underserved areas of Charlotte and the thousands of North Carolinians with limited access to health care,” said Michael Jordan. “Through my years of working with Novant Health,...

Yesterday was Saturday, and that means it's time for what has become one of the theatre community's most beloved traditions- BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' roundup This week Bandstand star Laura Osnes got a lesson in drumming alongside her coffee, and The Bodyguard's Deborah Cox took a moment during the 200th show toexplainhow Sip works. Check out more Saturday Intermission Pics below...

'Deadlock' (photo credit: Louella Pleffer).

Deadlock, a teenage-focused ABC iview series from Every Cloud Productions, the producers of Miss Fisher.s Murder Mysteries and Newton.s Law, is set to shoot on the north coast of Nsw in July.

Based on an original concept from Every Cloud.s Deb Cox, the 5 x 12 web series, set in Byron Bay, will follow what happens after a .mysterious car crash exposes the dark underbelly of an idyllic paradise. and changes the lives of the teens it affects.

Cox, Fiona Eagger and Belinda Mravicic will produce. Writer-director Billie Pleffer will shoot the series under the mentorship of Tony Tilse (Miss Fisher.s Murder Mysteries, Underbelly)..

Deadlock was developed with emerging writers (including Pleffer) in a script lab hosted by Screenworks and held in collaboration with.Skins co-creator and co-writer Bryan Elsley..The workshop involved bringing in teenagers from the Northern Rivers to help inform...

Grammy and Tony winner Billy Porter is infusing his soulful style into the songbook of one of America’s most iconic composers — and he’s invited some very special friends along for the journey.

The 47-year-old singer and actor, known for his award-winning role in Broadway’s Kinky Boots, is teaming up with greats like India.Arie, Deborah Cox, Todrick Hall and more on his fourth studio album — Billy Porter Presents the Soul of Richard Rodgers (out Friday).

People’s got the exclusive first listen of Porter’s collaboration with a cappella supergroup Pentatonix, as they tackle Rodgers’ 1943 tune “Oh,...

Claudia Karvan in 'Newton's Law'..

How did you get involved in Newton.s Law?.

I think they originally wrote it for Miriam Margolyes. She was originally devised as an old, fat Jewish woman (laughs). I've never worked with them before so I don't know how I came on their radar. I was a big admirer of the film Mallboy.that Fiona [Eagger] produced a long time ago. It's one of my favourite Australian films. It really packs a punch..

I've never heard of it.

It's really worth checking out. I loved it. And then, obviously, [I.m] a big fan of SeaChange and totally appreciate the extraordinary phenomena that is Miss Fisher, and what successful producers they are. They just approached me, I read it, we had a few conversations and then it was all happening. I really wanted to play a character who was emotionally intelligent and had authority and...

Neil Triffett on the set of 'Newton's Law'.

Emo the Musical director Neil Triffett spent the tail-end of 2016 as an attachment on TV series Newton.s Law, starring Claudia Karvan and produced by Miss Fisher.s Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger..

Triffett.s placement was organised through Film Vic.s attachment scheme.

.He.s had a smorgasbord,. says Eagger, talking to If mid-shoot last year. .He sat in a lot of meetings. Because he's around for the whole shoot and he's been doing some behind the scenes for us, he's sort of become part of the furniture and as a consequence I think got great access..

.The production pays for part of his wage, and he has days where he does behind the scenes and days where he's purely a director's attachment. He also gets the opportunity to direct — he's just shot a scene for us...

Eagger is no stranger to the scheme,...

Neil Triffett on the set of 'Newton's Law'..

Film Vic.s attachment scheme aims to facilitate skills development among emerging practitioners. If talks to two of them, Neil Triffett and Corrie Chen, about their experiences.

Emo the Musical director Neil Triffett has spent the tail-end of 2016 as an attachment on TV series Newton.s Law, starring Claudia Karvan and produced by Miss Fisher.s Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger.

Triffett.s placement was organised through Film Vic.s attachment scheme.

.He.s had a smorgasbord,. says Eagger, talking to If mid-shoot. .He sat in a lot of meetings. Because he's around for the whole shoot and he's been doing some behind the scenes for us, he's sort of become part of the furniture and as a consequence I think got great access.

"The production pays for part of his wage, and he has days where he does behind...

Neil Triffett on the set of 'Newton's Law'..

Emo the Musical director Neil Triffett has spent the tail-end of 2016 as an attachment on TV series Newton.s Law, starring Claudia Karvan and produced by Miss Fisher.s Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger.

Triffett.s placement was organised through Film Vic.s attachment scheme.

.He.s had a smorgasbord,. says Eagger, talking to If mid-shoot. .He sat in a lot of meetings. Because he's around for the whole shoot and he's been doing some behind the scenes for us, he's sort of become part of the furniture and as a consequence I think got great access.

"The production pays for part of his wage, and he has days where he does behind the scenes and days where he's purely a director's attachment. He also gets the opportunity to direct — he's just shot a scene for us..

Eagger is no stranger to the scheme,...