News

The arrival of Hollywood superstars and government money for tentpole movies have grabbed headlines in Australia. But independent film productions are also moving ahead in post-covid Australia.

Production will start next month in Perth, Western Australia on “It Only Takes A Night,” a film that is both a romantic comedy and a female empowerment movie. A first feature for writer-director Callan Durlik, the film follows four best friends on a girl’s night out, and end up on a path none expected.

Eliza Taylor (“The 100”) takes the starring role at the top of an ensemble cast that also includes George Pullar, Sana’a Shaik (“2067,” Netflix’s upcoming “Dive Club”), Arielle Carver-o’Neill (“Ash vs Evil Dead”), Charles Grounds and Jaime Ureta and local actor Ana Ika making her feature debut. Production is by Durlik and Josh Horneman of Rookies Ambush (“The Naked Wanderer”), Megan Wynn of Wynn Media (“The Invisible Man...

Melbourne is the setting for a new psychological revenge drama from director, writer, and producer Matthew Holmes.

Filming has begun in and around the city on The Cost, a tale of vengeance that spirals out of control across a 48-hour period.

The ensemble cast includes Jordan Fraser-Trumble, Damon Hunter, and Kevin Dee, with supporting roles from Joshua Jaeger, Cait Spiker, Sotiris Tzelios, Nicole Pastor , Adam Willson, Nadia Fragnito and Mark Redpath.

Co-written by Gregory Moss, the film is a co-production between Holmes’ Two Tone Pictures and producer Russell Cunningham of Rlc Motion Picture Entertainment, who teamed up for the historical drama The Legend of Ben Hall in 2016.

Adam La Rosa of La Rosa Productions is on board as executive producer, along with Rohan Muggleton, Alexander Moss, Ross Angelo, and Joshua Little.

Holmes said the story was designed to explore “the emotional and mental consequences” of carrying out an act of...

'The Legend of Ben Hall'.

One of Australia.s most notorious bushrangers is headed to the Us, with Odin.s Eye Entertainment selling North American rights to The Legend of Ben Hall to Vega Baby. .

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news of the Berlin sale, the Singapore-based company will give the film a multiplatform theatrical release later this year via its distribution pact with Sony.

Odin.s Eye CEO Michael Favelle told If that discussions with Vega Baby had begun at the American Film Market in Los Angeles last November.

The Aussie sales agent was attracted not only to Vega Baby's access to the North American market via Sony, .but also their passion and depth of knowledge of the market and potential for Westerns in the USA..

.USA is obviously Mecca for westerns and Vega Baby loved the authenticity and action packed story that The Legend of Ben Hall provides,...

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The Legend of Ben Hall. Matthew Holmes.s The Legend of Ben Hall will get a national theatrical release from December 1, courtesy of Pinnacle Films.

The biopic tells the story of one of the most wanted men in Australian outlaw history. After years on the run in the outback, Ben Hall and his infamous band of outlaws decide to ride again in order to steal enough cash and gold so they can flee to America and greener pastures.

The reunited gang prove unstoppable until one fateful day, when holding up a mail coach, a police sergeant is shot dead. With the bounty on their heads growing and nowhere to go, Ben and his gang must now fight to the bitter end.

The Legend of Ben Hall, shot across regional New South Wales and Victoria, stars Jack Martin, Jamie Coffa (Gallipoli, The Lucifer King), William Lee, Joanne Dobbin (Neighbours, Swimming Upstream...

Callan McAuliffe, Andy McPhee, Arthur Angel and John Orcsik have joined the cast of writer-director Matthew Holmes. The Legend of Ben Hall, which started shooting on Sunday in regional Victoria. The plot follow the last six turbulent months of the life of the notorious bushranger (newcomer Jack Martin), whose gang pulled off the largest gold heist in the British Empire, and the circumstances surrounding his controversial execution by police in 1865.

Martin played the character in Holmes. Kickstarter-funded short film, footage from which is being incorporated in the feature. The cast includes Joanne Dobbin as his ex-wife Biddy, Adam Willson as Mick Coneley, who harboured Hall, Jamie Coffa and William Lee as fellow gang members, Angus Pilakui as an Aboriginal tracker, Jordan Fraser-Trumble as Inspector Davidson and Gregory Quinn as Sergeant Condell.

The La-based McAuliffe (The Great Gatsby, Robot Overlords) and McPhee (Animal Kingdom, Sons of Anarchy) are playing members of the gang.

Jack Martin as Ben Hall.

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When writer-director Matthew Holmes raised $78,000 on Kickstarter last year to fund a short film on Ben Hall, his ultimate aim was to use the short as a stepping stone to a feature about the notorious bushranger and his gang.

Holmes is getting his wish as The Legend of Ben Hall is due to start principal photography in regional Victoria on March 23.

Wolf Creek creator Greg Mclean has joined the project as executive producer and mentor to Holmes, whose debut feature Twin Rivers, which he self-financed and produced over six years, told of two brothers (played by Matthew and his brother Darren) who set off on an 800 km trek across South-Eastern Australia in 1939.

Most of the cast and crew of the Ben Hall short will work in the feature, led by newcomer Jack Martin as Hall, who led the most notorious bushranger gang in Australia's history...