News

‘This is Desmondo Ray!’

Steve Baker’s This is Desmondo Ray!, a live action/animated series about a peculiar man who searches for love in a dark and troubling world, has been voted world champion at the Web Series World Cup.

Produced by Leanne Tonkes and backed by Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, the 6 x 7 minute drama is the second win for an Australian production after Luke Eve and Glen Dolman’s High Life was victorious last year.

The competition run by Mip TV collates results from web festivals around the world and publishes a table of the most awarded web series of the year. Desmondo Ray! was selected for 19 fests, garnered 26 nominations and 25 awards.

There are three Aussie titles in the top 10. Writer-director Blake Fraser and producer Chris Thompson’s dark drama Patricia Moore, a French-Australian co-production, came third with 31 nominations at eight festivals.

Starring Danielle Cormack, Les Hill,...

The School is an upcoming horror film, from Australia. Developed by director Storm Ashwood, this title is getting set to have its World Premiere, in late July. Also written by Tessa Alana, this award winning feature involves a young son, a coma and one mother's desire to rescue him. Her journey leads her into a purgatory, where children rule her son's imagination. The School stars Megan Drury, Nicholas Hope ("Jade of Death"), Will McDonald and Jack Ruwald. A new trailer has been released, for The School, and this longer clip can be found below. The trailer shows some of the film's settings and characters. Reminiscent of Tarsem Singh's visual and colourful work, the clip shows all sorts of strange images and situations. Will Amy (Drury) ever be able to find her son? She will have to journey through hell and back, just to find him. Of interest, The School...

Exclusive: Cinema Management Group (Cmg) handles sales for Australia’s Bronte Pictures.

Shooting has begun at Gladsville Mental Asylum, the notorious institution and oldest of its kind in Australia.

Storm Ashwood directs The School starring Megan Drury as a surgeon and mother of a comatose son who becomes trapped in a building haunted by children from her past. The film is scheduled for delivery in October.

The Gladesville Mental Asylum was founded in the late 1830s and was infamous for harsh treatment including the use of electric shock therapy. The site houses more than 1,200 unmarked graves.

The cast includes Will McDonald and theatre director Nicholas Hope, as well as youngster Jack Ruwald.

Blake Northfield and Jim Robison are producing for Bronte Pictures, while Phil Hunt and Compton Ross of Headgear Films are executive producers.

Edward Noeltner’s (pictured) Cmg acquired worldwide sales rights excluding Australia and New Zealand and launched pre-sales in Berlin.

Rights have gone...