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Based on true events – no seriously, there was a “Great Emu War” back in 1932 – the upcoming horror movie The Emu War looks to recapture the same bad-good energy of the Birdemic films. If that sounds up your alley, we’re happy to serve up the trailer this morning.

An emu mob fights back against Australian soldiers in this “unapologetically silly, ultra-low budget war epic,” and you can watch the official trailer for The Emu War down below.

In the upcoming movie, “Based on the infamous Great Emu War of 1932, a rag tag platoon of soldiers are driven into a brutal and bloody battle against Australia’s deadliest flightless beasts. Haunted by the kidnapping of his son at the hands of the Emus, Major Meredith leads the platoon behind enemy lines in order to kill the emus Leader the Queen Emu.”

Lisa Fineberg, John Campbell and Jay Morrissey directed The Emu War,...

Periods are messy, they are agonising and debilitating. They have a unique way of derailing your life and yet, up until very recently, traditional advertising for essential menstruation products has erred towards a discreet and almost apologetic approach. However, the world is waking up and the aptly named I’m Dying Inside, a five part TikTok series from Finch, directed by Arundati Thandur in collaboration with agency Howatson+Company for Modibodi, Australia’s leading period underwear brand, finally offers us an authentic, raw and honest portrayal of periods I, and every other woman out there, have been waiting for. I’m Dying Inside was specifically designed to target Gen Z, showcasing the generation’s diverse and outspoken selves whose resistance to more traditional advertising has paved the way for new creative means. The five part series shown below in its entirety focuses on four young housemates, comprised of actors, comedians and TikTok stars,...

Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) have announced the participants for the Talent Gateway and the Global Producers Exchange, both designed to connect Australian creatives with key US decision-makers.

The delegates chosen for the Talent Gateway program are Vanessa Alexander, Jon Bell, and Samuel Van Grinsven, as well as teams Alice Foulcher and Gregory Erdstein, and Naomi Higgins and Humyara Mahbub.

Each participant or team will receive a grant of up to $20,000 to enable them to take part in the initiative, which runs from this month until June 2022. Funding is also available to develop, refine and market the IP on their slate that receives positive interest, in order to quickly engage international partners.

A total of 12 delegates from six production companies will take part in Global Producers Exchange, a scripted development lab that features a series of roundtables and masterclasses with key US-based decision-makers and mentors.

The recipients comprise...

God Bless Australia. When it comes to comedy they have very little filter, and in times where sensitivity is at all time high, a sitcom such as Why Are You Like This, which ridicules and satirises modern culture, with an affectionate and self-deprecating wit, is just what we need. Arriving on Netflix this weekend, to mark the release of this series, we had the pleasure in speaking to writer/star Naomi Higgins, and fellow actors Olivia Junkeer and Wil King.

We discussed a whole range of themes, from Beyonce at Coachella, to Ru Paul’s Drag Race arriving Down Under. We speak about getting the tricky tone right in the show, and they talk us through some of the most shocking things they had to say, and believe us, there are many to choose from.

Watch the interview in its entirety, here:

Synopsis

Three best friends navigate life in their early 20s — including work,...

Ckol’s Why Are You Like This follows three 20-something through the contemporary divisive socio-political hellscape of the modern world. Created by and starring Naomi Higgins, Mark Samual Bonanno and illustrator/writer/lawyer Humyara Mahbub, the six-part series premieres February 16 on ABC TV Plus and ABC iview, with the international launch to follow on Netflix.

The post ‘Why Are You Like This’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.

‘Reputation Rehab.’

Two years ago writers-producers Sophie Braham and Melina Wicks had the idea of a show which tackled ‘outrage culture,’ the ugly phenomenon of public figures being pilloried in Tweets and media headlines for real or imagined mistakes.

Together with Cjz’s Nick Murray, they pitched the idea to the ABC, which agreed to fund the development of Reputation Rehab.

Presented by Kirsten Drysdale and Zoe Norton Lodge, who are co-writing and co-producing with Braham and Wicks, the eight-part show premieres at 9.05 pm on October 28 and could not be more topical, according to Nick Hayden.

“It’s a show about shaming, the outrage in the media cycle and the audience’s involvement in how that cycle perpetuates itself,” says Hayden, who was promoted earlier this month to ABC head of entertainment from entertainment manager.

The first episode centres on tennis ‘bad boy’ Nick Kyrgios, who agreed to a rare...

Niki Aken at Charlie’s in La

Like the rest of the crew and cast, Niki Aken was gutted when the production of the ABC comedy Why Are You Like This was shut down with two weeks filming to go.

Aken is the script producer on the six-part show created and written by Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub and Aunty Donna’s Mark Samual Bonanno, produced by Sarah Freeman for the directors Jessie Oldfield and Adam Murfet’s production company Ckol.

A spin-off of the pilot funded by the Screen Australia/ABC Fresh Blood initiative, the series follows best friends Mia (Olivia Junkeer) and Penny (Higgins) and Penny’s aloof housemate Austin (Wil King).

“Obviously it was the the right call, but gutting for the cast and crew,” Niki says. “It was a normal, human response to an unprecedented situation.

“I am one of the lucky ones as an in-demand writer...

Michael Carrington.

The ABC intends to ramp up digital-first content as well as reaching new audiences, including those who rarely if ever watch broadcast television.

“We look for content that works across multiple platforms to appeal to a multitude of people, from traditional broadcast audiences to viewers who have never seen a TV schedule,” Michael Carrington, ABC director of entertainment and specialist, tells If.

“Great content is great content, no matter how people watch it. Programs like Total Control and Killing Eve have attracted younger audiences on iview in addition to strong results on linear. So we are not just talking about increasing the volume of digital-first content but how we can better curate content between our platforms.

“Saying that, we need to meet the growing expectation of audiences for high-quality content on demand. That will mean a greater focus on enhancing our content and technology for digital audiences, from...

‘Stateless.’

The ABC’s 2020 programming slate unveiled today is packed with new documentaries and factual series – but there is a distinct air of déjà vu in the categories of drama and comedy.

No new commissions were announced in either genre, but that does not necessarily mean there will be fewer local dramas or comedies on screen next year, despite budget cutbacks.

Referring to the $84 million funding reduction over three years on top of cuts of $50 million a year since 2014, Michael Carrington, ABC director, entertainment and specialist, tells If: “To date, ABC management has found ongoing savings that will total about $17 million a year from next year.

“We’ve looked carefully at non-content related initiatives such as renegotiating third-party contracts. Management will also undertake reviews of our property portfolio and our acquisitions expenditure to assess where other savings may be made.

“It’s good progress but more needs to be done to meet our savings target.

‘Why Are You Like This‘.

Comedy Why Are You Like This, one of four pilots supported through Screen Australia and the ABC’s Fresh Blood initiative, has been greenlit for a six-part series.

Created and written by Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub and Aunty Donna’s Mark Samual Bonanno, Why Are You Like This follows best friends Mia and Penny as they navigate their 20s in Melbourne, along with Penny’s dramatic and aloof housemate, Austin. Guided by their own modern day moral code, they confront complex social issues in an outrage driven world, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

Screen Australia and the ABC’s ongoing Fresh Blood initiative is designed to uncover a new generation of comedic talent. Why Are You Like This was one of four pilots produced thanks to the program in 2018, alongside Michael Cusack’s Aacta-nominated Koala Man, Becky Lucas and Cameron James’ Be...