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Des Monaghan has decided to step down as executive chairman of the Screentime Group, producers of the Underbelly franchise, Janet King and Cloudstreet, at the end of May.

Bob Campbell, who co-founded Screentime with Monaghan 18 years ago, will run the company as managing director. The Banijay Group bought a majority stake in 2012.

Monaghan will continue his association with Screentime as a consultant and producer of several projects including the Batavia miniseries for Network Ten.

"It's been an extraordinary run, a fantastic 18 years," he told If. "Television is a very tough game and it's getting tougher. The pressure on program directors is almost impossible with the total unpredictability and the fragmentation of audiences..

"I have had the very great fortune of having Bob Campbell as my business partner. It is fair to say that the success of the company far exceeded our initial expectations."

When Banijay bought into Screentime Monaghan was offered a five-year contract.

International production conglomerate Banijay Group has acquired a majority stake in Screentime, the local company behind the successful Underbelly television franchise.

Banijay has a growing global distribution business (Banijay International) which will represent Screentime.s TV series and formats for sale around the world, according to Screentime managing director Bob Campbell, while Screentime will also consider launching local formats of programs within the Banijay Group.

.There have been a number of opportunities for this sort of deal over the years, none of which we.ve been particularly attracted to, but Banijay presented the right opportunities and circumstances for us to proceed,. Campbell told If Magazine.

In recent years, Screentime has produced television content such as Rbt; five series of Underbelly; Underbelly: Files; A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne; Breakers; Mda; Crownies and cloudstreet. Its international reality hit Popstars, which has been produced in more than 50 countries, will...

The Australian Screen Editors Guild has nominated Animal Kingdom, Bright Star and Beneath Hill 60 for Best Editing in a Feature, alongside 2009 releases Balibo and – surprisingly – Coffin Rock.

This is the first and only award nomination the David Lightfoot production has received since its release in November 2009.

The TV drama category sees the telemovie A Model Daughter competing against All Saints, Packed to the Rafters and Wilfred.

The nominees are:

Avid Award for Best Editing in a Feature Film

Animal Kingdom – Luke Doolan

Balibo - Nick Meyers Ase

Beneath Hill 60 – Dany Cooper Ase

Bright Star – Alexandre de Franceschi Ase

Coffin Rock - Adrian Rostirolla

The Lab Award for Best Editing in a Television Drama

A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne – Deborah Peart

All Saints, Episode 478 – Nicholas Holmes Ase

Packed to the Rafters, Episode 44 – James Manche Ase

Wilfred Series 2, Episode 8 – Richard Hamer

Best Editing in a Documentary

Catching Cancer...

Christopher Gordon (Mao’s Last Dancer), Guy Gross (A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne) and Burkhard Dallwitz (Underbelly: The Golden Mile) were the big winners at this year’s Screen Music Awards.

The ceremony took place in Melbourne last night, hosted by Andrew Hansen and Chris Taylor.

The winners are:

Best Soundtrack Album

Mao’s Last Dancer

Composer Christopher Gordon

Best Original Song Composed for the Screen

“Hold Me” from A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne

Composer Guy Gross

Best Music for Children’s Television

Itty Bitty Ditties

Composers Thomas Bettany / Benjamin Speed

Best Television Theme

My Place

Composer Roger Mason

Publisher Sandcastle Music Pty Ltd

Best Music for a Television Series or Serial

Underbelly: The Golden Mile

Composer Burkhard Dallwitz

Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie – Winner

A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne

Composer Guy Gross

Best Feature Film Score

Mao’s...

Remember that one year (2001) when the list-happy AFI (American Film Institute) decided to compete with the Globes and the Oscars in year end prizes? No, that didn't last long. But there's another AFI, The Australian Film Institute, that has been around for a long time and is in no such danger of being a one-off. This year, they're all about the amazing family crime drama Animal Kingdom which they awarded with a record breaking 18 nominations. Sure, the film is in danger of being way overhyped for people who are coming to it late (which is just about everyone given the sorry state of international distribution for dramas of virtually any kind) but for those who can slough off the "omg" raves, I guarantee you'll think it at least an insinuating and well executed crime drama.

AFI Favorites with multiple nominations

Its main competition for the coveted prizes, if you go by nomination counts,...

Animal Kingdom received 18 nominations for this year’s Australian Film Institute Awards, followed by Beneath Hill 60 (12), Bright Star (11), Tomorrow, When the War Began (8), The Tree, Bran Nue Dae (7 each) and The Boys Are Back (4)

The Best Film category will see Animal Kingdom competing against Beneath Hill 60, Bright Star, Bran Nue Dae, The Tree and Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Australia’s top rated drama productions – Packed to the Rafters and Underbellly: The Golden Mile – were both absent from the main Television categories (except for Underbelly‘s two acting nods).

The winners will be revealed on December 10 (Industry Awards) and 11 (main Awards Ceremony) in Melbourne.

This is the full list of nominees:

AFI Members’ Choice Award

Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts. Beneath Hill 60. Bill Leimbach. Bran Nue Dae. Robyn Kershaw, Graeme Isaac. Bright Star. Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt. The Boys Are Back. Greg Brenman, Tim White. Tomorrow When The War Began.

Animal Kingdom (A. Partos/S. Petty) , Beneath Hill 60 (C. Skubiszewski), Mao’s Last Dancer (C. Gordon) and The Waiting City (M. Yezerski) are competing for the Best Feature Film Score at this year’s Screen Music Awards.

In the television categories My Place (R. Mason), Rescue Special Ops (N. Tyson-Chew), Tangle (B. Marks) and Underbelly (B. Dallwitz) have been selected for the Best Music for a Television Series category.The 2010 Screen Music Awards, presented by Apra (Australasian Performing Right Association) and the Agsc (Australian Guild of Screen Composers) will be held at BMW Edge in Melbourne on Tuesday 9 November.

The nominees are:

Best Feature Film Score

Title Animal Kingdom Composers Antony Partos and Sam Petty Title Beneath Hill 60 Composer Cezary Skubiszewski Publisher Albert Music Title Mao’s Last Dancer Composer Christopher Gordon Title The Waiting City Composer Michael Yezerski Publisher Sandcastle Music Pty Ltd

Best Music for a...