‘Emu Runner’, which debuted at Tiff, will screen as part of Adelaide’s feature competition.
Adelaide Film Festival launched its full program today, including a variety of highlights direct from Venice, Toronto and Telluride.
Among the films announced today are Venice’s Golden Lion winner Roma, from director Alfonso Cuarón; the Coen Brothers’ best screenplay winner The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate, for which Willem Dafoe won best actor.
Overall this year’s program includes more than 130 features, documentaries, shorts, virtual reality and installation works, including 17 world premieres and 30 Australian premieres.
Almost 45 per cent of the films in the line-up are Australian. They include, as previously announced, some of the most anticipated local films of the year, such as Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale, which just won Venice’s Special Jury Prize and the Marcello Mastroianni award for star Baykali Ganambarr; Anthony Maras...
Adelaide Film Festival launched its full program today, including a variety of highlights direct from Venice, Toronto and Telluride.
Among the films announced today are Venice’s Golden Lion winner Roma, from director Alfonso Cuarón; the Coen Brothers’ best screenplay winner The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate, for which Willem Dafoe won best actor.
Overall this year’s program includes more than 130 features, documentaries, shorts, virtual reality and installation works, including 17 world premieres and 30 Australian premieres.
Almost 45 per cent of the films in the line-up are Australian. They include, as previously announced, some of the most anticipated local films of the year, such as Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale, which just won Venice’s Special Jury Prize and the Marcello Mastroianni award for star Baykali Ganambarr; Anthony Maras...
- 9/12/2018
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Aacta is calling for recommendations for one of the nation's most prized screen excellence awards, the Byron Kennedy Award.
The award, which honours Dr George Miller.s late filmmaking partner and Mad Max co-creator, celebrates outstanding creative enterprise within the film and television industries and is given to an individual or organisation whose work embodies innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Presented by Kennedy Miller Mitchell in association with Aacta and selected by a jury,. the award carries a cash prize of $10,000.
Past recipients include John Polson, Sarah Watt, Animal Logic, the Acs, Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, Ivan Sen, Dion Beebe, Rolf de Heer and Chris Lilley.
In 2015 it went to Courtin-Wilson for his risk taking and evocative storytelling. The jury said .Amiel has been patiently searching for truth and beauty at the margins of society, making films which have captured the attention of international audiences."
The Byron Kennedy...
The award, which honours Dr George Miller.s late filmmaking partner and Mad Max co-creator, celebrates outstanding creative enterprise within the film and television industries and is given to an individual or organisation whose work embodies innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Presented by Kennedy Miller Mitchell in association with Aacta and selected by a jury,. the award carries a cash prize of $10,000.
Past recipients include John Polson, Sarah Watt, Animal Logic, the Acs, Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, Ivan Sen, Dion Beebe, Rolf de Heer and Chris Lilley.
In 2015 it went to Courtin-Wilson for his risk taking and evocative storytelling. The jury said .Amiel has been patiently searching for truth and beauty at the margins of society, making films which have captured the attention of international audiences."
The Byron Kennedy...
- 9/23/2015
- by Staff writer
- IF.com.au
Aacta.s Raymond Longford Award almost certainly will be renamed the Longford Lyell Award in recognition of Lottie Lyell, the Australian film pioneer.s partner in life and filmmaking. Producer Tony Buckley has been lobbying for the change for two years, a campaign that has been widely supported. Now Aacta is putting the proposal to its members, seeking feedback by October 10. .We think it.s a really good suggestion,. AFI | Aacta CEO Damian Trewhella told If today. .Informally we have had a lot of support and no one has objected. Unless there are strong alternative views there is a strong chance we will adopt the new name.. First presented in 1968, the award is the highest accolade the Australian Academy can bestow upon an individual who has made a truly outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia's screen environment and culture. Previous recipients include Peter Weir, Geoffrey Rush, Fred Schepisi, Ken G. Hall,...
- 9/25/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Producer Bridget Ikin sets off for Nepal next week to shoot a feature documentary knowing she has already scaled one mountain: a Us studio has bought worldwide rights to Sherpa: In the Shadow of the Mountain.
Co-produced by Ikin and John Maynard.s Felix Media and John Smithson of London-based Arrow Media, the film will follow an Everest expedition from the viewpoints of the Sherpas and their sometimes uneasy relationships with foreign climbers.
Writer/director Jennifer Peedom approached Smithson, who produced Touching the Void and 127 Hours. He agreed to serve as co-producer and introduced Ikin and Peedom to the Us studio.
That studio has yet to announce the deal but it guarantees worldwide cinema release excluding Australia and New Zealand, where Maynard and Rob Connolly.s Footprint Films retains the rights.
Peedom had been thinking about a docu on the Sherpas given the unrest among their ranks and the idea...
Co-produced by Ikin and John Maynard.s Felix Media and John Smithson of London-based Arrow Media, the film will follow an Everest expedition from the viewpoints of the Sherpas and their sometimes uneasy relationships with foreign climbers.
Writer/director Jennifer Peedom approached Smithson, who produced Touching the Void and 127 Hours. He agreed to serve as co-producer and introduced Ikin and Peedom to the Us studio.
That studio has yet to announce the deal but it guarantees worldwide cinema release excluding Australia and New Zealand, where Maynard and Rob Connolly.s Footprint Films retains the rights.
Peedom had been thinking about a docu on the Sherpas given the unrest among their ranks and the idea...
- 3/19/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Australian Cinematographers Society national president Ron Johanson felt he was being called to the headmaster.s office when he was asked to take an urgent Skype call from the AFI/Aacta.
CEO Damian Trewhella told him about the Byron Kennedy Award, named after the co-founder of the Mad Max production company Kennedy Miller (now Kennedy Miller Mitchell), who died aged 33 in a helicopter crash in 1983.
The affable Johanson asked, .What.s that got to do with me?. He was flabbergasted when he was informed the Acs is the recipient of the next Byron Kennedy Award, which celebrates outstanding creative enterprise in the film and television industries and is given to an individual or organisation whose work embodies innovation and the pursuit of excellence.
It.s the first time the award, first presented in 1984, has been bestowed on a guild or professional association. Past honorees include Roger Savage, Dion Beebe, Jane Campion,...
CEO Damian Trewhella told him about the Byron Kennedy Award, named after the co-founder of the Mad Max production company Kennedy Miller (now Kennedy Miller Mitchell), who died aged 33 in a helicopter crash in 1983.
The affable Johanson asked, .What.s that got to do with me?. He was flabbergasted when he was informed the Acs is the recipient of the next Byron Kennedy Award, which celebrates outstanding creative enterprise in the film and television industries and is given to an individual or organisation whose work embodies innovation and the pursuit of excellence.
It.s the first time the award, first presented in 1984, has been bestowed on a guild or professional association. Past honorees include Roger Savage, Dion Beebe, Jane Campion,...
- 12/17/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
It was a glorious evening for The Sapphires at the 2nd Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Ceremony last night, with the feature film bagging six Aacta awards, including Best Film and Best Director.
The awards top off what has been a sparkling year for the Sapphires team, who have already won a host of international audience choice awards and enjoyed great box office success in Australia.
Other than Best Film and Best Director (Wayne Blair), the musical drama took home the Aacta award for Best Lead Actress (Deborah Mailman), Best Lead Actor (Chris O'Dowd), Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Mauboy) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs), bringing their Aacta award total to eleven. (The film picked up a further five awards at the Aacta luncheon held on Monday.)
The film also bagged the news.com.au Audience Choice Award for Most Memorable Screen Moment.
The...
The awards top off what has been a sparkling year for the Sapphires team, who have already won a host of international audience choice awards and enjoyed great box office success in Australia.
Other than Best Film and Best Director (Wayne Blair), the musical drama took home the Aacta award for Best Lead Actress (Deborah Mailman), Best Lead Actor (Chris O'Dowd), Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Mauboy) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs), bringing their Aacta award total to eleven. (The film picked up a further five awards at the Aacta luncheon held on Monday.)
The film also bagged the news.com.au Audience Choice Award for Most Memorable Screen Moment.
The...
- 1/31/2013
- by Emily Blatchford
- IF.com.au
Vietnam war period movie The Sapphires dominated the Aacta’s last night, winning best film, best director (Wayne Blair), best actress (Deborah Mailman), best actor (Chris O'Dowd) and best supporting actress (Jessica Mauboy).
The film about an aboriginal troupe of entertainers who performed for American – and not Australian – soldiers swept the awards, and also won the best screenplay (Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs).
The event staged at Sydney’s Star casino and hosted by Russell Crowe was televised on delay by the Ten Network, but failed to make a dent in OzTam ratings.
It had just 318,000 viewers. But Ten claimed to be was happy as it was a 9.3% increase on the broadcast in 2012 on rival Nine.
The complete list of winners announced at the second AACTAs.
Byron Kennedy Award
Sarah Watt
Aacta Award For Best Young Actor
Saskia Rosendahl. Lore.
Television
Aacta Award For Best Television Drama Series
Puberty Blues.
The film about an aboriginal troupe of entertainers who performed for American – and not Australian – soldiers swept the awards, and also won the best screenplay (Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs).
The event staged at Sydney’s Star casino and hosted by Russell Crowe was televised on delay by the Ten Network, but failed to make a dent in OzTam ratings.
It had just 318,000 viewers. But Ten claimed to be was happy as it was a 9.3% increase on the broadcast in 2012 on rival Nine.
The complete list of winners announced at the second AACTAs.
Byron Kennedy Award
Sarah Watt
Aacta Award For Best Young Actor
Saskia Rosendahl. Lore.
Television
Aacta Award For Best Television Drama Series
Puberty Blues.
- 1/30/2013
- by Marcus Casey
- Encore Magazine
Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney Nominated for 12 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, The Sapphires won six gongs at a ceremony hosted by Russell Crowe in Sydney on Wednesday night. The musical drama about four Aboriginal girls who formed a singing group in the 1960s won best director (Wayne Blair), lead actress (Deborah Mailman), lead actor (Chris O’Dowd), supporting actress (Jessica Mauboy) and adapted screenplay (Keith Thompson, Tony Briggs). That’s in addition to five craft awards presented on Monday. The Weinstein Co. will release the film in the U.S. on March 22. Thriller Wish You Were Here took the Aacta original screenplay award for husband-and-wife creative team Kieran Darcy-Smith and Felicity Price, and supporting actor for Antony Starr. German actress Saskia Rosendahl received the best young actor trophy for Cate Shortland’s Lore, which was Australia’s entry for the foreign language Oscar.
- 1/30/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
The Hive Lab has announced its film-makers to collaborate with artists, theatre actors, choreographers, animators and writers over 11-14 October. The list of film-makers include Sophie Raymond, co-director of Mrs Carey’s Concert and Natasha Pincus, director of music video Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye with artists such as Eddie Perfect and Bill Henson.The announcement:
A roll call of some of Australia’s most extraordinary artists, filmmakers, theatre practitioners, choreographers, animators and writers have signed up for the Hive Lab, taking place during the Melbourne Festival from 11-14 October. The four-day Hive Lab brings seventeen filmmakers and artists together in a creative clash of cultures, nurturing new ideas that cut across artistic boundaries.
The second Hive Lab was originally conceived by Adelaide Film Festival and is co-presented with Australia Council, ABC TV, Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation.
The 2012 Hive Lab participants are arts and performance practitioners Bill Henson,...
A roll call of some of Australia’s most extraordinary artists, filmmakers, theatre practitioners, choreographers, animators and writers have signed up for the Hive Lab, taking place during the Melbourne Festival from 11-14 October. The four-day Hive Lab brings seventeen filmmakers and artists together in a creative clash of cultures, nurturing new ideas that cut across artistic boundaries.
The second Hive Lab was originally conceived by Adelaide Film Festival and is co-presented with Australia Council, ABC TV, Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation.
The 2012 Hive Lab participants are arts and performance practitioners Bill Henson,...
- 9/13/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Australian actor William McInnes has opened up about the heartache of losing his filmmaker wife to cancer last year, admitting he felt "abandoned and marooned" when she died.
Sarah Watt passed away in November after a long battle with breast and bone cancer, and five months on from the tragedy, McInnes has now spoken about his loss.
He tells National Features, "It's an odd feeling of being abandoned and marooned, but it's no one's fault and it's just a new way of living your life. That can be terribly hard to comprehend, especially when it's sort of public.
"It's not that you don't laugh or you stop having fun or enjoying life, you just know something's not quite right. Sometimes it's just too hard and you can't deal with it and you just feel like jumping in a hole."
Paying tribute to his late wife, he adds, "There are lots of people who go through these sorts of things and it's not anyone's special cross to bear. I know one thing - lots of people bang on about heroes as the sort of people who've got their portraits hanging in galleries, but you know what? When you're facing a serious life-threatening, or terminal illness, those people are courageous beyond description."...
Sarah Watt passed away in November after a long battle with breast and bone cancer, and five months on from the tragedy, McInnes has now spoken about his loss.
He tells National Features, "It's an odd feeling of being abandoned and marooned, but it's no one's fault and it's just a new way of living your life. That can be terribly hard to comprehend, especially when it's sort of public.
"It's not that you don't laugh or you stop having fun or enjoying life, you just know something's not quite right. Sometimes it's just too hard and you can't deal with it and you just feel like jumping in a hole."
Paying tribute to his late wife, he adds, "There are lots of people who go through these sorts of things and it's not anyone's special cross to bear. I know one thing - lots of people bang on about heroes as the sort of people who've got their portraits hanging in galleries, but you know what? When you're facing a serious life-threatening, or terminal illness, those people are courageous beyond description."...
- 4/4/2012
- WENN
William McInnes has revealed that he felt "abandoned" when his wife died. The Australian actor, who is best known for his roles in TV shows such as SeaChange and Blue Heelers, lost filmmaker Sarah Watt to cancer last November and has now admitted that his life hasn't felt "quite right" since she left him. McInnes told National Features: "It's an odd feeling of being abandoned and marooned, but it's no-one's fault and it's just a new way of living your life. That can be terribly hard to comprehend, especially when it's sort of public. "It's not that you don't laugh or you stop having fun or enjoying life, you just know something's not quite right. Sometimes it's just too hard and you can't deal with it and you just feel like jumping in a hole. There are lots of people (more)...
- 4/3/2012
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
Look Both Ways director Sarah Watt has lost her battle with bone cancer aged 53. The award-winning Australian filmmaker, who was married to SeaChange actor William McInnes, passed away at her Melbourne home on Friday (November 4) surrounded by her family including children Clem, 18, and 13-year-old Stella. The family posted a notice in The Age saying that Watt "died peacefully at home filled with the love she gave to those who adored her - her family". They also commended her for her "courage, humour, intelligence, generosity, honesty and grace". Watt revealed that she had breast cancer in 2005 and was then diagnosed with secondary bone cancer in 2009 after discovering a sore area around her ribs. McInnes wrote and released (more)...
- 11/7/2011
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
Filmmaker and animator Sarah Watt has died after a long battle with cancer on Friday. The acclaimed director of 2005.s Look Both Ways and 2009.s My Year Without Sex was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and with secondary bone cancer in 2009. A tribute in The Age newspaper stated that she .died peacefully at home filled with the love she gave to those who adored her - her family.. Watt found acclaim for her animated shorts in the 90.s - Small Treasures won Best Short Film at the Venice Film Festival -.but her most well-known work was 2005.s Look Both Ways. The film won four AFI awards, including for best director and best screenplay, as well as three If Awards, the Discovery.Award at Toronto, and took just under $3 million at the...
- 11/6/2011
- by Chris Dame
- IF.com.au
Filmmaker Sarah Watt died Friday aged 53.
The writer/director of Look Both Ways (2005), died peacefully at her home after a long fight with cancer.
Watt is survived by husband and actor William McInnes and two children Clem, 18 and Stella 13.
According to a death notice from the family, Watt ”died peacefully at home filled with the love she gave to those who adored her – her family. A life of courage humour, intelligence, generosity, honesty and grace,” reports The Age.
Look Both Ways, starring McInnes, was the story of a photographer dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Watt was an artist as well, the film included moments of animation drawn by her.
The film won best film, best direction, best original screenplay and best supporting actor at the 2005 AFIs, and three If Awards for best direction, best script and best editing. Watt won the Discovery award at Toronto International Film Festival that year also.
The writer/director of Look Both Ways (2005), died peacefully at her home after a long fight with cancer.
Watt is survived by husband and actor William McInnes and two children Clem, 18 and Stella 13.
According to a death notice from the family, Watt ”died peacefully at home filled with the love she gave to those who adored her – her family. A life of courage humour, intelligence, generosity, honesty and grace,” reports The Age.
Look Both Ways, starring McInnes, was the story of a photographer dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Watt was an artist as well, the film included moments of animation drawn by her.
The film won best film, best direction, best original screenplay and best supporting actor at the 2005 AFIs, and three If Awards for best direction, best script and best editing. Watt won the Discovery award at Toronto International Film Festival that year also.
- 11/6/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Filmmaker/animator Sarah Watt, winner of the Australian Film Institute's (AFI) Best Director and Best Screenplay awards for the 2006 drama Look Both Ways, has died of cancer. Watt, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, was 53. Watt directed a series of animated shorts before turning to features. In Look Both Ways, William McInnes — Watt's husband in real life — plays a photographer who is diagnosed with cancer. In addition to Watt's awards for direction and screenplay, Look Both Ways was the AFI's Best Film of the year and Anthony Hayes was voted Best Supporting Actor. The film also received the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, among several other international awards and nominations. Released in 2009, My Year Without Sex also dealt with illness — in this case, a wife and mother (Sacha Horler) who must refrain from sex (among other things) because of an aneurysm. The comedy-drama received...
- 11/6/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
"The much-loved Australian writer, director and artist Sarah Watt — the wife of the actor William McInnes — has died of cancer," report Garry Maddox and Rebecca Richardson in the Sydney Morning Herald. "Watt, 53, was recognized as a rare talent through a series of heartfelt animated shorts before triumphing with the 2005 film Look Both Ways, which starred McInnes as a photographer dealing with cancer. It won her the best film, director and original screenplay awards at the Australian Film Institute Awards as well as the Discovery award at the Toronto International Film Festival. But by the time of the film's release, she was dealing with her own diagnosis of breast cancer, and she chronicled the experience of illness with humor and heart in her 2009 film My Year without Sex, which starred Sacha Horler and Matt Day."
"It was Watt's animated shorts that gained the writer and director attention, while her 1995 work Small Treasures won awards,...
"It was Watt's animated shorts that gained the writer and director attention, while her 1995 work Small Treasures won awards,...
- 11/6/2011
- MUBI
Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Sarah Watt has died after losing her cancer battle. She was 53.
The director passed away on Friday after a long battle with breast and bone cancer.
Her family published a tribute in The Age newspaper praising Watt for living "a life of courage, humour, intelligence, generosity, honesty and grace".
The piece added that she "died peacefully at home filled with the love she gave to those who adored her - her family".
Watt is best known for her feature films My Year Without Sex and Look Both Ways, which starred her actor husband William McInnes.
The director passed away on Friday after a long battle with breast and bone cancer.
Her family published a tribute in The Age newspaper praising Watt for living "a life of courage, humour, intelligence, generosity, honesty and grace".
The piece added that she "died peacefully at home filled with the love she gave to those who adored her - her family".
Watt is best known for her feature films My Year Without Sex and Look Both Ways, which starred her actor husband William McInnes.
- 11/5/2011
- WENN
Australian director Sarah Watt has spoken out about her heart-wrenching health battle as she continues to fight for her life following her bone cancer diagnosis.
The Look Both Ways filmmaker, who is married to actor William McInnes, overcame breast cancer seven years ago and in 2009, the couple threw a party to celebrate five years since she received the all-clear for the disease.
However, just weeks after the bash, the filmmaker discovered a sore area on her ribs and doctors revealed the cancer had spread.
The star has now opened up about her condition, admitting she is trying to make the most of every day she has left.
She tells Woman's Day, "I don't know when I will have to go. I give myself small aims. Get through the summer, get through the winter...
"I hope when my time comes I'll be at home. William will be there, and offer me a cup of tea, and when he's making it I will drift off into a nap, then into the longest nap. And William will bring the tea back and it won't be sad."...
The Look Both Ways filmmaker, who is married to actor William McInnes, overcame breast cancer seven years ago and in 2009, the couple threw a party to celebrate five years since she received the all-clear for the disease.
However, just weeks after the bash, the filmmaker discovered a sore area on her ribs and doctors revealed the cancer had spread.
The star has now opened up about her condition, admitting she is trying to make the most of every day she has left.
She tells Woman's Day, "I don't know when I will have to go. I give myself small aims. Get through the summer, get through the winter...
"I hope when my time comes I'll be at home. William will be there, and offer me a cup of tea, and when he's making it I will drift off into a nap, then into the longest nap. And William will bring the tea back and it won't be sad."...
- 9/28/2011
- WENN
Look Both Ways director Sarah Watt is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with secondary bone cancer. The award-winning 52-year-old Australian filmmaker, who is married to SeaChange and Blue Heelers actor William McInnes, discovered a sore area on her ribs about two years ago. Watt made the discovery shortly after celebrating five years since a successful fight against breast cancer. The couple, who are writing a book called Worst Things Happen At Sea, said that they are now making the most of every day they have together with their children Clem and Stella. Watt told Woman's Day magazine: "I don't know when I will (more)...
- 9/28/2011
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art has announced that they will be hosting a week-long festival (April 7-13) of Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund films (Affif). The festival will be a salute to the BigPond Adelaide Film Festival - which will be held February 26 to March 6 this year - and the groundbreaking Affif which has helped realise some of the most unique, challenging and entertaining Australian films of the recent past. Among the films to be shown at the Moma are Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways, which traces the interconnected stories of several people living in Adelaide; Warwick Thornton's heartbreaking Samson and Delilah which won the prestigious Camera d'Or at Cannes; and Rolf de Heer's critically acclaimed Ten Canoes.
- 1/25/2011
- FilmInk.com.au
Clare Crean nearly knows everyone. And most buyers know her. She's been with what is now called The Works International since 1999 when it was then operating under the moniker the Sales Company. Just weeks before the Afm, Crean was promoted to head of sales amid a major corporate restructuring and the departure of previous sales chief Carl Clifton to K5 International. Her Afm badge was taken so long ago that it's in black and white but, despite the years between then and now, Crean doesn't seem to have aged much. She talks to U.K. Bureau Chief Stuart Kemp about why the pre-sale is not dead, economizing at markets and why Oscar-winning documentaries are cheaper than fiction for buyers but remain heavy on P&A wallets. Before The Works, Crean sold television and library assets for the U.K. sales, finance and production house J&M Entertainment.
The Hollywood Reporter: Is the pre-sale dead?...
The Hollywood Reporter: Is the pre-sale dead?...
- 11/5/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screen Australia has announced an investment of $15m on 13 productions, including a German/Australian co-production directed by Cate Shortland and development for Bruce Beresford, Sarah Watt and Phillip Noyce projects.
In terms of films, Fred Schepisi’s The Eye of the Storm - which began production without financial support from Screen Australia – is one of the beneficiaries.
Shortland’s co-production Lore will be produced by Liz Watts, Karsten Stöter, Benny Drechsel, Paul Welsh and Gabriele Kranzelbinder and set in 1945 Germany.
The third feature to receive support is Kieran Darcy-Smith’s debut Say Nothing, written in conjuction with Felicity Price and produced by Angie Felder.
TV series The Slap, Cleo and Blood Brother, as well as series two of Spirited. also received financial support.
The agency estimates that these projects will generate production worth $72m.
The projects are:
The Eye Of The Storm
Paper Bark Films Eos Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Jonathan Shteinman,...
In terms of films, Fred Schepisi’s The Eye of the Storm - which began production without financial support from Screen Australia – is one of the beneficiaries.
Shortland’s co-production Lore will be produced by Liz Watts, Karsten Stöter, Benny Drechsel, Paul Welsh and Gabriele Kranzelbinder and set in 1945 Germany.
The third feature to receive support is Kieran Darcy-Smith’s debut Say Nothing, written in conjuction with Felicity Price and produced by Angie Felder.
TV series The Slap, Cleo and Blood Brother, as well as series two of Spirited. also received financial support.
The agency estimates that these projects will generate production worth $72m.
The projects are:
The Eye Of The Storm
Paper Bark Films Eos Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Jonathan Shteinman,...
- 7/9/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
New Delhi, May 26 – ‘The Dish’, ‘Lantana’, ‘Ten Canoes’ and many more films will be showcased at the two-day Australian Film Festival that begins in the capital June 5.
To be held at the India International Centre (Iic), it will open May 31 with the movie ‘Look Both Ways’. A multiple-award winning film, it has been written and directed by Sarah Watt.
The gala will showcase a range of Australian films, including ‘Kiss or Kill’, ‘The Bank’, ‘Radiance’ and Toni Collette.
To be held at the India International Centre (Iic), it will open May 31 with the movie ‘Look Both Ways’. A multiple-award winning film, it has been written and directed by Sarah Watt.
The gala will showcase a range of Australian films, including ‘Kiss or Kill’, ‘The Bank’, ‘Radiance’ and Toni Collette.
- 5/26/2010
- by realbollywood
- RealBollywood.com
Today is Australia Day here in, you guessed it, Australia. If you're American or British you're probably reading this and it's not technically Australia Day yet (26 of January), but that's my reward for Living In The Future! Time zones be damned! America celebrates the day that British people came to their land with Turkey and family get togethers and being thankful for good health. Australia celebrates by having a bbq and sitting in lawn chairs and wading pools. We're classy like that!
Over at my blog Stale Popcorn I have celebrating by doing another end-of-decade list, this time one that I'm sure not many others have done: Best Australian Films of the Decade. There are some titles on there that you non-Aussies will recognise like Samson & Delilah, Wolf Creek, Mary and Max and Australia, but there's also plenty you have probably never heard a single word about. No matter whether...
Over at my blog Stale Popcorn I have celebrating by doing another end-of-decade list, this time one that I'm sure not many others have done: Best Australian Films of the Decade. There are some titles on there that you non-Aussies will recognise like Samson & Delilah, Wolf Creek, Mary and Max and Australia, but there's also plenty you have probably never heard a single word about. No matter whether...
- 1/26/2010
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
The Palm Springs International Film Festival has introduced a new program highlighting Australian cinema.
Organized in partnership with G'Day USA, the Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles and Tourism Australia, the program will feature Robert Connolly's "The Balibo Conspiracy," Rachel Ward's "Beautiful Kate," Ana Kokkinos' "Blessed," Tom Murray's "In My Father's Country," Glendyn Ivin's "Last Ride," Kriv Stender's "Lucky Country," Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex," Warwick Thornton's "Samson & Delilah" and Ted Kotcheff's "Wake in Fright."
"The Australian production boom was brought on by tax incentives, but it is the new talent behind the work that will sustain it," fest director Darryl Macdonald said.
Also, as part of its Awards Buzz program, the Jan. 7-18 fest will screen 41 of the 65 films that have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best foreign language film consideration.
Out of...
Organized in partnership with G'Day USA, the Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles and Tourism Australia, the program will feature Robert Connolly's "The Balibo Conspiracy," Rachel Ward's "Beautiful Kate," Ana Kokkinos' "Blessed," Tom Murray's "In My Father's Country," Glendyn Ivin's "Last Ride," Kriv Stender's "Lucky Country," Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex," Warwick Thornton's "Samson & Delilah" and Ted Kotcheff's "Wake in Fright."
"The Australian production boom was brought on by tax incentives, but it is the new talent behind the work that will sustain it," fest director Darryl Macdonald said.
Also, as part of its Awards Buzz program, the Jan. 7-18 fest will screen 41 of the 65 films that have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best foreign language film consideration.
Out of...
- 12/21/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
U.S. rights to Sarah Watt’s “My Year Without Sex” have been acquired by Strand Releasing from The Works International at the American Film Market (Afm), the company unveiled Monday. The La-based distributor’s Jon Gerrans negotiated the deal with Joy Wong of The Works, and Strand plans a Spring 2010 release. Starring Sacha Horler (“Praise”) and Matt Day (“Muriel’s Wedding”), the film centers on a couple, Ross and Natalie, who are forced …...
- 11/9/2009
- Indiewire
Strand Releasing has acquired all U.S. rights to Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex" from the Works International.
Written and directed by Watt, the film stars Sacha Horler and Matt Day as a couple who are forced to abstain from sex because of the woman's medical condition.
The Australian film was produced by Bridget Ikin, who produced Watt's previous film, "Look Both Ways." A spring release is planned.
The deal was negotiated between Strand's Jon Gerrans and the Works' Joy Wong at Afm.
Written and directed by Watt, the film stars Sacha Horler and Matt Day as a couple who are forced to abstain from sex because of the woman's medical condition.
The Australian film was produced by Bridget Ikin, who produced Watt's previous film, "Look Both Ways." A spring release is planned.
The deal was negotiated between Strand's Jon Gerrans and the Works' Joy Wong at Afm.
- 11/9/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hnr's Michael Stevens reporting from Toronto... Director Lars von Trier's Antichrist and Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or-winning The White Ribbon have now been added to this year's Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) lineup, running September 10-19 in Toronto. Both features will make their North American premieres as part of Tiff's 'Masters' program. Over 300 films will screen @ Tiff this year, singling out Australia, the Middle East and Israel. Film-makers set to attend this year's Fest include Werner Herzog, Steven Soderbergh, Jane Campion, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jean-Marc Vallée, Michael Moore, George A. Romero, Johnnie To and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Actors attending will include George Clooney, Penelope Cruz, Michael Douglas, Viggo Mortensen, Demi Moore, Michael Sheen, Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Neeson, Chris Rock and Naomi Watts. Celebrities accompanying films will include Oprah Winfrey, Sacheen Littlefeather and rap star Snoop Dogg. Tiff has increased the total number of films featured this year to 335, to screen in 18 different programs.
- 8/22/2009
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
242 feature length pics which 95 world premiers.. Wow, I wish I was going, but our lucky Toronto correspondent Rick McGrath will be there instead. (Very lucky Toronto correspondent) Among the standouts are:
Some serious Greek weirdness I'm dying to see in Dogtooth.
Lars Von Triers insanity leaks out in Antichrist. (review)
The long awaited scifi awesomeness starring Jared Leto, Mr. Nobody.
And Locarno winner from the hip UK firm Warp X, She, A Chinese.
List of remaining flicks after the break.
Special Presentations
Mr. Nobody Jaco Van Dormael, France/Germany/Canada/Belgium
North American Premiere
Mr. Nobody tells the story of Nemo (Jared Leto), the world's oldest man. In 2092, Mars has become a trendy vacation destination and humans have achieved immortality, thanks to advances in genetics. At the age of 120 years, Nemo is the last mortal left on Earth. His death is drawing near, and media from all over the world...
Some serious Greek weirdness I'm dying to see in Dogtooth.
Lars Von Triers insanity leaks out in Antichrist. (review)
The long awaited scifi awesomeness starring Jared Leto, Mr. Nobody.
And Locarno winner from the hip UK firm Warp X, She, A Chinese.
List of remaining flicks after the break.
Special Presentations
Mr. Nobody Jaco Van Dormael, France/Germany/Canada/Belgium
North American Premiere
Mr. Nobody tells the story of Nemo (Jared Leto), the world's oldest man. In 2092, Mars has become a trendy vacation destination and humans have achieved immortality, thanks to advances in genetics. At the age of 120 years, Nemo is the last mortal left on Earth. His death is drawing near, and media from all over the world...
- 8/20/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Australian films are making a big international impact this week with the most recent announcement that both Sean Byrne's The Loved Ones and Rachel Ward's directorial debut Beautiful Kate will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) in September. They join Jane Campion's Bright Star, The Spierig Brothers' Daybreakers, Glendyn Ivin's Last Ride, Bruce Beresford's Mao's Last Dancer, Granaz Moussavi's My Tehran For Sale, Sarah Watt's My Year Without Sex and Warwick Thornton's Cannes-winning Samson & Delilah in the program of the world renowned non-competitive film festival, which is renowned for attracting major players from film distribution, mixing it up with Toronto locals.
- 7/24/2009
- FilmInk.com.au
Toronto -- The Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled a slew of premieres, mostly out of Cannes and Berlin, including the latest films from veterans Manoel de Oliveira, Alain Resnais and Hirokazu Kore-eda.
De Oliveira's "Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl" will unspool as part of the Masters sidebar, as will Resnais' "Les Herbes Folles" and "Air Doll," Japanese director Kore-eda's drama about a blow-up doll that becomes a real person that stars Korean actress Bae Doo-na.
And the high-profile Contemporary World Cinema program booked Israeli director Haim Tabakman's "Eyes Wide Open," a gay love story set in a religious Jewish community, "Huacho," from Chilean director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Korea's "Like You Know It All," by Hong Sang-soo, and Jessica Hausner's "Lourdes."
Other Cwc titles include Asli Ozge's "Men on the Bridge," set in Istanbul, Australian director Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex" and from Romania "Police, Adjective," by Corneliu Porumboiu.
Toronto each year unveils titles chosen from earlier international film festivals before it rolls out its own world premieres.
De Oliveira's "Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl" will unspool as part of the Masters sidebar, as will Resnais' "Les Herbes Folles" and "Air Doll," Japanese director Kore-eda's drama about a blow-up doll that becomes a real person that stars Korean actress Bae Doo-na.
And the high-profile Contemporary World Cinema program booked Israeli director Haim Tabakman's "Eyes Wide Open," a gay love story set in a religious Jewish community, "Huacho," from Chilean director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Korea's "Like You Know It All," by Hong Sang-soo, and Jessica Hausner's "Lourdes."
Other Cwc titles include Asli Ozge's "Men on the Bridge," set in Istanbul, Australian director Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex" and from Romania "Police, Adjective," by Corneliu Porumboiu.
Toronto each year unveils titles chosen from earlier international film festivals before it rolls out its own world premieres.
- 6/24/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Traditionally among Tiff's first wave of announcements are titles that premiered at Cannes and Berlin and are solid enough to merit a North American preem in Toronto. Of the first 26 titles announced, nineteen of them were first shown on the Croisette. Tiff's busy Asian, South American and European curators selected Eyes Wide Open (Haim Tabakman), Huacho (Alejandro Fernandez Almendras), Like You Know It All (Hong Sang-Soo), Lourdes (Jessica Hausner), Men on the Bridge (Asli Özge), My Year without Sex (Sarah Watt), Police, Adjective (Corneliu Porumboiu), The Time that Remains (Elia Suleiman), and The Wind Journeys (Ciro Guerra) for the Contemporary World Cinema section, chose Face (Tsai Ming-Liang), Independencia (Raya Martin), Irène (Alain Cavalier), Karaoke (Chris Chong Chan Fui), Nymph (Pen-ek Ratanaruang) and To Die Like a Man (Joäo Pedro Rodrigues) to populate the Visions sidebar. The "Masters" section will see Air Doll (Hirokazu Kore-eda), Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl
- 6/23/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
London -- This year's Edinburgh International Film Festival will be book-ended by the international premiere of Sam Mendes' "Away We Go" and close with the world debut of Max Meyer's "Adam," organizers said Wednesday.
Festival officials said the Scottish capital-set movie shindig will play host to 23 world premieres including Meyer's film.
The festival, which runs June 17 through 28, will also introduce a competition strand for international best features.
Movies competing include Jonathan Auf Der Heide’s "Van Diemen’s Land," Noah Buschel’s "The Missing Person" and Sarah Watt’s "My Year Without Sex."
A British gala section including Duncan Ward’s "Boogie Woogie," Brian Percival’s "A Boy Called Dad," "Fish Tank" by Andrea Arnold and Duncan Jones’ "Moon" will compete for the U.K. Film Council-backed Michael Powell Award for best British feature.
The documentary section includes world premieres of "Isolation" by Luke Seomore and Joseph Bull and...
Festival officials said the Scottish capital-set movie shindig will play host to 23 world premieres including Meyer's film.
The festival, which runs June 17 through 28, will also introduce a competition strand for international best features.
Movies competing include Jonathan Auf Der Heide’s "Van Diemen’s Land," Noah Buschel’s "The Missing Person" and Sarah Watt’s "My Year Without Sex."
A British gala section including Duncan Ward’s "Boogie Woogie," Brian Percival’s "A Boy Called Dad," "Fish Tank" by Andrea Arnold and Duncan Jones’ "Moon" will compete for the U.K. Film Council-backed Michael Powell Award for best British feature.
The documentary section includes world premieres of "Isolation" by Luke Seomore and Joseph Bull and...
- 5/6/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In only two feature film, writer/director/animator Sarah Watt has already proven herself to be one of the most important voices in Australian cinema. After the grand debut of Look Both Ways (which won the AFI for Best Film amongst others) she has given us the effortlessly charming My Year Without Sex. Watt creates such real and wonderful characters that help take away from the themes that many deem unpalatable for audiences. It's going to be incredible hard for another Australian film this year - hell, try any film this year - to put forth as honest and delightfully flawed characters as Watt has here.
Starring Sacha Horler (Praise) and Matt Day (returning from overseas TV work such as Secret Diary of a Call Girl) as an ordinary married middle class suburban couple with two kids (Jonathan Segat and Portia Bradley). When Horler's Natalie suffers an aneurysm her life takes many different turns.
Starring Sacha Horler (Praise) and Matt Day (returning from overseas TV work such as Secret Diary of a Call Girl) as an ordinary married middle class suburban couple with two kids (Jonathan Segat and Portia Bradley). When Horler's Natalie suffers an aneurysm her life takes many different turns.
- 4/20/2009
- by Kamikaze Camel
- Stale Popcorn
LONDON -- U.K. indie distributor Tartan Films said Thursday it has snapped up U.K. and Ireland rights to a pair of titles set to unspool during this year's Festival de Cannes. Tartan secured the rights to Re-Cycle, the latest film from Thai horror specialists the Pang brothers (The Eye), and Australian writer-director Sarah Watt's directorial debut Look Both Ways. Tartan Films struck a deal with Universe Films Distribution for Re-Cycle, written and directed by Oxide and Danny Pang after Tartan Films owner Hamish McAlpine pre-bought the film at script stage. The movie is the closing night film for Director's Fortnight. It details the story of a female novelist who finds herself plunged into a hellish world of discarded ideas.
- 5/11/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- The Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art's New Directors/New Films series will celebrate its 35th anniversary with an international collection of projects, a roundtable of featured helmers and a documentary retrospective. Twenty-five features and 17 shorts will appear at the fest, which opens Mar. 22 with two Sundance Film Festival hits and directorial debuts: Ryan Fleck's Half Nelson, a drama about a drug-addicted junior high school teacher, and Auraeus Solito's gay-themed coming-of-age tale The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros. All films will be shown through April 2 at the Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center and at the Titus Theater at MoMA. Fleck will appear with his Half Nelson co-writer Anna Boden, Man Push Cart director Ramin Bahrani and Look Both Ways helmer Sarah Watt at "From Script to Screen," a directors' roundtable presented by HBO Films on March 26 at the Walter Reade Theater.
- 2/23/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AMSTERDAM -- U.S. director Kelly Reichardt has secured the Rotterdam film festival's top prize, organizers said. It is the first time in the event's 35-year history that the award has gone to an American. Reichardt won the Tiger Award for her second feature, Old Joy, which deals with two old friends on a hiking trip in Oregon's Cascade Mountains. The two other Tiger Awards went to Chinese director Han Jie's Walking on the Wild Side and La Perrera (The Dog Pound), from Uruguay's Manuel Nieto Zas. The Fipresci award went to Claudia Llosa from Peru for her feature Madeinusa. The jury, headed by South Korean director Lee Chang-Dong, selected the winners from a lineup of 14 titles by first- and second-time feature directors. The Dutch Critics' Award went to Australian Sarah Watt for her film Look Both Ways.
SYDNEY -- Reflecting results of other recent awards, Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways as well as Rowan Woods' Little Fish and John Hillcoat's The Proposition dominated this year's Australian Film Institute Awards in Melbourne. Hosted by Russell Crowe, the awards saw Look take best film and direction nods, while Fish attracted acting awards and Proposition numerous craft categories. It is the first time the AFI awards have been held over two nights -- split between craft awards Friday and general categories Saturday -- as well as staging a black tie dinner Saturday for more than 800 at the Melbourne Central City Studios. The strategy is generally seen as a bid to make the awards more relevant to both the industry and the public by having a more star-power-packed gala event.
- 11/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Rowan Woods' gritty Little Fish, John Hillcoat's dark 18th-century western The Proposition and Sarah Watt's edgy Look Both Ways dominated this year's Lexus Inside Film Awards, held here Wednesday, with The Proposition taking the best film award. The Proposition, which will be released next year in the U.S. by First Look Pictures, also won best music, cinematography and production design. Little Fish took best actress and actor awards for Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving, respectively, as well as best sound and boxoffice achievement.
- 11/23/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
COLOGNE -- Ang Lee's cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain and George Clooney's '50s era political drama Good Night, And Good Luck are among the nominees disclosed Tuesday for Best Non-European Film at the European Film Awards. The European Film Academy also announced nominations for Jim Jarmusch's sardonic comedy Broken Flowers and Paul Higgis' Crash, an unblinking look at race relations in Los Angeles. Other nominees include Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of John le Carre's The Constant Gardener; Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee's coming-of-age feature C.R.A.Z.Y.; Sarah Watt's Aussie drama Look Both Ways; Gavin Hood's Tsotsi, an expose of South African gang life; and Carlos Reygadas' sexually explicit Cannes competition entry Battle In Heaven.
- 11/15/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways dominated this year's Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, winning best film, director and actor (William McInnes) as well as best original screenplay for Watt and best editing for Denise Haratzis. The awards were held in Melbourne on Saturday. Rowan Woods' Little Fish collected three acting awards: best actress (Cate Blanchett), best supporting actress (Noni Hazlehurst) and best supporting actor (Hugo Weaving).
- 11/13/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Reflecting a trend in earlier awards nominations, members of the Australian Film Institute on Friday favored Rowan's Woods' Little Fish, John Hillcoat's The Proposition and Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways, which dominated the noms in all major categories. Unlike the selections announced earlier this week for the Inside Film Awards and the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards (HR 10/19), Greg McLean's hit Wolf Creek, while scoring a best director nomination, failed to earn an AFI nom for best film, nor did lead actor John Jarratt get a nod. Instead, Alun Bollinger's drama Oyster Farmer took the fourth nomination for best film, although helmer Anna Reeves wasn't nominated for best director.
- 10/21/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Recent Australian releases Little Fish, Look Both Ways and The Proposition dominated nominations for major awards in the Inside Film Awards and the Film Critics' Circle of Australia Awards announced Tuesday. Both organizations said that all three films have been nominated for best film and most other key categories. The IF Awards, voted by the public through the Internet and industry committees, will be handed out in Sydney on Nov. 23, while the FCCA Awards, judged by Australia's key film critics, will be announced in Melbourne Nov.12. The IF Awards gave director John Hillcoat's The Proposition nine nominations, including best director and actor (Guy Pearce); the FCCA offered 11 nominations for Rowan Woods' Little Fish, including best film, director and actress (Cate Blanchett) but mostly mirrored the IF Awards tally. Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways also reflected the general tone, with similar nominations in most categories and thriller Wolf Creek fared well. One big surprise was the almost total absence of Robert Connolly's Three Dollars, one of the most popular local films at the boxoffice earlier this year, apart from an FCCA nomination for adapted screenplay.
- 10/19/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Australian breakout feature Look Both Ways, has been picked up for U.S. release by Kino International, distributor Fortissimo Films announced Wednesday. The Sarah Watt helmed feature was the recent winner of the Discovery prize at the Toronto Film Festival and was voted audience favorite at the Adelaide and Brisbane International Film (BIFF) Festivals as well as winning the BIFF FIPRESCI prize. "'Look Both Ways' is a film that is both imaginatively crafted and hugely appealing. We believe it has the potential to find a large audience in North America. It establishes Sarah Watt as a director with genuine talent and we look forward to working with her," Kino International's Donald Krim said announcing the deal which was brokered by Krim and Fortissimo Films' co-chairman Wouter Barendrecht and vice president of international sales Winnie Lau.
- 10/13/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Tsotsi, the British-South African drama about six days in the violent life of a young Johannesburg gang leader, captured the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, which closed Saturday. "That was agony", an emotional Hood told an awards gathering Saturday afternoon. He paid particular tribute to the film's star, Presley Chweneyagae, a first-time film actor. The runner-up film for the People's Choice Award was Mother of Mine, a drama about a mother and son in war-torn Finland. Other award winners included the Discovery Award, voted on by the festival's press corps, going to Look Both Ways, from Australian director Sarah Watt, and the FIPRESCI Prize being awarded to South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan for SA-KWA, which had its world premiere here.
- 9/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Tsotsi, the British-South African drama about six days in the violent life of a young Johannesburg gang leader, captured the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, which closed Saturday. "That was agony", an emotional Hood told an awards gathering Saturday afternoon. He paid particular tribute to the film's star, Presley Chweneyagae, a first-time film actor. The runner-up film for the People's Choice Award was Mother of Mine, a drama about a mother and son in war-torn Finland. Other award winners included the Discovery Award, voted on by the festival's press corps, going to Look Both Ways, from Australian director Sarah Watt, and the FIPRESCI Prize being awarded to South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan for SA-KWA, which had its world premiere here.
- 9/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Strong thematically and rich with finely honed characterizations, Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways is the best Australian film to hit local screens in more than a year. Although lacking any internationally renowned actors to win more than limited release, the film's energy and stylistic daring mark it as a true original. Opening in Australia on Aug. 18, the drama should find an appreciative audience on the art house circuit in many markets.
The world of newspaper photographer Nick (William McInnes) starts to crumble when he's diagnosed with testicular cancer. Torn up and at a total loss, he's sent on a job with embittered journalist Andy (Anthony Hayes) to cover the scene of a grisly accident where a man has been hit by a train, which serves only to intensify Nick's own grief and confusion.
While there, he not only takes a haunting photograph that will be splattered across the front page but also meets Meryl (Justine Clarke), a struggling artist on the way home from her father's funeral. Although both are dealing with their own personal tragedies, something flickers between Nick and Meryl. Meanwhile, divorced father of two Andy has discovered that his girlfriend, Anna (Lisa Flanagan), is pregnant, and he's not sure how he feels. As a hot weekend gets even hotter, these four characters simmer and struggle through issues of life and death.
For her debut feature, Watt delivers a film of startling immediacy and maturity. As Australian cinema has lately wallowed in a mess of undercooked comedies and half-realized dramas, Look Both Ways is a breath of fresh air. The underlying drive of the film is about death and different ways of handling it. Watt proves herself a surprisingly assured hand: Her script is powerful yet plays out with an admirable light touch.
Although the premise appears bleak, there are strong threads of humor (as well as flashes of inspired animation) throughout. A calamitous scene in which a troubled Nick invites Meryl home to meet his mother (which soon degenerates into a debate about his father's death) is a particular standout.
Watt is aided immeasurably by stunning performances. McInnes (Watt's husband) and Clarke are superb, offering beautifully nuanced turns that perfectly weigh the dizziness of a new romance with the pain of their obvious grief. Equally strong backup comes from Hayes as the journalist working the arts beat who would prefer to be covering bigger stories. He tempers his anger with a strange kind of sweetness that is totally disarming, while Flanagan is appropriately raw and nervy as his pregnant girlfriend. Even the smallest roles -- Daniela Farinacci, Andrew S. Gilbert and Sacha Horler -- are filled with flair.
LOOK BOTH WAYS
Dendy Films (Australia)
Film Finance Corporation Australia, the South Australian Film Corp., SBS Independent and Hibiscus Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Sarah Watt
Producer: Bridget Ikin
Executive producer: Andrew Myer
Director of photography: Ray Argall
Production designer: Rita Zanchetta
Costume designer: Edie Kurzer
Music: Amanda Brown
Editor: Denise Haratzis
Cast:
Nick: William McInnes
Meryl: Justine Clarke
Andy: Anthony Hayes
Anna: Lisa Flanagan
Phil: Andrew S. Gilbert
Julia: Daniela Farinacci
Linda: Sacha Horler
Joan: Maggie Dence
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 100 minutes...
The world of newspaper photographer Nick (William McInnes) starts to crumble when he's diagnosed with testicular cancer. Torn up and at a total loss, he's sent on a job with embittered journalist Andy (Anthony Hayes) to cover the scene of a grisly accident where a man has been hit by a train, which serves only to intensify Nick's own grief and confusion.
While there, he not only takes a haunting photograph that will be splattered across the front page but also meets Meryl (Justine Clarke), a struggling artist on the way home from her father's funeral. Although both are dealing with their own personal tragedies, something flickers between Nick and Meryl. Meanwhile, divorced father of two Andy has discovered that his girlfriend, Anna (Lisa Flanagan), is pregnant, and he's not sure how he feels. As a hot weekend gets even hotter, these four characters simmer and struggle through issues of life and death.
For her debut feature, Watt delivers a film of startling immediacy and maturity. As Australian cinema has lately wallowed in a mess of undercooked comedies and half-realized dramas, Look Both Ways is a breath of fresh air. The underlying drive of the film is about death and different ways of handling it. Watt proves herself a surprisingly assured hand: Her script is powerful yet plays out with an admirable light touch.
Although the premise appears bleak, there are strong threads of humor (as well as flashes of inspired animation) throughout. A calamitous scene in which a troubled Nick invites Meryl home to meet his mother (which soon degenerates into a debate about his father's death) is a particular standout.
Watt is aided immeasurably by stunning performances. McInnes (Watt's husband) and Clarke are superb, offering beautifully nuanced turns that perfectly weigh the dizziness of a new romance with the pain of their obvious grief. Equally strong backup comes from Hayes as the journalist working the arts beat who would prefer to be covering bigger stories. He tempers his anger with a strange kind of sweetness that is totally disarming, while Flanagan is appropriately raw and nervy as his pregnant girlfriend. Even the smallest roles -- Daniela Farinacci, Andrew S. Gilbert and Sacha Horler -- are filled with flair.
LOOK BOTH WAYS
Dendy Films (Australia)
Film Finance Corporation Australia, the South Australian Film Corp., SBS Independent and Hibiscus Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Sarah Watt
Producer: Bridget Ikin
Executive producer: Andrew Myer
Director of photography: Ray Argall
Production designer: Rita Zanchetta
Costume designer: Edie Kurzer
Music: Amanda Brown
Editor: Denise Haratzis
Cast:
Nick: William McInnes
Meryl: Justine Clarke
Andy: Anthony Hayes
Anna: Lisa Flanagan
Phil: Andrew S. Gilbert
Julia: Daniela Farinacci
Linda: Sacha Horler
Joan: Maggie Dence
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 100 minutes...
- 7/20/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- Proving its mettle against its long-established Melbourne and Sydney counterparts, the nascent Adelaide Film Festival has recorded an explosion in audience attendance, registering 33,000 visitors over 13 days -- a 96% increase from the inaugural event in 2003. "With a film festival on every corner we are very pleased that in such a short time we have been able to program Adelaide's differently and receive such a positive response in the press, from the film industry and the public alike," Adelaide Film Festival director Katrina Sedgwick said in a statement. Adelaide audiences awarded Sarah Watt's live action/animation feature debut Look Both Ways best feature film. Peace One Day, about filmmaker Jeremy Gilley's attempts to get the global community to sanction one day without conflict, took best documentary film in audience polls. The AFF opened Feb. 18 with Look Both Ways and closed March 3 with the Australian premiere of Wong Kar Wai's 2046. The festival showcased over 100 Australian premieres and 19 world premieres.
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.