Larry Robins, a longtime manager who most recently segued to producing with Netflix’s Sex/Life, died January 23 in Los Angeles of multiple myeloma. He was 75.
His death was announced by wife Catherine Scott.
After moving to Los Angeles from Toronto in 1969, Robins, as president of his One B Management, focused his entertainment career on music management, working with clients including Peter, Paul & Mary, Delaney & Bonnie, Natalie Cole and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers. Other clients included comedian George Wallace and such actors as Cree Summer and Tamara Taylor, as well as various TV writers, producers and voiceover artists.
Robins’ final project was as a producer of Netflix’s upcoming Sex/Life; his nephew, J. Miles Dale (The Shape of Water), is an executive producer on the series.
According to information provided by family, Robins will be publicly remembered later this summer at the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax “as management...
His death was announced by wife Catherine Scott.
After moving to Los Angeles from Toronto in 1969, Robins, as president of his One B Management, focused his entertainment career on music management, working with clients including Peter, Paul & Mary, Delaney & Bonnie, Natalie Cole and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers. Other clients included comedian George Wallace and such actors as Cree Summer and Tamara Taylor, as well as various TV writers, producers and voiceover artists.
Robins’ final project was as a producer of Netflix’s upcoming Sex/Life; his nephew, J. Miles Dale (The Shape of Water), is an executive producer on the series.
According to information provided by family, Robins will be publicly remembered later this summer at the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax “as management...
- 2/11/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Screen Australia-funded ‘Alick and Albert’ (Photo: Freshwater Pictures).
Screen Australia has decided to postpone the introduction of the revised documentary programs from July 1 until 2021, to the dismay of some factual filmmakers who wanted the new regime to happen sooner.
Announcing the move, Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said: “Documentary has a unique set of challenges in this current situation and many creators in this space were already operating in difficult circumstances. As such, my focus right now is on giving the documentary sector as much stability as possible.”
The existing documentary programs including the Producer Equity Program (Pep) will remain in place for the rest of 2020. The budget for documentary in 2019/20 remains unchanged and Mason said the documentary team headed by Bernadine Lim is now working on a very large number of new applications.
In a letter to Lim from 360 Degree Films’ Sally Ingleton on behalf of the Australian Independent Documentary Group,...
Screen Australia has decided to postpone the introduction of the revised documentary programs from July 1 until 2021, to the dismay of some factual filmmakers who wanted the new regime to happen sooner.
Announcing the move, Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said: “Documentary has a unique set of challenges in this current situation and many creators in this space were already operating in difficult circumstances. As such, my focus right now is on giving the documentary sector as much stability as possible.”
The existing documentary programs including the Producer Equity Program (Pep) will remain in place for the rest of 2020. The budget for documentary in 2019/20 remains unchanged and Mason said the documentary team headed by Bernadine Lim is now working on a very large number of new applications.
In a letter to Lim from 360 Degree Films’ Sally Ingleton on behalf of the Australian Independent Documentary Group,...
- 4/16/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Flickchicks’ ‘Bowled Over’ for Sbs’s ‘Untold Australia.’
The Australian International Documentary (Aid) group is urging Screen Australia to increase funding of single one-hours and feature documentaries.
This could be achieved by the agency reducing funding to broadcasters for format-based productions and by allocating a set percentage of its annual documentary spend ($16.26 million in 2018/19) on singles.
In response, Screen Australia reports it has 29 feature docs in various states of production which are yet to be released, compared with 27 TV docs, eight online and two Vr.
The group, which represents a broad church of factual producers, directors, writers and editors, supports the majority of Screen Australia’s proposed changes to docs funding guidelines.
The Aid welcomed the increase of up to $500,000 for development, the funds allocated to the Producer Program, reducing the cap for Commissioned Programs from $1 million to $750.000 and opening up funding to all major platforms.
However the group continues...
The Australian International Documentary (Aid) group is urging Screen Australia to increase funding of single one-hours and feature documentaries.
This could be achieved by the agency reducing funding to broadcasters for format-based productions and by allocating a set percentage of its annual documentary spend ($16.26 million in 2018/19) on singles.
In response, Screen Australia reports it has 29 feature docs in various states of production which are yet to be released, compared with 27 TV docs, eight online and two Vr.
The group, which represents a broad church of factual producers, directors, writers and editors, supports the majority of Screen Australia’s proposed changes to docs funding guidelines.
The Aid welcomed the increase of up to $500,000 for development, the funds allocated to the Producer Program, reducing the cap for Commissioned Programs from $1 million to $750.000 and opening up funding to all major platforms.
However the group continues...
- 1/8/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Graeme Mason.
Screen Australia expects to support the same number of documentary projects each year despite the proposed scrapping of the Producer Equity Program (Pep).
The Pep program had no qualitative controls and was becoming unsustainable due to the sheer volume of people who were trying to access that scheme, according to Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason.
Mason told a Senate Estimates committee in Canberra earlier this week that the creatively-assessed completion fund for low budget projects, which the agency is proposing to replace Pep, would help producers develop projects and at completion.
Asked by Labor Senator Anne Urquhart if the proposed funding regime may result in fewer projects getting assistance, Mason said: “It would be fair to say that some would not be eligible or would not be successful that could have been in the past.
“In the last two years the scheme was going so far over its...
Screen Australia expects to support the same number of documentary projects each year despite the proposed scrapping of the Producer Equity Program (Pep).
The Pep program had no qualitative controls and was becoming unsustainable due to the sheer volume of people who were trying to access that scheme, according to Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason.
Mason told a Senate Estimates committee in Canberra earlier this week that the creatively-assessed completion fund for low budget projects, which the agency is proposing to replace Pep, would help producers develop projects and at completion.
Asked by Labor Senator Anne Urquhart if the proposed funding regime may result in fewer projects getting assistance, Mason said: “It would be fair to say that some would not be eligible or would not be successful that could have been in the past.
“In the last two years the scheme was going so far over its...
- 10/24/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Warwick Thornton and Sam Neill on the set of ‘Sweet Country’.
Warwick Thornton took home the top gong at last night’s Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg) Awards for outback Western Sweet Country.
It joins a slew of other prizes for the film, which follows an Aboriginal stockman who a kills white station owner in self-defence, including the Venice Film Festival Special Jury Prize, the Toronto International Film Festival Platform Prize, and six Aacta Awards, including Best Film and Best Direction.
Competing against Thornton for Best Direction in a Feature Film (budget $1 million or over) were Joel Edgerton for Boy Erased, Anthony Maras for Hotel Mumbai, and Garth Davis for Mary Magdelene.
The Adg Awards were held at Sydney’s City Recital Hall, with presenters including Rachel Griffiths, Claudia Karvan, Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward.
This year also saw the guild divide the feature film category for the first time, introducing...
Warwick Thornton took home the top gong at last night’s Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg) Awards for outback Western Sweet Country.
It joins a slew of other prizes for the film, which follows an Aboriginal stockman who a kills white station owner in self-defence, including the Venice Film Festival Special Jury Prize, the Toronto International Film Festival Platform Prize, and six Aacta Awards, including Best Film and Best Direction.
Competing against Thornton for Best Direction in a Feature Film (budget $1 million or over) were Joel Edgerton for Boy Erased, Anthony Maras for Hotel Mumbai, and Garth Davis for Mary Magdelene.
The Adg Awards were held at Sydney’s City Recital Hall, with presenters including Rachel Griffiths, Claudia Karvan, Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward.
This year also saw the guild divide the feature film category for the first time, introducing...
- 5/7/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Warwick Thornton, Garth Davis, Joel Edgerton and Anthony Maras go head to head at the Australian Directors Guild Awards. They are each nominated as best director in the category of films with a budget of A$1 million Donna McRae Dustin Feneley (“Stray”) and Jason Perini (“Chasing Comets”).
Some of Australia’s most respected directors have been recognized in the television/SVoD categories. Rachel Perkins, Nash Edgerton, Tony Krawitz and Emma Freeman all receive nominations in the best direction in a TV or Svod drama series episode category.
Ben Lawrence Catherine Scott Mark Joffe Matthew Sleeth Paul Damien Williams (“Gurrumul”) and Richard Tood (“Dying to Live”) are nominated for best direction in a documentary feature.
Some of Australia’s most respected directors have been recognized in the television/SVoD categories. Rachel Perkins, Nash Edgerton, Tony Krawitz and Emma Freeman all receive nominations in the best direction in a TV or Svod drama series episode category.
Ben Lawrence Catherine Scott Mark Joffe Matthew Sleeth Paul Damien Williams (“Gurrumul”) and Richard Tood (“Dying to Live”) are nominated for best direction in a documentary feature.
- 4/8/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Sophie Hyde, Rachel Perkins.
Warwick Thornton, Garth Davis, Joel Edgerton and Anthony Maras have been nominated for best direction in a feature film budgeted at $1 million or more in the 2019 Australian Directors’ Guild Awards.
So Sweet Country, Mary Magdalene, Boy Erased and Hotel Mumbai will compete in the awards to be announced on Monday May 6 at the City Recital Hall in Sydney.
In the new category of best direction in a feature budgeted below $1 million, the nominees are Christopher Kay (Just Between Us), Donna McRae (Lost Gully Road), Dustin Feneley (Stray) and Jason Perini (Chasing Comets).
The nominees for best direction in a TV or SVoD drama series episode are Rachel Perkins (Mystery Road series 1), Nash Edgerton (Mr Inbetween series 1), Tony Krawitz and Emma Freeman.
Jeffrey Walker (Riot), Daina Reid and Shannon Murphy (On The Ropes) have been nominated for best direction in a TV or SVoD miniseries and telefeature.
Warwick Thornton, Garth Davis, Joel Edgerton and Anthony Maras have been nominated for best direction in a feature film budgeted at $1 million or more in the 2019 Australian Directors’ Guild Awards.
So Sweet Country, Mary Magdalene, Boy Erased and Hotel Mumbai will compete in the awards to be announced on Monday May 6 at the City Recital Hall in Sydney.
In the new category of best direction in a feature budgeted below $1 million, the nominees are Christopher Kay (Just Between Us), Donna McRae (Lost Gully Road), Dustin Feneley (Stray) and Jason Perini (Chasing Comets).
The nominees for best direction in a TV or SVoD drama series episode are Rachel Perkins (Mystery Road series 1), Nash Edgerton (Mr Inbetween series 1), Tony Krawitz and Emma Freeman.
Jeffrey Walker (Riot), Daina Reid and Shannon Murphy (On The Ropes) have been nominated for best direction in a TV or SVoD miniseries and telefeature.
- 4/8/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin, Sue Maslin, Rob Gibson, Jamie Hilton and Steve Jaggi have joined the lineup for Screenworks’ annual business of producing seminar, to be held in late March.
They join Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight and Backtrack Boys‘ Catherine Scott, who were announced last week.
The theme of this year’s seminar is Local to Global. Internationally-based speakers will include Alexandra Fox-Hughes, head of partnerships from Singapore-based documentary channel iwonder and the London-based manager of client services at online distributor Rights trade, Andrew Carroll.
Also on the line-up are ABC head of Indigenous Kelrick Martin, screen industry lawyer Jenny Lalor, Screenrights head of service design Emma Madison, and representatives from Screen Australia, Create Nsw and Screen Queensland.
During the three day event, the producers will share advice on their best practice in producing screen content for international audiences. The broadcasters and content buyers will speak about what they are looking for,...
They join Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight and Backtrack Boys‘ Catherine Scott, who were announced last week.
The theme of this year’s seminar is Local to Global. Internationally-based speakers will include Alexandra Fox-Hughes, head of partnerships from Singapore-based documentary channel iwonder and the London-based manager of client services at online distributor Rights trade, Andrew Carroll.
Also on the line-up are ABC head of Indigenous Kelrick Martin, screen industry lawyer Jenny Lalor, Screenrights head of service design Emma Madison, and representatives from Screen Australia, Create Nsw and Screen Queensland.
During the three day event, the producers will share advice on their best practice in producing screen content for international audiences. The broadcasters and content buyers will speak about what they are looking for,...
- 2/15/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Screenworks chair Dustin Clare.
Screenworks’ annual producing seminar will this year take a global focus, with producers, buyers and commissioning editors from across Australia and South East Asia expected to present at the event.
Independent documentary filmmaker Catherine Scott (Backtrack Boys) and Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight (Top End Wedding) are among the confirmed lineup, with the full speaker list to be announced next Friday.
The theme is ‘Local to Global’, and speakers will present case studies of their works and talk about best practice and industry opportunity.
Screenworks chairperson Dustin Clare said: “We continue to attract an extremely high calibre of guest speakers and executives to the region for the event, who even in a major city would be inaccessible, creating a rare opportunity for both established creative practitioners and those starting out in the industry. This event will increase economic opportunities for the film and television sector within our...
Screenworks’ annual producing seminar will this year take a global focus, with producers, buyers and commissioning editors from across Australia and South East Asia expected to present at the event.
Independent documentary filmmaker Catherine Scott (Backtrack Boys) and Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight (Top End Wedding) are among the confirmed lineup, with the full speaker list to be announced next Friday.
The theme is ‘Local to Global’, and speakers will present case studies of their works and talk about best practice and industry opportunity.
Screenworks chairperson Dustin Clare said: “We continue to attract an extremely high calibre of guest speakers and executives to the region for the event, who even in a major city would be inaccessible, creating a rare opportunity for both established creative practitioners and those starting out in the industry. This event will increase economic opportunities for the film and television sector within our...
- 2/8/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Heath Davis.
A newly formed indie filmmakers co-operative will meet monthly in Sydney and plans to expand to a Melbourne chapter.
Around 15 directors attended the inaugural meeting of the group which was convened by Heath Davis and is named Cinegar Bar in Sydney last Thursday.
Among the ideas canvassed were making films as a collective and staging festivals or other screenings of Australian films.
“Our main aim is to create and control our own content and to support each other’s films,” Davis tells If. “We all acknowledge there is a crisis point in Oz cinema and we all have the same war stories.
“We have to find ways to ensure directors are treated better financially. I know some who spent a year on a film and had to reinvest their fees so they were paid zero.”
Among the attendees at the The ArtHouse Hotel in Sydney’s Cbd were Dean Francis,...
A newly formed indie filmmakers co-operative will meet monthly in Sydney and plans to expand to a Melbourne chapter.
Around 15 directors attended the inaugural meeting of the group which was convened by Heath Davis and is named Cinegar Bar in Sydney last Thursday.
Among the ideas canvassed were making films as a collective and staging festivals or other screenings of Australian films.
“Our main aim is to create and control our own content and to support each other’s films,” Davis tells If. “We all acknowledge there is a crisis point in Oz cinema and we all have the same war stories.
“We have to find ways to ensure directors are treated better financially. I know some who spent a year on a film and had to reinvest their fees so they were paid zero.”
Among the attendees at the The ArtHouse Hotel in Sydney’s Cbd were Dean Francis,...
- 2/4/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Ryan Corr and Rachael Taylor in ‘Ladies in Black.’
The good news for Australian cinema: Last year ranks as the third biggest ever for Oz films and feature docs released theatrically in the home market.
Another encouraging trend: Eight of the top 30 grossing titles were feature docs, led by Paul Damien Williams’ Gurrumul, Mark Joffe’s Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy, Ray Argall’s Midnight Oil 1984, Naina Sen’s The Song Keepers and Catherine Scott’s Backtrack Boys.
The not-so-good news: The top two films, Will Gluck’s Peter Rabbit and Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black accounted for nearly 70 per cent of total revenues, while 39 of the 61 new releases each made less than $100,000.
Collectively, local titles including holdovers racked up $57.4 million in 2018, trailing the 2001 total of $63.1 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa)
The all-time record is 2015’s $88.1 million, the year of Mad Max: Fury Road,...
The good news for Australian cinema: Last year ranks as the third biggest ever for Oz films and feature docs released theatrically in the home market.
Another encouraging trend: Eight of the top 30 grossing titles were feature docs, led by Paul Damien Williams’ Gurrumul, Mark Joffe’s Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy, Ray Argall’s Midnight Oil 1984, Naina Sen’s The Song Keepers and Catherine Scott’s Backtrack Boys.
The not-so-good news: The top two films, Will Gluck’s Peter Rabbit and Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black accounted for nearly 70 per cent of total revenues, while 39 of the 61 new releases each made less than $100,000.
Collectively, local titles including holdovers racked up $57.4 million in 2018, trailing the 2001 total of $63.1 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa)
The all-time record is 2015’s $88.1 million, the year of Mad Max: Fury Road,...
- 1/6/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Photo: Warner Bros).
Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts sequel worked its magic on moviegoers last weekend, ringing up $253.6 million worldwide as the Australian opening outshone the Us debut.
It was a buoyant frame in Oz, boosted by Trafalgar Releasing’s Burn the Stage: The Movie, while another alternate content release, Rialto’s Spitfire was less successful.
The Old Man & the Gun, which could be Robert Redford’s final screen role, is playing on limited screens in the Us but went out far wider here via eOne with modest results.
Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black reached $11.7 million after earning $74,000 in its ninth frame for Sony Pictures. Meanwhile Catherine Scott’s Backtrack Boys has generated $104,000 and Heath Davis’ comedy-drama Book Week has collected $34,000.
Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes, stole a respectable $52,000 on 15 screens and $161,000 including festival screenings and previews for Rialto.
Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts sequel worked its magic on moviegoers last weekend, ringing up $253.6 million worldwide as the Australian opening outshone the Us debut.
It was a buoyant frame in Oz, boosted by Trafalgar Releasing’s Burn the Stage: The Movie, while another alternate content release, Rialto’s Spitfire was less successful.
The Old Man & the Gun, which could be Robert Redford’s final screen role, is playing on limited screens in the Us but went out far wider here via eOne with modest results.
Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black reached $11.7 million after earning $74,000 in its ninth frame for Sony Pictures. Meanwhile Catherine Scott’s Backtrack Boys has generated $104,000 and Heath Davis’ comedy-drama Book Week has collected $34,000.
Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes, stole a respectable $52,000 on 15 screens and $161,000 including festival screenings and previews for Rialto.
- 11/19/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘Halloween.’
John Carpenter’s 40-year-old Halloween franchise traditionally has been much more potent in the Us than in the rest of the world, but Jamie Lee Curtis’ visit to Australia last week helped ensure a sturdy opening for the latest iteration.
However not surprisingly, the Universal/Blumhouse horror movie could not hold a candle to Warner Bros’ A Star is Born, which reigned supreme in its second weekend.
Sony’s comedy adventure Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween launched well below the predecessor. Transmission’s Beautiful Boy fared Ok at upmarket cinemas but struggled elsewhere while Icon’s Ghost Stories bombed, mirroring its domestic fate.
Catherine Scott’s Backtrack Boys, an alternate content release, and Heath Davis’ Book Week kicked off with respectable figures at some locations on Saturday and Sunday (see separate story).
The top 20 titles harvested $12.9 million, down 6 per cent on the prior weekend according to Numero.
John Carpenter’s 40-year-old Halloween franchise traditionally has been much more potent in the Us than in the rest of the world, but Jamie Lee Curtis’ visit to Australia last week helped ensure a sturdy opening for the latest iteration.
However not surprisingly, the Universal/Blumhouse horror movie could not hold a candle to Warner Bros’ A Star is Born, which reigned supreme in its second weekend.
Sony’s comedy adventure Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween launched well below the predecessor. Transmission’s Beautiful Boy fared Ok at upmarket cinemas but struggled elsewhere while Icon’s Ghost Stories bombed, mirroring its domestic fate.
Catherine Scott’s Backtrack Boys, an alternate content release, and Heath Davis’ Book Week kicked off with respectable figures at some locations on Saturday and Sunday (see separate story).
The top 20 titles harvested $12.9 million, down 6 per cent on the prior weekend according to Numero.
- 10/29/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Backtrack Boys.’
Russell Crowe last week urged his 2.73 million Twitter followers to see Backtrack Boys in cinemas, lauding Catherine Scott’s feature documentary as really special and a great story.
A reasonable number of Crowe’s followers did so as Umbrella Entertainment launched the film as an alternate content release, which means exhibitors have the flexibility to run limited sessions.
Meanwhile writer-director Heath Davis’ drama Book Week began its staggered roll-out on eight screens via Bonsai Films.
Backtrack Boys examines a youth program run by rule-breaking jackaroo Bernie Shakeshaft (hailed by Crowe as a “good fella and a bit of a genius”) on the outskirts of Armidale Nsw. Voted as the top feature documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the film collected $24,000 from one session on Saturday and Sunday on 44 screens, and $56,000 including festival screenings.
This opens theatrically in Australia on Thursday.
It’s really special.
Go and see it.
Russell Crowe last week urged his 2.73 million Twitter followers to see Backtrack Boys in cinemas, lauding Catherine Scott’s feature documentary as really special and a great story.
A reasonable number of Crowe’s followers did so as Umbrella Entertainment launched the film as an alternate content release, which means exhibitors have the flexibility to run limited sessions.
Meanwhile writer-director Heath Davis’ drama Book Week began its staggered roll-out on eight screens via Bonsai Films.
Backtrack Boys examines a youth program run by rule-breaking jackaroo Bernie Shakeshaft (hailed by Crowe as a “good fella and a bit of a genius”) on the outskirts of Armidale Nsw. Voted as the top feature documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the film collected $24,000 from one session on Saturday and Sunday on 44 screens, and $56,000 including festival screenings.
This opens theatrically in Australia on Thursday.
It’s really special.
Go and see it.
- 10/28/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra’.
A three-parter exploring the forces behind and the cover-up of child abuse inside the Catholic Church; a feature doco co-written and co-directed by Nel Minchin and Wayne Blair that looks at the work of Indigenous performing arts company Bangarra; and two projects from Mint Pictures for Sbs are among the 14 most recent docos to have received production funding from Screen Australia.
The federal agency has invested $1.3 million via its Producer program and $1.4 million via the Commissioned program.
“Documentary continuously works as a platform to amplify marginalised voices and ideas, and there are a variety of stories in this slate from multicultural, transgender and Indigenous perspectives that will enrich and enlighten viewers,” said head of content Sally Caplan.
“The documentary art form allows us to unravel and explore complex and often challenging topics, and these projects take on some difficult and topical subject matter including death,...
A three-parter exploring the forces behind and the cover-up of child abuse inside the Catholic Church; a feature doco co-written and co-directed by Nel Minchin and Wayne Blair that looks at the work of Indigenous performing arts company Bangarra; and two projects from Mint Pictures for Sbs are among the 14 most recent docos to have received production funding from Screen Australia.
The federal agency has invested $1.3 million via its Producer program and $1.4 million via the Commissioned program.
“Documentary continuously works as a platform to amplify marginalised voices and ideas, and there are a variety of stories in this slate from multicultural, transgender and Indigenous perspectives that will enrich and enlighten viewers,” said head of content Sally Caplan.
“The documentary art form allows us to unravel and explore complex and often challenging topics, and these projects take on some difficult and topical subject matter including death,...
- 10/22/2018
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
‘Ladies in Black.’
The Australian titles released in cinemas this year including holdovers will overtake the calendar 2017 total in the next week or so, boosted by Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black.
Through the end of September the Oz films and feature docs had grossed $47.8 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa), within spitting distance of last year’s $49.4 million.
After a second weekend drop of just 10 per cent Ladies in Black’s takings have increased by nearly $800,000 to $5.97 million, including $361,000 on Tuesday, so the 1950s-set comedy-drama distributed by Sony is on course to surpass $12 million.
Distributed by Universal Pictures as an alternate content release, Mark Joffe’s biopic Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy rang up $823,000, ranking as the year’s second biggest feature doc behind Paul Damian Williams’ Gurrumul, which made $984,000.
Among the other September debutantes, Mark Grentell’s The Merger collected $405,000 and Benjamin Gilmour...
The Australian titles released in cinemas this year including holdovers will overtake the calendar 2017 total in the next week or so, boosted by Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black.
Through the end of September the Oz films and feature docs had grossed $47.8 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa), within spitting distance of last year’s $49.4 million.
After a second weekend drop of just 10 per cent Ladies in Black’s takings have increased by nearly $800,000 to $5.97 million, including $361,000 on Tuesday, so the 1950s-set comedy-drama distributed by Sony is on course to surpass $12 million.
Distributed by Universal Pictures as an alternate content release, Mark Joffe’s biopic Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy rang up $823,000, ranking as the year’s second biggest feature doc behind Paul Damian Williams’ Gurrumul, which made $984,000.
Among the other September debutantes, Mark Grentell’s The Merger collected $405,000 and Benjamin Gilmour...
- 10/3/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘In Like Flynn.’
Robert Slaviero has joined Umbrella Entertainment as head of sales as the distributor continues its commitment to release a sizable slate of Australian feature films and documentaries.
While some distributors have largely shied away from handling local films Umbrella is keeping the faith with three titles scheduled to open in October and eight on the slate for 2019.
“We like working with people who are passionate about their work and who have a commercial sensibility,” Umbrella MD Jeff Harrison tells If, pointing to collaborators including Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings, Catherine Scott, Carver Films’ Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill, Steve Jaggi and Justin Dix. “We are very happy with what we’re doing.”
Head of acquisitions Ari Harrison says the firm evaluates up to 50 scripts at any one time and he laments the shortage of projects aimed at older females. “People...
Robert Slaviero has joined Umbrella Entertainment as head of sales as the distributor continues its commitment to release a sizable slate of Australian feature films and documentaries.
While some distributors have largely shied away from handling local films Umbrella is keeping the faith with three titles scheduled to open in October and eight on the slate for 2019.
“We like working with people who are passionate about their work and who have a commercial sensibility,” Umbrella MD Jeff Harrison tells If, pointing to collaborators including Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Sam Jennings, Catherine Scott, Carver Films’ Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill, Steve Jaggi and Justin Dix. “We are very happy with what we’re doing.”
Head of acquisitions Ari Harrison says the firm evaluates up to 50 scripts at any one time and he laments the shortage of projects aimed at older females. “People...
- 9/18/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Gurrumul’.
For the first time, ten documentaries are in competition for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Award for Best Feature Length Documentary.
The ten films on the shortlist, determined by Aacta’s documentary branch (made up of past winners/nominees as well as other members of the documentary sector), include: Backtrack Boys, Dying to Live, Ghosthunter, Guilty, Gurrumul, Have You Seen the Listers?, Island of the Hungry Ghosts, Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible, Mountain and Working Class Boy.
All Aacta members will then vote to determine the nominees in October, with the winner then to be determined during a second round of voting in November.
Each of the ten films will screen as part of a standalone Docs Fest across the first week of October in Sydney at Aftrs, in Melbourne at Cinema Nova and in Brisbane at Griffith Film School, as well as online via Aacta TV.
For the first time, ten documentaries are in competition for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Award for Best Feature Length Documentary.
The ten films on the shortlist, determined by Aacta’s documentary branch (made up of past winners/nominees as well as other members of the documentary sector), include: Backtrack Boys, Dying to Live, Ghosthunter, Guilty, Gurrumul, Have You Seen the Listers?, Island of the Hungry Ghosts, Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible, Mountain and Working Class Boy.
All Aacta members will then vote to determine the nominees in October, with the winner then to be determined during a second round of voting in November.
Each of the ten films will screen as part of a standalone Docs Fest across the first week of October in Sydney at Aftrs, in Melbourne at Cinema Nova and in Brisbane at Griffith Film School, as well as online via Aacta TV.
- 9/10/2018
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
In Kalgoorlie, Australia, once a booming town, men used to come to pick the gold from the hills until the market took a nosedive leading to a negative effect on the local economy that’s discussed through the lens of one industry, the oldest profession in the world. Sure, the prim and proper Madame Carmel, three times a widower, blames the influx of Asian immigrants advertising in the local paper and not Tinder and the normalization of one-night stands. Her local employee is Bj, a 45-year-old sex worker who started in the industry for the wrong reasons: to support her drug habit, which leads her down a dark path as The Pink House strays into the wild and off the reservation.
Inspired by the Maysles’ Grey Gardens, Sascha Ettinger Epstein’s lens focuses mostly on its two leads living and working together. Carmel, a proper, energetic woman of 80, purchases the historic Questa Casa,...
Inspired by the Maysles’ Grey Gardens, Sascha Ettinger Epstein’s lens focuses mostly on its two leads living and working together. Carmel, a proper, energetic woman of 80, purchases the historic Questa Casa,...
- 11/17/2017
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Catherine Scott's new film, Scarlet Road, tells the story of Rachel Wotton, a sex worker who specialises in providing her services to people with disabilities. Screening at Sheffield Docfest this week, it was followed by a Q&A in which the two women answered questions from the audience. They were joined by a local representative of sex workers, and the Baxter family, who appeared in the film. (Rachel was seen paying a supportive social visit to the mother of several Down syndrome children, including Otto, who naturally longs to experience sex like everyone else and whose mother has been pilloried in parts of the press for saying she would like to pay a sex worker for him to lose his virginity.)
Not surprisingly, a film about sex produced a capacity audience, but the first question came from Otto: “ How long have you been a sex worker, Rachel?”
Rachel laughed,...
Not surprisingly, a film about sex produced a capacity audience, but the first question came from Otto: “ How long have you been a sex worker, Rachel?”
Rachel laughed,...
- 6/16/2012
- by Val Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
SXSW 2012 film review
complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012
Scarlet Road
Director: Catherine Scott
The film follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability.
(North American Premiere)
Film Synopsis (from SXSW.com)
Who’S It For? If you are willing to have a sympathetic view toward educated sex workers and the disabled people they sometimes serve, then see this doc from Australia.
Overall
Call me crazy, but I like to see people happy. I know, it’s what separates me from you.
When I read the description of this film, I figured this is exactly the kind of movie a film festival is for. Rarely would I make time for something like this otherwise. I’m glad I did.
Rachel has done everything. That’s right,...
complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012
Scarlet Road
Director: Catherine Scott
The film follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability.
(North American Premiere)
Film Synopsis (from SXSW.com)
Who’S It For? If you are willing to have a sympathetic view toward educated sex workers and the disabled people they sometimes serve, then see this doc from Australia.
Overall
Call me crazy, but I like to see people happy. I know, it’s what separates me from you.
When I read the description of this film, I figured this is exactly the kind of movie a film festival is for. Rarely would I make time for something like this otherwise. I’m glad I did.
Rachel has done everything. That’s right,...
- 3/13/2012
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
A sci-fi comedy about Nazis returning from the moon, a drama following a Tassie Tiger hunt and a doco about an Australian sex worker make up some of the Australian projects screening at the upcoming SXSW Festival in the Us.
Feature films, docos and shorts have been announced for the prestigious festival held in Austin, Texas in March. This follows the news that six local digital projects were chosen to battle it out at the festival's Awards on March 13.
Psychological drama The Hunter, starring Willem Dafoe, will have its Us premiere at the festival in the .headliners. section. The film, which grossed more than $1 million at the local box office, was picked up for Us distribution from Magnolia Pictures after a positive screening at Toronto in September last year. The distributor is planning on a release through its Ultra-vod program, which allows cable subscribers to watch the film for about...
Feature films, docos and shorts have been announced for the prestigious festival held in Austin, Texas in March. This follows the news that six local digital projects were chosen to battle it out at the festival's Awards on March 13.
Psychological drama The Hunter, starring Willem Dafoe, will have its Us premiere at the festival in the .headliners. section. The film, which grossed more than $1 million at the local box office, was picked up for Us distribution from Magnolia Pictures after a positive screening at Toronto in September last year. The distributor is planning on a release through its Ultra-vod program, which allows cable subscribers to watch the film for about...
- 2/12/2012
- by Sam Dallas
- IF.com.au
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Sydney, Nov 28: A new documentary titled 'Scarlet Road', which has been nominated for the Walkley Award, tells the story of a man who loves sex but is confined to the wheelchair with cerebral palsy, due to which he has been the client of a Sydney sex worker for the past seven years.
The documentary, made by Catherine Scott, explores the relation between people like Mark Manitta and Rachel Wotton, who specialises in disabled clients.
"People do not understand the difference that sex makes," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Manitta as saying.
"'Part of having cerebral palsy is spasticity and muscle spasms. I need sex.
The documentary, made by Catherine Scott, explores the relation between people like Mark Manitta and Rachel Wotton, who specialises in disabled clients.
"People do not understand the difference that sex makes," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Manitta as saying.
"'Part of having cerebral palsy is spasticity and muscle spasms. I need sex.
- 11/28/2011
- by Leon David
- RealBollywood.com
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