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Nicholas Hoult continues to rise as one of the most exciting young actors in Hollywood, and while he has some exciting projects on the horizon, he has already built a strong career for himself. Hoult has been around for a while, considering his recognition came fairly early with the 2002 Hugh Grant comedy-drama, About a Boy. Since then, Hoult has starred in both independent features and big-budget blockbusters, finding success in most of them.

At only 32, his filmography is already filled with some of the best movies of the last 20 years. He has appeared in smaller independent movies while also taking part in some big franchise movies. He has played the heroic lead the audience roots for and has been just as effective as the chilling villain. With a number of high-profile movies on the horizon, including playing Lex Luthor in James Gunn's Superman, it is a perfect time to look back on Hoult's career.

Back in 2009, the German-Australian sibling duo of Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig, a.k.a. The Spierig Brothers, brought us the sci-fi action horror vampire film Daybreakers – and now, the Australia-based company Umbrella Home Entertainment is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the film by giving it a 4K and Blu-ray collector’s edition release! Copies are available for purchase at This Link.

The plot the Spierig Brothers crafted for Daybreakers has the following synopsis: Ten years after a plague turns most of the world’s population into vampires, a critical blood shortage causes panic and gruesome mutations among the reanimated. Edward, a vampire hematologist, tries to develop a blood substitute when he meets Lionel and Audrey, two fugitive humans who claim to have a possible cure. Edward casts his lot with them in the hope of perfecting the cure before it’s too late.

The film stars Ethan Hawke as Edward,...

Australian comedy Spirited gets a streaming premiere on Acorn TV on Monday, September 2, 2024, with both seasons available at once. The series introduces us to Suzy Darling, an uptight dentist played by Claudia Karvan, who decides to leave her egotistical husband, Steve (played by Rodger Corser). Seeking a fresh start, Suzy moves into a […]

Spirited Seasons 1-2 Premieres on Acorn TV, Monday, September 2...

Acorn TV has announced the titles that will be available on the AMC-owned streaming service in September 2024. The Acorn TV September 2024 slate adds to the service’s various acclaimed English and foreign-language dramas, engaging comedies, documentaries, and more.

The September schedule includes new episodes of Under the Vines Season 3, Candice Renoir Season 10, The Long Shadow, and more.

Under the Vines Season 3 Acorn TV September 2024 Highlights

Under the Vines Season 3 (Acorn TV Original Series) – New Episodes Premiere Every Monday Until the Season Finale on September 16

Former Sydney socialite Daisy Monroe (Rebecca Gibney) and ex-London lawyer Louis Oakley (Charles Edwards) continue to run a small vineyard in New Zealand while navigating their complicated love lives. Six months after we last saw them, Daisy and Louis are trying to oust William, the mysterious stranger who arrived at the end of season two claiming half of Oakley.

But it seems the annoying shanty...

Capetonian Stelio Savante is one of the more prolific South African actors in the film & TV industry. He became South Africa’s first male SAG Award nominee (Ensemble lead cast Ugly Betty) in 2007. A US citizen with over 135 international credits, he is a steady product of leading, large supporting, & recurring roles in television, independent, & international theatrically released studio features that have accumulated almost $400million in worldwide box office proceeds, & leading roles in billion dollar grossing video game franchises. So, if you love Savante’s performances, here are the 10 best movies and TV shows starring Stelio Savante that should be on your watchlist.

10. My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Plex & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – 20th Century Fox

My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a superhero romantic comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman from a screenplay by Don Payne. The 2006 film follows the story of Matt Saunders, an ordinary man who discovers that his new girlfriend,...

Bump is set to end in Australia. Production has just begun on the fifth and final season of the dramedy which aired for two seasons on CW. The American network dropped the dramedy series midway through season two but released the remaining episodes via its streaming app.

Starring Claudia Karvan, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr., Angus Sampson, Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, and Paula Garcia, Bump follows Olympia “Oly” Chalmers-Davis, a 17-year-old teenager who becomes a mother unexpectedly.

Read More…...

Exclusive: Stan is saying goodbye to the Chalmers-Davis family.

The Australian streamer has put a fifth and final season of Bump into production, with filming underway in Sydney. The comedy-drama is Stan’s longest-running local scripted series, with the first season having launched back in January 2021.

The show is centered around ambitious teenage girl Oly, who unexpectedly has a baby, and the complications that follow for the Davis and Chalmers families.

The final season will hint at the future for the lead characters, jumping between past and present, as they face the cancer diagnosis of Oly’s mother Angie (Claudia Karvan) and try to celebrate the joy of Oly’s second pregnancy. Stan is providing the audience with a chance to be an extra by providing 30-second videos explaining what they’d like to see happen in the final episodes.

Nathalie Morris (We Were Dangerous), who plays Oly, will return...

Toni Collette is soaking up the sun in Australia with a beach day.

The 51-year-old Oscar-nominated actress was spotted in a bikini while taking a dip in the water on Thursday (January 11) in Sydney, Australia.

The outing comes just over a month after Toni‘s ex-husband Dave Galafassi debuted a new relationship by also going to the beach.

Keep reading to find out more…

Dave was spotted canoodling with actress Claudia Karvan during a beach date at the end of November, as can be seen in photos on Daily Mail.

Toni and Dave announced their split back in December 2022 after photos emerged of him kissing another woman. The couple made an edit to their statement just hours after it was shared to note that their split happened “after a substantial period of separation.”

Browse through the gallery for 80+ photos of Toni Collette at the beach…...

Capetonian Stelio Savante is one of the more prolific South African actors in the film & TV industry. He became South Africa’s first male SAG Award nominee (Ensemble lead cast Ugly Betty) in 2007. A US citizen, with over 135 international credits, he is a steady product of leading, large supporting, & recurring roles in television, independent, & international theatrically released studio features that have accumulated almost $400million in worldwide box office proceeds, & leading roles in billion dollar grossing video game franchises. So, if you love Savante’s performances here are the 10 best movies and TV shows starring Stelio Savante that should be on your watchlist.

10. My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Hulu & Plex) Credit – 20th Century Fox

Synopsis: Breaking up is hard to do, but sometimes it can be downright dangerous! In the Ivan Reitman comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) thinks he’s finally found the perfect girlfriend, the beautiful Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman...

Viewers of The CW won't get to keep watching the Hernandez and Chalmers families work things out. Bump has been dropped by the American network midway through its second season.

An Australian comedy-drama series, the Bump TV show stars Claudia Karvan, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr., Angus Sampson, Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, and Paula Garcia. The story revolves around Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student with great plans for the future. At school one day, Oly collapses in agony, is rushed to the hospital, and ends up having a baby that’s not her boyfriend’s. Instead, Santiago "Santi" Hernandez (Sanson Jr.) is the father. The Hernandez and Chalmers families clash over differing expectations of family obligations. Both sets of grandparents are going through their own struggles, and a baby sets each of them off...

Australian dramedy Bump has been dropped by the CW midseason, Deadline has confirmed. The network quietly removed the summer series about a pregnant 17-year-old from its Monday night lineup. It’s being replaced with repeats of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in the 9:30 pm slot. Five episodes of the second season of Bump have aired and the remaining five episodes of Season 2 will be available on the CW app and Cwtv.com.

Earlier today, additional changes were announced for the network’s fall schedule, with FBoy Island moving to Mondays from its originally scheduled Thursday night slot. Canadian comedies Son of a Critch, Run The Burbs and Children Ruin Everything and British comedy Everyone Else Burns will be moving from Monday nights to Thursday nights.

Bump is the latest acquisition to be pulled by the CW. Travelogue series Down To Earth with Zac Efron and Fantastic Friends were pulled in...

Vulture Watch

The new parents and their parents have a lot of adjusting to do. Has the Bump TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on The CW? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Bump, season three. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

An Australian comedy-drama series airing on The CW television network, the Bump TV show stars Claudia Karvan, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr., Angus Sampson, Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, and Paula Garcia. The story revolves around Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student with great plans for the future. At school one day, Oly collapses in agony, is...

While the Bump TV series has already been renewed for third and fourth seasons in Australia, there's no guarantee that The CW will air the episodes. The network's new management is focusing on making The CW profitable but airing low-cost and acquired programming. A few low-rated acquired series have already been pulled this summer. Could future airings of Bump end up being cancelled by The CW? Stay tuned.

An Australian comedy-drama series, the Bump TV show stars Claudia Karvan, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr., Angus Sampson, Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, and Paula Garcia. The story revolves around Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student with grand plans for the future. At school one day, Oly collapses in agony, is rushed to the hospital, and ends up having a baby that’s not her...

Oly and Santi are adjusting to their new situation in the second season of the Bump TV show on The CW. As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a significant role in determining whether a TV show like Bump is cancelled or renewed for season three (it's already been renewed in Australia). Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the second season episodes of Bump here.

An Australian comedy-drama series on The CW, the Bump TV show stars Claudia Karvan, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr., Angus Sampson, Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, and Paula Garcia. The story revolves around Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student who has great plans for the future. At...

New York based actor, producer, filmmaker and former Capetonian – Stelio Savante – has joined thousands of South Africans in celebrating the South African Supreme Court’s ruling on citizenship. The court summary declared that it was constitutionally invalid for South Africans to lose their citizenship when acquiring those from other nations. The ruling comes after the Democratic Alliance (Da) appealed a high court order that originally dismissed the party’s application that the legislation was inconsistent with the South African constitution. However this new ruling reinstated Sa citizenship for all those who lost it.

Stelio Savante B – Photo Credit – Gene Silvers

Savante – who has 135 international credits to his name – described the elation that he and other South Africans were experiencing – “I gratefully wake to celebrate with the tens of thousands of fellow South Africans who’d unnecessarily and inadvertently been deprived of their citizenship courtesy of a flawed and contradictory law that violated international human rights.

Oly's life sees some big changes in the first season of the Bump TV show. As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Bump is cancelled or renewed for season two on The CW (it's already been renewed in Australia). Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the first season episodes of Bump here. *Status Update Below.

An Australian comedy-drama series airing on The CW, the Bump TV show stars Nathalie Morris, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, Claudia Karvan, Angus Samson, Carlos Sanson Jr., Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, and Paula Garcia. The story follows Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student who, along with her best...

Vulture Watch

Oly's life has taken a big turn. Has the Bump TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on The CW? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Bump, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Airing on The CW television network in the United States, the Bump TV show stars Nathalie Morris, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, Claudia Karvan, Angus Samson, Carlos Sanson Jr., Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, and Paula Garcia. The story follows Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student who, along with her best friend Reema (Arain), has great plans for the future. Her boyfriend, Lachie (Thurnwald), is the son of a...

The Bump TV series originates in Australia and it's already been renewed for a second and a third season there. The show costs The CW less to air than a scripted series it produces but there's still no guarantee that the U.S. network will air season two.  Will Bump be cancelled or renewed? Stay tuned. *Status Update Below.

A comedy-drama series, the Bump TV show stars Nathalie Morris, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, Claudia Karvan, Angus Samson, Carlos Sanson Jr., Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, and Paula Garcia. The story follows Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student who, along with her best friend Reema (Arain), has great plans for the future. Her boyfriend, Lachie (Thurnwald), is the son of a doctor and checks all of the right boxes. At school one day, Oly collapses in agony. As she's rushed hospital...

Oly and her family's stories will continue on The CW. The network has picked up the second season of the Bump TV show. The series has been renewed through season three in Australia, where it originates.

A comedy-drama, the Bump TV show stars Nathalie Morris, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, Claudia Karvan, Angus Samson, Carlos Sanson Jr., Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, and Paula Garcia. The story follows Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student who, along with her best friend Reema (Arain), has great plans for the future. Her boyfriend, Lachie (Thurnwald), is the son of a doctor and checks all of the right boxes. At school one day, Oly collapses in agony. As she's rushed hospital in an ambulance, Oly and Angie are both stunned and horrified to discover that Oly is in labor with a baby...

The CW reveals Canadian sitcom “Run the Burbs” will make its US debut as the network unveils its Summer 2023 programming lineup.

“Run the Burbs” follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs.

Phung (“Kim’s Convenience”), who co-created and executive produces the series with Scott Townend, stars as stay-at-home dad Andrew Pham. Rahkee Morzaria (“What We Do in the Shadows”) plays Andrew’s free-spirited entrepreneur wife Camille, Zoriah Wong (“Nancy Drew”) as their teenage daughter Khia, and Roman Pesino (“Odd Squad”) as their clever young son Leo. The show is a CBC Original Production produced by Pier 21 Films and distributed by Fifth Season.

The network has renewed both newcomers “Family Law” and the comedy “Bump” for second seasons. Starring Jewel Staite and Victor Garber,...

The CW has unveiled its slate of original scripted and unscripted programming set to debut on the network this summer.

Canadian family comedy Run The Burbs, from Kim’s Convenience breakout star Andrew Phung and dramedy Moonshine, about dysfunctional siblings battling for control of their family business are among titles on the network’s scripted slate for summer debut. Legal drama Family Law, starring Jewel Staite and Victor Garber, and comedy series Bump also return for second seasons.

New summer unscripted programs include the four-part docuseries Greatest Geek Year Ever: 1982, chronicling a classic moviegoing year in pop culture, and extreme cooking competition Recipe for Disaster. Additionally, Down To Earth With Zac Efron will make its broadcast television debut, along with new seasons of returning alternative series Great Chocolate Showdown and Mysteries Decoded. Airdates and times for all these series will be announced at a later date.

All join prevously announced summer series,...

"You must be cleared of all your sins... Are you ready for your 'clearing'?" Hulu has unveiled the full-length trailer for an Australian streaming series called The Clearing, about a freaky cult stealing young kids. It's described as a "gripping psychological thriller about a religious cult wreaking human havoc." Available to watch on Hulu at the end of May. Set against a ticking clock, this "haunting" & "atmospheric" thriller pits a ruthless cult against a mother's love, revealing that our darkest secrets are the hardest ones to leave behind. This driven mother tries to prevent a cult from gathering more innocent children. It's an adaptation of the book In The Clearing by J.P. Pomare. Starring an impressive cast lead by Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto, and Guy Pearce, with Julia Savage, Hazem Shammas, Mark Coles Smith, Kate Mulvany, Xavier Samuel, and Claudia Karvan. Looks like a chilling story with some unsettling undertones and imagery,...

"You must show me that you can take care of your family." Hulu has revealed the first look teaser trailer for an Australian streaming series called The Clearing, which is described as a "gripping psychological thriller about a religious cult wreaking human havoc." It will be streaming on Hulu to watch at the end of May, in just over a month from now. This is an adaptation of the book In The Clearing by J.P. Pomare. Set against a ticking clock, this "haunting" & "atmospheric" thriller pits a ruthless cult against a mother's love, revealing that our darkest secrets are the hardest ones to leave behind. This driven mother tries to prevent a cult from gathering more innocent children. Starring an impressive cast lead by Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto, and Guy Pearce, with Julia Savage, Hazem Shammas, Mark Coles Smith, Kate Mulvany, Xavier Samuel, and Claudia Karvan. This blonde-haired cult seems so disturbing and wicked.

(Welcome to Year of the Vampire, a series examining the greatest, strangest, and sometimes overlooked vampire movies of all time in honor of "Nosferatu," which turns 100 this year.)

Vampire movies have been a part of cinema for a long, long time. Sure, a great many of those movies center on your classic "Dracula in a cape," and at times, that can be great. But vampire flicks that go a little bit outside the box have always been a little bit more my speed. 

Such is the case with "Daybreakers," an ambitious, kind of crazy mid-size movie that has largely slipped through the cracks in the years since its release. I'm here to propose that we absolutely should not let it slip away entirely.

Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, aka the Spierig brothers, the film takes place a decade after a plague turns most of the world's population into vampires.

Network: The CW

Episodes: Ongoing (half-hour)

Seasons: Ongoing

TV show dates: August 11, 2022 -- present

Series status: Has not been cancelled

Performers include: Nathalie Morris, Peter Thurnwald, Safia Arain, Claudia Karvan, Angus Samson, Carlos Sanson Jr., Ricardo Scheihing-Vasquez, and Paula Garcia.

TV show description:      

An Australian comedy-drama series, the Bump TV show was created by Claudia Karvan and Kelsey Munro.

The story follows Olympia "Oly" Chalmers-Davis (Morris), an overachieving 17-year-old student who knows exactly where she's going. Her boyfriend, Lachie (Thurnwald), is the son of a doctor and ticks all of the right boxes. Oly and her best friend, Reema (Arain), share an ambitious 10-year plan -- achieve top grades, international relations at a university, work for the Un, and save the world.

Wooden Horse’s The Clearing has begun production in Victoria for Disney+, with Kate Mulvany, Xavier Samuel, Claudia Karvan and Anna Lise Phillips joining the previously announced leads of Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce. The eight-part psychological thriller is based on J.P. Pomare’s novel In the Clearing and is inspired by the Australian cult […]

The post Kate Mulvany, Xavier Samuel, Claudia Karvan join Disney+ thriller ‘The Clearing’ appeared first on If Magazine.

Exclusive: ITV Studios has struck a content package deal with HBO Max LatAm for the likes of The Bay, Bump and Romulus.

The partnership is a first for ITV Studios and WarnerMedia’s fledgling streamer in the region, and also includes Sky comedy/drama Brassic and Channel 5 factual title April Jones: The Interrogation Tapes.

It is similar in scope to WarnerMedia’s 100-hour content deal struck recently with BBC Studios, which was unveiled at Mipcom and featured big-hitting dramas such as The Pursuit of Love and Time.

Leading the pack of the ITV Studios deal is all three seasons of ITV’s Joanne Froggatt-starring hit The Bay, which is produced by Tall Story Pictures.

Elsewhere, HBO Max LatAm becomes the latest to acquire Claudia Karvan and Kelsey Munro’s Stan original Bump, which has already sold to the BBC, The CW, Sky New Zealand and Canada’s CBC,...

The program announcements continue for this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, with the Series and Generation strands both unveiling today, as well as the line-up for the Co-Production Market. Scroll down for the lists of titles.

The Berlinale Series selection, which is increasingly becoming a more high-profile part of the festival, again boasts several buzzy titles.

Premiering in Berlin will be Amazon Prime Video’s Argentinian series Yosi, The Regretful Spy, the Swedish show Lust from HBO Max, Sky’s UK series The Rising, and Lone Scherfig Danish show The Shift, which comes from local broadcaster TV2.

The Generation strand, which features youth-focused cinema, includes 14 features this year. The selection marks the last of long-time Generation head Maryanne Redpath.

Elsewhere, the European Film Market has confirmed titles for its Co-Production Market, which like the rest of the industry activity will take place virtually this year.

The Berlinale runs February 10-20 this year,...

In the second season of Stan’s Bump, premiering Boxing Day, Oly (Nathalie Morris) and Santi (Carlos Sanson Jr) continue to get to know each other, and discover just how much families can mess you up.

Meanwhile, Angie (Claudia Karvan) ​​and Dom (Angus Sampson) continue to deal with the fallout of their separation and the complicated new relationships and dramas they have found themselves immersed in.

Also returning for Season 2 are stars Paula Garcia as Rosa, Ioane Saula as Vince, Safia Arain as Reema, Claudia Di Giusti as Bernadita, Sarah Meacham as Madison, Ricardo Scheihing Vasquez as Matias, Miguel Andrade as Alejandro, Christian Byers as Bowie, and Jana Zvendeniuk as Katerina.

Bump is produced by Roadshow Rough Diamond and its founders Dan and John Edwards along with Claudia Karvan. The series is co-created by Kelsey Munro and Karvan, with the writing team also consisting of Kelsey Munro, Jessica Tuckwell, Timothy Lee,...

"This is why businesses slow down, neither of you know how to stick at one thing." Samuel Goldwyn Films has debuted a new US trailer for this indie dramedy from Australia titled June Again, made by filmmaker JJ Winlove. This already opened in Australia & New Zealand months ago, and is arriving in the US on VOD starting next January. During a fleeting bout of lucidity from her dementia, June Wilton has precious little time to bring together her estranged children, save the family business, and rekindle an old flame. When her meddling backfires, June sets out on a romantic journey of her own and discovers she needs help from the very people she was trying to rescue. Noni Hazlehurst stars as June. The cast also includes Claudia Karvan, Stephen Curry, Otis Dhanji, Nash Edgerton, Darren Gilshenan, Pip Miller, and Matilda Ridgeway. This looks like a good one. Here's the official...

“High Ground,” a 1930s-set drama film, picked up eight nominations for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. It narrowly led the field of contenders that included controversial drama “Nitram” with seven nominations, “The Dry” with six and “Penguin Bloom” with five.

Nominations were announced over the weekend ahead of a week of voting. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Sydney Opera House on Dec. 8, 2021.

Six films received nominations for best film: “The Dry,” “The Furnace,” “High Ground,” “Nitram,” “Penguin Bloom” and “Rams.” Five of the six also received nominations for best director.

“High Ground,” received five of its nominations for acting, with two of its performers going head-to-head in the best actor category, and two more in the best supporting actor section.

Similarly, “Nitram,” which chronicles the build-up to a real-life mass shooting in Tasmania, received nominations for its two leads and two supporting cast.

Aacta has revealed those in contention for the major film, television and short-form prizes at this year’s awards, with High Ground leading the charge in the film categories and The Newsreader ahead in television.

The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.

Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.

There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.

High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.

The Best Indie Film Award,...

Claudia Karvan embarks on a literary adventure to explore the stories that have shaped the nation’s identity in Books That Made Us – a three-part documentary from Blackfella Films premiering on November 23 at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.

In the series, Karvan meets Richard Flanagan, Alexis Wright, Helen Garner, Tim Winton, David Malouf, Kate Grenville, Christos Tsiolkas, Thomas Keneally, Liane Moriarty, Trent Dalton, Kim Scott, and Melissa Lucashenko. She discovers the stories behind the stories, the workings of the writers’ imaginations and their motivation to write novels that have been shaped by Australia and, in turn, shaped the country.

Series producer and writer is Jacob Hickey, with producer Darren Dale. The ABC executive producer is Kalita Corrigan.

Developed and produced in association with the ABC, production funding from Screen Australia and produced with the assistance of Film Victoria.

The post ‘Books That Made Us’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.

US network The CW has snapped up Roadshow Rough Diamond’s Bump.

The Stan original series, created and co-written by Kelsey Munro, follows Nathalie Morris as Oly, an ambitious and high-achieving teenage girl who has a surprise baby.

Claudia Karvan, who produced the series with John and Dan Edwards, stars as her mother.

Set in and around a high school in inner Sydney, the series explores unexpected motherhood, unwelcome new relatives, unintended consequences and the culture clash between the two families.

The cast also includes Carlos Sanson Jnr, Angus Sampson, Catalina Palma, Safia Arain, Paula Garcia, Ioane Saula, Christian Byers, Claudia de Giusti, Miguel Andrade and Ricardo Scheihing Vasquez.

Munro is joined in the writers’ room by Jessica Tuckwell, Timothy Lee, Mithila Gupta and Steven Arriagada, with the first season directed by Geoff Bennett, Gracie Otto, and Leticia Caceres.

Screen Australia and Screen Nsw helped to provide finance, while ITV Studios manages international sales.

The CW is continuing to look abroad to solidify its schedule.

The youth-skewing network has picked up Italian drama series Leonardo, starring Poldark’s Aidan Turner, and Australian comedy drama Bump.

It comes after the broadcaster picked up Patrick Dempsey-fronted Italian series Devils as well as titles such as Canada’s Coroner and UK’s Dead Pixels. It also shares New Zealand comedy Wellington Paranormal, created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, with HBO Max.

Created by The X-Files’ Frank Spotnitz and Sherlock’s Steve Thompson, the hourlong Leonardo explores the secrets and drama behind the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, played by Turner. The eight-part series follows da Vinci as he grows into an unparalleled genius and renowned polymath whose work overturned the established order.

It also stars Matilda de Angelis, Freddie Highmore, Giancarlo Giannini, Carlos Cuevas, Alessandro Sperduti, James D’Arcy, Robin Renucci, Hugo Becker, Miriam Dalmazio and Max Bennet.

JJ Winlove’s heartfelt comedy June Again will have a simultaneous North American theatrical and video-on-demand release after being snapped up by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

The film, which made more than $2.5 million at the local box office, will be available in the US/Canada from January 7 as part of a deal negotiated by Annika Horne on behalf of Samuel Goldwyn Films and Caroline Couret-Delègue of Film Seekers, on behalf of the filmmakers.

The story follows matriarch June (Noni Hazlehurst), who, during a reprieve from an ongoing illness, sets about fixing all of her family’s problems, including reuniting her estranged children, saving the family business, and rekindling an old flame. The cast also includes Claudia Karvan and Stephen Curry.

Written and directed by Winlove, the project is produced by Jamie Hilton, Michael Pontin, and Drew Bailey for See Pictures, with principal production from Screen Australia in association with Screen Nsw.

Exclusive: Following its success at the Australia/New Zealand box office, Australian feelgood drama June Again been snapped up for North America by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Released by Studiocanal in its home territory, the film has taken $2.7M locally. It also won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Sonoma International Film Festival 2021.

June Again follows matriarch June (Noni Hazlehurst), who, during a reprieve from an ongoing illness, sets about fixing all of her family’s problems, including bringing back together her estranged children, saving the family business, and rekindling an old flame. The film also stars Claudia Karvan and Stephen Curry.

The deal was negotiated by Annika Horne on behalf of Samuel Goldwyn Films and Caroline Couret-Delègue of Film Seekers, which represents international rights, on behalf of the filmmakers. Recent sales include U.K (Bohemia Pictures), Germany, Switzerland and Austria (Mt Trading), Spain (Filmax) and Scandinavia (Lucky Dogs...

Producer Helen Leake has been appointed to the Screen Australia board for a three-year term.

She brings a wealth of experience to the role, having helmed the South Australian Film Corporation from 2004 to 2007, served on the board of Ausfilm and chaired the board of the Australian International Documentary Conference (Aidc).

As founder and owner of Dancing Road Productions and Duo Arts Productions, Leake’s credits include Heaven’s Burning, Black and White, Swerve, and Wolf Creek 2.

Prior to entering the film industry, Leake worked in Australia and the United Kingdom for International Computers Ltd and also ran her own computing consultancy firm.

Her term at Screen Australia, which commenced on June 27, comes after she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours for significant service to film and professional organisations.

The rest of the board consists of chair Nicholas Moore, deputy chair Megan Brownlow,...

With no new major releases, last weekend saw the lowest box office tally of the year so far.

The environment saw Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man, already four weeks in release via Studiocanal, top the box office with just $719,734, moving to $6 million.

Summing the weekend, Wallis Cinemas programming manager David Simpson tells If: “When Honey I Shrunk the Kids is your number one film it feels surreal.”

The weekend also saw significant discounting from some exhibitors, including Palace Cinemas in Melbourne, Sydney and Byron Bay and the Lido, Classic, Cameo and the Ritz, which are offering $5 tickets until tomorrow.

Overall, the top 20 titles amassed a paltry $3.9 million, down 35 per cent on the previous, according to Numero.

Despite the quiet, many exhibitors are excited for this promise of this week’s Quiet Place Part II and Cruella, as well as a slew of other new releases scheduled for the coming...

Warner Bros.’ Those Who Wish Me Dead was declared Doa as it opened in the US over the weekend, but Australian audiences took to the neo-Western, with the film topping the box office.

Directed by Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water), the film is co-led by young Aussie talent Finn Little, who plays a teenager who witnesses the murder of his father and goes on the run with a smokejumper (Angelina Jolie) through the wilderness in order to escape a pair of assassins (Nicholas Hoult and Aiden Gillen) hired to silence him.

WB opened the film on 249 screens, grossing $1.2 million. In the US, where it premiered simultaneously on HBO Max, it garnered just $US2.8 million.

While Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell regards the weekend past as “one of the slowest of the year”, Those Who Wish Me Dead was a strong performer across his sites in regional Nsw and Queensland.

Federal funding body Screen Australia confirmed its backing for a trio of Australian film projects that will now move forward into production. Director Robert Connolly (“The Dry”) is behind two of them as producer.

The funding decisions ensure that a steady stream of local films move into production, alongside the large volume of international films and TV series that are currently in Australia, taking advantage of generous incentives and good coronavirus control conditions.

Set in 1970’s Western Australia, “Kid Snow” is a drama about a washed-up Irish boxer who is offered a rematch against a man he fought 10 years ago, on a night that changed his life forever. He is faced with a chance to redeem himself when he meets a single mother and is forced to contemplate a future beyond boxing.

The film is directed by Paul Goldman (“Suburban Mayhem”) and written by John Brumpton (“Life”), Phillip Gwynne (“Australian Rules...

Screen Australia has announced $5.6 million of production funding for three feature films and returning seasons of Stan’s Bump and 10’s The Secret She Keeps.

The films include two Arenamedia projects: an new animation from the Oscar-winning Adam Elliot and a second feature from writer/director Alena Lodkina (Strange Colours), titled Petrol. The other film is Paul Goldman’s Western Australian feature film Kid Snow, produced by Unicorn Films.

Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said: “We have been blown away by the volume of applications for production funding and are heartened at the breadth of distinct Australian stories that continue to come through.

“Adam Elliot is set to delight audiences around the world with a remarkable new drama in his signature claymation style; and we’re thrilled to support writer/director Alena Lodkina whose 2017 feature Strange Colours premiered at the Venice Film Festival, as she expands on her unique voice with striking follow up Petrol.

JJ Winlove’s June Again, starring Noni Hazlehurst, Claudia Karvan and Stephen Curry, resonated with Mother’s Day crowds at the box office.

The local film opened third nationally over the weekend, behind only the spectacles of much larger films Wrath of Man and Mortal Kombat.

Winlove’s debut feature, June Again follows family matriarch June (Hazlehurst), who gets a fleeting bout of lucidity from dementia. Much to their amazement, June re-enters the lives of her adult children, Ginny (Karvan) and Devon (Curry), and learns that ‘things haven’t gone according to plan’.

With limited time but plenty of pluck, she sets about trying to put everything, and everyone, back on track. When her meddling backfires, June sets out on a romantic journey of her own and discovers she needs help from the very people she was trying to rescue.

Studiocanal opened it on 319 screens, with ticket sales tallying $561,468. With previews,...

The filmmaker behind the 2017 Venice Orizzonti short-film winner Good Luck, Orlo! is shooting her first feature, starring Gregor Baković and Claudia Karvan, in Melbourne. Last week, Slovenian filmmaker Sara Kern started filming her first feature, Moja Vesna (lit. "My Vesna" or "My Spring"), in and around Melbourne. It is the first-ever co-production between Slovenia and Australia. The writer-director, whose short film Good Luck, Orlo! was a festival hit in 2017 and 2018 after winning in Venice’s Orizzonti, has been living in Australia for several years now. Kern's feature debut follows ten-year-old girl Moja, who, after the sudden death of her mother, becomes the unexpected grown-up in her fragmented family, immigrants in suburban Melbourne. She then seeks to reconcile her troubled, pregnant older sister, Vesna, and their disconsolate father, Miloš. One of Slovenia's most highly acclaimed actors, Gregor Baković, plays Miloš, and Australian actress Mackenzie Mazur...

Filming is underway in Melbourne on writer-director Sara Kern’s debut feature Moja Vesna, in what is the first-ever Slovenian-Australian co-production.

The story follows ten-year-old Mona who, after the sudden death of her mother, becomes the unexpected grown-up of her immigrant family in suburban Melbourne, seeking to reconcile her troubled, pregnant older sister, Vesna, and disconsolate father, Milos.

Committed to casting the lead role of Moja from within the Slovenian-Australian community, in Sweetshop & Green engaged casting director Fiona Dann (Catapult Casting) in December to begin the extensive search.

Non-professional actor Loti Kovacic will play the role of Moja after being selected via a grassroots call-out to the Slovenian community throughout Australia.

The cast also includes Mackenzie Mazur as Vesna and Slovenian actor Gregor Baković as Milos, with Flora Feldman taking on the role of Moja’s best friend, Danger, and Claudia Karvan playing her mother, Miranda.

Moja Vesna will...

The Key Buyers Event: Digital, a film and TV market held in Russia, will return for a third edition in 2021. The event showcases new audiovisual content from the country and highlights emerging talent. This year’s focus will be international co-production, rather than the typical focus on distribution. The event is organized by promotional body Roskino and is supported by the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of the City of Moscow and the Agency for Creative Industries. The 2020 edition gathered more than 1,400 participants and 600 international distributors from 70 countries, according to Roskino. A new strand will also be inaugurated this year that will highlight Russian projects for global film festival programmers. “Russian content has enjoyed increasing levels of success within the global market over the last three years. Russian films have increasingly become popular – the latest example is Sputnik, a sci-fi horror that has been acquired for an English-language remake in Hollywood.

In the heartfelt comedy June Again, a twist of fate gives family matriarch June (Noni Hazlehurst) a reprieve from a debilitating illness. Much to their amazement, June re-enters the lives of her adult children, Ginny (Claudia Karvan) and Devon (Stephen Curry), and learns that ‘things haven’t gone according to plan’. With limited time but plenty of pluck, she sets about trying to put everything, and everyone, back on track. When her meddling backfires, June sets out on a romantic journey of her own and discovers she needs help from the very people she was trying to rescue.

Written and directed by JJ Winlove, June Again is a Ticket to Ride production, from producers Jamie Hilton, Michael Pontion and Drew Bailey.

The film will be released theatrically via Studiocanal May 6.

The post ‘June Again’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.

With Roadshow Rough Diamond’s Bump reportedly breaking viewing records for Stan since its launch on New Year’s Day, the streamer has ordered a second season.

Created and co-written by Kelsey Munro, the 10-part drama follows Nathalie Morris as Oly, an ambitious and high-achieving teenage girl who has a surprise baby. Claudia Karvan, who also produced the series with John and Dan Edwards, stars as her mother.

Set in and around a high school in inner Sydney, the series explores unexpected motherhood, unwelcome new relatives, unintended consequences and the culture clash between the two families.

Carlos Sanson Jnr plays the baby’s father, with Catalina Palma, Safia Arain, Paula Garcia, Ioane Saula, Peter Thurnwald and Ricardo Scheihing Vasquez as school friends and family members.

Development on the second series is currently underway with filming expected to commence later this year. Confirmed cast will be announced at a later date.

Netflix has commissioned a reboot of beloved ’90s teen drama Heartbreak High, to be produced by Fremantle Australia and Dutch production company NewBe.

The eight-part series, to shoot in Sydney with the support of Screen Nsw, will be inspired by the original but reimagined for today.

NewBe started shopping a contemporary remake at MIPCOM last year, after acquiring the rights from Brian Abel, partner of the late Ben Gannon, who created and produced the original. Fremantle was understood to be involved in March.

Production is expected to begin next year, with the show to premiere globally on the streamer in 2022. Fremantle Asia Pacific CEO Chris Oliver-Taylor and creative director, scripted content Carly Heaton will be the EPs, together with NewBe founder and CEO Jeroen Koopman and Tarik Traidia. Abel and Michael Jenkins, one of the original EPs, will be consultants on the series.

Set in Sydney’s fictional Hartley High School,...

Roadshow Rough Diamond’s 10-part drama Bump will premiere New Year’s Day on Stan.

The series, created by Kelsey Munro, centres around Oly (Nathalie Morris), an ambitious and high-achieving teenage girl who has a surprise baby and the complications that ensue for two families.

Claudia Karvan leads as Oly’s mother and is a producer of the series with John and Dan Edwards.

Also starring are Angus Sampson, Carlos Sanson Jnr, Catalina Palma, Safia Arain, Paula Garcia, Ioane Saula, Peter Thurnwald and Ricardo Scheihing Vasquez.

Bump was directed by Geoff Bennett, Gracie Otto and Leticia Caceres, with Munro working with scribes Jessica Tuckwell, Timothy Lee, Mithila Gupta and Steven Arriagada.

The post ‘Bump’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.