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The first round of Aacta award winners were announced yesterday in Sydney at the 2nd Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Luncheon. Held at the Sydney.s The Star Event Centre and hosted by Adam Elliot, the luncheon drew a host of industry representatives including actors Damon Herriman, Daniel Henshall and Felicity Price. The Sapphires was a favourite of the day, taking home five coveted gongs in total for cinematography (Warwick Thornton), editing (Dany Cooper Ase), sound (Andrew Plain, Bry Jones, Pete Smith, Ben Osmo and John Simpson), costume design (Tess Schofield) and production design in a feature film (Melinda Doring.) A jovial Thornton told media working with Sapphires director Wayne Blair wasn.t exactly a walk in the park. .He.s an incredibly hard task master,. he said. .You can.t pull the wool over his eyes when you feel like being lazy.. Cooper spoke of the...

The Sapphires looks set to dominate this year’s Aacta Awards after dominating the categories announced at yesterday’s awards lunch.

The AACTAs – the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts – were held for the first time last year. Yesterday’s lunch at the Star casino in Sydney comes ahead of tomorrow night’s main Aacta ceremony.

The Sapphires won in five of the early categories, including best editing, sound and cinematography.

The event also paid tribute to producer Al Clark with the Raymond Longford Award. Clark was behind films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Absolute Beginners and Nineteen Eighty Four.

Tributes were also paid to producer Pat Lovell, who died over the weekend. Lovell was a producer on films including Picnic At Hanging Rock and Gallipoli.

The winners:

Aacta Raymond Longford Award

Al Clark

Aacta Award For Best Visual Effects

Iron Sky. Samuli Torssonen, Jussi Lehtiniemi,...

Hit musical drama The Sapphires has scored 12 nominations at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards including in the coveted best feature film category.

The Sapphires, which follows four indigenous singers during the Vietnam war, has grossed more than $14 million in Australia to become the biggest local film of the year.

Three other films will be also be vying for the best feature film award: Burning Man (10 nominations in total), Lore (eight nominations in total) and Wish You Were Here (eight nominations in total) at the main Aacta ceremony, which will be held on January 30, 2013, at The Star Event Centre. Last year's event was held at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

P.J. Hogan's Mental also scored eight nominations including Best Lead Actress (Toni Collette), Best Supporting Actor (Liev Schreiber) Best Young Actor (Lily Sullivan) and Best Supporting Actress for Rebecca Gibney and Deborah Mailman.

Not Suitable for Children...

The Sapphires has led the Academy of Australian Cinema and Television Arts Awards nominations being nominated in 12 categories.

Awards will be handed out over two events, with an awards luncheon, focused on craft categories on Monday January 28 and the main event on January 30. Both events will be held at the Star Event Centre, the first public events for the venue.

The Sapphires, distributed by Hopscotch/eOne has been nominated for Best Film, Best Direction and best adapted screenplay as well as Best Lead Actor and Actress for Chris O’Dowd and Deborah Mailman, and Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Mauboy.

Burning Man was not far behind on 10 nominations including best film and best direction as well as best lead actor for Matthre Goode and Best Supporting Actress for Essie Davis.

Three more films, Lore, Mental and Wish You Were Here received eight nominations while Not Suitable For Children received four.

Ever dreamt of defending planet Earth from Nazi invaders from space? The dream will soon be fulfilled with the release of Iron Sky Invasion, a video game based on the “Nazis on the moon” sci-fi comedy Iron Sky from Finnish director Timo Vuorensola. Topware Interactive announced at video games conference Gamescom on August 19th in Cologne, Germany, that they have acquired the rights to the film and will be releasing the video game adaptation on Mac, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

According to Hollywood Reporter,

The game will follow the pulp fiction plot of the film, in which a colony of Nazis living on the dark side of the moon begin an invasion of the earth. Players will act as a space pilot in the intergalactic battle, joining forces with either the Nazi invaders or earth’s defense force. The Polish studio Reality Pump will develop the game for Topware. Samuli Torssonen,...

Timo Vuorensola's community-generated Nazis-in-space comedy looks impressive, but fails to fulfil fans' hopes

After the big build-up: the crash. Arguably the most anticipated film of this year's Berlinale, the Nazis-in-space comedy Iron Sky turned out to be one giant damp squib. It's not terrible, by any means: just not nearly as funny or cruel as its killer premise suggests. The poster tagline, one of the all-time greats, bears repeating: "In 1945, the Nazis went to the moon. In 2018, they are coming back." But Finnish director Timo Vuorensola and producer Samuli Torssonen simply don't deliver.

Vuorensola and Torssonen have been considerably buoyed up during the six-year production period for Iron Sky by a large online community, cultivated since the early 90s when Torssonen began offering up a series of Star Trek parodies, which you can still see on YouTube. Iron Sky appears to be a textbook example of how to harness...

A brand new teaser trailer set has been released for the steampunk, sci-fi, comedy Iron Sky, which is set for release on April 4, 2012. The new teaser gives fans a look at the live-action and dialoge. For those who are unaware, Iron Sky has gotten to this point with tons of audience support after five years in the making.

Finnish science-fiction comedy film from the makers of the Star Wreck series Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning. The film is directed by Timo Vuorensola and produced by Tero Kaukomaa of Blind Spot Pictures production company. Samuli Torssonen, the creator of the Star Wreck series and the producer of Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, is responsible for the computer generated effects of the film. The screenwriters aboard Iron Sky are the Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo and Michael Kalesniko.

As a dark science fiction that plays with Finland’s history of being oppressed by Russia,...

Iron Sky, the Finnish-German-Australian sci-fi black comedy about Nazis from the Dark Side of the Moon, has released its promo trailer online. The trailer is still work-in-progress and it was released on the film project’s Iron Sky Sneak Peek web service to give the fans a glimpse of what the live action in the film will look like, and to get comments and suggestions for finishing up the promo trailer.

“We opened Iron Sky Sneak Peek when we started shooting Iron Sky last November as both a service for fans and a crowd funding channel. A subscription costs a minimum of one euro, but those who want to support us can pay more”,

says Timo Vuorensola, the director of Iron Sky.

“The basic idea of the service is to give the internet audience a chance to see how the first five minutes of Iron Sky are made, starting from...

Back in December, we told you that the retro sci-fi black comedy film being developed by Finland’s Energia Productions entitled, Iron Sky was half-done, according to director, Timo Vuorensola. Now, principal photography has completed on the film and the crew needs some rest but, heading into post-production, they’re still looking for some talented visual effects pros that want to spend some time in Finland finishing the film.

Check out the official press release below!

Press Release:

It’s a Wrap! Iron Sky Finishes Principal Photography

Gold Coast/Australia – 04-Feb-2011 — Iron Sky, the Finnish-German-Australian co-production, has finished principal photography in Queensland Australia. Iron Sky is a dark science fiction comedy where Nazis fled to the Moon in 1945 – and in 2018 they are coming back. Iron Sky took about nine weeks to shoot, half of which took place in Frankfurt Germany, and the second half at the Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland,...

Iron Sky, the Finnish-German-Australian co-production, has finished principal photography in Queensland Australia. Iron Sky is a dark science fiction comedy where Nazis fled to the Moon in 1945 – and in 2018 they are coming back. Iron Sky took about nine weeks to shoot, half of which took place in Frankfurt Germany, and the second half at the Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland, Australia.

“We have been working on Iron Sky 24/7 for years, and it’s amazing to think that the main part of my work in it is finally done” ,

said the director of the film Timo Vuorensola.

“Of course I’ll be involved in the post production and editing too, but I can’t help but feel a bit dazed. During these years we’ve met such a big bunch of great, talented people, and it makes me a bit melancholy to think that we won’t be seeing them in...

The Australia/Germany/Finland co-production, sci-fi comedy Iron Sky, started shooting in Brisbane and the Gold Coast yesterday.

“Flooding has not affected us too much, although the location of our first shoot day was under water the next day,” New Holland Pictures producer Mark Overett told Encore.

Iron Sky stars Australia/New Zealand actors Peta Sargeant, Christopher Kirby and Stephanie Paul, alongside a European cast. It takes place in the year 2018, when the Nazis, who fled the Earth to the dark side of the Moon in 1945, return to claim the Earth.

The film was originally conceived and developed as a Finnish-German project, produced by Tero Kaukomaa (Blind Spot Pictures), Samuli Torssonen (Energia Productions) and Oliver Damian (27 Films Production). Australian/New Zealand company New Holland Pictures joined the project last year, with an official announcement made during the Cannes Film Festival.

The Queensland shoot will continue until February 4, shooting all interiors,...

Iron Sky is an upcoming Finnish feature-length comedy science fiction film from the makers of the Star Wreck series, directed by Timo Vuorensola and produced by Samuli Torssonen as their next project after the success of Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning. The screenwriters aboard Iron Sky are the award-winning Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo and Michael Kalesniko (Howard Stern’s Private Parts, How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog).

Synopsis:

As World War II comes to an end in 1945, Hans Kammler and other German scientists make a breakthrough in anti-gravity research. From a secret base in the Antarctic, Nazi spaceships are sent to the “dark side” of the Moon to establish the military base “Schwarze Sonne” (Black Sun). Their plan is to build a powerful fleet and return to conquer Earth. The film is set in the year 2018 when their descendants finally return.

Here are some more photos from the film...

The creators of Iron Sky have revealed the identity of the third member of the main cast of Iron Sky, the science fiction black comedy about Nazis from the Dark Side of the Moon. Christopher Kirby, whose previous work in sci-fi includes The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions, Quantum Leap, Daybreakers and Space: Above and Beyond, will join Julia Dietze (1/2 Ritter) and Götz Otto (Tomorrow Never Dies, Schindler’s List, The Downfall) in the main cast of the movie.

In the world of Iron Sky Nazis went to the Moon in 1945 – and in 2018 they are coming back. The film is an independent Finnish-German-Australian co-production and is known for its wide ranging co-operation with fans and the internet community.

Christopher Kirby

Kirby’s character is James Washington, the first African-American astronaut on the Moon. Washington is part of the the first manned moon flight since the 70’s, which stumbles into the Moon Nazis – specifically,...

Last month, we ran a series of trailers for Iron Sky, a movie that didn't even exist yet. It was a promo reel that ended with, strangely enough, a solicitation for money. The trailer, about how Nazis fled in spaceships after WWII and have been living on the dark side of the moon and are now set to invade the Earth in flying saucers, was actually pretty damn entertaining and innovative. The project has a budget of $8.5 million, which is chump change by Hollywood standards, and the producers have been desperately trying to raise funds.

Well, it worked. Through a combination of investors and fan donations, Iron Sky has 90% of its budget squared away, its casting is near complete, and filming is set to begin in Germany and Australia later this year.

I think this whole concept has been pretty fascinating to follow (I confess, I donated to the cause...

New Holland Pictures producer Cathy Overett says that even though the company joined its German/Finnish Iron Sky partners recently, the sci fi project will still have a strong Australian component.

“We are pulling together the creative team here in Australia – a number of heads of department and also proposed cast. Our partners have just been in Australia for 10 days and have met with all the creatives we’ve proposed and are very happy with the team,” Overett told Encore.

Overett and the creative team behind Iron Sky had a booth at last weekend’s Supanova pop culture expo in Sydney, where the producers said the project “stirred up great interest from the general public”.

Iron Sky takes place in the year 2018, when the Nazis, who fled the Earth to the dark side of the Moon in 1945, return to claim the Earth.

The project was originally conceived and developed as a Finnish-German project,...

Despite the bizarre awesomeness of the whole thing, I laid off posting the first teaser for Iron Sky, mainly because, well, it's a trailer for a movie that doesn't exist. But then again, it's not like that stopped me before, so what the hell.

The story of Iron Sky is a weird one. The film is a low-brow, high-concept one about a secret Nazi base on the moon that's been hidden since WWII, and now the Nazis are back in force and invading the earth. And, I have to admit, that sounds pretty awesome if handled with a tongue in cheek... though not too much so. The trailers are mainly pre-production production footage, shot basically in an effort to garner funding, which the film is apparently sorely lacking. In fact, the second trailer concludes with a solicitation for money.

Strange, eh?

Here's the official synopsis:

Iron Sky is a scifi...

Back in March we brought you some production photos and behind the scenes video from the production of Iron Sky. The film is being created by Blind Spot Pictures and Energia Productions, who have just released the first footage from the film. The footage was filmed in Tampere, Finland back in March and then edited into teaser format.

Check it out below!

Iron Sky Teaser 2 – The First Footage

The Story of Iron Sky

Towards the end of World War II the staff of SS officer Hans Kammler made a significant breakthrough in anti-gravity. From a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late ‘45 to found the military base Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) on the dark side of the Moon. This base was to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right.

Now it’s 2018, the...

Time for our yearly update on the progress of the Outer Space Nazi's.  Some new footage, some bombastic music, and of course the obligatory swastika space station.  Yes you are still excited about this (see our extensive archives on this project.)  You know it to be true.

(via Quiet Earth and Opium)

Towards the end of World War II, in 1945, the SS officer Hans Kammler's staff made a significant breakthrough in anti-gravity research. From a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late '45, and they founded the military base Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) on the so-called dark side of the Moon. The purpose of this base was to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right.

[A quick update on this from Cannes, where the director showed me an in-progress version of the trailer before it went online. First, for those of you skeptical whether the film will ever happen, they are going into production in September. This is a real movie, it's cast, they have the large majority of the budget and all of the cast in place. It's happening. Second, this particular footage comes from a test shoot originally intended to test their workflow from shooting on green screen through to finished product. It was originally intended for internal viewing only but came out so well that they decided to release it to the masses. Third, the 'Give Us Your Money' line at the end of the teaser isn't really a joke. To make up the small remaining shortfall in their budget, the producers are giving fans the chance to directly invest in the film, at minimum increments of one thousand Euros. Investment at different levels brings different benefits. Read the press release below and follow the links for more info. - Todd.]

Blind Spot Pictures and Energia Productions have released the first footage from their upcoming science fiction movie Iron Sky.

If you are a Trekker who hasn't been won over by J.J. Abrams entertaining but hole-riddden Star Trek reboot, there is a tonic you can try. What's more, you don't need a prescription and all it will cost is a few megabytes of your monthly bandwidth allowance. Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a splendid Finnish parody of Star Trek that can be legally downloaded off the Web for free or purchased on commercially released DVD in Scandinavia, Britain or Japan.

The making of Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a classic example of the impressive quality that can be achieved despite a small budget and minimal equipmen when a group of skilled, dedicated and imaginative filmmakers get together. The movie was made over a period of seven years by a group of five students and unemployed people from Tampere, Finland. And it was originally done without the aid of a major studio.

Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, a Finnish-made Star Trek spoof that is regarded as Finland's most successful film, has been commerically released on DVD in the UK just in time to cash in the release of J.J. Abrams much hyped Star Trek reboot.

The Finnish parody is the latest in a series of Star Wreck movie series. The seven movies in the series were made by a group of friends on a low budget and with minimal equipment. The series started with Star Wreck, a relatively short and simple animated film. Each subsequent film showed improvements in production values and later films included live actors. Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a feature-length live-action film with special effects that are as good as those in many Hollywood productions.

The Star Wreck movies have always all been available legally free to download from the Internet. The UK DVD release of Star Wreck: In The Pirkinning,...