if 205 April-May 2022

magazine FOR SCREEN CONTENT PROFESSIONALS ISSUE #205, APR – MAY 2022 $7.95 AUD / WWW.IF.COM.AU

THE DROVER’S WIFE LEAH PURCELL BRINGS THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON TO SCREEN

INSIDE: EXHIBITION: Check out the programs for both AIMC and the Australian Feature Film Summit.

DISTRIBUTION: How do distributors see the theatrical market, what’s on their slates and what projects do they want?

EDUCATION: Industry, government and the tertiary sector are working together to plug skills gaps.

SCREEN FOREVER: Interviews and insights from the March conference.

TELEVISION: Sean Keenan takes us behind ABC’s Barons.

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WHEN I FIRST spoke to Leah Purcell about The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson last year, she told me she felt like she had been pregnant with the film for almost three years and was ready to get it out into the world.

This issue

Editor's letter

Unfortunately, COVID went on to delay its birth even further, with the Delta outbreak seeing Roadshow push the film from October 2021 to May 2022.

The Drover’s Wife enters the world as the largest Australian release of the year so far, amid a somewhat fractured theatrical landscape where superhero blockbusters are breaking box office records, but many films aimed at older audiences are underperforming.

Purcell and producer and partner Bain Stewart talk putting The Drover’s Wife together for our cover story (page 10). They will also speak at the Australian Feature Film Summit (see program page 32) in front of an audience of producers, distributors and exhibitors about making the film a cinematic proposition.

The summit aims to see these three sectors of the industry work more closely together, and foster ideas as to how to work together to ensure theatrical success for Aussie features in cinema.

Summit director, producer and distributor Sue Maslin, argues on page 28, that as streamers grow in might, the business has to start to think differently when it comes to theatrical release of local features.

Among Maslin’s provocative questions: What if producers could learn more about audience trends and what informs audience choice from those who are closest to it – the exhibitors and distributors?

We ask a range of distributors – from majors to indies – how they see the landscape for Australian feature film on pages 16-23. They also discuss the business more generally ahead of the Movie Convention.

With exhibitors, we reflect on the first quarter at the BO (page 14). We also examine sustainability efforts (page 24) and new innovations (page 26) for cinemas.

For producers who missed Screen Forever, we also bring you interviews and tidbits from sessions at the conference across pages 42-48.

See you at the movies.

Jackie Keast, Editor jkeast@if.com.au

✪ FEATURE

10 COVER STORY THE DROVER’S WIFE THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON

The multi-hyphenate Leah Purcell talks to IF about her feature directorial debut alongside partner and producer Bain Stewart and actor Rob Collins.

12 ✪ FEATURE SEAN KEENAN IS RIDING HIGH

The actor talks ABC’s Barons, as well as his supporting roles in The Power of the Dog and Nitram.

6 Published by: COMMUNICO MEDIA GROUP PTY LTD ABN 69 647 866 091 POST: PO Box 55, Glebe NSW 2037 Australia STREET: 41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037 Australia PHONE: 61 2 9660 2113 FAX: 02 9660 4419 WEB: www.if.com.au Executive Chair: Simon Grover Managing Director and Group Publisher: Mark Kuban Editor: Jackie Keast, jkeast@if.com.au Journalist: Sean Slatter, sslatter@if.com.au National Sales Manager: Daniel Shipley, dshipley@if.com.au Senior Designer: Jacqui Cooper Prepress: Tony Willson Production Assistant: Natasha Jara IF was founded by David Barda and Stephen Jenner, co-founded by Martin Zoland. ©Copyright 2022

14 ✪ FEATURE

Circulation and Subscriptions Australian Subscription Rates 1yr 6 issues for $43.50 2yrs 12 issues for $69.60 3yrs 18 issues for $91.35 To subscribe and to view other overseas rates visit www.intermedia.com.au or Call: 1800 651 422 (Mon – Fri 8:30-5pm AEST) Email: subscriptions@intermedia.com.au The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the editor and publisher. This magazine is not to be produced in whole or part without the express permission of the copyright owners.

Voice of the Industry Mitzi Goldman, CEO of Documentary Australia, addresses the dilemmas and contradictions facing documentary filmmakers.

8 Take Two Editor Tania Nehme and director Bentley Dean explain how their bond has strengthened over time.

24 Cinema sustainability As the push for businesses to become eco-friendly takes on greater urgency, long-held practices within the exhibition sector are being brought into question.

TALKING TICKETS AND THE DIRECTION OF DISTRIBUTION

We sat down with exhibitors and distributors to hear their take on the theatrical market.

28 Is there a future for Australian feature film in cinemas?

Australian Feature Film Summit director Sue Maslin argues there is a theatrical future for local features if the industry starts to do business differently.

30 AIMC and Australian Feature Film Summit programs Your guide to sessions across the four days.

34 What to do about crew?

We explore some of the various existing initiatives designed to upskill practitioners, retrain

people to join the industry and bring new entrants through.

42 Screen Forever wrap We bring you interviews and talk from the floor from the March event.

50 Data for a mentally healthier industry A Griffith Film School survey aims to get a sector-specific understanding of the mental health and wellbeing of screen professionals and students for the first time.

REGULARS

4 Letters, 15 Seconds 54 In Production

Environmental statement: The Intermedia Group takes its Corporate and Social Responsibilities seriously and is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. We continuously strive to improve our environmental performance and to initiate additional CSR based projects and activities. As part of our company policy we ensure that the products and services used in the manufacture of this magazine are sourced from environmentally responsible suppliers. This magazine has been printed on paper produced from sustainably sourced wood and pulp fibre and is accredited under PEFC chain of custody. PEFC certified wood and paper products come from environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests. The wrapping used in the delivery process of this magazine is 100% biodegradable.

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LETTERS Heard on Twitter...

Follow IF magazine at twitter.com/insidefilm.

Noticeboard Screen Producers Aus @Screen_Producer

“Streaming now, all these products have to service a very broad demographic.

Streaming is not just for young people, you have to have great content - great entertainment and sports content is right at the heart of it.” @Foxtel’s Amanda Laing in convo w @karlkwin #ScreenForever

Corrie Chen @corriechen

Honestly my question right now is who DIDN’T get covid from Screen Forever.

Que Minh Luu @theqza

Screen Forever super spreader

Melissa Pouliot @MJ_author

I feel like I’ve had a hangover all day thanks to @candicefoxbooks and binge watching the final few episodes of Troppo last night. Oh my goodness, sooo good. If you haven’t watched it, you must!! Best crime series for 2022, I’m in awe of you Candice!!

Written in response to ‘Film Victoria rebrands as VicScreen, announces new production fund and skills program’, published March 7, 2022 I hope this name change doesn’t reflect a possible neglect of those projects that are “risk takers” in whatever medium. If that were the case there would be no need for VicScreen as an investment and finding agency. I think the support of script development for both film and television should be at the forefront of the organisation’s policy and support funding; game development seems to be now commercially viable. Leave it to itself.

Also more emphasis on the development of children’s television projects and high quality documentaries. I’ve always thought that production investment in big film projects by the corporation should be left to private investors, overseas studios and distribution companies.

Michael Mitchener

production.

Nadine von Cohen @nadinevoncohen

Fuck yeah pitching a gritty aussie drama about a man who has secrets returning from the big smoke to his hometown which has secrets fucking his first girlfriend who has secrets punching his best mate who has secrets then solving a murder sarah blasko’s flame trees plays the end

Tony Tost @tonytost

One sneaky crafty way that an actor can ensure that their best takes almost always make the final product: be really rad at continuity.

Written in response to ‘Vale Bob Parr, exhibition veteran’, published March 31, 2022 Bob Parr was an old friend. He was starting out in the business around the time my late dad, Jack Warn, one of the cinema pioneers, was retiring after over 50 years with Hoyts SA and previously the Waterman Ozone circuit.

Jack had been a projectionist for over 20 years at the Marryatville Ozone, later The Chelsea, which Bob had a major role in establishing and managed for some 40 years. I spoke to Bob by phone a couple of days before he passed after his long struggle with cancer, and he said that the process was “getting hard”.

Valé Bob Parr, at rest now, old friend.

Robert Warn Charmaine Chan @charmainesmchan

I often get questioned what is the best software to learn to become a VFX artist?

My not really an answer answer, don’t focus on software. Why? Tech keeps on changing, software keeps on changing, what generally doesn’t change? The fundamentals of filmmaking.

Jonny @wordswithjonny

Screenwriting is just deleting words so a sentence can be on the previous page

15

Seconds

Vivienne Awosoga has appeared in ‘The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart’, ‘After the Verdict’, ‘Barons’, and ‘Wentworth’.

The biggest issue facing the Australian film or TV industry is:

The Federal Budget.

Best movie quote of all time:

Niki Aken @nikiaken

No animals were harmed in the making of this TV series because there were none left in the script by the time we reached

Vivienne Awosoga.

“What is this? A centre for ANTS?!”

Do you Google yourself?

Absolutely not!

If you could live inside one of your shows, would you? Which one?

Barons would be dreamy.

Classics I would like to remake:

Barefoot in the Park.

Favourite comedy film/show of all time:

The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow!

Favourite comedian?

John Early makes me cry-laugh.

Favourite guilty pleasure?

And Just Like That…

Worst filmmaking experience?

Probably working with the sexiest humans alive on Barons, it was very rude and distracting.

Rotary owes Bob an unplayable debt for all fundraising nights he helped us put on under his aegis, he was a true champion for us and always great to deal with.

Unsung Australian film/TV hero/heroine?

Christopher Smyth

A nurse who does local amateur musicals from time to time.

Many people who I know, or have known always spoke of Bob Parr as a person whose genuine interest and integrity in the film industry will never be forgotten.

May he rest in peace.

David Shelton

Margaret and David from At The Movies. It still hurts.

If I weren’t in the film/TV industry, I’d be…

If money were no object, what would your next film/show be?

An Australian take on Broad City or Pen15.

If a film about your life was made, who would play you?

Sun: Zendaya Moon: Angela Bassett Rising: Eartha Kitt

I’d spend my last $20 on:

Send your letters to publicity@if.com.au 4 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

If I wasn’t hungry (rare), probably a movie ticket to whatever’s on at The Golden Age.

www.screenrights.org/screen-industry

OPINION

VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY

Mitzi Goldman, CEO of Documentary Australia, addresses the dilemmas and contradictions facing documentary filmmakers, funding and audiences in the search for meaningful content.

AUDIENCES ARE HUNGRY for stories that help us make sense of the world. So many of us struggle to process the increasingly bizarre turn of world events, and while we can empathise with another person’s lived experience, many of us also want to know how we can contribute to making the world a better place.

One of the most often asked questions we get from audiences is “What can I do to help?” Not only is there a great need for arts to process the complexity of our world, there is a growing desire to participate in social change initiatives. Social impact documentary engages people emotionally and an impact strategy offers them avenues to become involved. We are living in a time when we need the arts more than ever.

From where I sit at Documentary Australia, we’re privileged to see and support 100+ documentaries a year, telling stories across a broad range of fascinating human subjects. The best documentaries are character-driven dramas dealing with complex social issues that play powerfully on the international stage. As Paul Wiegard, CEO and co-founder of Madman Entertainment, said to me recently on a panel at the Screen Forever conference: “We can just call them all films; it doesn’t matter as much in this generation whether they are drama or documentary, they are just great stories”.

Audiences flock to true stories told with authenticity and deep humanity. They inspire, move and connect us. The passion and resilience of our documentary storytellers fills me with admiration, and I never tire of hearing of their multi-year journeys to get their stories to screens. Increasingly, the pathways to funding and audiences are not necessarily via the traditional avenues of broadcaster, government funding agencies and cinema.

Over the last 14 years of Documentary Australia’s life, we’ve seen a continual growth in philanthropic engagement with documentary to assist in getting these stories made and seen. Pathways to audience are many and varied. Some projects have broadcast, but this is not necessarily the best way to actively engage an audience. Increasingly, we are seeing it is hard to get audiences to cinemas. So with the traditional pathways to audience continuing to be disrupted, where do these stories find their eyes and their ears?

Philanthropy has always had an important role to play in the arts. Historically, patrons of the arts have enabled artists to be independent from 6 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

the conservative commercial imperatives of the marketplace. Philanthropy liberates the artist to think and create critically, and to offer perspectives that challenge the status quo. Since the launch of Documentary Australia, more than $35 million has been raised for films, impact strategies and our programs to build capacity in the sector.

This investment has seen a shift in how films come to audiences – giving filmmakers the ability to build powerful partnerships outside broadcasters and distributors. Many philanthropic funders want to see real change on issues like climate action, gender equity, human rights, social justice. They know that truth telling is central to not only raising awareness but shouting out, beyond the echo chambers, into the community to drive people to act. When ordinary people’s livelihoods are threatened by corporate interests they can often only resort to community action in self-defence. It doesn’t always work, but it can help enormously to have a documentary to rally the troops, convene conversations, and cut through the chatter to put a case succinctly and powerfully.

When a documentary is used strategically and effectively by organisations, it can change real world outcomes. We’ve seen this again and again.

The documentary Frackman empowered rural communities to stand up against fracking. Because of its regional tour hand-in-hand with Lock the Gate, a passionate advocacy group campaigning against fracking, fracking was abandoned across large areas of NSW. There are so many examples of stories that, when placed in the hands of key partners with large audience networks, make significant impact in a multitude of ways. At a time when the traditional distribution models for documentary appear broken, there are many new opportunities to take documentaries to audiences who are seeking out meaningful stories. Even with the challenges of the pandemic, shifting financial markets and deepening international crises, the generosity of individuals has grown.

Our aim, at Documentary Australia, is to teach and support the documentary sector to shift their reliance on government subsidy and broadcast commissions, which are diminishing and tend to be risk averse – to identify, nurture and develop enduring relationships with individuals and foundations who believe in using documentary for social change. We have worked over the last decade to introduce documentary to the

Documentary Australia CEO Mitzi Goldman.

philanthropic sector, to excite them with its potential to amplify their social objectives.

There is an urgency on so many issues now, more than ever. Filmmakers are still learning to work with this model. The key is to understand the links between great stories, well told, with broad global issues, powerful and inspiring characters, and the landscape of organisations and advocates working in the same issue area. It’s about joining the dots and giving those with the engines the fuel to fly. Leveraging and aligning with philanthropic objectives is essential. Understand that philanthropy operates on many levels; grand and modest, financial and in kind. Data is gold, networks are the connecting tissue and story is king.

We are at a point of great change in the industry and it impacts on all genres. The streaming platforms have changed the way people discover and consume content. At Sundance Film Festival this year there was a reported feeding frenzy around documentaries from streamers like Netflix and Amazon, keen to get stories that dig deeper than the news headlines. But are they taking the risks in curation and storytelling that the public broadcasters might? There is more money out there than government funding agencies or public broadcasters have in their budgets. When a film is financed independently, philanthropically, the filmmaker has greater liberty to tell the story they need to tell, but then, even if they can reach a broadcast audience via acquisition, they won’t make much out of the back end to justify the years they have spent making the film.

One thing is clear. The audiences are there for documentary and the stories are strong.

Often finding a documentary you’ve heard about, if you’ve missed it in the festival or brief cinema release, is like looking for a needle in a haystack. We’ve seen what works when you raise a significant outreach budget and have a dedicated impact producer to strategically take a documentary to audiences keen to see it. We need to see more funding going towards outreach so we can identify, nurture, build and service audiences with the meaningful content they are desperately seeking. How many of us give up after half an hour of scrolling through Netflix, only to go to bed to read a book. We’ve gone from desperately seeking the audience to audiences desperately seeking the content. It’s a conundrum in a rapidly changing landscape.

the one stop shop.

sound design . mix. music composition . music super vision

Spreadsheet Paramount+ Music and Sound Girls Can’t Surf Music and Sound Wakefield ABC/Showtime Sound Love on the Spectrum Netflix USA Music Supervision

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company

TAKE TWO

FORGING A FACTUAL BOND Bentley Dean’s 2009 documentary Contact marked the beginning of the director’s working relationship with editor Tania Nehme. Together with fellow director Martin Butler, the pair would go on to collaborate on First Footprints and A Sense of Self, Oscar-nominated feature film Tanna, and more recently, Facing Monsters and Amongst Us – Neo Nazi Australia. Sean Slatter finds out how their bond has strengthened over time.

TANIA NEHME

How I first met Bentley was that he sent me an email in 2009 with a link to a film he and Martin Butler had been working on called Contact, which he had gotten to an assembly stage.

Based on that assembly, I absolutely wanted to do it. I’d been predominantly working as a drama editor, and you could see the drama in what Bentley and Martin were intending to do. It was perfect.

I knew Bentley from Race Around the World. I remembered he was the one that had a balaclava on his head when he reported, because the whole thing was about the journalist being on camera and he was about the story. He was unusual and that appealed to me.

Bentley shoots his own material.

What was beautiful about Contact was that he spent time with the one mob and got them to tell the story, which put them into the place of remembering seeing white people for the first time and got them to perform.

I just watched and listened to him speaking and engaging with them from behind the camera. The trust that he brings as a director and cinematographer is just beautiful.

Also his rhythm, and the way he thinks about the post process covers everything really well.

So far we’ve collaborated on about six projects. I have long-term work relationships with directors and they take time to build. With Bentley, you get permission to go into your 8 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

own headspace because he makes creative space.

The project that stands out for me is Tanna, where he and Martin invited me to Vanuatu. I got to live and be with the Yakel people for five or six weeks and watch him as a one-man crew, with Martin flying in and out to record sound.

I spent two weeks on my own with the translations, putting together the material, and I knew in the first 20 minutes that there was something special there. I can never usually say that about the work because I’m always judgmental, but this was.

The way that film grew from Bentley taking his family overseas so his kids could experience another culture was just incredible.

Our working relationship hasn’t really changed much over the years. I don’t like to talk about my ideas – the actual execution and the talking just don’t go together – and he trusts that.

When we’re working together, he’s always telling stories and planting seeds and in the back of my mind – I’m hearing everything. I’m getting the colours, the picture, and the feelings.

He just gives you room to go into that emotional, psychic, creative space and pull whatever it is from that box.

It can be scary showing who you are, and he embraces that.

BENTLEY DEAN

I initially knew of Tania from her work with Rolf de Heer over the years. The Tracker, in particular, is one of my all time favourite films, and a lot of that is

due to some extraordinary editing, on top of everything else.

With Contact, my co-director Martin Butler and I thought the material was so strong that we needed the best editor. I cold emailed Tania and luckily she responded to the material.

It was just a no-brainer to continue working with her after that because it had been such a real magic experience.

I was used to almost hovering over an editor just to make sure I’d got what I wanted.

What we found with Tania, is that if you gave her peace, she would come back with ways of seeing the material that you haven’t even conceived of yourself.

As a director, you sometimes start off with a wishlist where you try and turn the chaos or reality into a narrative or a striking film, and you’re playing with ideas. Sometimes Tania will seemingly completely ignore you, and we were always really happy when she did that because, as she’s probably said, it’s sometimes hard for her to articulate herself with words She’ll say, “Come back tomorrow, I’ll articulate it via the edit,” and then you see it and it’s like, “Wow, okay”.

That, in turn, would spark off a whole set of new ideas. It becomes this lovely feedback loop where it’s hard to delineate who the director is. On Amongst Us – Neo Nazi Australia, I felt like she’d gone so far in that direction that I believed she should be get co-directing credit but she absolutely refused.

As a result of our relationship and her faith and sense of adventure, Tania came and flew over to Tanna to edit. The people we were living with constructed a hut for editing made out of materials from the bush with a dirt floor and an extra solar panel to keep the computer going.

It was just wonderful because she could see where the story was being generated from.

She was able to assemble some scenes from a rough assembly and go, for example, “Oh, actually I feel like the relationship between the grandfather and the grandson was not developed enough, you need some scenes to do that.” From there, we’d be able to call a meeting with the village and say, “We’d like to do something, What are some possibilities?” and lo and behold, come up with a scene and shoot it that afternoon. That kind of fine tuning, immediate response, hyper collaboration just wouldn’t have been possible if she wasn’t there.

I actually don’t think our relationship has changed much since we’ve been working together. It feels kind of like a one-way trajectory, of just getting closer and closer the older we get and the more experiences we share.

If there was a change on a professional level, she feels like she can take the initiative a lot more than maybe in the past, which we completely encourage. Apart from that, I would say it’s just been a continual rise upwards in terms of friendship.

www.oddstudio.com

info@oddstudio.com

COVER STORY

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST Leah Purcell on set.

The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson sees Leah Purcell bring the story behind her award-winning stage play and novel to the screen, serving as writer, director, producer and lead actor. The multi-hyphenate talks to Jackie Keast about her feature directorial debut, alongside partner and producer Bain Stewart and actor Rob Collins.

L

eah Purcell’s mother used to read to her from Henry Lawson’s 1892 classic The Drover’s Wife when she was five years old.

It was the first time Purcell remembers hearing a story and imagining herself within it: Her mother was the drover’s wife, and she was the eldest son.

The short story has remained significant for Purcell throughout her life. When her mother died, The Drover’s Wife was the first book she grabbed.

In 2006, when filming Jindabyne for Ray Lawrence, Purcell and others in the team used to use their days off to drive around the parks. She recalls going up to the top of Mount Kosciusko, marvelling at the mountain and wondering why its surrounds were not used more on screen.

“I stood on the top – and this is true – I yelled out ‘I’m coming back. I think it’s going to be The Drover’s Wife, and I’m going to be in it’,” Purcell tells IF. “That was 2006, and then 2019 I’m on the opposite range, going ‘Cut! Action!’ How’s that for putting it out there?”

The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson marks Purcell’s directorial feature debut.

Set in 1893 on isolated property in the Snowy Mountains, it follows the heavily pregnant Molly Johnson (Purcell) and her children as they struggle to survive while her drover husband is away. Molly is soon confronted by a fugitive Aboriginal man, Yadaka (Rob Collins), and in a desperate situation, takes his offer of help.

Yadaka soon forms a bond with Molly and her eldest son Danny, and helps her to understand her true identity.

The film follows Purcell’s much-decorated 2016 Belvoir St Theatre play and 2019 best selling novel; a third revisioning of Lawson’s work through a female and First Nations lens.

It’s not likely to be the last either, with Purcell 10 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

currently developing a limited series, starting in the modern day and working its way back through history, following Molly Johnson’s descendants.

A proud Goa-Gungarri-Wakka Wakka Murri woman, Purcell entwined Lawson with her family diaries, particularly that of her great–grandfather Tippo Charlie Chambers, upon whom Yadaka is based.

She began writing the play after serving as a director in a frustrating writer’s workshop; she realised it was probably a sign she should write something herself.

At home, looking at her bookshelf, the spine of The Drover’s Wife was sticking out. At that point she hadn’t read it in years. She told her partner, producer Bain Stewart, she wasn’t going to re-read it yet; instead she was going to write what she could remember from her mum’s interpretation. She wrote the first act in five days, the second act in two.

After that, she handed it to Stewart to see if she was on to something. Not only did he think she was, he could immediately see a film.

“I said, “Yes, I know you can! So can I! But let’s just get the play up and then we can work from there.’” Purcell laughs.

Stewart invited Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason and other agency staff to the opening night at Belvoir, with a standing ovation and five encores proved a successful pitch for development funding.

“I looked at Graeme, he looked at me,” Stewart tells IF. “I said, ‘You’re in for a penny, in for a pound now mate. We’re handcuffed to each other.’”

Purcell wrote the screenplay at night after performing to “wind down”, encouraged from the audience and their reaction in the foyer afterwards.

Halfway through the show, Stewart came home one evening with a surprise for Purcell. She

thought it was been a pair of shoes – instead, it was a book deal with Penguin Random House.

Writing the book added another layer, allowing Purcell to go deeper into the internal thoughts of her characters. It too informed the screenplay, though she was determined to keep each fresh.

“My challenge to myself was to make sure that if you saw the play, read the book and saw the movie, you’d get a different experience.

“It would have been boring for me just to regurgitate stuff. The spirituality was strong throughout the book; you get her internal feelings and thoughts. The film’s a little bit more literal.”

One of the biggest thrills of film as a medium for Purcell was that the landscape come into play; it is interspersed with time lapse shots of nature captured by photographic artist Murray Fredricks.

“I’ve actually used a Dreaming structure, a songline structure to tell the story... We tell our stories in five structures and the landscape is always a protagonist in it. Every frame means something in the film.

“My Aboriginal storytelling was what I really wanted to try to capture; the Dreaming and why Aboriginal people have survived for so long.”

Filmed in late 2019, The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson was produced by Stewart and Purcell via their company Oombarra Productions, Bunya Productions’ David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin, and Angela Littlejohn.

Financing came via Screen Australia and its First Nations department, and Create NSW, as well as around $2 million in private equity and tax deductible donations.

In putting together her team, Purcell was guided by advice from mentor Ray Lawrence: “Cast the best actors and cast your crew. Half of your job is done.”

Starring alongside Purcell and Collins are Sam Reid and Jessica de Gouw as couple Nate and Louisa Clintoff, Nate being the new law-maker in the town. Joining them are a number of actors reprising their roles from the stage: Tony Cogin as Robert Parsons, Harry Greenwood as John McPharlen and Benedict Hardie as Trooper Leslie.

The cast also includes a number of first-time actors in Molly’s children: Malachi DowerRoberts as eldest son Danny, Jobe and Nash Zammit–Harvey as twins Joe Junior and Henry James and Amalia Olsson as daughter Delphi.

Each was whittled down from a casting call that received almost 2,000 applications from Indigenous children around Australia.

Dower–Roberts in particular was a find for Purcell; standing out early because of how he danced. She later found his father was Malcolm Roberts, who she once cast in a short film when he was a boy that never got over the line. “He’s a football player… His physicality is just off the chart. But he’s got an old soul and an old head on his shoulders,” she says.

Collins was always Yadaka in Purcell’s head, having first worked with him on Cleverman.

When IF tells him this, he laughs: “Why’d she make me audition for it then!”

Yadaka felt familiar to Collins, and the fact that

COVER STORY

‘The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson’.

the character is on the run meant there were “wonderful” dramatic circumstances to play with as an actor.

“He felt like every important Aboriginal male figure in my life – my uncles, my grandfather; they are men of dignity who I have great respect for. Any lesson that I’ve learnt in life that has guided me has come from those figures.”

The actors were blessed with a two-week rehearsal process in the lead up to the shoot.

Working with ex-Bangarra dancer Albert David, Collins says the time helped with the physicality of Yadaka. There was also a lot of discussion with Purcell about particular scenes, as well as just

‘The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson’.

inhabiting the space with each other, and even some meditation thrown in.

“It’s a real gold standard way to work. By the time it came to filming, there was just a level of comfortability there that I haven’t had previously with any other job,” Collins says.

“For me in particular, because the story is so personal to [Leah], she really made me feel like I could put my own stamp on it, and in many ways, freed me of the shackle of wanting to honour this great man who so important to her own life.”

On set, Collins says Purcell – wearing both director and actor hats – invited him look at takes on the split to discuss what was working and what wasn’t.

“It was almost like workshopping the performance as we were going along, which was just brilliant. Again, that made me more at ease with the process. The process I’m used to is like being shot out of a cannon: You do your performance, it’s locked and loaded, you move on, you don’t see it. You don’t know what you’ve done until it actually broadcasts. It was a very detailed way of working.”

When it came to her own performance, Purcell’s familiarity with the material meant she could be in the moment.

“I think it’s some of my best acting because I wasn’t thinking about it. I had too many other things to think about.

“I could see my mum in some places; I was really proud that the strength of her character came through, because Molly Johnson was influenced by my mum.”

Stewart agrees it is among Purcell’s best acting work. “I’m going to be biased, but I think Leah did a fantastic job playing Molly in amongst everything else. If you would have seen her on set, you wouldn’t have quite believed her process.

One minute she’s getting slammed and dropped, fake blood all over – getting up with the biggest smile because she’s had the time of her life getting the shit kicked out of her, looking through the viewfinder, yelling out cut.”

While Purcell wore a lot of hats on set, she was aided by shorthand with Stewart and crew she has worked with many times before, such as cinematographer Mark Wareham, costum e designer Tess Schofield, 1st AD Richard McGrath and script supervisor Louise Johnson.

“I wanted everyone to inject into my ideas their

‘The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson’.

expertise and take it to another level,” Purcell says.

“Knowing that those five had my back, I could go out there and feel really confident. I’m a team player and I pride myself in collaboration.

Everyone’s opinions and thoughts were valued.”

Other key collaborators include composer Salliana Seven Campbell, who crafted the film’s striking modern score, editor Dany Cooper and casting director Nikki Barrett.

The Drover’s Wife premiered internationally at SXSW in March 2021. It has sold around the world including to Samuel Goldwyn Films in the US. Collins says the film is a testament to First Nations talent, and that filmmakers like Purcell, Wayne Blair and Warwick Thornton are world‑class.

“That’s the biggest take away from it, over and above what it says about Aboriginal people in Australia, our brutal past, domestic violence; those things speak for itself.

“There are a wealth of stories for First Nations people. First Nations actors are fantastic. And Leah is a Hollywood level director.”

The Australian audience’s reaction is most important to Purcell. As someone who comes from a theatre background, she knows audience is everything. She wants them to be entertained, emotionally stimulated and challenged by what she has to say; to talk about it around the dinner table.

“Whether you agree with the storyline or not, if it’s got you going, it’s done its job,” she says.

“If they’re silenced by it, if they are confronted by it, that’s a good thing, because we live in our own little worlds and we’ve got the blinkers on.

Step in someone else’s shoes for an hour and 47 minutes. See another side to life and go with it. Embrace it. These are our stories. This is our history.”

The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson is in cinemas May 5 via Roadshow Films.

MARKETING MOLLY AS PART OF the marketing campaign for The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Oombarra Productions and Roadshow Films are working with talent agency Born Bred and its new First Nations division, Born Blak. The team have engaged around 20 Indigenous influencers with large followings across

platforms such as TikTok, Twitter and Instagram to see the film and participate in workshops with Purcell.

Those influencers will then be supplied assets from Roadshow and encouraged to create their own messaging.

The strategy is seen as a win-win as social media companies increasingly seek to amplify First Nations creators on their platform, and recognise films are one means to do so.

“There are some amazing young black influencers out there,” Stewart says. “They’re crazy smart and political. They know the issues and and they look forward to using a film like The Drover’s Wife to create a conversation, because Leah throws so much stuff up in that film... The main reason why it really took off was all of these young influencers look up to Leah. They wanted to be a part of this.”

‘The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson’. www.if.com.au 11

TELEVISION

Sophia Forrest and Sean Keenan in ‘Barons’.

RIDING HIGH Sean Keenan carries the honour of being the common thread between two of Australasia’s recent festival darlings, having had supporting roles in Justin Kurzel’s Nitram and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. With the actor now set to step back into a lead role for ABC series Barons, Sean Slatter finds out how he has forged a global career from playing Australians in Australia.

S

ean Keenan doesn’t want to play a surfer for the rest of his life.

Then again, it’s difficult not to associate the actor with riding a board.

Having started his career as beach bum Lockie Leonard, he went on to hit the waves in Puberty Blues and Drift, before typifying an aspect of Australian surf culture to great effect last year in Justin Kurzel’s Nitram.

Keenan has again donned a wetsuit for his lead role in upcoming ABC series Barons, a story that parallels the Billabong and Quicksilver surf empires.

However, he doesn’t seek out roles that go with his long blonde hair.

“I do surf and I do understand those characters, which is why Justin asked me to do Nitram,” he said.

“It’s also why I try not to play surfers all the time because this long blonde hair means it’s very

12 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

easy for me to be playing an Australian surfer and I don’t want to be playing an Australian surfer for the rest of my life.

“Obviously, I’m playing a surfer in Barons but I was already cast in that before I got offered Nitram.”

Keenan will star as Bill ‘Trotter’ Dwyer in the ABC drama, which tells the story of a surf-crazed group of hippy friends who turn their backs on the world in search of their ideal patch of surfing paradise.

Set against 1970s hedonism, the group’s desire for the perfect wave ends up taking them from the beach to the boardroom, heralding the beginning of billion dollar empires.

However, the cutthroat culture of entrepreneurship soon turns close relationships into fierce rivalries, as those involved grapple with the consequences of selling their surfing dream to the world.

The ensemble cast also includes Ben O’Toole, Hunter Page-Lochard, George Pullar, Lincoln Younes, Sophia Forrest, Vivienne Awosoga, Nicholas Burton, Karina Banno, newcomer Megan MacKenzie, Kick Gurry, Catherine VanDavies, Alexander England, and British-American actress Ione Skye.

Produced by Fremantle, Micanical Media, and 2Jons Barons was created by Michael Lawrence, John Molloy, and Liz Doran, who penned the episodes alongside Matt Cameron and Marieke Hardy. Lawrence and Molloy are producing, with Fremantle’s Justin Davies, while Shawn Seet, Fadia Abboud, and Taylor Steele are the directors.

The series was filmed on Sydney’s Northern Beaches last year amid the Delta lockdown.

Producers used a hut at Long Reef for the board making factory featured in the series, while also shooting on location at Turimetta Beach and at a studio in Eastwood.

Keenan says while filming during the outbreak was not easy, aspects of the shoot had served to make the climate more manageable.

“Out of all the shoots I have done, this one had the most last-minute changes, so it was a challenge, but for the amount of obstacles we had put in the way, we did an amazing job with that

TELEVISION

Sean Keenan (left) with Jillian Nguyen in ‘Barons’.

and we had such a great cast,” he says.

“We’ve come out the other side going, ‘How did we do that with all those obstacles?’ but our main locations were isolated enough.

“We were two weeks into rehearsals when we got hit with the lockdown, so it was the new normal. In that sense, it was something we were ready for from the start.”

The 29-year-old was faced with a different set environment earlier in 2021 as part of Kurzel’s Nitram, a psychological drama about the events leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

He received a call from the director, with whom he had worked with on The True History of the Kelly Gang, about playing the part of Jamie, a local surfer that Caleb Landry Jones’ Nitram befriends before eventually alienating.

After initially sparking controversy due to the sensitivity of the subject matter, the film was lauded both domestically and internationally in the second half of last year, becoming the first Australian film to be screened in competition at Cannes in more than a decade before going on to dominate the AACTA Awards.

Keenan received praise for his archetypal portrayal, which contrasted sharply with social isolation of the main character.

He says witnessing Landry Jones fully inhabit Nitram added to the uneasy nature of the interactions they shared on screen.

“It’s funny because you do your prep work and you have ideas of what you want to bring to the character and how certain aspects of the character will affect the story but the beautiful thing about working with an actor that is in character the whole time is that you can’t deny your reaction to what you are getting in that moment,” he says.

“When it’s such an interesting and detailed performance, it becomes a case of ‘well this is what will dominate this moment’ and that all feeds into it.”

Keenan was also exposed to method acting as part of Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which he filmed prior to Nitram.

His character Sven forms part of a cowboy ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Phil

Burbank, a role the British actor maintained in between takes.

Like Nitram, the film was well received on the international festival circuit last year, with Campion awarded Silver Lion Award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. Twelve Oscar nominations followed with Campion winning Best Director, as well as a host of BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.

Keenan describes sharing the set with Cumberbatch and other members of the ensemble cast as “one of the greatest learning experiences you can have”.

“You don’t always know when you’re a part of something that is going to have that sort of impact but there is a feeling on set when you’re like, ‘Wow, this is a really special film’. It doesn’t have to be a massive budget film,” he says.

“In The Power of the Dog, we play cowboys and are an ensemble around the lead cast, who are amazing actors that I’ve wanted to see work.

Benedict Cumberbatch was using method acting in his part to different effect than Caleb Landry Jones and that was really great to watch.”

The Power of the Dog is one of the few projects in Keenan’s career where he has not played an Australian.

From his early work in Tim Winton adaptations Lockie Leonard and Cloudstreet through to his more recent roles in Glitch, Hoges, Newton’s Law, The True History of the Kelly Gang and Wake in Fright, he has carved a career out of helping to tell stories that are instantly recognisable for their depictions of the country’s culture and history.

Originally from Busselton in WA, he says his rural upbringing contributed to his sense of belonging within the local industry.

“There are quintessential Australian stories that I feel like I have a connection with,” he says.

“They speak to me and I feel like I have something to give to those stories that mean something deeper to me.

“Growing up in an Australian country town, I really connect with those types of stories, maybe more so than mainstream storytelling.

“It is good to go and develop relationships with

casting directors and immerse yourself in the US, so I will maybe go back next year, but at this stage, I’m not unhappy with the way things have gone here.”

In January, Keenan joined fellow Australians Shannon Berry and Tyroe Muhafidin in signing for LA-based talent agency Brave Artists Management.

He has previously travelled to the US three times with the intention of pursuing projects, only to book work in Australia while over there.

Keenan says the “verbose confidence” with which Americans tell stories has appeal, but a strong project is a strong project.

“I’d love to keep doing jobs that have international scope, whether they be American or Australian/New Zealand films,” he says.

“If I’m working with great directors and the films are able to be seen internationally, then I’m a happy camper.”

Barons will air on the ABC April 24.

Sean Keenan (second from right) with (from left) Ben O’Toole, Sophia Forrest, and Hunter Page-Lochard.

Sean Keenan in ‘Nitram’.

REPRESENTING THE BEST IN FREELANCE FILM AND DIGITAL TECHNICIANS Contact Liz and Karen | +61 2 9958 1611 crew@toptechsmanagement.com.au www.if.com.au 13 www.toptechsmanagement.com.au

EXHIBITION (Photo: Matt Kennedy, © 2021 CTMG. All Rights Reserved. MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2021 MARVEL)

TALKING TICKETS Despite Omicron, the box office has been building momentum in 2022. Sean Slatter speaks with Hoyts Group president and CEO Damian Keogh, Dendy Icon group CEO Sharon Strickland and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace general manager Alex Temesvari about cinema recovery.

T

he first quarter of 2022 was a mixed bag at the Australian box office.

With cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne having only reopened last October, exhibitors were forced to navigate a new threat to ticket sales in the form of the Omicron variant.

However, there was momentum heading into the new year as Spider-Man: No Way Home set a new standard for the pandemic era, earning $80 million – making it the fourth highest grossing film ever at the Australian BO. Its dominance led to a chasm of sorts as other new major releases failed to bring audiences out of their homes. The ‘Tom Holland effect’ that propelled Uncharted to the top of the box office at the end of February was sharply contrasted with the release of Universal’s Cyrano at the same time, the latter only opening to just $157,051.

Both locally and internationally, older audiences seem to have taken longer to make their way back to theatres, leading to some titles underperforming.

For instance, Guillermo del Toro’s Academy Award-nominated Nightmare Alley only mustered $1.6 million, while Pablo Larraín’s Spencer made just $1.4 million.

But there are signs the trend is shifting. Kenneth Branagh’s Oscarwinning Belfast has taken in more than $5 million since its release in February. Ridley Scott’s House of 14 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

Gucci overcame mixed reviews to gross more than $10 million.

Overall, the box office is tracking reasonably well, with data from Numero revealing the first quarter total is up 40 per cent on last year and only down 30 per cent on 2019.

With April bringing new installments of popular IP, including Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and Universal’s Downton Abbey 2, followed by Disney’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in early May, there is further cause for optimism.

So what is the state of play among exhibitors in post-lockdown?

Hoyts Group president and CEO Damian Keogh says while the first quarter performance is a “little bit disappointing”, there are some “green shoots and light at the end of the tunnel”.

The chain, which operates more than 50 cinemas across Australia and New Zealand, sustained revenue losses in the vicinity of $600 million across the past two years and, as with the industry as a whole, has had to adapt to studios developing direct-to-consumer pipelines with streaming platforms.

“I think the next four months are going to be really important to gauge the future of our industry,” he says.

“There’s enough decent content to say that we should do okay, but it’s going to be very interesting to see how it all unfolds.

“There’s some optimism but

there’s also plenty of caution.”

For independent exhibitors, ensuring recovery remains on track lies with repeat business, especially from older audiences.

Dendy Cinemas has sought to re-engage with lapsed members of its rewards program via special offers, such as cheaper renewal rates. The chain has also introduced lower pricing for late evening sessions and premium lounge areas.

Dendy Icon Group CEO Sharon Strickland says there is positive growth in its membership numbers, although it has been difficult to entice older members of the public back for regular visits.

“With the big releases such as Spider-Man and Batman, there’s an automatic audience that has just come back. They’re slightly younger as well, so I don’t think they are as concerned about COVID,” she says.

“The older [audiences] are coming but I do think they are taking longer to return and when they do come, they pick the one solid movie they want to see, so the frequency is not there,and we can tell that through our club members.

Previously they would come once a month or once every three weeks..”

It’s a view shared by Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace general manager Alex Temesvari, who describes getting the older crowd back as one of the biggest challenges of the pandemic, but notes the tide is starting to turn.

“Things like cases coming

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has grossed more than $80 million.

down and higher vaccination rates all helped make people more comfortable, but I think there’s also just a recalibration where people just have to get their heads around the fact things have changed or things are somewhat different,” he says.

“We even noticed when Belfast came out, which is an example of a film that is very traditional Orpheum programming and does appeal to that older demographic, that it had a pretty strong opening weekend and has done really solid consistent week-after-week business.”

One of the ways the Orpheum managed to continue operating during the pandemic period was by bringing alternative programming to the forefront, and using its 700-seat auditorium and stage to host live events, such as concerts and comedy performances. Dendy is also known for delivering live concert recordings via the Dendy Arts Program, which incorporates the National Theatre Live and the MET Opera.

Major exhibitors got in on the act earlier this year as a concert from a K-Pop boyband was delivered live via satellite to 86 cinemas from South Korea. BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul, delivered via bespoke cinema technology Interstellar Live, ranked third at the box office with a gross of $704,383, behind The Batman and Uncharted, and had the second highest screen average ($8,191) of any film in the top 20.

Keogh says while Hoyts will always rely on studios for tentpole content, the potential to screen live music and sports events, sports, as well as television or streaming content was growing.

“There is diversity in what we play, and we can get communities to come out and socialise and experience audio-visual content in the best possible way,” he says.

“We have to change our business a little bit to adapt to some of that but it’s going to be a long time before the big tentpole movie is not our bread and butter.”

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DISTRIBUTION

THE DIRECTION OF DISTRIBUTION Ahead of the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) and the Australian Feature Film Summit(AFFS), distributors sat down with Jackie Keast to discuss how they see the theatrical market, their upcoming slate and what they are looking for in Australian film.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AUSTRALIA Mike Baard, managing director How do you see the theatrical market recovering into 2022?

Slow but steady; so much of the recovery is predicated on consumer confidence. We are seeing positive signs, however, it’s often two steps forward one step back in terms of sentiment. The more positive experiences consumers have, the more the habit grows or returns and frequency increases. However, we know the pandemic is still very much in our lives and for some demos it is a reason to reconsider their out of home entertainment choices. So it’s unlikely we will see a full return to pre-pandemic admission levels on a consistent weekly basis this year.

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

On the Universal side, Minions: The Rise of Gru (June 23) is the new film in the most successful animated franchise of all time while Jurassic World: Dominion (June 9) is the conclusion to the Jurassic era, uniting the legacy cast of Jurassic Park with the current Jurassic World cast. We expect both to deliver blockbuster box office. An unexpected gem which I anticipate will surprise is Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (August 11) which is charming, heartfelt and a true delight.

On the Warner Bros. side, we have a strong slate of titles from 16 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

DC (Black Adam, DC League of Superpets, Shazam: Fury of the Gods) which should prove box office winners while we are truly thrilled to bring Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis to cinemas this June.

Locally and internationally, older audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your release strategies – Universal has had success with films like House of Gucci and Belfast?

That’s a correct observation; it’s no surprise given these demos are more vulnerable to Covid. We have seen a similar trend with family films, due to a smaller percentage of kids aged 5-12 being vaccinated.

The challenge in marketing to these demos is we don’t know who is and isn’t vaccinated, so we have to carry the full freight of our advertising campaigns despite box office for these demos being impaired by anywhere from 30-50 per cent at various times in the year. However, films which arrive in market without strong marketing support will not find an audience, so we have continued to invest substantially in media, publicity and partnerships to ensure we are engaging the target audience and given them reason to visit the cinema. We are confident that if exhibitors continue to provide a safe and comfortable

environment for audiences to enjoy these films, over time we will win these consumers back.

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies – from day-and-date releasing, PVOD and shorter windows, while some films have bypassed theatrical altogether. How are you navigating this environment, and how important is theatrical currently to your overall business?

Release strategy and planning happens many months ahead of release date, and it’s been challenging to commit millions of dollars of marketing investment only to get to opening weekend and be adversely affected by the pandemic. So the risk that a release date might be compromised has substantially increased, hence there have been cases where a reconsideration of the distribution plan is done to mitigate potential losses. Whilst the pandemic has highlighted that different films might require different play-out from their cinema release, we remain wholly committed to theatrical. The type of films we produce and distribute are best appreciated in a cinema and we believe consumers can differentiate the impact a film makes when seen in a great cinema environment.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian film?

Like most everything else, the landscape is tougher now than before the pandemic. So long as we have films with a clear pathway to audience, there is no reason Australian films cannot prosper.

What’s your current appetite for Australian product? What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

So much of what worked before the pandemic is now more challenged to find an audience. I don’t think there are any specific genres which you can confidently predict will attract an audience, so it will come down to the specifics of a project that will determine its market potential.

DISTRIBUTION

SONY PICTURES AUSTRALIA Stephen Basil-Jones, managing director and EVP contributed to that film’s success?

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

Bullet Train for sure, starring the mercurial Brad Pitt. For the film’s freshness and originality, Where the Crawdads Sing excites me as I loved the book, and the next instalment of the animated Oscar-winning hit Spiderverse.

The gangbuster numbers for Spider-Man: No Way Home would be a delight at the best of times, but I imagine they are particularly so given the film was released amid the peak of Omicron. Beyond the popularity of the franchise, what do you think

It’s been phenomenal. First and foremost, it was an outstanding film critically and from the public’s reaction and word-of-mouth.

The film’s terrific success is also attributed to its broad appeal and reach; it was truly a four-quadrant film, not just for Marvel fans. We also had people coming back for so many repeat visits/viewings, and that is always a sign of a blockbuster hit. No Way Home had the magic and with its special reveal, made people feel great at a time when we all needed it after being locked-down for so long. It was a must-see movie at the cinemas, on the big-screen, with great dynamic sound and fabulous seating – one to enjoy as a community and group. To witness people getting out of their seats, hollering, clapping and cheering together was a really special moment even for many of us who have been in this business for many years.

Older audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your release strategies?

That audience segment has been the most challenging, but we are seeing good signs that this is recovering and they are responding

to good offerings. I think House of Gucci and Belfast are supportive of this and we are so confident of Where the Crawdads Sing also capturing many of these people and enticing them back.

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies.

Sony is notably the only major studio without a streaming service.

How are you navigating this environment?

Our whole business model is based on the premise of a theatrical release. Our studio, as you say, is the only major independent studio without a streaming service, so our focus and commitment is producing films for exhibition and then playing out the following ancillary business channels in a timely manner. It seems worldwide that 45 days is the ‘new normal’ window before a film sees its way onto an electronic sell-through or premium VOD platform. We are committed to ensuring the theatrical experience is protected but the whole industry knows that they have to be flexible (that word again). Some films will be held back much longer before home-consumption opportunities and for good reasons; length of

commercial playability and global home ent. release launch timing.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was 90 days, but some films will be shorter.

Venom 2 was 47 days, as Australia launched theatrically two months after the US due to local COVID issues and the digital release was made internationally around the time of our theatrical release. One size does not fit all; we need to assess on a film-by-film basis.

What’s your current appetite for Australian product? What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

We are always open to the next Aussie project, always have been. But finding the right one is tricky. We read between 1-2 local screenplays every couple of weeks. My warning, which wasn’t so warmly welcomed at the [first stage of the] Australian Feature Film Summit, was that there was a proliferation of horror/thriller scripts being put forward, and this category is a really challenging one in this territory and one we’re not very keen on. We are cognisant of the fact that local films skew to older audiences on the whole and are mindful of that when reviewing local pitches.

STUDIOCANAL ANZ Elizabeth Trotman, CEO What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

Nicolas Cage playing Nick Cage [The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent] is without a doubt one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a long time, it’s had fantastic reviews and exhibitors are loving it.

How has the pandemic altered how you bring projects to market, and work with exhibitor partners?

Along with all the other studios it has shortened our theatrical window, and this is a good thing. Ninety days was too long given the big expense of releasing the film and how long it was then not available on any platform. A shorter window allows

some of the P&A benefits to carry into home ent. window while the consumer is still aware of the film.

In terms of acquisitions, the marketplace is incredibly competitive. How are you navigating this as an independent distributor?

We aim to have 12-14 films on our slate every year. Studiocanal internationally produces 4-6 films a year so we look to acquire 6-8 films a year. We’ve found it competitive but we remain confident in the films we’ve acquired. We track the box office and ensure that there will be a demand for the story/cast/ director package.

Throughout the pandemic we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies. How are you navigating this environment, and how important is theatrical currently to your overall business?

We remain nimble depending on what the film is, how wide it needs to release and the competitive environment. The US theatrical window is also important otherwise it can become a piracy risk in our market.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films at present?

Exhibitors remain supportive of Australian films and we recently

had success with a great local film called June Again; we look to release 1-2 Australian films a year.

What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

Films that have an audience, a great story hook and preferably recognisable cast.

www.if.com.au 17

DISTRIBUTION

ROADSHOW FILMS Joel Pearlman, CEO What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

I am incredibly excited about the forthcoming release of Everything Everywhere All At Once. I am also really looking forward to our Australian slate, which includes Leah Purcell’s directorial debut The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson and our January release of Blueback, directed by Robert Connolly. In addition we have Better Man, Michael Gracey’s first film since The Greatest Showman, which tells Robbie Williams’ story, Seriously Red directed by Gracie Otto, and of course, we have Three Thousand Years of Longing, George Miller’s new work. It’s going to be a busy year.

Older and more upscale audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your release strategies?

It’s really critical to think about what is truly theatrical. We ask ourselves: can we bring an audience to the cinema for this film? And if we think we can, then we begin to build a campaign that is theatrical in every sense of the word. It’s all about ensuring that there is a real reason for audiences to choose this

film as one that they want to see in the cinema.

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies.

How are you navigating this, and how important is theatrical currently to your overall business?

Theatrical remains incredibly important – a successful theatrical release is still, without question in our view, the best way to maximise the monetisation on any single release.

So figuring out how to release a film successfully is paramount to what we do. Having said all that, not every film is going to be a hit so greater flexibility has definitely allowed us to be more creative in the films we bring to market.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films?

During AFFS stage one, you predicted that there may be more potential for Australian films in the market as some studios bypass theatrical?

The reality is that the studios are releasing a smaller volume of films into the theatrical market. One of the real challenges over the last few years was ensuring there was enough space for Australian releases to find their audiences.

It is still incumbent upon every Australian film that releases to

have a truly theatrical proposition.

Ultimately the same challenges that all films are facing will absolutely be felt by Australian releases, but the difference is there are more gaps in the schedule, and in my view that provides the opportunity to create a corridor for Australian films with strong theatrical potential. It is for this reason that we are incredibly bullish in this sector and have a very substantial release slate as well as a large development slate for Australian productions.

Do you see a need for producers, distributors and exhibitors to work more closely together as the AFFS is advocating?

I think the summit is an incredible initiative – the reality is that for all of our industry to work it needs collaboration, and bringing exhibition into this conversation can be a great thing. I have always felt that we have been incredibly supported by the exhibition community with our Australian releases – a successful Australian film is extremely additive to the overall box office so I know how much exhibitors count on them and will support them. However, by engaging them earlier and building greater relationships between producers and the exhibition community, there is the opportunity to create a really

KISMET Jason Hernandez, managing director Kismet launched during the pandemic. How has that shaped how you approach the business?

We launched Kismet in early 2021 hoping, like many people, that the pandemic was going to go away and for the theatrical business to resume to somewhat pre-COVID levels. But when this didn’t happen, we had to alter our plans, stagger our release dates state-by-state, scale back our theatrical release strategies and budgets. We’re

buoyant about theatrical, we’ve just had to adapt and adjust our strategy to respond to market challenges.

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

It’s a tricky question as you love all your children equally. We have a great line-up. Personally I’m most excited about Michel Franco’s drama, Sundown, starring Tim Roth and Charlotte Gainsbourg. It’s a film that hooks you from the start,

strong two-way dialogue which will also have the critical benefit of providing producers with a greater understanding of the market from those that are closest to the customer base.

What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you? Is it correct that Roadshow is currently handling its largest ever slate of Australian films?

That is true – our slate is as big as it’s ever been. In terms of product we are always looking for original ideas as well as projects that may come from existing source material.

We try not to repeat ourselves and are always looking for things that are going to be – as we call it – “shiny”, and can stand out in the marketplace. We are also excited by works that are truly Australian. We see a real advantage in being able to differentiate from US product.

We think that’s what creates a proposition for audiences.

and you don’t know where you’re headed. I’m also looking forward to Zach Braff’s next film, A Good Person, a drama starring Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh. And Nick Giannopoulos’ comedy, Wog Boys Forever, the third film in the Wog Boy franchise, which brings back Nick and Vince Colosimo together in the starring roles.

Older audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your release strategies?

We’ve had to adjust our box office expectations and explore

PROFFESSIONAL TECHNICIANS FOR THE FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY 18 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

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DISTRIBUTION

MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT Paul Wiegard, co-founder and CEO

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

As you know we love all our children equally… For 2022, the potential breakout Australian film How to Please a Woman. Our blue chip, royal documentaries: Sundance opening night film The Princess produced by Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man, Man on Wire), Roger Michell’s Elizabeth: A Portrait in Part(s)… and I could go on!

Older audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your release strategies?

Agree with the observation. I’d go a step further and say older audiences have been far slower than

different release models to maximise revenue. For example, for our upcoming young activist documentary, Bigger Than Us, we’re planning special event screenings in capital cities through a new concept we’re yet to announce. This is followed by a cinema release, which then leads into community screenings in partnership with and facilitated by Fan-Force.

In terms of acquisitions, the marketplace is incredibly competitive.

How are you navigating this as an independent distributor?

It’s always been competitive but

young audiences to return. This, coupled with fewer films released whose primary audience is 45+, has translated to a throttled return for older audiences that got out of the habit. Furthermore, for distributors, reduced box office projections necessitate a proportionate drop in marketing/publicity spend, which suggests a downward spiral. We remain optimistic about the return of older audiences, however it is clear it is likely to be a steady build over several months vs. the younger 15 to 29-year-old audience that appears to have returned back to the cinema in bigger numbers than pre-pandemic.

How has the pandemic altered how you bring projects to market, and work with exhibitor partners?

Will any of the changes you’ve made carry forward?

For Madman, we are compelled to continue experimenting with different release strategies. Not all exhibitors trade on the same terms, seeking points of difference. Global activity, release dates and strategies are having an ever-increasing influence on the ANZ marketplace.

In terms of acquisitions, the

even more so now with streamers vying for the same content. It’s challenging to compete against the big players, but I think we’re doing well for a small indie, we’re having success with acquiring great movies. We’ve formed a partnership with Rialto Distribution to co-acquire content and looking at growing our partnerships.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films?

It’s a challenging landscape for Australian films, but this is not a new situation. Australian films at the box office are faced with strong

marketplace is incredibly competitive. How are you navigating this as an independent distributor?

For Madman, we’ve always taken a portfolio approach to acquisitions.

Which is to say, we have identified our areas of strength, interest and experience across several categories. As a team, if we are of the view we can identify audience and have road mapped a strategy, we pin our ears back and go for it!

Throughout the pandemic we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies.

How are you navigating this environment, and how important is theatrical currently to your overall business?

Theatrical releasing of films is vital to the Madman business model. It creates multiple opportunities for exploitation, can generate blue sky results, meets producer and impact objectives, and gives focus to the Madman distribution business and output partners. The Madman business directly engages all the respective distribution channels, which informs all release strategies.

Ultimately, we are seeking to maximise stakeholder returns and to meet agreed objectives.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films?

competition from other theatrical titles, and now contend with increased competition of content delivered into the marketplace from the various streamers.

Nevertheless, I think the state of play ought not discourage Australian filmmakers. There’s a place for Australian stories to be shared on the big screen. People want to leave their homes and see movies at the cinema.

I think the industry understands that it comes down to Australian films having a strong enough premise and an engaging story to pull audiences into cinemas.

Australia has experienced producers with access to a mature, competitive distribution landscape.

However, we have yet to see how the latest screen media reforms will stimulate activity and what projects can be created under the guidelines and independently. With an optimistic outlook, Australia has been a hotbed of production over the pandemic, which will have led to more training, greater crew experience and talent cultivation.

This said, there is clearly intense demand for talent from the steaming platforms. Ultimately, Australia is building a bigger base for more production across all formats.

What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

Films that are produced with a clearly defined audience in mind. From our website: ‘Remarkable’ film, films that transcend the screen; start conversations, encouraging reflection and empower change. From documentaries that reflect on our national identity, to bold dramas that push the boundaries of cinema, or animated content at the bleeding edge of creativity, Madman seeks to represent content that connects with audiences well beyond the cinema or lounge room.

Obviously, many other factors need to align for a film to be successful at the box office, but if a project has these couple of hooks, then it’s a good start.

What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

We’re open to a diverse range. One week we’re releasing a comedy for older audiences, the next week it’s an anime title or a provocative French mystery thriller. We’re after compelling stories that appeal to and entertain audiences. And to make them feel something - laugh, cringe, or cry…

DISTRIBUTION

TRANSMISSION FILMS Richard Payten and Andrew Mackie, managing directors How do you see the theatrical market recovering into 2022?

We’re hoping that audience regrowth for indie and older skewing titles continues, and that previously regular cinemagoers continue to return. Those who haven’t been to the cinema since 2020 need to be reminded that theatrical is still the superior format.

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

We have the fabulous The Duke in release now, and incoming there’s Operation Mincemeat, Mothering Sunday, Golda with Helen Mirren, Living with Bill Nighy, Florian Zeller’s The Son with Hugh Jackman and The Lost King with Sally Hawkins. Plus too many others to list! It’s a very strong line-up of films for a mature audience.

How has the pandemic altered how you bring projects to market, and work with exhibitor partners?

In an environment of diminished box office, particularly for titles that were negotiated pre-pandemic, the only other economic lever distributors have left is the P&A. As streamers throw substantial advertising budgets at their premieres it’s harder to ‘cut through’ with

ICON FILM DISTRIBUTION Sharon Strickland, CEO

indie theatrical titles. Hopefully this isn’t a vicious downward cycle. Right now, it feels more important than ever for exhibition and distribution to work as one. If we’ve ever needed an industrywide ‘return to the cinema’ campaign, it’s now.

In terms of acquisitions, the marketplace is incredibly competitive. How are you navigating this as an independent distributor?

Fewer but bigger gambles. We’re not in the volume business, even though some distributors do well with that approach. There are a healthy number of indie distributors at the moment and only so many titles.

strong Australian movies to do better at the box office than they might have pre-pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies. How are you navigating this, and how important is theatrical currently to your overall business?

Yes, though it does feel like our differences and pressure points are more divergent than ever. It’s possible that a natural contraction was inevitable in the theatrical space, though we’re counting on that not being the long-term case.

There’s been so much experimentation by the majors that we’re still grappling with what the new accepted normal is. We’re committed to a reasonable theatrical window, though in this streaming era distributors may not always be able to guarantee a flat window given how much content is being financed via upfront streaming deals.

20 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

A great idea nobody has thought of yet. If you look at our website, the sort of films we handle is pretty specific.

Anything else you want to mention?

There’s always been a natural friction between distribution and exhibition. It is now perhaps more pronounced than ever. But our best chance of rebuilding is to work as one in a meaningful way.

also have a new thriller On The Line, starring Mel Gibson, Kevin Dillon and William Moseley, which has some great twists.

currently to your overall business?

As more high-profile titles go to streaming and bypass theatrical there is proven oxygen for

Our strategy is to acquire films across all demographics, which is even more important in a post-pandemic world to help re-build cinema audiences. Fortuitously, we have several animation titles on our slate this year, which should work well given the current climate.

We have a few animation titles on the slate this year, which will bring much joy to many families. Rabbit Academy “hops” into cinemas in time for Easter, followed by Pil’s Adventure in June. The Amazing Maurice is scheduled for release in the first week of December. This family entertainment film is based on a Terry Pratchett novel inspired by the fairytale about the Pied Piper. It has a terrific voice cast including Emilia Clarke, Hugh Laurie, Himesh Patel, Hugh Bonneville and Gemma Arterton, just to name a few. In terms of adult content, following the release of Downton Abbey 2 comes To Olivia (May 19) starring Hugh Bonneville, telling the true story of Roald Dahl and his wife Patricia Neal. We

Do you see a need for producers, distributors and exhibitors to work more closely together as the AFFS is advocating?

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films at present?

Older and more upscale audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your release strategies?

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

Andrew Mackie and Richard Payten.

In terms of acquisitions, the marketplace is incredibly competitive. How are you navigating this as an independent distributor?

The Dendy Icon Group is uniquely posed to navigate the environment. We are the only Australian film business that offers a total vertical integrated model. We are a one stop destination for the end-to-end facilitation of production, financing, distribution and exhibition. We launched Icon Film Finance in 2020 creating greater exposure to film content and allowing us to further support aspiring Australian filmmakers.

Throughout the pandemic we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies. How are you navigating this environment, and how important is theatrical

Our strategy is to support all our titles with a full theatrical release so that we and our exhibition partners can maximise the return on our investment from the theatrical marketing campaign. Exhibitors have the flexibility to reduce screen space for our titles based on performance. Likewise, we as the distributor need to have the flexibility to reduce our window based on the same performance. This supports our exhibitor partners, but also allows us to recoup our investment and succeed across all distribution channels.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films at present?

2021 was a terrific year for Australian films, somewhat due to the impacted release schedule caused by the pandemic. However, the results highlighted that great Australian films with a compelling story, strong cast and appropriate release date, can really shine. The challenge for the industry now is how to navigate a crowded release schedule post-pandemic and target audience, which has yet to return to return to the cinema in full capacity.

What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

We look for quality commercial, culturally relevant stories with a compelling script, that have a clear vision of who the audience is.

DISTRIBUTION

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AUSTRALIA

Brian Pritchett

Brian Pritchett, vice president and managing director Australasia What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

We are very excited for The Lost City, a romantic/adventure comedy with a star-studded cast, including Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe. It is a laugh out loud adventure that allows you to escape and have fun for under two hours. It’s these types of movies that you don’t see often in cinemas, and it is what we all need following the past two pandemic years.

And, of course, we are super excited about the long-awaited release of Top Gun: Maverick!

This is one of the biggest film releases in Paramount history. Not only that, but it is also one of the most highly anticipated we have released as a studio. Some people call it the perfect movie, as it has everything you want from a movie.

The commitment the actors made to these roles is virtually unparalleled, and the audience will feel the action as if they are themselves in the cockpit. We are equally excited for our nostalgic fans to see the next installment 35 years after the original film’s release, as well as for the new generation to see what all the hype was about! You must see the movie to believe how great it is.

Older and more upscale audiences have been slower to return to cinemagoing. How does this impact your own theatrical release strategies?

for culturally Australian stories to be told. We can cater to a wider audience, especially to the younger generation.

Well, we moved some of our theatrical movies, as cinemas were closed. Then, as people slowly started to come out in a safer way, we began releasing titles. It is always difficult to move dates around, especially for various months, but in the case of our theatrical releases, it was worth it as our movies need to be seen in a theatrical environment.

Something that has changed for us in terms of strategy is that we are even more flexible and nimble than before, and are exploring different distribution strategies like releasing in different dates across various states. For example, we did this last year for Paw Patrol, and it paid off, even without school holidays.

Do you see a need for producers, distributors and exhibitors to work more closely together as AFFS is advocating?

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films?

From what I understand, Paramount has partnered with Umbrella Entertainment to bring certain local films to market, such as Falling for Figaro. How did this partnership develop and what are the benefits?

There’s a lot of work to be done, but there is also so much potential as we have seen with movies like The Dry. We need to work together to bring an increased variety of genres to the Australian audience.

We need to continue investing in funding, using the Location Offset and Location Incentive tax incentive programs to allow for opportunities

We definitely need to work together, as we all have different perspectives that add value. Distributors know how to market a movie, exhibitors have the audience data and by adding producers to the mix, we can come up with more diverse stories and elements that will make the Australian movies even more successful. It was good to see this conversation taking place in the first part of the summit last year and all entities discussing and understanding the importance of this collaboration.

We have been looking to complement our distribution offerings with local movies, as these have huge potential, especially in Australia where the infrastructure

and know-how is one of the best in the world. We really like what Umbrella has been doing in our market, and the quality movies that they have in their lineup. Plus, we love working with their team, and Falling For Figaro presented the perfect opportunity to work with them. It is a quality romantic comedy with a local connection, which was exactly what we were looking for.

What is your appetite for Australian product? What sort of projects do you want producers to bring to you?

We are looking for quality production values that come together to tell one compelling and cohesive story that will entertain and excite our audiences, as well as most importantly give them a reason to watch in a theatrical space.

Any genre will do if we can find a theatrical angle on the project.

UMBRELLA ENTERTAINMENT/MASLOW ENTERTAINMENT Ari Harrison, Umbrella head of sales and acquisitions Marc Wooldridge, Maslow managing director How do you see the theatrical market recovering into 2022?

MW: Firstly let’s not underestimate

what exhibitors and distributors have had to overcome as a result of the pandemic with the numerous lockdowns, constant release date changes and massive uncertainty over a very long time-frame. In fact, it’s a testament to everyone’s resilience that we are now finally returning to some sense of normality. But the fact remains, with more competitive forces and more entertainment choices than ever before, just hoping that things will 22 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

go back to how they were in 2019 is unlikely to deliver the outcomes any of us would like to see.

Personally, I’m maintaining an optimistic outlook for the recovery, but I definitely see room to adapt some current business practices within the industry and would encourage more experimentation between exhibition and distribution to deliver better cut through, supported by a diverse range of movies and offers to suit all tastes and audience types.

Cinema has always been an emotional decision, driven by our

past connection with the theatrical experience, a desire to see a film in the best presentation and the sense of occasion it brings. To truly get momentum back into the market, we’re all going to have to lean into those human factors and put the movie-goer even more at the centre of how we do business together. If we can constantly align with how, when and why they make their decisions and ensure there is always something for them to come and see and enjoy, I’m sure we can re-ignite that loyalty and love for movie going and continue to do very well.

What films are you most excited by on your upcoming slate?

AG: We have always loved championing Australian films and we have an exciting line-up of local features to look forward to. Rolf De Heer is back in fine form with The Mountain and there’s Tiriki Onus and Alec Morgan’s compelling documentary Ablaze about the first Indigenous filmmaker. Later in the year, we have Daina Reid’s new thriller Run Rabbit Run starring Sarah Snook and produced by Carver Films, as well as the debut feature film from the YouTube

DISTRIBUTION

sensation, ‘The RackaRacka’, aka Danny and Michael Philippou. It’s called Talk to Me and it’s a highly inventive horror movie produced

by Causeway. We also have many more incredible Aussie films in development that we are excited to share more information on soon in partnership with Maslow.

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a lot of experimentation with theatrical release strategies.

How are you navigating this environment, and how important is theatrical currently to your overall business?

MW: The reason Umbrella and Maslow are partnering on so many releases is to allow us to invest more aggressively in both the acquisition and marketing of theatrical releases together. We also have complementary skills, experience and resources to better maximise and manage the lifecycle of each movie we handle.

But theatrical is our focus, and it is definitely the first position of

review for any local acquisition we consider. We are also committed to meaningful exclusive windows to encourage the highest level of exhibitor support and make each release feel special.

However, there will be times when a cinema release may not be the best option. In that case, we can embrace different release strategies and pathways to market. A flexible approach based on what we think will generate the best outcome for the films and the filmmakers involved obviously makes sense to everyone.

How do you see the theatrical landscape for Australian films?

AH: It is looking like there’s an

incredible resurgence of fantastic Australian films, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a few years.

After the success of The Dry, Penguin Bloom, Higher Ground and Nitram last year, we now have, among others, Goran Stolevski’s You Won’t Be Alone and Of an Age,

Ari Harrison

Gracie Otto’s Seriously Red, Leah Purcell’s Drover’s Wife, George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing, Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes’ Sissy … and there’s even more to come. Hopefully this represents a new and exciting era for successful Australian films that both exhibitors and distributors can really get behind.

What sort of project do you want producers to bring to you?

AH: Personally, I would love to

Marc Wooldridge

see more films like The Dish, Crackerjack, Muriel’s Wedding and Malcolm – what happened to the fun, feel good Aussie comedy?

Overall, we love taking on films that we would be excited to see in cinemas ourselves and that we can find an audience for. We aren’t restricted to genres or styles and tend to be quite straightforward in offering where we can help. Our current and upcoming slate is quite eclectic, and we are excited about all of them.

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Exclusive myCinema promotions and events Discounts across a large range of Preferred Supplier equipment, services and F&B products Representation with Distributors, Government and IR issues For more information: Adrianne Pecotic | 0414 664 566 ceo@independentinemas.com.au independentcinemas.com.au

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www.if.com.au 23

EXHIBITION

Lewes Depot Cinema in the UK.

GREEN SCREEN

As the push for businesses to become eco-friendly takes on greater urgency, long-held practices within exhibition are being brought into question. While for some operators, sustainability means adapting to new methods, others have built a foundation on being environmentally conscious. Sean Slatter finds out what strides are being made domestically, and speaks to those overseas leading the charge.

T

he world received another reminder of the imperative need for action on climate change in April as the UN released its latest climate report.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history from 2010-2019. While the rate of growth has slowed, “immediate and deep emissions” reductions across all sectors are required to limit global warming to 1.5°C. A sector that has traditionally been associated with a sizeable carbon footprint is that of exhibition, where large amounts of energy are used for temperature control in theatres, as well as in the projection of films. Also of concern is the waste created from food and beverage packaging used in cinemas, such as straws, popcorn buckets, drink cups, and plastic bottles.

However, the pathway to change may not be as difficult as some think.

Birgit Heidsiek runs online sustainability platform Green Film

Shooting, which provides solutions for sustainability across the creative and media industries.

Initially set up as a magazine in 2012, the project focused on eco-friendly approaches to film production in Europe before Heidsiek began to expand into other areas, creating the Green Cinema initiative in 2014.

She has since authored the Green Cinema Handbook, a guide featuring measures, requirements and best practice examples designed to help exhibitors operate more environmentally friendly cinemas.

Speaking to IF, Heidsiek says cinemas carry an advantage over other areas of the film ecosystem when it comes to going green.

“Cinemas can go green much faster than film productions, simply because every investment in the building infrastructure undertaken by the exhibitor will remain – it is a sustainable action,” she says.

“Meanwhile, film productions must cope with starting from scratch with a script, because production will involve 50-100 or more cast and crew members.

Film productions must create a complete world for a shoot that only lasts either for a few weeks or a few months. When production wraps, the entire infrastructure needs to be taken down to zero before the beginning of post-production.

“With a cinema, it’s a different situation because a building is a permanent structure. It can be improved gradually, which is a sustainable process.”

An early proponent of this idea can be found in the British countryside at the East Sussex town of Lewes. Community cinema Depot proclaims to be “conceived and operated along the principles of accessibility for all, environmental and social sustainability”.

Founders Carmen Slijpen and Peter Senior began executing their vision for a three-screen cinema in 2014 when the former found a warehouse with an open yard that had previously been a depot for local beer brewery Harvey’s.

Three years later, the venue opened with an energy concept that consisted of a ground source heat pump, green roof solar panels, a

double-glazed curtain wall filled with krypton gas, and a natural ventilation system in the public areas.

Other sustainability measures include LED lighting, a menu of locally-sourced vegan dishes, menus made from recycled bottles, and a ban on single-use plastic bottle beverages.

In 2020, the business was recognised for its efforts, winning the Highest Achievement for Commitment prize at the national Creative Green Awards.

Lewes Depot office and sustainability manager Natasha Padbury has overseen the cinema’s eco journey since 2017 and is tasked with ensuring the sustainability agenda is met.

After initially feeling “like oddballs” for their environmental advocacy, she says her team have since witnessed a “sea change in uptake and interest” from other exhibitors across the UK. “We were talking in the very early days about what a shame it was that we haven’t got a huge network that’s all talking about it and trying to learn from each other,” she says.

“Now everybody’s talking about it, and everyone knows we’ve all got to contribute.

“We have to tackle this and we have a really important role, because exhibitors are communicators to people.

“We have a real opportunity in terms of our program, not just our operations, to involve our customers and the people that we work with. I think we’ve got a responsibility to do that.”

However, Padbury notes that while having sustainability as a core business value has allowed Depot to get a “real head start” in terms of investing in infrastructure, not everyone is in the same position.

“We’re an independent venture that’s part of the whole small network in our town, and we’re really tailored to our specific place and community.

“Obviously, those things are going to be different across every venue, wherever you are in the world and

EXHIBITION

Hoyts Group president and CEO Damian Keogh.

so the challenges are different, and the approach is different.

“Having said that, there are lots of very common things like concessions, and energy, which are going to be similar across the board.

“We’re lucky that we put it into the design spec when we started and budgeted for that when we were being built, whereas lots of cinemas are old buildings; you lease them.

They might not be your building, so you might not have much control over what investments you make on a big scale that might make a difference.”

It’s a dilemma Palace Cinemas CEO Benjamin Zeccola faces on the domestic front.

The independent chain has installed solar power at two of its 24 locations, firstly at Palace Westgarth Cinemas and then at Balwyn Cinema, both of which are in Melbourne.

Zeccola says Palace’s position as an owner at Balwyn and a sole tenant at Westgarth is why the sites were selected, adding that logistic considerations proved an obstacle in planning a further rollout.

“The reason Balwyn was chosen is it’s the one piece of property Palace Cinemas actually own, so we didn’t need to worry about landlord approval or body corporate,” he says.

“While we don’t own Westgarth, we were renovating it and because there are no other tenants in the building we rent, we were able to reach an agreement with the landlord based on the contribution we were making to the renovation and the fact nobody else was being impacted, positively or negatively.

www.motionthat.com.au

“We’d like to do more but most of our other cinemas are within buildings where we are not on the top floor, or the roof is not ours, so we can’t really do anything.”

The business has, however, shifted towards eco-friendly practices in other areas of its dayto-day operations throughout the past decade, including buying laser projectors for new builds that use less than a third of the power of the previous models, using recycled and sustainably sourced papers, investing in additional bins to allow for separated waste, and serving coffee in porcelain cups.

Palace has also advocated to both Coca Cola and Schweppes about the amount of plastic being used in bottles in cinemas, to which Schweppes responded that it was running a program to reduce the plastic that goes into the bottles.

Zeccola says he tries to incorporate sustainability into not only his leadership but his actions throughout the company “Sustainability and treading lightly on the planet is something that is important to me personally.

“Obviously, I’ve got a fiscal responsibility that I need to be careful of so I try to find those sorts of things you can do and the changes you can make that are not going to have a negative financial impact and are going to do some good.

“Sometimes you can find things with a long-term view that are value accretive and financially responsible.”

Like Palace, major exhibitor Hoyts has identified room for improvement in its use of single-use materials and energy.

The company is a member of Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a not-for-profit that works with governments, businesses and other organisations to reduce landfill by 2025 across four targets – 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging, 70 per cent of plastic packaging being recycled or composted, and 50 per cent of average recycled content

Palace Balwyn Cinema.

included in packaging.

Hoyts, which operates more than 50 cinemas across Australia and New Zealand, has also installed mechanical control systems across all of its sites in the past 3-4 years, allowing the electricity to be dialled up and down with real-time sensors, specifically in relation to air conditioning, which had previously remained on even if cinemas weren’t being used.

According to Hoyts Group president and CEO Damian Keogh, the introduction of the technology meant the Hoyts Cinemas at Wetherill Park went from using 570,000 kilowatts (kW) of power in

summer 2016 to 346,000 kW the following year.

“By investing in this technology, we’ve reduced our power bills, so it’s not without a business focus.”

However, he says the business was probably on the “early side” of its sustainability journey, noting the challenge of upgrading older sites.

“If you’re trying to upgrade some of these locations, you have to do quite expensive replacements, so there are some challenges to our industry in terms of that,” he says.

“The next step for us is to really stare inside our carbon footprint and say, ‘How do we offset that and what else do we need to work at?’”.

LASER PROJECTION: A MORE SUSTAINABLE OPTION Many cinemas are already benefitting from laser projection technology, which is more energy efficient compared to traditional Xenon lamps. Since it generates less heat, laser projection does not require external cooling or ventilation systems, further reducing energy consumption. It also has an extended lifecycle, consuming fewer resources as repair and replacement is deferred over a longer period. Similarly, laser projectors never require replacement lamps, meaning a reduction in waste, as well as operational costs associated with labour and consumables.

NEC Display Solutions is working to support sustainability via repair and refurbishment programs aimed at extending the life of projectors, while also only using metal casings for projectors, instead of plastic.

This supports performance and helps to dissipate heat, and the metal is also 100 per cent recyclable. NEC’s latest product is the NC2443ML, which uses a modular design that enables cinemas to choose the appropriate 2K or 4K projector head combined with a laser module based on the requirements needed for the size and type of screen.

EXHIBITION

NEW IN CINEMAS

Ahead of the Australian International Movie Convention, IF brings you up to speed with some of the latest products and innovations in the exhibition sector, from screens and seating, to digital delivery and choc tops.

DELUXE DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

Last year, provider of cloud-based distribution solutions Deluxe announced a global joint venture with Motion Picture Solutions after acquiring 50 per cent of Netherlands-based film delivery firm, Gofilex.

The service, currently rolling out across LATAM (Latin America) and EMEA (Europe, The Middle East and Africa), delivers IP through a single, sustainable electronic fulfilment platform, designed to reduced manual workload for both distributors and exhibitors.

Within the APAC region, Deluxe has aimed to support the cinema industry through the pandemic. With cinemas closing and reopening, freight volume impacts and delays, a shifting slate and a major increase in repertory bookings, Deluxe found it was most efficiently able to assist cinemas in locked down areas to receive content via a combination of electronic delivery in conjunction with dedicated physical delivery services. In just a short time, Deluxe has reached a milestone of more than 260 connections for electronic delivery with in APAC and has delivered over 8,000 features and 21,000 trailers electronically.

Further, Deluxe recently acquired Sundog Media Toolkit, an automated cloud-based mastering platform that creates specialised multi-format, multi-language files for theatrical distribution and streaming platforms, and Sony NMS, a complete digital supply chain and OTT VOD solution.

BULLA LAUNCHES CINEMA-EXCLUSIVE CHOC TOP RANGE

Bulla Family Dairy hopes to give moviegoers another reason to get back into cinemas with the launch of its Murray St Choc Top range.

To debut from June 20 exclusively in cinemas, the ice cream range will include five flavours: vanilla bean, boysenberry swirl, cookies and cream, mint and cookies and caramel maple.

STRONG MDI SCREEN SOLUTIONS

With laser projection looking to be the industry’s future, Strong MDI is working on screen solutions adapted to this technology.

The Canadian company, whose Australian clients include Hoyts, Event, Village and Reading, has found that optimised hole alignment reduces the probability of interference when used in conjunction with high output projector systems, without compromising sound transmission.

Its latest product is the light-diffusing HGA ReAct Laser-Ready Screen, which has an innovative coating to increase brightness while reducing the ‘hot spot’ effect. Further, its currently working on a lower HGA ReAct 1.4 gain suitable for 3D projection.

Other screens in the Canadian company’s range include the foldable Northview Horizon White Gain Screen, which has a pearlescent coating to increase and therefore reduce light output requirements; the Stereoview 3D Silver Screen, which has a specially-developed coating that greatly reduces the appearance of faint double images often associated with 3D, and the Foldable Stereoview 3D, designed for transport.

QUBE WIRE AND EIKON GROUP PARTNER TO BETTER SERVE ANZ MARKET

Qube Wire has been delivering movies, trailers, and advertising to cinemas electronically in Australia and New Zealand for almost four years now, utilising cloud technology to reduce delivery timelines and improve efficiency.

Last October, the company partnered with EIKON Group to launch Qube EIKON Distribution Services (QEDS), a premium content and marketing material distribution service within ANZ. It’s a partnership designed to complement Qube Wire’s electronic distribution footprint with EIKON’s in-country customer service team.

Currently 200 theatres are connected to its network, across Village, Hoyts, United, Palace and Showbiz cinemas, with the solution provided turn-key at no cost to the exhibitor. Distributors such as Disney, Sony, Films at 42 (Netflix), Studiocanal, Roadshow Films, Paramount, L8 Entertainment, and Mind Blowing Films have all used its services.

Mark Waterson, Qube Wire’s LA-based senior 26 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

vice president, tells IF the benefits for both exhibitors and distributors include automated receipt of content, reduced costs, and reduced carbon footprint. Further, delivery tracking is transparent through an online portal.

Qube Wire was developed out of India, and Waterston believes its early success is attributable to Indian distributors.

“Indian movies are notoriously delayed in the post-production process – delivery vendors like Qube are only given two or three days to complete delivery. Our innovations around cloud distribution made regular day-and-date releases of Indian movies possible, and this translated to much higher box office receipts.”

QEDS stems from Waterston’s 10-year friendship with EIKON Group chief commercial officer Adrian McCarten, with whom he had often consulted as Qube Wire grew in Australia.

Given EIKON’s relationships in the region, they realised they could work together offer a superior solution for the ANZ market. The partnership has also allowed them to add the storage and delivery of marketing material like posters and standees to its service.

“Adrian and Ken [Taylor, EIKON Group account manager] have deep relationships with the clients in the region, and Qube was already known as the most sophisticated electronic delivery product in the market.”

EXHIBITION

VISTA AND VEEZI HELP EXHIBITORS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC

Vista is a cinema management solution allowing cinema owners to boost box office, fine-tune operations, and collect data about their businesses. Sister brand Veezi is a similar cloud-based management tool but aimed at independent cinemas, with tailored features.

More than 90 per cent of cinemas in Australia utilise Vista or Veezi software, and so the broader Vista Group felt a responsibility to help its partners navigate the pandemic.

In May 2020, it released the Cinema Reopening Kit, a collection of specially-curated features.

As Tan Ngaronga, Vista’s general manager Asia Pacific tells IF: “The Cinema Reopening Kit was a way for us to support our cinema partners and help keep moviegoers and staff safe when the time came for them to reopen – notably through our incredibly popular social-distance seating feature. This dynamic seating solution, available on all sales channels, from POS to mobile app, allows cinema to automatically enforce gaps between each booking while maximising occupancy. This was vitally important throughout such unpredictable times when countries had different rules that were being updated regularly.”

Through the kit, the company also worked to help cinemas diversify and find new revenue opportunities, including private bookings facilitated through its group sales product and the newly-created Screen Plus VOD platform, in partnership with Shift72. In NSW, the company also integrated a solution to allow exhibitors to accept the government’s Dine & Discover vouchers.

Comparing 2019 and 2022 first quarter data, Ngaronga notes online cinema sales and unattended purchasing has increased on average by 20 per cent.

“There have been huge efforts in this space to provide cinema operators with quality tools to support their remote sales channels,” he says.

“Our role has been to support exhibitors by providing software that helps them in this dynamic environment and we look forward to continued partnerships as more people return to cinemas globally.”

Other Vista Group brands include Movio, the world’s largest source of moviegoer data, with analytics tools and marketing solutions for cinemas, studios and the wider film industry, and Numero, an aggregated box office reporting platform, now Australia’s official box office results provider.

CHOOVIE CONNECTS BRANDS TO CINEMA

Initially developed as dynamic pricing platform, Choovie has evolved its business to work with brands via their loyalty programs, offering them the ability to offer movie-based rewards.

Choovie co-founder and CEO Sonya Stephen tells IF the premise is to use the power of movies to help brands better engage with their customers, finding many have significantly ramped up loyalty programs through the pandemic.

The company is currently working with businesses like Budget Direct, Toyota, Lexus, NRMA, TheirCare, the SDA Union groups, PWC, and Booktopia.

“Typically, brands in low touch industries, like insurance companies, banks, and car manufacturers, need to keep their brand front of mind but talking about themselves constantly becomes dull and potentially annoying. Movies provide the perfect engagement tool – they are universally loved, there are new ones out all the time, and they come with fabulous assets,” she says.

“Essentially we give the brands everything they need to get their customers engaged with movies, from bespoke movie search and ticketing websites to competitions and VIP events, to regular bespoke movie-related digital content.”

Choovie is currently working with 250 venues across Australia, including both major and independent cinemas in all major cities and towns.

For its brand partners, Choovie curates a movie selection each month, with recommended movies further promoted via EDM, on app tiles, social posts, SMS and carousel banners.

“To further drive brand engagement we are seeing an increasing focus on ‘money can’t buy’ rewards. A great example of this is in-cinema movie events for the brand VIPs on opening night. Adding to this we are also engaging several of our brands in pre-production partnerships,” Stephen says.

“Finally, we work with the brands to run movie-related competitions and promotions to drive further engagement in their movie programs. Often these are heavily subsidised by the brand, for example, ‘buy one get one free’, where the brand pays for the free ticket. The great thing about all of this is that we are getting the brands to invest directly in the Australian cinema market, which puts bums on seats that otherwise wouldn’t be there.”

SEATING FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Alloyfold Effuzi is a commercial cinema seating manufacturer with a difference: it’s a social enterprise.

With the motto ‘One chair can change a life’, its focus is on community impact and enabling a ‘fresh start’ for people in need. Owned by the Pathway Charitable Group, it funds affordable accommodation, employment and skills programs, prisoner reintegration and social work.

At this year’s AIMC, Alloyfold Effuzi will have seats and recliners for exhibitors to try, and will give away a recliner worth more than $3,000. Look out for their entry card and visit their booth to enter.

Location services for the film, TV stills and events industries. catolocationservices.com.au www.catolocationservices.com.au

OPINION

Sue Maslin.

IS THERE A CASE FOR AUSTRALIAN FEATURE FILMS ON THE BIG SCREEN?

I

n March, I attended the Screen Forever conference, which provided the first glimpse of what ‘business as usual’ might look like for screen producers post-COVID. In a packed program spanning three days, there was just one session addressing the theatrical feature business. (One and a half if we count the excellent session on feature documentaries across all platforms, including theatrical).

At the conference, I was asked by a senior executive from one of the regulatory bodies that heavily influences Australian content on our screens: “Is there really a case for Australian feature films in cinemas?”

The Australian Feature Film Summit sets out this case and judging by the 480 creatives, distributors, exhibitors and investors who registered and attended the virtual summit in October 2021, there is considerable support for local features to continue on the big screen.

However, there is no question: the world has changed and the audience has moved on.

The marked decline in cinema gross box office this year demonstrates that audiences are slow to return to cinemas, the exception being the obvious studio tentpoles.

And if Screen Forever is any guide, the business has moved on too.

The exponential growth in content on streamers and subscription numbers means it is more important than ever that we clearly identify and communicate the point of difference and value that cinemas and theatrical feature films offer.

For this reason, the theatrical sector is looking closely at how we will do business differently going forward and everything is on the table.

The value proposition for audiences is simply not strong enough unless the films are outstanding, cinematic, good value for money and possibly tied in with event screenings. Australian films cannot compete on the same basis as studio pictures in the absence of meaningful marketing spends, no matter how good the films 28 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

Australian Feature Film Summit director Sue Maslin, both a producer and a distributor, argues there is a theatrical future for local features if the industry starts to do business differently. are. The one-size-fits-all approach to release schedules, where the opening weekend is the sole determinant of whether a film can keep its screens and sessions, mitigates against the longer build time required by local films.

The lack of data available to creatives about what cinema audiences want means we have a development pipeline that bears little or no relationship to the market. Of course, streamers don’t share this data either, but it is vast and sophisticated and informs every commissioning decision they make. Unless we are better informed, streamers will always be ahead of theatrical in terms of customer behavior and information. Exhibitors are the retail end of our business yet they don’t commission and to date have had little or no say in what Australian films get screened until way too late – when the completed film has been offered to them.

There is no denying that this is a high-risk business. The bulk of the 50+ feature films that are produced in Australia each year never find their audiences as a result of our combined failure to address a system that simply is not working. But some films do resonate brilliantly and are backed by passionate distributors and exhibitors. We need more of them to be made each year and this is where the Australian Feature Film Summit comes in.

The summit has one overriding goal and that is to grow the success of the Australian feature film sector and enable all players, including audiences, to benefit from that success.

So let’s take off the gloves and ask the “What if?” questions: • What if producers could learn more about audience trends and what informs audience choice from those who are closest to it – the exhibitors and distributors?

• What if exhibitors had more ‘invested’, and could be incentivised to improve the performance of Australian films with audiences?

• What if we lobbied together for a major injection of funds so that marketing was given as much priority as film development and production?

• What if Australian films had a preferential set of terms relating to number of screens, sessions and flexible programming that enabled good films to find their audience?

• What if we had a more sophisticated understanding by all parties on the relative risk/reward profiles and how they need to balance against each other going forward?

That is, we examine the inversely proportional value chain whereby those who invest early and take the highest degree of risk (producers, equity investors) receive the least reward via recoupment, while those at the end of the chain, the exhibitors, take the least risk yet receive the greatest share of box office on Australian films.

• What if producers, directors and writers thought more deeply about what kinds of projects are suitable for a theatrical release in this new environment?

• And finally, what if we could find more mutually beneficial strategies between streamers and theatrical that led to greater returns for all stakeholders?

I have an enormous amount of hope as all players – exhibitors, producers, distributors and screen agencies – are ready to have those tough discussions and have come together into one space with a joint focus on building the success of the local feature film sector. What’s working?

What’s missing? And how can we work together more effectively going forward?

And as for an answer to, “Is there really a case for Australian feature films in cinemas?”

Yes, but not unless we have the guts as an industry to do things differently going forward.

If we continue to sit on our hands and revert to ‘business as usual’, the audience will answer that question for us.

20 APRIL – 1 MAY 2022

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

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MAJOR PARTNERS

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MOV MONDAY, MAY 9

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Location

DENDY NEWTOWN

Location

STATE THEATRE

10.30am

AIDA will screen three films simultaneously:

8.00am-6.30pm

Registration Open

Call Jane Courtesy UMBRELLA ENTERTAINMENT/MASLOW ENTERTAINMENT

8.45-10.15am

Distributor Presentation THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

10.15-10.30am

BREAK

10.30-10.45am

Trade Presentation COMSCORE

10.45-11.15am

Distributor Presentation STUDIOCANAL

11.15-11.30am

Trade Presentation QUBE

Benediction Courtesy RIALTO DISTRIBUTION The Princess Courtesy MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT Location

STATE THEATRE

10.30am-7.00pm

Registration Open

11.30am-12.15pm

LUNCH

2.00-4.30pm

Distributor Presentation and Screening PARAMOUNT PICTURES

12.15-12.30pm

Trade Presentation MOVIO

Top Gun: Maverick

12.30-2.00pm

Distributor Presentation SONY PICTURES RELEASING

2.00-2.15pm

BREAK

2.15-4.10pm

Screening (film to be announced)

4.10-4.25pm

BREAK

4.25-6.00pm

Distributor Presentation UNIVERSAL / E-ONE

6.00-6.30pm

COCKTAILS Courtesy UNIVERSAL PICTURES

6.30-8.15pm

Screening – The Black Phone

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialised mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

EXCLUSIVE TO CINEMAS MAY 26 4.30-6.30pm

WELCOME BACK RECEPTION (drinks and substantial finger food provided) brought to you by PARAMOUNT PICTURES

6.30-8.30pm

MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT and SCREEN AUSTRALIA Present

The phone is dead. And it’s ringing. Filmmaker Scott Derrickson, the writer-director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel’s Doctor Strange, returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse, with a new thriller, starring four-time Oscar® nominee Ethan Hawke in the most terrifying role of his career.

Distributed by UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Opening Night Screening How To Please A Woman When her all-male house cleaning business spirals out of control, a mature woman must acknowledge her own appetite if she is to make a new life for herself.

8.30-9.30pm

VISTA DRINKS at State Theatre Mezzanine Lounge

May

www.movieconv

VIE CONVENTION 2022: PROGRAM WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 – continued

Location

STATE THEATRE

7.10-7.20pm

BREAK

8.00am-4.30pm

Registration Open

7.20pm

BRIEF WALK TO PARTY VENUE

9.00-9.15am

Trade Presentation NUMERO

Location

9.15-10.30am

Distributor Presentation WARNER BROS. PICTURES

SWISSOTEL, 68 Market Street, Sydney (opposite State Theatre)

7.30-11.30pm

10.30-10.45am

BREAK

COCA-COLA Wrap Party COME AS YOU ARE

10.45-11.00am

Trade Presentation GOFILEX

*Program is correct at time of publication but may be subject to change.

11.00-11.30am

Distributor Presentation KISMET and RIALTO

THURSDAY, MAY 12

11.30am-12pm

Distributor Presentation MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT

12.00-12.15pm

Trade Presentation DELUXE

12.15-12.30pm

BREAK

12.30-1.45pm

LUNCH served – Box buffet can be eaten in cinema

12.30-2.15pm

AIDA TRAILER PRESENTATION including AIDA cinemas awards, Independent Spirit Lifetime Achievement Award & In Memoriam Reel

2.15-2.30pm

BREAK

2.30-2.45pm

Trade Presentation SILVER TRAK

2.45-3.00pm

Trade Presentation SHOWTIME

3.00-3.15pm

Distributor Presentation ICON FILMS

3.15-4.15pm

Distributor Presentation ROADSHOW FILMS

4.15-4.40pm

Refreshments courtesy ROADSHOW FILMS

4.40-7.10pm

Screening (to be announced) ROADSHOW FILMS

75

S R A YE

9–11

vention.com.au

Location

EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE STREET

8.30am-6.00pm

AUSTRALIAN FEATURE FILM SUMMIT A first-of-its-kind event bringing together filmmakers, distributors and exhibitors to explore and champion positive changes to support a commercially viable Australian feature film industry that consistently delivers movies that attract, engage and entertain significant audiences.

Thursday 12 May 2022 Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney 8.30 am

ARRIVAL COFFEE

1.00 pm

LUNCH

9.00 am

WELCOME, Acknowledgement of Country

1.45 pm

9.15 am

CAPTURING THE AUDIENCE How can we ask better questions, capture better data and aggregate anonymised data so that it benefits all parties along the value chain and results in greater connections between films and audiences. What are we not capturing?

How can producers access and work with data?

CASE STUDY – THE DROVER’S WIFE What makes an idea cinematic? The creative process and how it informed the business strategy. Transforming the film into a screen experience that engages audience on a culturally significant work. An opportunity for exhibitors to see up close how a production comes together and for delegates to gain further insight into an entrepreneurial business approach.

MODERATOR: Patrick May (manager of strategic policy and insights, Screen Australia) SPEAKERS: Matt Liebmann (chief operating officer, Movio), Sue Maslin (producer, Film Art Media), Peter Drinkwater (group CEO, Screen Audience Research International).

10.15 am

MODERATOR: Sandy George (journalist) SPEAKERS: Leah Purcell (actor, writer, director and producer), Bain Stewart (producer) 3.00 pm

BUILDING AUDIENCE Audience development at every stage of the value chain.

From strategic unit publicity, social media campaigns, film festivals through to distribution and exhibition strategies.

What can we do better to grow Australian audiences over time? Can exhibitors be incentivised to better support local films and give them time to find their audience?

An exhibitor panel comprising both majors and independents/mini-majors. Ten producers will be given 3-4 minutes each to test a feature concept with this panel.

The purpose is to determine if there is an audience for the idea and answer, “Would you play this film at your cinema?

If so, why? If not, why not?”. The exhibitor panel will give 5 minutes in-session feedback on each pitch. All AIMC delegates present will also be invited to complete an online survey on each pitch. All feedback will be collated, ranked and shared privately to filmmakers.

MODERATOR: Sasha Close (program manager, BIFF & GCFF) PANEL: Michael Matrenza (senior marketing manager, Madman), Fiona Nix (company director, NIXCO), Anthony Grundy (distribution manager, Screen Australia), Mitu Bhowmick Lange (director and founder, Mind Blowing Films) 11.00 am

MORNING TEA

11.30 am

INCENTIVISING SUCCESS How can we leverage investment in Australian films, significantly increase marketing spend, offset producer and distributor risk, incentivise streamers to support theatrical windows and make it feasible for exhibitors to screen films made by streamers? How do we deliver an equitable risk/reward ratio in the recoupment waterfall that works for all parties along the value chain?

MODERATOR: Sandy George (journalist) PANEL: Craig Rossiter (writer and researcher), Cailah Scobie (chief content officer, Stan), Deanne Weir (co‑Founder, Storyd Group), Emma Madison (head of commercial and industry services, Screenrights), Claire Gandy (general manager of content, Event Cinemas)

ROAD TEST THE IDEA PITCH FORUM (1.5 hours)

MODERATOR: David Court (founder, Compton School) EXHIBITOR PANEL: Michelle Gater (general manager of programming at HOYTS Group), Alex Moir (head of marketing, Palace Cinemas), Claire Gandy (general manager of content, Event Cinemas), Ingrid Van Den Berghe (managing director, Luna Palace Cinemas), Sasha Close (program manager, BIFF & GCFF), Kieren Dell (chief executive, Majestic Cinemas) 5.00 pm

NETWORKING DRINKS (Sponsored by Coca Cola)

6.00 pm

FINISH

Can Productions Find You? Stand out from the Rest

Sign up today and get connected Go to productionbook.com.au

EDUCATION

WHAT TO DO ABOUT CREW? As production continues apace, skill shortages in certain crew roles continue to be exacerbated. With plans for a national skills framework underway, Jackie Keast explores some of the various existing initiatives designed to upskill practitioners, retrain people to join the industry and bring new entrants through.

A

ccording to an Olsberg SPI capacity audit conducted by Ausfilm, Australia faces skills constraints in several key below-the-line roles.

These include line producers, 1st assistant directors, unit production managers, production accountants and location managers, as well as key positions across post-production, visual effects and animation.

There are particularly observed shortages in VFX producers and supervisors, animators and technicians, as well as special effects supervisors and special effects for hair.

The audit result mirrors shortages found in a smaller Screen Producers Australia survey conducted in early 2021 amid a surge of in-bound production. Eighty per cent of the 41 producer respondents reported crewing difficulties, with twothirds also reporting this was the most significant challenge facing their business in the short-term.

Ninety-five per cent reported increased crew costs, ranging between 24-75 per cent.

However, Australia is not alone in facing skills shortages as production booms worldwide.

The crew shortages in the UK have gone so far as to be labelled “catastrophic”, with the British Film Institute (BFI) compiling a review for the UK Government expected to be released shortly.

Similar shortages are also being experienced in Central European countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary, Canada and in one of the US’s busiest production hubs, Georgia.

So what to do about crew?

Off the back of its Olsberg report, Ausfilm convened a working group late last year to address below-the-line workforce capacity with the Office of the Arts, Screen Australia, the state screen agencies, AFTRS and NIDA, with aims to ultimately develop a national framework to support growth.

The organisation also hired Susan Danta as a workforce capacity strategy executive.

It’s anticipated the national framework will include a mixture of formal and informal training, industry partnerships, and strategies to bring people across to the screen sector from adjacent industries.

Talking to IF, Ausfilm CEO Kate Marks points out there is no “overnight solution”, and tackling skills requires a phased approach.

In the short-term, there are these urgent gaps that must be filled, with Marks expecting to roll out quick turnaround actions 34 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

A 2019 Panavision workshop in South Australia

before the framework is finalised.

“That’s where we’re looking at best practice in terms of transferable skills,” Marks says. “For example, production accountants, is there a way that you can tap into accountants outside the industry?”

Then there is the longer-term bigger picture.

How do you ensure the screen industry grows as a cohesive whole? What conditions are required to attract a broader range of people to the industry, and for better industry retention?

Before it heads into design, the group is currently considering models from overseas, while also beginning informal stakeholder engagement with the guilds, producers, heads of department and diversity and inclusion groups. It is also assessing what programs currently exist to address skills and training.

Indeed, the vast majority of state agencies have skills programs in train, many of which are in partnership with AFTRS and NIDA. Therefore much of the group’s early work has been in connecting the dots and working out what is missing.

“What we wanted to do, in the first instance, was go: What can we coordinate amongst ourselves? How can we better work together?

Which levers already exist that can we pull for maximum impact?” Marks says.

In terms of existing initiatives, she notes many are pitched at the emerging level, but where the biggest strain is being felt is at mid-career.

The Olsberg SPI report notes those in midcareer need to be given sustained support as they upskill so that they are ready to take on those senior opportunities. It also puts forward that many HODs leave Australia, and a significant number are of retirement age.

“There’s a lot of support and a lot of initiatives to get people in, but how do you ensure that they keep developing?” Mark says.

On top of all of this, Marks says it is critical for Australia to maintain a robust pipeline of production of all different scales. That is, there is no point in training a cohort of people who will then go onto find themselves unemployed in a year.

Olsberg SPI puts forward that with the federal

Location Incentive Program and the global content boom, Australia is now in a strong position to move away from past ebbs and flows in production. It suggests if constraints in workforce and infrastructure capacity are addressed, there is the opportunity to increase levels of production 10 per cent year‑on-year.

“Regardless of whether it’s domestic or international, without a strong ecosystem of activity, it’s very difficult to address the gaps.

This is why it’s taken us until now to be in a really strong position to try and address this; we’ve capitalised on this moment,” Marks says.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

While the working group is made up of government agencies, Marks knows most solutions will be industry-led.

Indeed, some production and post-production companies are taking training into their own hands.

One is Sydney production and animation studio Flying Bark Productions, which over the past few years has been on a significant growth trajectory, including recently launching an adult arm, After Bark.

With support from the NSW Government’s Jobs Plus program, which includes payroll tax relief, training and infrastructure rebate support, Flying Bark plans to grow its staff numbers by a further 150 over the next three years.

Its focus on training comes from not only from growth ambitions, but a desire to create a pipeline of work to keep artists in long-term employment and build trust within teams. This was only accelerated by COVID when it became harder to fill roles via skilled migration.

Last year, Flying Bark conducted a pilot training program in 2D animation with NSW TAFE, pitched at the entry level. The program was supported by Training Services NSW, who is currently working with several companies to match their bespoke training needs with education providers.

From 86 applicants, 15 students conducted a two-week course with TAFE, after which one – Meg Strachan – was hired directly. Another seven

EDUCATION

L–R: Flying Bark Productions’ Meg Strachan and Aidan Judd.

went into an internship program with Flying Bark and have since all been employed.

Prior to doing the course, Strachan had studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts in 3D Animation at JMC Academy but was working as a graphic designer in a small photography business.

The course was not only useful for familiarising her Boom Toon Harmony, but for the insight provided by the leaders who were able to give practical insight into what working in a studio environment is like.

“Each studio, by the sounds of it, has a different set up for how they go about the process, and it was good to hear about Flying Bark’s specifically before trying to get a job there. I felt very comfortable going from the two-week course straight into work,” Strachan tells IF. Another hired out of the program was Aidan Judd, who had studied animation at Charles

Sturt University, but spent the six years following working as a freelancer designer. The TAFE course solidified the skills he needed to get a 2D animation job in the industry.

“I felt like even if I didn’t get the job with Flying Bark, I could go away from the course confident in what I knew so that I would be able to get that job somewhere else,” he tells IF. “I’ve loved drawing cartoons since I was two years old. I always knew that I wanted to be a storyteller; to create fun and interesting characters that went on interesting and fun adventures. I feel like Flying Bark lets me live that dream every day.”

Later this year, Flying Bark will conduct another TAFE program to hire people for technical roles. Stephen predicts there will be many TAFE alumni who trained in IT or software development who could bring transferrable skills.

The CEO is vocal about her desire to see more on-the-job and vocational training in the industry, noting that university programs and private colleges are often cost-prohibitive and don’t always offer the right skills. She is keen to see the industry further develop an apprenticeship or traineeship model.

“Artists come from everywhere and every background. Money shouldn’t be a barrier for them to get into our industry. That’s why I think TAFE is a good option.”

At the mid-career level, Flying Bark is also conducting leadership training via TAFE, aimed at first-time line producers, as well as VFX and animation supervisors, to give them management skills. Further training is also planned for junior and mid-level 2D animators to see them better progress to a senior level.

THE PIPELINE

Other practical, industry-led initiatives include Screenworks and Netflix’s $500,000 Regional Crew Development program.

That program consists of three parts designed to cover the production pipeline. This includes traineeships at the entry-level, targeted skill development workshops, and location scouting support and crew referral services.

More than 120 people from the Northern Rivers applied for the 12-month traineeship program, with four selected: Amos Voltz, Eden Cansdell, Ky Crethar and Tamsyn Turner. Each is undertaking a Certificate III in Screen and Media Studies at Lismore TAFE, as well as paid on-the-job training and placements, facilitated by Screenworks.

The trainees are employed by Screenworks on a 40-week, and will be given a broad range of experiences on productions and with companies in the region.

Screenworks CEO Ken Crouch tells IF they actively prioritised trainees of diverse

www.if.com.au 35

EDUCATION

develop crew in that region ahead of the proposed studio development.

Screenworks also plans to soon extend workshops into Far North Queensland in partnership with Screen Queensland.

PROVIDING ACCESS

The trainees employed via the Screenworks and Netflix regional crew development program. Top row: Amos Voltz, Eden Cansdell. Bottom row: Tasmyn Turner and Ky Crethar.

background and those who otherwise may not have been able to pursue a career in screen. Like Stephen, he is conscious of the financial barriers of film school, and that those based regional Australia may lack industry networks.

“I grew up in country NSW, there wasn’t a production company, a videographer or someone like that in my town; I was lucky to have a live music at the pub,” he says.

“Often kids are growing up and not seeing anyone around who they could aspire to, and their parents don’t see it as a real career. It’s about how we give those kids an opportunity.”

The traineeship program is intended as a pilot in Northern NSW, but Crouch sees the potential to scale it up across regional Australia in partnership with industry.

“A lot of the roles that are having shortages are at mid or head of department level. They’re not entry level roles that traineeships can resolve.

But what traineeships can do is feed new people into the industry so that the people in those roles can elevate into the next role up. We can’t just address the middle,” he says.

In terms of Screenworks’ skills development workshops, each is short and aimed at skills gaps. It recently ran a two-day workshop in the Northern Rivers on production accounting, facilitated by Moneypenny, aimed at line producers as well as accountants and bookkeepers from outside the industry. An entry-level crew workshop will run at late April’s Screenwave International Film Festival in Coffs Harbour, out of recognition that there is a need to (Photo: Patrick Boland © NIDA 2021)

NIDA student production ‘God’s Country’.

36 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

One of the companies partnering with Screenworks to deliver technical and crew workshops in FNQ is Panavision Australia. The course will cover camera and lens technology, storytelling through a lens, the relationship between technology and script, and tips for streamer and modern delivery methods.

Panavision is also planning similar programs in Darwin with Screen Territory and the Australian Cinematographers Society.

The equipment company has run workshops in for early to mid-career level practitioners for almost a decade now, with an eye to providing access, outreach and support. These are typically done in concert with guilds, and during COVID, Panavision moved to online training and assisted in the WIFT MentorHer program and the South Australian Film Corporation’s Master/Apprentice Mentorship.

“Whether you’ve previously worked with Panavision or not, our goal is to provide you with the information and tools to help realise your project and your potential,” Nic Godoy, Panavision Australia national TVC marketing manager tells IF. “We are proud supporters of many partners and collaborators with whom we share a common goal to strive for a stronger, healthier Australian film industry.”

With Western Sydney’s Arts Cultural Exchange (ACE) and TAFE NSW, Panavision is planning workshops aimed at addressing skills gaps in assistant camera roles, and increasing professional employment pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) screen practitioners within the camera department.

“Great professional development opportunities are opening through our partnership with Panavision. Through working closely and collaboratively with community-based organisations like ours, Panavision is investing in the storytellers of the future, and promoting an inclusive and truly representative screen sector,” ACE’s producer of the Screen Cultures Program, Barry Gamba tells IF.

UPSKILLING AND NEW OPPORTUNITY

Bringing people across from adjacent industries to the screen sector is broadly considered one of the fastest ways to plug skills gaps.

In March, NIDA announced it would partner with Screen Territory and Arts NT to boost skills and professional development for Territorians across the creative industries.

Under this program, it will deliver training courses in specific areas designed to fill skills shortages, and more generally build the talent pool in screen, theatre, live events, performing arts, publicity and promotion. Courses will cover

producing, directing writing, acting, audition preparation and screen tests, make-up, costume design, and props making.

A number of one-day courses for high school students will also be run in conjunction, focused on providing a ‘taste-test’ for future study or career progression.

“They’ve engaged with us to provide broadbased skillset training, acknowledging that it’s a smaller industry in the Territory,” NIDA CEO Liz Hughes tells IF. “[It] is for people that are just starting out or emerging to get the skills training that they need, confidence and to understand what the career options are.

“We’re doing a make-up skills course and I imagine that quite a few people that will come forward will be people that have already got some experience, either in doing hairdressing or make up. Those people will get additional skills that they can then deploy when they go into the screen industry.”

In addition to its undergraduate and postgraduate programs, NIDA offers vocational courses across stage and screen performance, specialist make-up, musical theatre and live production and technical services.

As a vocational education provider, Hughes notes NIDA has the ability to provide accredited training for skills that are short in the industry.

“The challenge is we don’t have the budget to do it.”

Outside of greater government funding, partnerships are therefore critical for the institute to scale up delivery. “We’re really keen to collaborate to enable a really solid pipeline of creative workforce.”

As for its degree-level cohort, Hughes says it is “inundated” for requests for graduates and even students to work on productions. All students in the third year of the BFA program complete an industry placement, and this is now typically leading into employment that carries on alongside study. That students are taught by industry specialists also means they leave NIDA with a “ready-made” network; alumni survey data has found 95 per cent of graduates are employed in the industry within six months.

Given the production boom, Hughes says NIDA is thinking more intentionally about building pathways for students into the screen industry, including building partnerships with key organisations and production companies.

Its also shifting curriculum to focus on things such as set etiquette and giving students broader understanding of different employment opportunities. Further, it is looking at technologies that are increasingly relevant to a screen career, with a new tech lab set up to help students explore motion capture and virtual production (see page 38).

“Specialised skills that are taught within the three-year undergraduate program enable someone to have very deep practical experience…. that is then actually quite flexible and agile across different work opportunities in different sectors.”

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EDUCATION

The Technical Direction Company virtual production stage at Fox Studios.

VIRTUAL LEARNING As virtual production becomes more commonplace, educational institutions are adjusting their programs accordingly. But is it enough to stay ahead of the technology? Sean Slatter talks to UTS Animal Logic Academy senior lecturer Chris French, NIDA director in residence David Berthold, and Spectre Studios business director Mick Byrne.

W

ith increased demand for virtual production techniques, what is the role of training organisations in ensuring the next generation of VFX workers have the knowledge required to succeed?

Key technology such as Epic Games’ 3D real-time creation tool Unreal Engine is freely available to download, allowing aspiring creators of all ages to take their own path when it comes to learning visualisation and rendering skills.

However, tertiary institutions are also incorporating more of an emphasis on virtual production methods in order to reflect the industry climate.

NIDA is in the process of acquiring hardware to help students innovate across motion capture, facial capture, real-time production design and virtual production, working with specialists MOD Studios and Spectre Studios to identify the best technology available.

Director in residence David Berthold tells IF that while the institution has for a long time been involved with “bits and pieces” of virtual production, the acceleration of its use in industry across the past two years prompted an upgrade of the resources available.

38 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

“The tools of virtual production are being used more and more in filmmaking at the moment, so it’s just a very natural thing for us to ensure that our students – whether they’re an actor that wants knows how to work in a motion capture suit or a designer working in Unreal Engine trying to understand some of the pipelines of virtual production – are aware of those tools and how to use them.”

NIDA is also encouraging alumni to experiment with real-time storytelling, offering grants of up to $10,000 to projects led by former students that harness digital tools as part of its NIDA X program.

Berthold says the need for virtual production proficiency went well beyond undergraduates.

“This is new territory and there are knowledge gaps in the industry itself, because it’s all relatively new,” he says.

“So as the national training school, I think it’s incumbent upon us to help fill the industry gaps as well, and that means training the best students, but it also means upskilling people who are already in the industry.

“Reaching out to alumni felt like a natural thing for us to do in order to encourage a bit of experimentation.”

Addressing skills shortages in the industry is central to the ethos of University of Technology Sydney’s

Animal Logic Academy.

Its Masters students begin their coursework by developing a 3D animated short film, before moving on to researching emerging visualisation technologies, such as extended realities, real-time, virtual production and immersive data. They are then tasked with completing a short film and visualisation project.

Despite operating within what academy head Ian Thomson describes as a “technology-agnostic” environment, the institution is set to step further into the realm of live production methods next year when it introduces a specialist real-time 3D animation subject.

Senior lecturer and former Fuel VFX operations manager Chris French is spearheading the new addition to the curriculum, having joined the academy last September.

He says it is born out of a combination of his own desire to explore the field and appetite from the industry.

“All the virtual production stuff requires game engine knowledge, the default being Unreal, and we’re trying to put out students with skills the industry wants,” he says. “[The subject will be about] taking the skills you have as a traditional VFX artist – such as offline rendering – and applying them to real-time rendering, gaming

engines and virtual production.”

The move comes after Epic Games launched a new version of Unreal Engine in April.

Key features include virtualised micropolygon geometry system Nanite, which allows the user to import and replicate multi-millionpolygon meshes while maintaining a real-time frame rate, as well as Lumen, a global illumination and reflections solution that enables indirect lighting to adapt to changes in direct lighting or geometry.

Epic Games has also announced the return of the Unreal Engine Short Film Challenge in Australia and New Zealand. Ten projects will be selected to receive $50,000 in funding, with creators given eight weeks to develop the ideas via Unreal Engine 5.

The successful films will then be reviewed by industry experts and showcased internationally. As part of the initiative, the company also offered three weeks of free Unreal Engine online training for real-time animation during April.

It’s a path Spectre Studios business director Mick Byrne hopes more emerging creators will take.

Started in 2016, the extended reality and virtual production studio comprises a team of artists, storytellers, animators, and producers that specialise in the design and delivery of immersive 3D environments, 3D animations, VR experiences and high-end VR solutions. .

Spectre Studios has worked with Unreal Engine to create VR experiences for the past five years and will be involved in the Unreal Engine Short Film Challenge in a behind-the-scenes capacity.

Byrne says there is no substitute for individual learning when it comes to the toolset.

“We’ve been producing virtual art with 3D background environments for about two years because we saw the writing was on the wall,” he says.

“If you are a 14 to 15-year-old kid wanting to get into film or games, download Unreal Engine today and start doing tutorials on it, because it will be production tool that is required in the future.

“I have a suspicion that a lot of the tertiary institutions will be a year or two behind in their curriculums in terms of what Unreal Engine is doing, so you would be better to be an autodidactic self-driven learner to stay ahead of the curve.”

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FEATURE

STAY CURIOUS Connections and upskilling are crucial components for weathering disruptive times. Emmy and AACTA Awardwinning producer turned screen sector executive coach Ellenor Cox explains how keeping curious will keep you employable.

M

y first producing credit occurred before we had mobile phones, emails and access to the internet. In today’s hyperconnected world this reality seems almost inconceivable and yet this was how it was in our industry less than 30 years ago.

Mornings would start with phone calls made on land lines and evenings concluded with the sound of the fax machine sending out the following days’ call sheet. The squawk of the dial up modem connection would not yet grace production offices for another couple of years and broadcast quality images could only be captured on cameras that cost about the same as an innercity apartment. 9GB of storage would turn up in a microwave-sized box that cost $9,000 and usually incurred a bank loan. Films were cut using scissors – literally! DVDs were but a figment of our imagination with floppy discs considered cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology.

Feedback was limited to your newspaper critic’s review and annual award ceremonies, and we connected with our audience only at an opening night screening or in a film festival foyer. Industry broadsheets and print magazines were almost the only way to stay connected with the industry and if your contact details weren’t printed annually in The Production Book then you may have well not existed!

How did we communicate with one another?

How did we research our film projects and get them financed and sold? Most importantly, how did we feel part of the ecosystem of our industry without our smartphones and the internet?

We managed, we thrived, we adapted and most importantly, we remained curious and openminded to the technical revolution all around us that was enabling us to refine and perfect our craft, and master new skills and methodologies.

These developments not only assisted us with feeling connected and up-to-date on industry trends and developments but also kept us employable, by opening up new opportunities and hitherto unimagined career pathways.

The reason for this reminiscing is born from a regular lament that I hear around the disruptions that Covid has caused over the past two years.

Many people feel isolated and lack connection and currency with the industry.

While conference and festival cancellations have been hugely disappointing and set closures and production delays immensely frustrating, 40 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

connecting with and as you update these lists reach out via socials, LinkedIn or direct email to congratulate them on their news. These ‘deposits’ into your emotional credit account will pay off down the line when you want to make a more directed connection for work opportunities.

THE VALUE OF UPSKILLING

When you’re actively seeking work, the best currency to have is an up-to-date and in-demand skills set. Below are five great reasons for investing in developing your skills right now.

throughout this time our ability to remain connected online, to upskill and to self-educate ourselves has remained. In fact, in certain areas more vibrancy and connectivity has been possible by embracing technology, discovering our niche tribes online or making a decision to use these disruptive times to expand our skill sets and seek reinvention.

Thirty years ago we didn’t have the luxuries the internet now affords us. Our smartphones, tablets and computers are literally a portal to anything that we’re curious about, a way to connect with anyone that we want to and a means to self-mastery and upskilling in any direction that we choose. As long as we have a curious mindset, we can truly can become masters of our own universe!

In these disrupted times, your curiosity is your key ally and your two most valuable assets are your connections and your skills.

IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS!

The breakout box alongside contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of key connection points in our sector that in most cases are freely accessible. If you’re feeling the need to up the ante on your networking and connectivity, then I trust that you’ll find this list a useful one. Make your first port of call a deep dive into all the material available on the Screen Australia portal and your relevant state agency website, and subscribe to their newsletters and social media feeds.

Being a member of an online group however is not sufficient if your engagement is a passive one.

Take the time to post and comment and engage more deeply with these groups. In return you’ll be amazed at the vibrancy and generosity of many of these online forums. Many of these groups have incredible resource links that you can also access, so remember to review these and not just the chat activity.

Similarly, with newsletters, subscribing only is not the means to an end. Newsletters are there to be read! Read them with the purpose of not just absorbing news but focusing on future networking or job opportunities. Keep a file on companies, projects and people that you’re interested in

1. FUTURE PROOF YOUR CAREER

Unpredictability is the only constant in our industry, with no position or company ever being 100 per cent secure. Upskilling enables you to keep skills current as well or move into new areas of growth.

2. BE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES

Seek out mentors and resources to help you explore opportunities that you’re curious about. Opportunities rarely jump out at people who aren’t actively seeking them

3. MAKE YOURSELF INVALUABLE

People who are willing to upskill are also likely to exhibit stronger problem-solving abilities, a higher level of productivity, and better performance overall and this is noted by future employers.

4. MEET INSPIRING PEOPLE

It’s not just ‘who you know’ but ‘what you know’ as well. Upskilling helps with both.

By actively engaging with your community through courses and online networking forums you’re more like to meet like-minded people who inspire you and who may become valuable contacts for future opportunities.

5. DISCOVER NEW PASSIONS

Until you give something a go, you’ll never know what your natural interest or aptitude is for this new skill. Upskilling is great for more than career development as it also enables you to develop more generally as a person.

In these times where we might feel that many things have been taken away from us, it’s important to focus on what we can control.

Remaining connected to our industry doesn’t have to only be done in person. There’s a myriad of touchpoints and online communities to engage with. Similarly, if you’re finding that the industry is moving in a new direction without you, then ask yourself what you need to do to stay current. There’s no shortage of cost effective or free upskilling opportunities available if you have the curiosity to seek them out.

Ellenor has a range of free resources available to the screen sector at www.ellenorcox.com and is available for individual and team coaching and workshop facilitation.

FEATURE

INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS TO MAKE STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES Screen Australia State screen agencies Ausfilm Australia Council for the Arts ORGANISATIONS Screenworks Australian Academy Cinema, Television Arts (AACTA) Australian Centre of Moving Image ACMI Australians in Film (USA focus) Women in Film and TV (WIFT) Women in Media (WIM) Australian Documentary Forum (OzDox) Documentary Australia National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Arts and Cultural Exchange (ACE) Jumbunna (Institute of Indigenous Education & Research) National Indigenous TV (NITV) Australian Film Television Radio School (AFTRS) Entertainment Assist Diversity Arts Australia Damechanger

Crew Dames Media Ring ScreenWell INDUSTRY GUILDS AND MEMBERSHIP Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Australian Directors Guild (ADG) Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) Australian Screen Sound Guild (ASSG) Australian Screen Editors (ASE) Australian Production Design Guild (APDG) Australian Writers Guild (AWG) Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) FESTIVALS AND CONFERENCES Screen Forever City-based film festivals such as Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival Flickerfest CinefestOz Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) Australian International Movie

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Convention (AIMC)s Antenna Film Festival MIFF 37ºSouth Market (MIFF) Screenmakers Conference Screenworks Regional to Global Forum Arts Activated PUBLICATIONS IF Magazine/if.com.au The IF Production Book Screenhub FilmInk Mumbrella Mediaweek IMDB Deadline Hollywood Indiewire Variety The Hollywood Reporter Screen International C21 The Wrap Screenrant Slashfilm FandomWire Peter Hamilton’s Documentary Business Cinema Australia FACEBOOK GROUPS Freelance Jungle Diversity in Australian Media

Screen Vixens Film Fatales Impact Producers Group Australia Screen Producers Cack! Disabled + Deaf creatives across Australia Dear Producer For Films Sake I need an Editor Australia I need Camera Crew Australia ASC The Ladies Lounge Raising Films Australia Sustainable Screens (Australia) Production Designers in Oz PODCASTS Screen Australia The Short Film I love Scriptnotes The art of colour grading UPSKILLING AFTRS Masterclass Screen ABC Media Mentors Compton School Creative Plus Business Creative Live JMC SAE

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SCREEN FOREVER

CULTURALLY SPECIFIC CUT THROUGH

Minyoung Kim is the Netflix executive responsible for bringing global sensation Squid Game to screen. As vice president of content across the Asia Pacific, she also oversees all of Netflix’s output in Australia. At Screen Forever, Kim sat down with Jackie Keast to outline her vision for country-specific content that cuts through globally, and explain the reasons behind Squid Game’s success.

M

inyoung Kim isn’t afraid to admit that Australia is one of the most complicated territories she oversees as Netflix’s vice president of content across the Asia Pacific (excluding India).

Unlike her native Korea – where Kim was responsible for global phenomenon Squid Game – or other growth markets under her remit like Japan and Thailand, Australia is an Englishlanguage territory, so its content is more readily compared to that of the US or UK. Figuring out Australian projects that will not only work for local audiences but travel worldwide is therefore her “biggest homework”, she recently explained to IF during March’s Screen Forever conference.

In that, she is assisted by her on the ground executives, led by ANZ director of content Que Minh Luu. Netflix’s local originals since establishing a content team here in June 2020 include Byron Baes, Heartbreak High, Irreverent, Wellmania and Boy Swallows Universe.

Thinking of Netflix’s global reach, Kim noted many non-native English speakers may not be able to differentiate between accents across the US, UK and Australia, and may therefore not recognise where an English-language project is from unless it represents very specifically life in a particular country.

So in this sense, Kim said the ANZ team is working to build a “brand” around Australian content that truly speaks to the local culture and 42 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

day-to-day life. Kim often jokes to Luu that she doesn’t speak English, she speaks Australian.

Ultimately, Netflix’s plans in Australia do not differ markedly from its broad international strategy: the most locally authentic shows travel best.

The idea is that shows that are popular within a native territory have a greater chance of reaching audiences outside via the platform’s algorithm.

For instance, Squid Game’s popularity in Korea saw it snowball into a global sensation, even among audiences who had never watched Korean content before..

Balancing authenticity with global accessibility is not always easy, but as Kim points out: “Culture can be very local. Emotions are pretty universal.”

“I think Squid Game is a great example of how we engineered a show to appeal globally without sacrificing local authenticity,” she said.

While Netflix and Squid Game creator, writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s first priority was on making the series feel “truly Korean” – from the childhood games through to the types of people that Sae-byeok, Gi-hun and Sang-woo each are – they also devised or tweaked show elements that would “lower the entry barrier” for non-Korean audiences.

For instance, whether or not the Korean games could be understood internationally was a key conversation during the greenlight process.

“Director Hwang put a focus on choosing games that are simple, so that it’s easier for people who don’t know the game to follow the rules, but didn’t

Minyoung Kim speaking at the Screen Forever conference in late March.

give up on touching the nostalgic childhood games of our Korean audience,” Kim explained.

The series’ surreal and colourful production design, led by Chae Kyoung-sun, was also seen as a way to capture global attention.

“We wanted to make sure it was really visually provocative and eye-catching,” Kim said. “It was like a fairy tale – a fairy tale but there’s a lot of blood in it. We knew for an international audience that would resonate.”

Originally, Netflix had intended for Squid Game to have a different title in English-speaking territories: Round Six. Squid Game was a literal translation of the name of one of the games, which the streamer figured no one outside of Korea would understand or know. Round Six felt more intuitive.

“We finalised it. We’d been calling it Round Six for some time. But then director Hwang – this was a suggestion from director Hwang, I don’t want to take his credit – said that the title Squid Game really represented the vision of the show.

The whole show is about that game; Round Six felt like we were generalising that core DNA a little bit. So we went back to Squid Game,” Kim said.

“People outside of Korea will not know what that actually is. But it was that unique title, with the eye-catching artwork, and then once you once you click on it and watch it, the social commentary that you really resonate with – that’s what actually made Squid Game what it is. We don’t know what the performance would have been if it was Round Six.

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‘Squid Game’.

“There are shows that we know that we can never compromise on, but it’s not that we’ll never consider the global audience. I think that’s the fun part, the craftsmanship of the creative of the show, in considering all these different audiences but then staying true to what the vision of the show is. We go through that process for every single show.”

The global success of Squid Game is undoubtedly gratifying for Kim. When she joined Netflix back in 2016, she was one of the streamer’s first executives based in Asia, charged with bringing Korean content to the service. She initially faced reluctancy from the industry about working with a foreign entity that had, at that time, little brand recognition.

However, recognising that Korean content would be vital to the Netflix’s growth worldwide – in 2016, Korean film exports tallied $US1.98 billion – Kim worked hard to differentiate its identity from other market partners.

One of the first scripted commissions Kim oversaw was Kingdom, a 16th century zombie horror, which stood out in a romance-heavy market.

The series was created by Kim Eun-hee, who had written it a decade before Netflix approached her, but had struggled to get it up with traditional networks in keeping with her vision.

Netflix’s Korean originals since have included series Love Alarm, Extracurricular, The School Nurse Files, Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class and Sweet Home, and films like Time to Hunt, The Call and Space Sweepers.

However it is Squid Game that made Kim truly appreciate that the “sky is the limit” in terms of how content can travel, with any ceiling the APAC team had put on its content self-imposed.

“Normally we would say, ‘Well, it’s going to be one of the biggest Korean shows, but it’s a Korean show, it won’t ever be a global show.’ The thought never even entered our mind that this would surpass all of these other shows and become ‘the’ global hit.

“It made not only our team, but a lot of 44 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

producers, really have that vision; that even when we make a local language show, it can be loved by audiences globally.

“It’s a change in the mindset – not restricting ourselves.”

Korean content has always travelled well internationally, but Squid Game’s success has seen the market get even hotter. While Kim admitted more competitors in the territory now were a “headache” for her, she believes it is fantastic for the overall industry and paves way for new talent.

“In order for us to have good creative, the market really needs to be active. What Netflix really wants to do is expand that ecosystem so that greater stories will come out of the industry,” she said.

“Even Netflix, we don’t always work with only established filmmakers or storytellers. Director Hwang, in Korea, is a very respected filmmaker, but we have shows like Extracurricular – it’s the writer’s debut project. My Name is one of the writer’s early projects. As the industry expands and as there’s more opportunity flowing in, we’re able to give more opportunities to newer talent and even add more value to make the ecosystem healthy.

“It’s a pretty exciting time for Korea. As a company, we truly believed this was possible because we really focused on the local impact, and really encouraged and empowered creators to write something that they’re good at.

“That’s what we want to do with all our local originals. In APAC, we’re making shows in Japan, Thailand, India and Australia. We’re validating our strategy as we go. We hope it’s the same case with a lot of other countries. Australia is a complicated market because of what I explained before, but we do want to make sure that we bring Australian stories to the world and show what true Australia really is.”

Australia has an official co-production treaty with Korea that has been in place since 2014 and so far never been utilised, and also has other

treaties within the APAC region with Singapore and Malaysia.

Kim would love to see a Korean-Australian co-production on Netflix.

“That’s the advantage that we have as a global service; all these co-productions and different types of stories that we can put together. We just want to find the right project. The last thing we want to do is create an Asian soup, or the Koreans don’t like it or the Australians don’t like it. We’re just trying to find the right story, and it is tough.

“What I don’t want to do is a Korea-Australia production, but we can replace Korea with anything, or we can replace Australia with anything; we really want to find a story that really works in both countries and appeals to those audiences. The story that I would be looking for is something where each of these components are irreplaceable.”

In addition to local originals, Kim is keen for Netflix to bring more international productions – from the US, UK and around the world – to Australia, noting our on and off screen talent.

“As a non-native English speaker, I was fascinated to find that all of these talents that I’ve known before are actually Australian. There’s so much talent that’s already big worldwide and there are so many great stories, so many productions which I thought were Hollywood productions that were actually created in Australia.

“What our team, led by Que, are really doing is really finding that Australian story… I want the global audience to know that these are Australian stories.

“I think what Squid Game did for Korean content was lower that entry barrier. When those people who hadn’t watched Korean content before now come across [different] Korean content, [they say] “Oh, I’ve had a good experience with Squid Game, why don’t I just watch it?”

They’re more willing to test other Korean content. I want to bring that for Australian content. I won’t be able to do that myself because I’m not Australian. That’s why we have the teams on the ground here who really, truly understand what that means.

“That’s what we’re aiming for in a lot of our local originals. All of this boils down to making sure that we provide something that our members can enjoy. This sounds very corporate, right? But that’s really our ultimate goal and we hope to get better at it.”

‘Squid Game’.

SCREEN FOREVER

TALK FROM THE FLOOR

Some of the hot discussion topics you may have missed from the sessions at March’s Screen Forever.

SVOD DEALMAKING THE RISE OF the streamers has seen the traditional TV model of financing and rights break down. Streaming services often finance projects entirely and want to take all rights – reducing the ‘long tail’ or opportunity for producers to exploit IP through secondary windows.

In a session on streaming rights, a number of producers talked through different deals they’ve experienced, from all rights deals through to co-production deals that allowed them to retain some IP. Werner Film Productions Stuart Menzies said while it was often “opaque” as to how to navigate this environment, it was a mistake to view any of the large streaming organisations as “homogenous”.

Matchbox Pictures’ Felicity Harrison said it was worth keeping an eye on how SVOD services were shaping deals with more traditional broadcasters. “They are going to want SVOD-style rights too.”

Elsewhere, SPA president and Hoodlum head of content Tracey Vieira underscored need for terms of trade and market oversight, noting producers still have “very little power” in these deals.

“We need terms of trade. We need some protection. We need to know we have some involvement in managing that creative; ensuring that our projects continue to have a life and it’s not a one-off fee for coming on board.”

SVOD REGULATION IN HIS OPENING address to the Gold Coast audience, Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner lambasted government’s “slow, protracted and largely ineffective proposals” to ensure streamers commission local content.

“The moment before us represents a unique opportunity to push for a forward-looking, effective and meaningful framework for Australian content on increasingly pervasive streaming services,” he said.

“The history of public policy intervention in media in this country centres around the principle that platforms with a high degree of influence on Australian society should bear corresponding responsibilities to contribute back.”

Deaner’s comments were backed up in a session the next day by Australian Directors’ Guild executive director Alaric McAusland who said industry was currently “way too polite” to government on the issue.

McAusland called the government’s proposed Streaming Services Reporting and Investment Scheme “derelict”. He argued that the delay between the government’s relaxation of local content quotas for commercial free-to-air broadcasters and any imposition of obligations on streamers was leading to a production void.

“Companies are going to fold on this. People are going to walk away from their businesses because of this. Let’s make no bones about it – this is a disaster.”

As for the streamers themselves, Netflix ANZ director of content Que Minh Luu said during the Q&A panel: “The fact that Netflix has started an ANZ team here with local executives to commission local content is a pretty strong statement of what our intention is in investing in this market.”

Elsewhere, Amazon Studios head of originals Asia Pacific Erika North said it “has the ambition to become the home for talent in Australia; your favourite partner in the region.”

CREW SHORTAGES AND COSTS WITH SO MUCH production in Australia at the moment, including in-bound, ABC head of scripted Sally Riley told the audience during the first day’s Q&A: “It’s difficult at the moment to even crew a show”.

“The prices have gone up for crew, the salaries – everything is really tough. But I think having the international shows come in is a good thing, because they bring expertise, they bring new technologies and I think they pass it on to Australian crews.”

However on another panel, Werner Film Productions Stuart Menzies flagged the “massive” increases in crew costs had the potential to see the Australian industry priced out of the competitive market.

“Why are the streamers going to come here with those blow in shows when we’re having 30 per cent year-on-year price rises?” he said.

“We’re getting seriously expensive on the world stage. I think we’re unsustainable.”

46 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

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SCREEN FOREVER

INDEPENDENT INSIGHTS

Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley appear in conversation with Karl Quinn (forefront) at Screen Forever. (Photo: Screen Producers Australia)

The wisdom that comes with producing more than 60 titles across nearly four decades was shared on stage at Screen Forever as prolific British producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen appeared in conversation. Sean Slatter breaks down their key points.

S

trong partnerships, a hands-on approach and clear business parameters can serve as drivers of longevity in the sometimes volatile world of independent film production, according to British producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen.

The co-founders of Number 9 Pictures appeared virtually at Screen Forever to discuss how they have been able to withstand shifts in the industry to maintain a consistent output across multiple decades.

Known for their work on The Crying Game, Carol, and Great Expectations, the prolific pair have netted more than 50 BAFTA nominations between them and in 2019, received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema.

However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

In the early 1980s, Woolley founded Palace Pictures with Nick Powell as a distributor for cult cinema and international art films, the eventual collapse of which is documented in Angus Finney’s book The Egos Have Landed: Rise and Fall of Palace Pictures.

Three decades after Palace Pictures filed for bankruptcy, Number 9 Films is set to release two films in the space of a year – Eva Husson’s Mothering Sunday, starring Australian actress Odessa Young, and Oliver Hermanus’ Living.

Woolley, whose previous credits also include Interview with a Vampire and Fever Pitch, told the conference their productivity hadn’t stopped them from being closely involved with each project.

“We tend to be quite hands-on, and we tend to have our developments go for a period of time,” he said.

“Although it does seem as if there are a lot of movies there, quite a high percentage of those films – the good, the bad and the ugly – we’ve 48 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

been pretty close to. At the end of it all, we can carry the can and say, ‘We know why we made the films we made’, and I think that’s very important for us.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to make films in America [including] three films with Warner Bros, one with Columbia, and I also had a deal with DreamWorks, so I’ve seen how the studio system works and it’s great.

“It’s incredible making something like Interview with a Vampire, for instance, or In Dreams with DreamWorks. But at the same time, we decided to stay smaller to keep producing in Europe because you actually have an awful lot of input into a project which you don’t necessarily have when you’re working within the studio system.”

According to Karlsen, the nature of the pair’s relationship is also integral to their workflow.

“Obviously we have got a very long-standing partnership and one that has sustained us for decades,” she said.

“I think that’s probably vital to being productive in the way that we are, because you have someone by your side to experience the peaks and the troughs. A lot of it is just about getting out of bed in the morning.

“You just have to keep going in the face of often a lot of rejection.”

Despite averaging 1-2 films per year, the pair opt to keep their development slate relatively small in order to maintain a high conversion rate.

Karlsen said they tend to have “six to nine things” on the go at any one time, noting stability is not always easy to achieve within their pipeline.

“We did have a situation where a few years ago when we did Carol, where I think we made five films in two years. Then it was a bit like Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard but the cupboard was bare,” she said.

“It was strange because they just all happened

at once and then you think, ‘Oh no there’s not that much left there’. So then we had a fallow period, where we spent two years developing things.”

Key to their process is always keeping their projects fresh, a strategy that Woolley described as both “challenging and exhausting”.

“We don’t make sequels… we usually start everything from scratch,” he said.

“It’s often a case of no matter how successful the last film may have been or how much people liked it, you’re starting again with a new writer and new subjects. It’s almost like you go back to ‘GO’ on the Monopoly board.”

It’s an outlook that is becoming increasingly rare in the current landscape as streaming services and studios continue to revisit known IP. Despite this, both Karlsen and Woolley are optimistic about what the future holds for content consumption.

The former said the “phenomenal” interest in storytelling and “massive” rise in production has allowed for greater access to independent and arthouse movies from all over the world, though she still holds a special fondness for cinema.

“I think that that common viewing experience is something very, very special, and that you experience a film probably in the way that the filmmaker intended. It just is different watching a film at home,” she said.

“But the calibre of episodic TV, the calibre of filmmaking and the democratisation of access, are all really positive things.”

Woolley said the fact that some of his earlier work can now be viewed on streaming platforms was evidence of an upside to the services.

“If you look at some of the earlier films such as The Crying Game, or going back further to The Company of Wolves... they were 18 certificates, which mean X-ratings to most countries,” he says.

“Now we can show [them] on Netflix, and nobody would even blink.”

Equity Wellness Committee co-chair Kathy Lepan-Walker

www.thepostlounge.com

WELLBEING

DATA FOR A MENTALLY HEALTHIER INDUSTRY A new survey from Griffith Film School aims to get a sector-specific understanding of the mental health and wellbeing of screen professionals and students for the first time. Jackie Keast reports.

I

n 2016, Entertainment Assist and Victoria University released research which painted a dark picture of the mental health and wellbeing of those working in the entertainment industry.

It showed that indications of moderate to severe anxiety were 10 times higher and symptoms of depression five times higher among entertainment professionals when compared to the general population.

Since that research was released six years ago, discussion in the screen industry about mental health has steadily increased, particularly during the pandemic.

While the Entertainment Assist research was incredibly comprehensive, it was not screen sector-specific in that it also covered other creative industries like music and live performance.

However, without sector-specific data, it is more challenging for the industry to provide tailored solutions, or create healthier screen workplaces.

Griffith Film School hopes to change that, with plans to launch the Australian Screen Industries Health and Well Being Survey later this year.

The research project is spearheaded by Griffith FIlm School’s Associate Professor Peter Hegedus, deputy director of research

Peter Hegedus.

and engagement, and Bobbi-Lea Dionysius, documentary and industry engagement supervisor.

The pair’s interest initial interest mental health was triggered by feedback to a 2020 Screen Queensland survey, which suggested many practitioners were isolated and had mental health concerns.

That led them to form the Queensland Screen Collective to bring filmmakers and crew together, both virtually and in-person, to talk about various issues affecting them.

Across their meetings, mental health continued to come up. In particular, a discussion panel at last year’s Brisbane International Film Festival – in front of an audience of filmmakers, screen agency representatives and counsellors – encouraged the pair to more formally evaluate mental health for screen workers in Australia.

“There was this energy in the room; it felt like a revolution was about to start, because people just weren’t talking about these things in the way we were talking about it in that forum,” Hegedus says.

“It was a really good way to begin this process on a more formal basis.”

The survey will address mental health, mental illness and wellbeing, and will cover both

Bobbi-Lea Dionysius.

To find out more about the Australian Screen Industries Health and Well Being Survey, contact Bobbi-Lea Dionysius: b.dionysius@griffith.edu.au 50 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

The Queensland Screen Collective during a Zoom meeting.

“GAMECHANGER” Actor and filmmaker Ben Steel, director of 2019 documentary The Show Must Go On, recently established Screen Well to improve mental health outcomes for the screen industry. He is collaborating with Griffith Film School in its research. Here, he shares his insights.

The positive impact Griffith Film School’s survey will have cannot be underestimated; it will be a gamechanger for the health of our screen industry. For the first time, we will have a psychological snapshot of the sector, including precise information of psychological hazards and stressors that contribute to poor mental health outcomes. This baseline data will be vital to develop interventions, not only for screen professionals, but excitedly for students as well. Understanding the wellbeing specifics of both the professional industry and the tertiary landscape will mean we can better equip people with the skills they need to have mentally healthier screen careers, right from the start.

Further, this research has the potential to create more than just structural change. Seeing ourselves in the data - revealing that there are common challenges many screen workers face – will also help many of us realise that we aren’t alone. screen sector professionals and students. Within this, it will look at working conditions, career sustainability, job satisfaction and the impact of COVID. Data will be considered based on job role, diversity, gender and whether someone is based in regional or rural Australia.

The researchers are also interested the impact of a creative career in which rejection is the norm, projects are gig-to-gig, and people consistently draw on emotion and personal experiences.

In conducting the survey, Griffith Film School will partner with the broader Griffith University’s psychology and research department. Further, to appropriately inform the questions, the researchers will work with a taskforce spanning guilds, screen agencies and other stakeholders, while also collaborating with people of diverse background and lived experience of mental illness.

The team is hopeful that the survey can be rolled out every second year, so outcomes for the sector can be tracked into the longer-term.

Both Hegedus and Dionysius see

multiple practical applications for the results, from an organisation like Screen Well in the design of its programs and resources; for screen agencies in the design of policies; and for production companies in the design of budgets, schedules and workplace environments that appropriately consider mental health.

“There is so much that can be done on different levels,” Dionysius tells IF. “On an individual level, creating resilience and giving tools and support.

“Then there’s an organisational level, like a production company or guild. What toolkits can we give heads of department? What about not just safety, but health and wellbeing inductions? How is [mental health] looked at from the risk assessment of a project?

“Then you’ve got the agency level, trying to work with them for policy, better working conditions or allowing for certain budget lines.”

Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au Beyondblue: 1300 22 46 36 www.beyondblue.org.au Support Act Wellbeing Helpline: 1800 959 500

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TECHNOLOGY

EMBEDDING SECURITY IN DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS In the third and final article in this cybersecurity series, Groundwire Security CEO James Bourne outlines the link between security and safety and examines how you can bake security into facility operations, productions and workflows.

E

very so often on set, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong.

Sometimes this can even lead to tragic, but avoidable incidents, including injury and death.

On the surface you might think: What do on-set incidents have to do with cybersecurity? In fact: everything. Cybersecurity is not only about computers and networks. One of the basic tenets of cybersecurity is protecting human life.

In our industry, failures to establish and follow protocols can lead to loss of human life, especially when stunts or firearms are involved. Tragic events provide the most extreme examples from which lessons can be applied to facility security operations.

Many factors can contribute to on-set incidents including: • Productions takes place without key safety experts available • Safety protocols are not included in call sheets • Safety protocols are not followed rigorously • A crew that is fatigued from long days • Existing safety concerns have not been addressed • Dangerous items such as weapons and ammunition are not organised and stored securely • Safety equipment is subpar or completely lacking.

Any of these factors can lead to worst-case scenarios, such as the tragic incidents in 2021 on the set of Rust and in 1994 on the set of The Crow. These tragedies demonstrate the importance of security and safety and the consequences if they are overlooked. Taking shortcuts and not understanding the risks involved makes it possible to not only jeopardise a production but to also risk the health and safety of cast and crew.

The same principles apply to cybersecurity and content handling.

To mitigate the on-set factors 52 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

listed above, security and safety should be a top-down endeavour that is applied consistently. I’ve audited facilities where they were initiated from the bottom up. It doesn’t work. As the facility owner or manager, you must engender a culture of security and safety, and be fully accountable for any untoward outcome. I’ve witnessed first-hand two incidents in VFX production in Australia where safety was overlooked: 1. A facility dangerously overloaded its power protection systems.

The power protection system exploded, sending molten copper flying through the walls, causing the facility to catch fire and the fire brigade to be called 2. A member of the facilities team performed unauthorised cabling work, using inappropriate tools, stabbed themselves in the femoral artery, nearly bleeding out in a server room. We had to apply a tourniquet and rush the individual to the hospital.

The point is: You can’t stop accidents, but you can put mechanisms in place to minimise risk and protect the workforce.

The two incidents cited above are

examples of how taking shortcuts can result in disaster, including bodily harm and death. Both could also have easily been avoided.

Cybersecurity controls are designed to protect against these types of incidents (e.g. power protection system testing and safe work environments). Management must mandate security and compliance while balancing the trade-offs: security vs. productivity, security vs. budget, and so forth.

Further, security awareness education is essential. Safety left in the hands of unqualified individuals can lead to disaster. You must train your staff appropriately, so that they fully understand cybersecurity and the consequences of poor cyber safety; whether it be on-set safety or education in the form of incident escalation, personal information protection, phishing, social engineering, or just plain old kilowatt, amps, and volts calculations for your infrastructure.

I recently audited a facility where the entire crew was trained monthly on emerging cybersecurity threats.

The facility delivers pre-theatrical content that has been used in many of the top ten grossing films in

the last five years. The company position was that it cannot let its guard down; content loss and facility disruption are not an option.

Facility and content security starts and stops with the employees.

Security is an integral part of their everyday operations, workflows, and culture. They measure and benchmark it. The owners of the facility request monthly reports detailing any incident.

I follow the job postings listed on an industry technical forum called Studio Sysadmins. I have yet to see a single job advertisement that explicitly requests knowledge of and exposure to cybersecurity practices.

I believe it is a failing industry wide.

After auditing numerous facilities in the last three years, I am still not convinced the industry takes cybersecurity seriously. It is seen more like a ‘tick box’ to be able to bid on work. This is unacceptable.

Security awareness training should be mandated. Make it regular, innate, and integral to your business operations. Make it fun and grounded. Make it low friction.

Engender a culture of safety and security in your business.

Facilities need to build

TECHNOLOGY

balanced workflows based on the risks involved to allow security and safety mechanisms to function properly and thrive.

When auditing, I have seen that it’s either feast or famine. Some facilities “get it” and design workflows and pipelines with security baked in and the users of those systems in mind. The risks are easily identified and measurable. These facilities make it easy to meet security and compliance requirements through training and education.

On the other hand, some facilities completely overlook any form of security. Others build excessively complex workflows or rely on antiquated systems that require the production crew to jump through unnecessary hoops that are eventually avoided or circumvented.

It’s imperative to build your workflows and pipelines based on security controls that are either industry-specific (e.g., MPA or CDSA) or internationally recognised (e.g., ISO/IEC 27001:2022 or NIST CSF).

Ensure those controls are enforced,

MANAGING PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK REMOTELY PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOCIAL scientists may seem a long way from

having anything to do with cybersecurity. However, understanding user behaviour can play an essential role in establishing proactive cyber defences in your business.

Where and how we work shapes performance, attitudes, and wellbeing. Remote working has introduced new and dynamic risk factors when it comes to psychological workplace safety.

Employee stressors vary from person to person. For one employee, the restricted social interactions that come with a remote working environment might have the most significant impact on their wellbeing, yet the restructuring of school hours might be more impactful for another.

These sustained stressors, combined with remote workflows, have resulted in measurable elevated incidences of psychological disorders being reported globally. This can lead to reduced creativity and innovation, and also creates risk of cybersecurity fatigue, where the mental state is one of individual survival rather than proactive cyber mindfulness and awareness.

In a recent survey by ClubCISO of its 500-strong chief security information officer membership, more than 60 per cent of respondents reported increased stress over the pandemic.

As mentioned in the accompanying article, protecting human life is the highest priority in any cybersecurity strategy. This includes treating the mental and physical risks within your human resource pool. Aside from the importance of maintaining the health and wellbeing of your employees, suppliers, and partners, managing the psychosocial risks associated with geo-distributed employees underpins the success of all other cyber initiatives. Be aware that virtual working environments can push cyber and IT professionals even further, as they carry the weight delivering the technology that underpins remote workflows.

Work-home interference, ineffective communication, procrastination, loneliness, workload, and self-discipline are just a few of the challenges remote working can create. Fostering employees’ resilience is vitally important moving forward. You don’t have to go it alone. As an example, Dell Technologies has dedicated M&E-focused resources, initiatives, and materials designed to make navigating content security and cyber governance easier.

Considering the human will enhance your ability to estimate the likelihood of attacks and potential cyber risks within your organisation, your suppliers, and even yourself. Understanding human nature, behaviour, and actions could be the difference between defending against or becoming the victim of a cybersecurity attack.

Alex Timbs, Business Development and Alliances Manager – Media and Entertainment, Dell Technologies.

measurable and auditable. Choose a control framework and adopt it.

Hire staff that are security savvy.

Implement the controls as prescribed by your content owner. Protect your client’s work and your business’ reputation. Don’t be a victim.

With the previous points in mind, there are barriers to successfully implementing safety and security in your business. We will discuss three.

Management obliviousness and preoccupation.

Some facilities I’ve audited view security as plain evil; it costs money and wastes time. These thought processes usually stem from a lack of education at a management level.

On the other hand, many facility owners and managers are creatives at heart. They often don’t fully understand security and perhaps turn a blind eye or are preoccupied with getting productions out the door. A balance needs to be struck under these circumstances. As part of our audit processes, we seek evidence that management has committed to implementing an information security management system and is trained appropriately to deliver a functioning system back to the business. As mentioned previously, education is one of the main barriers to implementing functioning security frameworks.

Choose a security management team made up of individuals who understand it and what it means to the business. Put the onus on them to deliver. Ensure the successful implementation of the security management system is reviewed egularly.

Security fatigue.

Yes, the newspapers are full of “business X was hacked” articles.

Yes, you have another Disney audit looming. Sure, the last two years of COVID lockdowns and restrictions have negatively affected your business. It’s hard to maintain a security posture when managing security is viewed negatively. At one Australian facility, I worked closely with the head of IT to try to turn

chris@chriscoote.com.au

security management into positive experience, by collaborating closely with the content owner’s security management team and educating the internal teams. We chose to approach it as a learning exercise rather than a combative one. We leveraged what the content owner had to offer from a security implementation perspective. We implemented their architecture and followed their lead. We educated the business and those individuals within it that security should not be taken lightly. We built processes to expedite audits and manage the internal security programs.

Security operations (or the lack thereof).

Many facilities don’t have a security operations team, or the function in the business is poorly defined.

A security operations team is a centralised function within a facility employing people, processes, and technology to continuously monitor and improve the facility’s security posture while preventing, detecting, analysing, and responding to security incidents. It’s imperative to implement security operations in some form. When a security incident occurs – and yes, it will occur – you need to ensure there are people and processes in place to handle it, even if that means deferring to the expertise of a third-party security operations team managed by your client or content owner.

In summary, security should be an integral part of your business operations. Apply it evenly and consistently. Ensure the business leads security initiatives. Don’t try and “boil the ocean” by attempting to implement all facets simultaneously. Letting your guard down can have significant untoward consequences, so seek expert advice from qualified companies, individuals, clients, or your content owners on how to implement a functioning security management system satisfactorily. Finally, ensure that cybersecurity is one of the foundational drivers of your facility’s daily operations.

www.chriscoote.com.au

IN PRODUCTION

For full production listings see www.if.com.au and click “In Production”. If you have a new project you would like included, email: publicity@if.com.au

✪ FEATURES: BETTER MAN

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: An introspective look into the

experiences that shaped Robbie Williams, both on and off stage.

DIRECTOR: Michael Gracey PRODUCERS: Jules Daly, Michael Gracey, Craig McMahon WRITER: Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey STATE: VIC

BLUEBACK

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Based on the best-selling novel by

Tim Winton, Blueback is Robert Connolly’s follow up to his award-winning family film Paper Planes. It is a timely tale about the ocean, a beautiful marine creature, and a young girl’s power to change the world.

DIRECTOR: Robert Connolly PRODUCERS: Liz Kearney, James Grandison, Robert Connolly WRITER: Robert Connolly CAST: Mia Wasikowska, Ariel Donoghue, Ilsa Fogg, Radha Mitchell, Liz Alexander, Clarence Ryan, Pedrea Jackson, Erik Thomson, Eric Bana STATE: WA PRODUCTION COMPANY: Arenamedia

GODZILLA VS. KONG 2

STATUS: Pre-production PRODUCER: Eric McLeod STATE: QLD

FIVE BLIND DATES

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: A Chinese-Australian tea shop

owner searches for love, family, and cultural connection.

DIRECTOR: Shawn Seet PRODUCER: Kylie du Fresne WRITERS: Shuang Hu, Nathan Ramos-Park CAST: Shuang Hu STATE: NSW, QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: Goalpost Pictures, Amazon Studios

FOE

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: An adaptation of Ian Reid’s

2018 novel set in a future where corporate power and environmental decay are ravaging the planet. Hen and Junior, a young married couple, live a solitary life on their isolated farm. One night, a knock on the door from a stranger named Terrance changes everything: Junior has been randomly selected to travel to a large, experimental space station orbiting Earth.

54 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

DIRECTOR: Garth Davis PRODUCERS: Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Garth

SYNOPSIS: A bittersweet remembrance of Grace Puddle; a lonely hoarder of ornamental snails living in Canberra.

DIRECTOR: Adam Elliot PRODUCERS: Liz Kearney, Adam Elliot WRITER: Adam Elliot STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Arenamedia

FURIOSA

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Aimée, a young professional

Davis, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning WRITERS: Garth Davis, Ian Reid CAST: Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, Aaron Pierre STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Amazon Studios, AC Studios, I Am That, See-Saw Films STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: The origin story of renegade

warrior Furiosa before she teamed up with Mad Max in ‘Fury Road’.

DIRECTOR: George Miller PRODUCER: Doug Mitchell WRITER: George Miller, Nick Lathouris CAST: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Yahya Abdul-Mateen STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Kennedy Miller Mitchell Films

IN VITRO

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: In a regional Australia of the near

future, on a remote cattle farm, a husband and wife have been experimenting with biotechnology and developing new farming methods. The couple live a mostly isolated existence, but when a series of unsettling occurrences take place, they soon discover a disturbing presence on the farm that threatens to upend their lives.

DIRECTORS: Will Howarth, Tom McKeith WRITER: Will Howarth, Tom McKeith, Talia Zucker PRODUCERS: Lisa Shaunessy, Bec Janek, Will Howarth, Rachael Fung CAST: Ashley Zukerman, Talia Zucker, Will Howarth STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Arcadia Films, Fictious

KID SNOW

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: When a washed-up tent boxer

gets one last shot to make a name for himself, he’s forced to choose between old dreams and new love.

DIRECTOR: Paul Goldman PRODUCERS: Lizzette Atkins, Megan Wynn, Bruno Charlesworth WRITERS: John Brumpton, Phillip Gwynne, Shane Danielsen, Stephen Cleary STATE: WA PRODUCTION COMPANY: Unicorn Films

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

STATUS: Pre-production

MISTLETOE RANCH

photographer whose job it is to follow boss Gustav, a world-famous photographer himself.

As the holidays approach, Aimée receives notice that her family’s traditional Christmas celebrations are under threat.

DIRECTOR: Rhiannon Bannenberg PRODUCER: Steve Jaggi WRITER: Claire Harris CAST: Mercy Cornwall, Jordi Webber, Molly Wright, Charles Allen STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: The Steve Jaggi Company

THE MOUNTAIN

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: BlackWoman is abandoned in a

cage in the middle of the desert. Following her escape, she travels across lands and walks through pestilence and persecution, to find those who left her to die.

DIRECTOR: Rolf de Heer PRODUCERS: Rolf de Heer, Julie Byrne, Ari Harrison WRITER: Rolf de Heer PRODUCTION COMPANY: Vertigo Productions, Triptych Pictures

THE MYSTERY OF DOLPHIN BAY

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: 15-year-old Quinn Perkins will

be spending the summer working as an intern with her best friend Daniela. Mysterious events start to occur, and they assume that they are being haunted by local legend Everly Fallow.

DIRECTOR: Christine Luby PRODUCER: Steve Jaggi, Kelly Son Hing WRITER: Jacob Stock CAST: Izabela Rose, Ella Proberts, Rowan Chapman, Jayden McGinlay PRODUCTION COMPANY: The Steve Jaggi Company

THE NEW BOY

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: The mesmeric story of a nine-

year-old Aboriginal orphan boy who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun. The New Boy’s presence disturbs the delicately balanced world in this

story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival.

DIRECTOR: Warwick Thornton PRODUCER: Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Georgie Pym WRITER: Warwick Thornton CAST: Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair PRODUCTION COMPANY: Dirty Films, Scarlett Pictures

OF AN AGE

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Summer, 1999. An unexpected

and intense twenty-four-hour romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old Serbian ballroom dancer and his best friend’s older brother. A decade later the pair meet for a bittersweet reunion.

DIRECTOR: Goran Stolevski PRODUCERS: Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings WRITER: Goran Stolevski CAST: Elias Anton, Thom Green, Hattie Hook STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Causeway Films

PETROL

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: An idealistic film student is drawn

into a shadowy and intoxicating world when she befriends an enigmatic performance artist.

DIRECTOR: Alena Lodkina PRODUCER: Kate Laurie WRITER: Alena Lodkina CAST: Nathalie Morris, Hannah Lynch, Bobby Downie, Daniel Frederickson, Inga Romantsova STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Arenamedia

PHOTO BOOTH

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Photo Booth is the story of Jean

Bouchet, a renowned performance artist past her prime childbearing years who desperately wants to be a mother, even if it means adopting the child born of her husband’s infidelity.

DIRECTORS: Spencer Harvey, Lloyd Harvey PRODUCERS: Sarah Shaw, Anna McLeish, Cathy Konrad WRITERS: Spencer Harvey, Lloyd Harvey STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Carver Films, Treeline Films

THE PORTABLE DOOR

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Paul Carpenter is an intern at a

mysterious London firm with unconventional employers, including a CEO who wants to disrupt the ancient magical world with modern corporate practices.

IN-PRODUCTION

DIRECTOR: Jeffrey Walker PRODUCER: Todd Fellman, Blanca Lista WRITER: Leon Ford CAST: Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson, Sam

Neill, Miranda Otto, Chris Pang, Jessica De Gouw, Rachel House, Arka Das, Damon Herriman, Sophie Wilde STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: Jim Henson Co., Story Bridge Films

THE ROYAL HOTEL

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Hanna and Liv are best friends

backpacking in Australia. After they run out of money, Liv, looking for an adventure, convinces Hanna to take a temporary live-in job behind the bar of a pub called ‘The Royal Hotel’ in a remote Outback mining town. Bar owner Billy and a host of locals give the girls a riotous introduction to Down Under drinking culture but things turn nasty when their jokes and behaviour cross the line. Soon Hanna and Liv find themselves trapped in an unnerving situation that grows rapidly out of control.

DIRECTOR: Kitty Green PRODUCERS: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Liz Watts, Kath Shelper WRITER: Kitty Green, Oscar Redding CAST: Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Hugo Weaving PRODUCTION COMPANY: See-Saw FIlms

RUN RABBIT RUN

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: A fertility doctor is frightened by

her young daughter’s inexplicable memories of a past identity.

DIRECTOR: Daina Reid PRODUCERS: Sarah Shaw, Anna McLeish, Elisabeth Moss, Lindsey McManus WRITER: Hannah Kent CAST: Sarah Snook, Damon Herriman, Greta Scacchi, Trevor Jamieson, Neil Melville, Naomi Rukavina, Georgina Naidu, Genevieve Morris, Katherine Slattery, Sunny Whelen STATE: SA PRODUCTION COMPANY: Carver Films

SWEET AS

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Troubled 15-year-old Indigenous

girl Murra finds herself abandoned after an argument with her mother. When an unusual lifeline is thrown her way by her Uncle Ian, a local cop, in the form of a travelling Photo Safari, Murra finds herself careening down a dusty highway with a bus full of ‘at risk’ teens and two peculiar team leaders.

DIRECTOR: Jub Clerc PRODUCER: Liz Kearney WRITER: Jub Clerc, Steve Rodgers CAST: Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Tasma Walton, Mark Coles Smith, Ngaire Pigram STATE: WA PRODUCTION COMPANY: Arenamedia

TRANSFUSION

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Ryan Logan, a former Special

Forces operative is battling to cope with life after the loss of his wife and is thrust into the criminal underworld to keep his only son from being taken from him.

DIRECTOR: Matt Nable PRODUCERS: John Schwarz, Michael Schwarz WRITER: Matt Nable CAST: Sam Worthington, Phoebe Tonkin, Matt Nable, Edward Carmody STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Deeper Water Films

TRUE SPIRIT

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: The story of Australian teenager,

Jessica Watson, the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop around the world.

DIRECTOR: Sarah Spillane PRODUCER: Debra Martin Chase, Andrew Fraser WRITER: Sarah Spillane, Cathy Randall CAST: Teagan Croft, Josh Lawson, Anna Paquin, Cliff Curtis STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: Martin Chase Productions, Sunstar Entertainment

UNTITLED

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: An LA wine-company executive

who travels to an Australian sheep station in an attempt to land a major client. While working as a ranch hand, she forms a connection with a rugged local.

DIRECTOR: Stuart McDonald PRODUCERS: Deborah Glover, Tracey Vieira, Robyn Snyder, Deborah Evans WRITERS: Elizabeth Hackett, Hilary Galanoy CAST: Adam Demos, Victoria Justice STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: Hoodlum Entertainment

✪ SERIES: 100% WOLF: THE BOOK OF HATH STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: In The Book of Hath, Freddy

travels back through time to 825AD where he must help his ancestors defeat the Werelock Hath.

DIRECTOR: Jacquie Trowell PRODUCERS: Barbara Stephen, Alexia Gates-Foale WRITERS: Tess Meyer, Fin Edquist PRODUCTION COMPANY: Flying Bark Productions NETWORK: ABC

AFTER THE VERDICT

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Four very different Australians

who have just finished jury duty on a highprofile murder trial. As they return to normal life, they begin to question their verdict and take matters into their own hands, investigating the murder themselves as they juggle the pressures and impacts on their personal lives.

CREATORS: Ellie Beaumont, Drew Proffitt DIRECTORS: Peter Salmon, Lisa Matthews, Fadia Abboud PRODUCER: Jo Rooney WRITERS: Ellie Beaumont, Drew Proffitt, Romina Accurso CAST: Sullivan Stapleton, Magda Szubanski, Lincoln Younes, Michelle Lim Davidson, Tess Haubrich, Virginia Gay, Emma Diaz, Richard Brancatisano, Nicholas Brown, Hazem Shammas, Vivienne Awosoga PRODUCTION COMPANY: Subtext Pictures NETWORK: Nine

AFTERTASTE (SEASON 2)

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: After throwing away his last

chance at fame, Easton West has settled into obscurity rather well. But when the prodigal pastry chef Diana returns from her new life in London, old tensions rear their ugly heads.

DIRECTOR: Reneé Webster PRODUCERS: Rebecca Summerton, Erik Thomson CAST: Erik Thomson, Natalie Abbott, Susan Prior, Wayne Blair, Rachel Griffiths, Remy Hii, Kavitha Anandasivam, Justin Amankwah, Lynette Curran, Julian Maroun, Syd Brisbane STATE: SA PRODUCTION COMPANY: Closer Productions NETWORK: ABC

ANYONE’S DAUGHTER

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: About the police investigation into

the disappearance of young women.

DIRECTOR: Peter Andrikidis PRODUCERS: Kerrie Mainwaring, Peter Andrikidis, and Jamie Hilton WRITERS: Michaeley O’Brien, Justin Monjo NETWORK: Seven

BAD BEHAVIOUR

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Based on the book by Rebecca

Starford, Bad Behaviour promises an emotionally and physically intense glimpse into the lives of teenage girls at the wilderness campus of an exclusive girls’ boarding school.

DIRECTOR: Corrie Chen PRODUCER: Amanda Higgs WRITERS: Pip Karmel, Magda Wozniak CAST: Jana McKinnon, Markella Kavenagh, Yerin Ha, Erana James, Tuuli Narkle, Dan Spielman, Diana Glenn, Mantshologane Maile, Melissa Kahraman, Daya Czepanski, Bronte Locke, Abbey Morgan, Malaynee Hayden, Jessica Lu STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Matchbox Pictures NETWORK: Stan

BALI 2002

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: Bali 2002 is set to explore how

everyday heroes from Bali, Australia, and beyond defied the odds to bring order from chaos and hope from despair.

DIRECTOR: Peter Andrikidis, Katrina Irawati Graham PRODUCER: Kerrie Mainwaring WRITERS: Justin Monjo, Kris Wyld, Marcia Gardner, Michael Toisuta CAST: Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh, Claudia Jessie, Sean Keenan, Ewen Leslie, Arka Das, Anthony Wong, Paul Ayre, Maleeka Gasbari, Gerwin Widjaja, Sri Ayu Jati Kartika STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Screentime, Endemol Shine Australia NETWORK: Stan, Nine

BARRUMBI KIDS

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Tomias and Dahlia are two best

friends that are growing up in a remote Northern Territory community Through fishing, hunting, and schooling, the children learn about themselves, each other, and living in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures.

DIRECTORS: Grant Brown, Deb Brown, Ismail Khan PRODUCERS: Danielle MacLean, Monica O’Brien, Julia Morris WRITERS: David Woodhead, Danielle MacLean, Fin Edquist STATE: NT PRODUCTION COMPANY: Tamarind Tree Pictures, Ambience Entertainment NETWORK: NITV

BAY OF FIRES

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Single mother of two Stella

Heikkinen experiences a spectacular and life-threatening fall from grace.

CREATORS: Marta Dusseldorp, Andrew Knight, Max Dann PRODUCER: Marta Dusseldorp WRITERS: Marta Dusseldorp, Andrew Knight, Max Dann, Sarah Bassiuoni CAST: Marta Dusseldorp STATE: TAS PRODUCTION COMPANY: Archipelago Productions, Fremantle NETWORK: ABC

BEEP AND MORT

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: The story of two best friends from

different worlds, solving their daily dilemmas and unexpected challenges through invention, play and adventure.

DIRECTOR: Rosemary Myers PRODUCER: Rosemary Myers, Kaye Weeks WRITERS: Hunter Page-Lochard, Amy Stewart, Simon Butters, Lorin Clarke, Charlotte Rose Hamlyn, Wendy Hanna STATE: SA www.if.com.au 55

IN-PRODUCTION PRODUCTION COMPANY: Windmill Pictures NETWORK: ABC

BLACK SNOW

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: In 1994, 17-year-old Jasmine

Baker was murdered. The crime shocked the small town of Ashford and devastated Jasmine’s South Sea Islander community. The case was never solved, the killer never found.

But in 2019, the opening of a time capsule unearths a secret that puts cold-case Detective James Cormack on the trail of the killer.

CREATOR: Lucas Taylor DIRECTOR: Sian Davies, Matthew Saville PRODUCERS: Rosemary Blight, Lois Randall, Kaylene Butler WRITERS: Lucas Taylor, Boyd Quakawoot, Beatrix Christian STATE: QLD, NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Goalpost Television NETWORK: Stan

BUMP (SEASON 3)

STATUS: In production CREATOR: Kelsey Munro PRODUCERS: Claudia Karvan, Dan Edwards,

John Edwards, Kelsey Munro CAST: Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr, Claudia Karvan, Angus Sampson, Paula Garcia, Christian Byers, Sarah Mecham, Safia Arain, Ionae Sa’ula, Ava Cannon, Harry Greenwood, Oscar Perez STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Roadshow Rough Diamond NETWORK: Stan

COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: Two single(ish), complex humans

are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog.

CREATORS: Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer DIRECTORS: Trent O’Donnell, Matt Moore, Madeleine Dyer PRODUCERS: Rob Gibson, Ian Collie WRITERS: Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer CAST: Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer, Helen Thomson, Emma Harvie, Genevieve Hegney, Michael Logo, Tai Hara PRODUCTION COMPANY: Easy Tiger Productions, CBS Studios NETWORK: Binge

CLASS OF ‘07

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: When an apocalyptic tidal wave

hits during the ten-year reunion of an all-girls high school, a group of women must find a way to survive on the island peak of their high school campus.

DIRECTOR: Kacie Anning PRODUCER: Mimi Butler WRITER: Kacie Anning CAST: Emily Browning, Caitlin Stasey, Megan 56 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

Smart, Claire Lovering, Sana’a Shaik, Sarah Krndija, Steph Tisdell, Bernie Van Tiel, Chi Nguyen, Emma Horn, Rose Flanagan, Debra Lawrance PRODUCTION COMPANY: Matchbox Pictures NETWORK: Amazon

CRAZY FUN PARK

SYNOPSIS: Best friends Chester and

Mapplethorpe are a duo so inseparable, not even death can pull them apart.

CREATOR: Nicholas Verso DIRECTORS: Nicholas Verso, Adrian Russell Wills PRODUCER: Joanna Werner WRITERS: Nicholas Verso, Magda Wozniak, Craig Irvin, Enoch Mailangi, Fury CAST: Henry Strand, Stacy Clausen, Hannah Ogawa, Justin Holborow, Pedrea Jackson, Judith Lucy, Kim Gyngell, Bernard Curry, Alexandra Schepisi, Katherine Tonkin, Kuni Hashimoto, Alicia Banit, Simon Burke, SallyAnne Upton, Anne Charletson PRODUCTION COMPANY: Werner Film Productions STATE: VIC NETWORK: ABC

DARBY AND JOAN

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: A retired Australian policeman

with a dog as his only company meets a widowed English nurse, and they embark together on an epic odyssey in the outback of northern Australia.

CREATORS: Glenys Rowe, Phillip Gwynne DIRECTOR: David Caesar PRODUCER: Pino Amenta WRITERS: David Hannam, Beck Cole, Andrew Anastasios, Giula Sandler, Ainslie Clouston, Adam Zwar, Paul Bennett.

CAST: Bryan Brown, Greta Scacchi STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: CJZ NETWORK: Acorn TV

DEADLOCH

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: The Kates’ latest creation is a

feminist noir comedy set against a bucolicbackdrop with a rising body count.

DIRECTORS: Ben Chessell, Gracie Otto, Beck Cole PRODUCER: Andy Walker WRITERS: Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan CAST: Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Alicia Gardiner, Nina Oyama STATE: TAS PRODUCTION COMPANY: Guesswork Television, OK Great Productions, Amazon Studios NETWORK: Amazon

FISK (SEASON 2)

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: With Roz stepping aside to start

her own mediation business (within the Gruber offices) Helen is determined to take on a more senior role Gruber & Associates. However,

Helen’s grand vision to become partner soon becomes unstuck when she’s featured in a current affairs show hit piece, and her main focus becomes trying to repair her damaged reputation.

CREATOR: Kitty Flanagan DIRECTOR: Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson PRODUCER: Vincent Sheehan WRITERS: Kitty Flanagan CAST: Kitty Flanagan, Julia Zemiro, Marty Sheargold, Aaron Chen STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Origma 45 NETWORK: ABC

GINGER & THE VEGESAURS

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Set in a world dominated by

Vegesaurs, the freshest and most delicious creatures ever to rule the planet. Ginger, a young plucky Tricarrotops, and her three baby Pea-Rex pals share adventures in a valley populated by a host of other Vegesaurs – some friendly, some not so much.

CREATORS: Gary Eck, Nick O’Sullivan DIRECTOR: David Webster PRODUCER: Celine Goetz, Patrick Egerton WRITERS: Gary Eck, Sam Carroll PRODUCTION COMPANY: Cheeky Little Media NETWORK: ABC

GYMNASTICS ACADEMY: A SECOND CHANCE

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Kyra Berry is a 14-year-old

African-American gymnast whose dream to compete in the Olympics comes undone when she injures her knee. Maddy Cornell (Emily Morris), the ex-world champion Australian gymnast turned coach, sees Kyra’s potential and invites her to join Australia’s Elite Gymnastics Program on a trial.

CREATOR: Clay Glen DIRECTORS: Clay Glen, Kelly Schilling, Stephen de Villiers PRODUCERS: Clay Glen, Sally Clarke WRITERS: Clay Glen, Kristian Leadbeater CAST: Jada Lee Henry, Emily Morris, Stella Shute, Akira Van, Eva Grado, Zoe Burns, Luciana Valdez Tirado, Ava Maios, Jett Gazley, Alexander Lloyd, Melanie Munt, Trung Le, Justina Ward, Michelle Nightingale STATE: SA NETWORK: Netflix

HEARTBREAK HIGH

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Amerie becomes the school pariah

following a discovery that also causes a public rift with her ride-or-die Harper. With her new friends – outsiders Quinni and Darren – Amerie must repair her reputation, while navigating love, sex, and heartbreak.

CREATOR: Hannah Carroll Chapman DIRECTORS: Gracie Otto, Neil Sharma, Jessie Oldfield, Adam Murfet PRODUCER: Sarah Freeman

WRITERS: Hannah Carroll Chapman, Matthew Whittet, Marieke Hardy, Meyne Wyatt, Thomas Wilson-White, Natesha Somasundaram CAST: Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Chloe Hayden, Asher Yasbincek, Thomas Weatherall, Josh Heuston, Will McDonald, Gemma Chua-Tran, Rachel House, Chika Ikogwe, Sherry-Lee Watson, Bryn Chapman-Parish, Brodie Townsend PRODUCTION COMPANY: Fremantle Australia, NewBe NETWORK: Netflix

IRONSIDE

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: A crime drama inspired by the

true story of the AFP’s use of the encrypted ANOM app to track and trap criminals.

DIRECTOR: Gregor Jordan PRODUCERS: Dan Edwards, John Edwards WRITERS: Gregor Jordan, Nick McKenzie PRODUCTION COMPANY: Roadshow Rough Diamond NETWORK: Stan

IRREVERENT

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: A criminal on the run from his life

of crime back in New York, is forced to hide out in a reef town in Far North Queensland, posing as the new church Reverend.

CREATOR: Paddy Macrae DIRECTORS: Jonathan Teplitzky, Lucy Gaffy PRODUCERS: Paddy Macrae, Tom Hoffie WRITERS: Paddy Macrae, Andrew Knight, Andrew Anastasios, Angela McDonald, Darlene Johnson CAST: Kylie Bracknell, Calen Tassone, Briallen Clarke, Tegan Stimson, Ed Oxenbould, Wayne Blair, Russell Dykstra, and Jason Wilder, Susie Porter, Bridie McKim, Martin Sacks, Ursula Yovich STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: Matchbox Pictures, NBCUniversal International Studios NETWORK: Netflix, Peacock

THE JUMP

STATUS: Pre-production CREATOR: Gretel Vella PRODUCER: Alice WIllison WRITERS: Gretel Vella, Keir Wilkins, Emme Hoy NETWORK: Stan

KANGAROO BEACH (SEASON 2)

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: Further beach-based fun adven-

tures with the four cadets, Pounce, Frizzy, Neville and Gemma.

DIRECTORS: Steve Moltzen, David Webster, Cindy Scharka PRODUCERS: Patrick Egerton, Celine Goetz WRITER: Tim Bain CAST: Harriet Hynes, Eliza Hynes, Jerra WrightSmith, Millie Egerton, Kitty Flanagan, Matthew Hardie, Rupert Degas, Miranda Tapsell PRODUCTION COMPANY: Cheeky Little Media NETWORK: ABC

IN-PRODUCTION LA BREA (SEASON 2)

CREATOR: David Appelbaum CAST: Nicholas Gonzalez, Eoin Macken, Natalie

Zea, John Seda, Rohan Mirchandaney, Chloe De Los Santos STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television, Keshet Studios

LAST KING OF THE CROSS

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: An operatic story of two brothers,

Sam and John Ibrahim, one worshipped by his father and the other scorned. In organising the street, they lose each other across their ascent to power.

DIRECTOR: Kieren Darcy-Smith PRODUCER: Mark Fennessy WRITER: Kieren Darcy-Smith CAST: Lincoln Younes, Ian McShane PRODUCTION COMPANY: Helium NETWORK: Paramount+

THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: After a family tragedy in which

she loses both her abusive father and beloved mother in a mysterious fire, nine-year-old Alice is taken to live with her grandmother June on a flower farm, where she learns that there are secrets within secrets about her and

her family’s past.

DIRECTOR: Glendyn Ivin PRODUCER: Barbara Gibbs WRITERS: Sarah Lambert, Kirsty Fisher, Kim Wilson CAST: Sigourney Weaver, Asher Keddie, Leah Purcell, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Frankie Adams, Alexander England, Charlie Vickers, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Alyla Browne STATE: NSW, NT PRODUCTION COMPANY: Made Up Stories, Endeavor Content, Amazon Studios NETWORK: Amazon Prime Video

THE MESSENGER

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: An Ed Kennedy’s life is one of

peaceful routine until playing cards inscribed with cryptic tasks start to arrive in the mail.

PRODUCERS: Jason Stephens WRITERS: Sarah Lambert, Kirsty Fisher, Kim Wilson, Magda Wozniak STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Lingo Pictures NETWORK: ABC

METROPOLIS

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Based on Fritz Lang’s 1927 film.

SHOWRUNNER: Sam Esmail DIRECTOR: Sam Esmail

WRITER: Sam Esmail STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: UCP, Esmail Corp NETWORK: AppleTV+

MYSTERY ROAD: ORIGIN

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Set in 1999, the series will see

Constable Jay Swan as young charismatic officer at his new station.

DIRECTOR: Dylan River PRODUCERS: David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin, Penny Smallacombe WRITER: Blake Ayshford, Steven McGregor, Kodie Bedford, Timothy Lee CAST: Mark Coles Smith, Toby Leonard Moore, Daniel Henshall, Lisa Flanagan, Clarence Ryan, Steve Bisley, Caroline Brazier, Hayley McElhinney, Dubs Yunupingu, Kelton Pell, Leonie Whyman, Salme Geransar, Nina Young, Jayden Popik, Tuuli Narkle STATE: WA PRODUCTION COMPANY: Bunya Productions NETWORK: ABC

NAUTILUS

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Based on Jules Verne’s 20,000

Leagues Under the Sea, telling the origin story of anti-hero Captain Nemo and his legendary submarine, The Nautilus.

CREATORS: Xavier Marchand, Anand Tucker DIRECTOR: Michael Matthews PRODUCER: Cameron Welsh WRITER: James Dormer CAST: Shazad Latif, Thierry Fremont, Georgia

Flood, Damien Garvey, Pacharo Mzembe, Ling Cooper Tang, Andrew Shaw, Ashan Kumar, Chum Ehelepola, Arlo Green, Tyrone Ngatai, Celine Menville, Kayden Price STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Moonriver TV, Seven Stories NETWORK: Disney+

NCIS: SYDNEY

STATUS: Pre-production PRODUCTION COMPANY: CBS Studios NETWORK: Paramount+, Network 10

PAPER DOLLS

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Set in 2000, Paper Dolls follows

the meteoric rise and fall of the fictional girlband INDIGO - a manufactured pop group born out of one of the first reality TV shows.

CREATOR: Ainslie Clouston PRODUCER: Mark Fennessy WRITER: Ainslie Clouston STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Helium NETWORK: Network 10

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IN-PRODUCTION ROCK ISLAND MYSTERIES

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Taylor Young has been fascinated

by the phenomena surrounding a mysterious island ever since her uncle’s disappearance there.

CREATORS: Matt Cooke, Vince Lund, Michael Ford PRODUCER: Tim Powell, Jonah Klein WRITERS: Stephen Vagg, Sam Carroll, Alix Beane, David Hannam, Marisa Nathar, Natesha Somasundarum, Trent Roberts, Hannah Samuel STATE: QLD NETWORK: Nickelodeon International, Network 10, Nordic Entertainment Group

SAFE HOME

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: A woman’s life is turned upside

down when she begins working at a family violence legal centre.

CREATOR: Anna Barnes PRODUCER: Imogen Banks WRITERS: Anna Barnes, Michelle Law, Jean Tong, Emelyne Palmer STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Kindling Pictures NETWORK: SBS

SAVAGE RIVER

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: When Miki Anderson returns to

her hometown in rural Victoria after eight years in prison, she’s determined to finally move on with her life. But the close-knit community of Savage River is not about to let her forget the past that easily.

DIRECTOR: Jocelyn Moorhouse PRODUCERS: Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford WRITER: Polly Staniford, Belinda Bradley, Angie Fielder, Giula Sandler, Franz Docherty CAST: Katherine Langford, Jacqueline McKenzie, Cooper Van Grootel, Nadine Garner, James Mackay, Bernard Curry, Mark Coles Smith, Virginia Gay, Daniel Henshall, Osamah Sami, Robert Grubb, Leah Vandenberg, Amesh Edireweera, Richard Piper, Miranda Anwar, Maia Abbas, Haya Abbas, Bill Zeng, Julian Weeks, Jack Kenny, Hattie Hook.

STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Aquarius FIlms NETWORK: ABC

SUMMER LOVE

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: An anthology series which sees

eight very different sets of people rent the same beachside holiday house.

DIRECTORS: Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope, Kodie Bedford, Nina Buxton PRODUCERS: Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope WRITERS: Wayne Hope, Robyn Butler, Alison Bell, Nazeem Hussain, Jayden Masciulli, Nathan Valvo, James Colley, Harriet Dyer, Kodie Bedford, Patrick Brammall, Miranda Tapsell, Bjorn Stewart, Kate Mulvany CAST: Bjorn Stewart, Patrick Brammall, Harriet 58 INSIDEFILM #205 APR–MAY 2022

Dyer, Nazeem Hussain, Alison Bell, Miranda Tapsell, Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope PRODUCTION COMPANY: Gristmill NETWORK: ABC

THE SECRET SHE KEEPS (SEASON 2)

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Set two years after Megan

Shaughnessy’s son was kidnapped by Agatha Fyfle. Now the two women’s lives collide again, unleashing new secrets and sparking shockwaves for their families.

DIRECTOR: Jennifer Leacey PRODUCER: Helen Bowden, Diane Haddon WRITERS: Sarah Walker, Sarah Bassiuoni, Michael Robotham CAST: Jessica De Gouw, Laura Carmichael, Michael Dorman, Ryan Corr STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Lingo Pictures NETWORK: 10, BBC, Sundance Now

SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Catastrophe strikes on a morning

swim. Sarah, the single mother of two teenagers, vanishes beneath the waves. The mystery of her disappearance is the catalyst that hurls her fractured family back together.

CREATOR: Tommy Murphy PRODUCER: Matt Reader STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Fremantle Australia NETWORK: ABC

THE STRANGE CHORES (SEASON 2)

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Two wannabe warrior-heroes and

a spirited ghost girl master the skills they need to replace an ageing monster-slayer by doing his strange, supernatural chores.

SHOWRUNNER: Daley Pearson DIRECTOR: Scott Vanden Bosch PRODUCERS: Charlie Aspinwall, Colin South WRITERS: Anna Barnes, John McGeachin, Luke Tierney, Rhianna Malezer CAST: Charlotte Nicdao, Michael Philippou, Nick Tate STATE: QLD, VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Ludo Studio, Media World Pictures NETWORK: ABC

SURVIVING SUMMER

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Summer, a fierce Brooklyn teen is

sent Down Under to live with family friends in a tiny coastal town on the Great Ocean Road.

CREATORS: Joanna Werner, Josh Mapleston DIRECTORS: Ben Chessell, Sian Davies, Charlotte George PRODUCER: Joanna Werner WRITERS: Josh Mapleston, Marieke Hardy, Magda Wozniak, Keir Wilkins, Gemma Crofts, Kirsty Fisher CAST: Sky Katz, João Gabriel Marinho, Kai

Lewins, Savannah La Rain, Lilliana Bowrey STATE: VIC PRODUCTION COMPANY: Werner Film Productions NETWORK: Netflix, ZDFE

TOM WEEKLY VERSUS…

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: Based on the best-selling

book series by Tristan Bancks, the series follows 10-year-old Tom and his outrageous adventures.

WRITERS: Guy Edmonds, Matt Zeremes, Amy Stewart, Kala Ellis, Erica Harrison, Tristan Bancks, Nayuka Gorrie, Penny Greenhalgh STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Northern Pictures NETWORK: ViacomCBS

TRUE COLOURS

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Detective Toni Alma is assigned to

investigate a suspicious car accident in Perdar Theendar, the Indigenous community she left as a child and has had little to do with over the years. Creators: Warren H. Williams, Erica Glynn DIRECTORS: Erica Glynn, Steven McGregor WRITERS: Erica Glynn, Steven McGregor, Danielle MacLean CAST: Rarriwuy Hick, Warren H. Williams, Luke Arnold, Erroll Shand, Emilie de Ravin, Trisha Morton-Thomas, Ben Oxenbould, Miranda Otto, Kumalie Riley, Kurt Abbott, Sabella Turner, Natalie Peperill, Warren ‘Wazza’ Williams, Grant Wallace, Janaya Kopp, Martin McMillan, Siobhan Breaden, Genise Williams, Keenan Mitchell, Stella McMillan, Rosario Young, Waylon Dixon STATE: NT PRODUCTION COMPANY: Bunya Productions NETWORK: SBS

THE TWELVE

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: 12 ordinary people are selected

for jury duty in a murder trial in which a woman stands accused of killing a child.

DIRECTOR: Daniel Nettheim PRODUCERS: Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Ally Henville WRITER: Greg Waters, Sarah Walker, Leah Purcell EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Michael Brooks, Hamish Lewis, Liz Watts, Brian Walsh CAST: Sam Neill, Marta Dusseldorp, Kate Mulvany, Brooke Satchwell, Hazem Shammas PRODUCTION COMPANY: Warner Bros.

Television International Australia, Easy Tiger Productions, Spirit Pictures NETWORK: Foxtel

UPRIGHT (SEASON 2)

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: Trading the desert for the steamy

tropics of Far North Queensland, Lucky and Meg hit the road – and the river – on a

mission.

PRODUCERS: Jason Stephens, Meg O’Connell DIRECTOR: Mirrah Foulkes PRODUCERS: Jason Stephens, Meg O’Connell WRITERS: Niki Aken, Ian Meadows, Natesha

Somasundaram, Tim Minchin CAST: Tim Minchin, Milly Alcock STATE: QLD, NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Lingo Pictures NETWORK: Foxtel, Sky UK

WELLMANIA

STATUS: In production SYNOPSIS: Human tornado Liz is forced

to rethink her ‘live fast die young’ attitude following a major health crisis. Throwing herself body-first into a wellness journey, she tries everything from the benign to the bizarre in an attempt to get well quickly, and reclaim her old life.

PRODUCER: Bree-Anne Sykes WRITERS: Benjamin Law, Belinda King, Nick Coyle, Amy Stewart CAST: Celeste Barber, JJ Fong, Genevieve Mooy, Lachlan Buchanan, Remy Hii, Alexander Hodge, Simone Kessell, Virginie Laverdure, Johnny Carr, Miranda Otto, Leah Vandenberg, Aden Young STATE: NSW PRODUCTION COMPANY: Fremantle Australia NETWORK: Netflix

YEAR OF

STATUS: Pre-production SYNOPSIS: A spin-off series set in and

around the school in Bump. It follows the senior years of high school – exploring the liminal time between childhood and adulthood for the kids and the renegotiations with adults that it brings.

PRODUCERS: John Edwards, Dan Edwards WRITERS: Jessica Tuckwell, Kelsey Munro, Enoch Mailangi, Emily Havea, Zoe Norton Lodge, Eddie Diamandi, Ayeesha Ash, Elanor Kirk PRODUCTION COMPANY: Roadshow Rough Diamond NETWORK: Stan

YOUNG ROCK (SEASON 2)

STATUS: Post-production SYNOPSIS: Chronicles different chapters in

the life of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, from his high school years in Honolulu to playing football at the University of Miami.

CREATORS: Nahnatchka Khan, Jeff Chiang CAST: Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Ana Tuisila, Fasitua Amosa, John Tui STATE: QLD PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television, Seven Bucks Productions, Fierce Baby Productions

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