Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Bittersweet comedy Babyteeth green-lit for production

02/05/2018

02 05 2018 - Media release Bittersweet comedy Babyteeth green-lit for production

Stars of Babyteeth Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis

Screen Australia has announced major production funding for Babyteeth, a bittersweet comedy feature starring Ben Mendelsohn (Ready Player One, Animal Kingdom) and Essie Davis (Game of Thrones, The Babadook).

Shannon Murphy will make her feature film directorial debut, with a script based on the successful play by Rita Kalnejais. Babyteeth will be produced by Alex White and executive produced by Jan Chapman (Bright Star, The Piano). Create NSW are also investing in the title, with Australian distribution by Entertainment One (eOne) and international sales by Celluloid Dreams.

I'm delighted to be working with such a strong and gifted female team in producer, Alex White and director Shannon Murphy interpreting Rita Kalnejais' vivid, insightful and funny screenplay about how precious life is, said executive producer Jan Chapman. We so appreciate the support of Screen Australia, Create NSW, WeirAnderson.com and Spectrum Films along with our distributor Entertainment One for Australia and international sales agent Celluloid Dreams, whose imaginations Babyteeth captured and who were all essential in enabling Rita's fresh and original voice to move to production. To have Ben and Essie illuminate that voice is perfect.

Babyteeth is the first feature for Australian development and production company Whitefalk Films following the success of short films Trespass (Winner of Best Australian Short Film, MIFF 2017) and Florence Has Left the Building (Winner of Best Short Film at the Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts Awards 2015).

Babyteeth is a bittersweet comedy what might have been a disaster for the Finlay family leads to letting go and finding grace in the glorious chaos of life, as Henry (Mendelsohn) and Anna (Davis) realise their seriously ill teenage daughter Milla has fallen madly in love with a drug dealer, Moses. This romance is Milla's protective parents' worst nightmare but Milla doesn't want to play it safe anymore. Things get messy and morals go out the window, as the lives of those around the family their disarmingly honest pregnant neighbour, a brilliantly flawed music teacher, a child violin prodigy and Moses' family become intertwined.

I first saw Rita Kalnejais' humorous and profoundly moving play Babyteeth at Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre in 2012 with executive producer Jan Chapman, said producer Alex White. Rita's exquisitely delicate examination of the life of a teenage girl and the people who constellate her was a life-affirming experience. It felt like the perfect work to be translated to screen.

Sally Caplan, Screen Australia's Head of Production said: The combination of distinguished experience, top cast and dynamic emerging talent bodes well for this distinctive, emotionally challenging, but darkly funny and affirming screenplay. This film will resonate with Australian and international audiences. We are excited to see Shannon Murphy make her feature film debut, having worked on some impressive and popular television dramas including Love Child and Offspring.

Grainne Brunsdon, Acting Executive Director of Create NSW said: Babyteeth made its stage debut at Sydney's Belvoir in 2012, and we are delighted that Create NSW is involved in bringing the production to the screen with such a high calibre of talent involved. It is particularly pleasing to see a great female creative team onboard, including Academy Award nominee Jan Chapman and AFTRS graduate Shannon Murphy and that this film promotes emerging talent with Alex White following her impressive start with short filmmaking."

Production Credit: Babyteeth is a Whitefalk Films production with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW, and was financed with the support of WeirAnderson.com, Whitefalk Films, Jan Chapman Films and Spectrum Films. It was developed by Whitefalk Films in association with Katherine Slattery and Jan Chapman with the assistance of Screen Australia, Create NSW and Waking Dream Productions. Australia/New Zealand distribution through Entertainment One and international through Celluloid Dreams.

Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company's diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.

Entertainment One's robust network includes newly-launched MAKEREADY with Brad Weston; content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; leading feature film production and global sales company Sierra Pictures; unscripted television production company Renegade 83; world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning digital agency Secret Location.

The Company's rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 80,000 hours of film and television content and approximately 40,000 music tracks.

Celluloid Dreams has been at the forefront of international sales, production, and financing of quality independent films for more than 30 years. Its Directors Label stands for the discovery and subsequent promotion of a large number of the most important, awarded and respected film directors of our times, the future classics'. Celluloid Dreams Cannes line-up includes Jafar Panahi s 3 FACES competing for the Palme d Or, SCHOOL S OUT by S basti
LINK: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2018/05-02-bab...
See more stories from screenaustralia

Asia, Australia & Oceanic Stories

27/03/2024

Living Black, the longest-running Indigenous current affairs television program in Australia, returns for its 21st year with new guests

Living Black, the longest-running Indigenous current affairs television program ...

26/03/2024

Crime is relative in SBS's new Canneseries nominated crime-family dramawith a difference

Crime is relative in SBS's new Canneseries nominated crime-family drama with...

25/03/2024

SBS gears up for Season 2 of Alone Australia with the creation of Alone Cologne'

SBS gears up for Season 2 of Alone Australia with the creation of Alone Cologne...

22/03/2024

SBS Learn partners with the Islamic Museum of Australia to support classrooms in understanding Ramadan and Eid with new teacher resource

SBS Learn partners with the Islamic Museum of Australia to support classrooms in...

21/03/2024

Screen Australia announces over $1.6 million in support of the games industry

21 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $1.6 million in support of the games industry Which Way Up: Galaxy Games Screen Australia has anno...

18/03/2024

Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative

18 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative LTR Denise Eriksen, Esther Coleman Hawkins, Caroline Pitcher, K...

15/03/2024

The Creators 2024 Participants Announced

15 03 2024 - Media release The Creators 2024 Participants Announced The Creators program recipients. L-R Thomas Duncan-Watt, Vanessa Gazy, Sarah Lambert, Lea...

14/03/2024

SBS to mark Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr with all Australians

SBS to mark Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr with all Australians 14 March, 2024 Media releases Content in 22 languages*, a collection of movies to stream free on d...

14/03/2024

Notice of Nominees for Directors (Resolution planned, June 19, 2024)

March 14,2024 -- KDDI Corporation KDDI Corporation resolved at a meeting of the Board of Directors held today to change (newly appointed, retire) a director ...

13/03/2024

Screen Australia announces dramas Critical Incident and Sunny Nights for Stan

13 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces dramas Critical Incident and Sunny Nights for Stan Critical Incident: Akshay Khanna and Zoe Boe. Photo c...

07/03/2024

Explore the afterlife with SBS podcast Grave Matters'

Explore the afterlife with SBS podcast Grave Matters' 6 March, 2024 Media releases Most of us are woefully unprepared for one of life's few certai...

06/03/2024

Multi-award winning electronic music duo to represent Australia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Malm, Sweden

Multi-award winning electronic music duo to represent Australia at this year'...

06/03/2024

GITAI and KDDI Successfully Demonstrates Robotics Construction Capabilities for Lunar Communications Towers

Developing Lunar 3GPP Mobile Network Technologies for Moon Exploration GITA...

04/03/2024

SBS announces new development fund to discover Australia's biggest and riskiest new factual hit

SBS announces new development fund to discover Australia's biggest and riski...

28/02/2024

Yumi Stynes returns for season two of SBS podcast SEEN'

Yumi Stynes returns for season two of SBS podcast SEEN' 26 February, 2024 Media releases Eight new trailblazers join feminist Australian icon Yumi Sty...

28/02/2024

Screen Australia announces over $810,000 in development funding for 29 projects

28 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $810,000 in development funding for 29 projects Willy Screen Australia has announced 23 feature fi...

27/02/2024

Michael Ebeid AM appointed as new Screen Australia Chair

27 02 2024 - Media release Michael Ebeid AM appointed as new Screen Australia Chair Michael Ebeid AM and Megan Brownlow The Hon. Minister for the Arts, Tony...

26/02/2024

KDDI, Sony Honda Mobility Start Collaboration to Drive Connected Businesses Globally

Supporting AFEELAs entertainment experience and global launch with a communicati...

21/02/2024

Screen Australia and Australians in Film Announce Applications Open for UNTAPPED 2024

21 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Australians in Film Announce App...

21/02/2024

Sony and KDDI Accelerate Efforts to Promote Digital Transformation in the Broadcasting and Media Industries

Aiming to deliver new video-related solutions utilizing 5G SA this year Son...

21/02/2024

KDDI Teams Up with Kyoto Sanga F.C. to Start Demonstration Test for Fan Engagement Services with Smartphone Game

Support the team with gifts while enjoying AR games in the stadium KDDI COR...

21/02/2024

U and Google's Gemini model to Provide Generative AI Services for Everyday Use

KDDI CORPORATION February 21,2024 -- Tokyo, February 21, 2024 From February 2...

20/02/2024

The Approval of SORACOM's Listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market

KDDI CORPORATION February 20,2024 -- KDDI announces that its consolidated subsidiary, SORACOM, INC. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Ken Tamagawa, herei...

15/02/2024

Alone Australia Season 2 Returns 27 March | Meet the Cast

Alone Australia Season 2 Returns 27 March | Meet the Cast 15 February, 2024 Media releases Smash hit series Alone Australia returns Wednesday 27 March on S...

15/02/2024

NITV's flagship footy show Over the Black Dot returns Tuesday 5 March, live and in high definition

NITV's flagship footy show Over the Black Dot returns Tuesday 5 March, live ...

15/02/2024

Screen Australia announces over $560,000 for crew and gamemaker skills programs

15 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $560,000 for crew and gamemaker skills programs Liz Keogh Palmer (Australian Production Design Guil...

13/02/2024

2024 is a landmark year for SBS's award-winning current affairs line-up, covering the most impactful local and global stories

2024 is a landmark year for SBS's award-winning current affairs line-up, cov...

13/02/2024

Six Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US

22 01 2024 - Media release Six Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US Audrey, Birdeater, The Moogai Six Australian screen projec...

12/02/2024

Screen Australia and YouTube Australia Launch Skip Ahead 9

12 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and YouTube Australia Launch Skip Ahead 9 Uncovering Street Dance: Australia from Skip Ahead 8. Photographed by Ry...

08/02/2024

Screen Australia and ABC announce Bay of Fires is back for season two

08 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce Bay of Fires is back for season two Marta Dusseldorp as Stella in Bay of Fires ABC, Screen Austr...

07/02/2024

4 in 10 Australians battling sleep issues as nation's sleep crisis grows

4 in 10 Australians battling sleep issues as nation's sleep crisis grows 7 February, 2024 Media releases Dr Michael Mosley and the sleep scientists fro...

06/02/2024

Six screen creatives selected for the 2024 SBS Emerging Writers' Incubator initiative

Six screen creatives selected for the 2024 SBS Emerging Writers' Incubator i...

02/02/2024

SBS Scripted TV Lunch sessions return for another year of connecting with creatives

SBS Scripted TV Lunch sessions return for another year of connecting with creati...

02/02/2024

Financial Results for the Third Quarter of the Fiscal Year Ending March 2024

February 2,2024 -- KDDI Corporation KDDI announced the financial results for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 2024. Summary In the third q...

31/01/2024

Filming Begins on SBS' Romantic Original Drama Four Years Later' in India

Filming Begins on SBS' Romantic Original Drama Four Years Later' in Ind...

30/01/2024

A stellar 2024 for SBS podcasts kicks off with The SBS Book Club' and Humans of the Australian Deaf Community'

A stellar 2024 for SBS podcasts kicks off with The SBS Book Club' and Huma...

29/01/2024

The host with the most, Adam Liaw, is back with an all new inviting season of The Cook Up

The host with the most, Adam Liaw, is back with an all new inviting season of Th...

22/01/2024

Eddie's Lil' Homies premieres on NITV and Netflix on Friday 16 February

Eddie's Lil' Homies premieres on NITV and Netflix on Friday 16 February 22 January, 2024 Media releases Animated comedy series inspired by AFL grea...

22/01/2024

Five Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US

22 01 2024 - Media release Five Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US Audrey, Birdeater, The Moogai Five Australian screen proj...

18/01/2024

Sounds of Solidarity and WugulOra added to NITV and SBS's Always Was, Always Will Be programming slate for January 26

Sounds of Solidarity and WugulOra added to NITV and SBS's Always Was, Always...

18/01/2024

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with SBS Learn this Lunar New Year

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with SBS Learn this Lunar New Year 18 January, 2024 Media releases SBS Learn is giving teachers the opportunity to share t...

17/01/2024

This Valentine's Day SBS's The Matchmakers dives into the unique and private world of traditional matchmaking

This Valentine's Day SBS's The Matchmakers dives into the unique and pri...

17/01/2024

Celebrate Lunar New Year with a feast of content on SBS and SBS On Demand

Celebrate Lunar New Year with a feast of content on SBS and SBS On Demand 17 January, 2024 Media releases SBS is sharing the festivity and culture of Lunar...

17/01/2024

Brendan Cowell and Asher Keddie star in Screen Australia and ABC's new drama series Plum

17 01 2024 - Media release Brendan Cowell and Asher Keddie star in Screen Austra...

16/01/2024

Nominations open for Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition

Nominations open for Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition 16 January, 2024 Media releases 16 January 2024 Nominations are now open for the third Les M...

15/01/2024

SBS welcomes Nakul Legha as new Scripted Commissioning Editor

SBS welcomes Nakul Legha as new Scripted Commissioning Editor 15 January, 2024 Media releases SBS has announced that Nakul Legha has joined the network as ...

15/01/2024

Participation in the Development of the Philippines' First Subway

Construction of Telecommunication Infrastructure and Fare Collection System in the Manila Metropolitan Subway Project KDDI Corporation KDDI Philippines Co...

11/01/2024

ABS Full Year Results Update and Recent Developments

ABS Full Year Results Update and Recent Developments...

04/01/2024

First SpaceX Satellites Launch for Direct to Cell Service with KDDI

KDDI CORPORATION January 4,2024 -- Tokyo, January 4, 2024 KDDI is pleased to announce that on January 3, 2024, SpaceX successfully launched and deployed into...