Screen Australia has announced over $550,000 in funding for 16 feature film projects, backing a number of debut and second-time writers, directors and producers including many making the transition into features for the first time after creating for other platforms. Eleven new projects have been added to Screen Australia's development slate, while five projects will receive continued support.
Screen Australia's Head of Production, Sally Caplan, said, The funding decisions made in this last quarter reflect the breadth of stories coming out of this country and the depth of talent. It is great to be able to support such a spread of genres and ideas and such a range of established and emerging writing, directing and producing talent.
The new projects to receive development support include comedy Madams by producer/writer/director Stephan Elliot, writer Sheridan Jobbins and producer Gary Hamilton; and an edgy feature debut from television writers Kirsty Fisher and Marieke Hardy, Death Is for the Living, to be directed by Trent O'Donnell. Also supported in this round are romantic comedies EM, from director Kate Reidl, writer Emma Jensen and producers Matthew Dabner, Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent, and All I Know of the Devil, from television writer Shanti Gudgeon in her first feature script.
Family projects that will receive backing include Blinky Bill, from director Deane Taylor, writer Fin Edquist and producer Barbara Stephen, based on the classic Australian children's book, and The Wiggles: Pandamonium!, produced by Paul Field, Michael Wrenn and Gary Hamilton, with comic-turned-writer Ben Elton directing and writing the script.
Two thrillers have also been selected for development Damien Lay's To the Bitter End, a psychological thriller about a pirate and pursuer locked in a treacherous ocean pursuit, written by John Goldsmith and produced by Carolyn Frichot, and The Phobos Experiment from director Rowan Woods, written by Jacquelin Perske and produced by Penny Wall. Director Eron Sheean's horror film End of Animal, written by Shane Danielsen and produced by Michael Wrenn and Paul Yi, also received development support.
In the action adventure arena, Mulan, a story inspired by an ancient Chinese fable about a legendary female warrior, from producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning and writer Jan Sardi, will be supported.
Writer/director Jennifer Kent has received early-stage funding to support work on her second feature, Interior, the follow-up to her Sundance hit The Babadook.
Acclaimed theatre director Michael Kantor will receive support to begin work on his second feature with writer Marion Nelson an adaptation of Chloe Hooper's critically-celebrated novel The Engagement, to be produced by Bruno Charlesworth and Jo Dyer.
Other dramas supported in this round include Undertow by writer/director Miranda Nation and producers Lyn Norfor and Sylvia Wilczynski, and King: A Street Story by producer/writer/director Jacqueline McKenzie and producer Rob Coe.
Projects to receive continued feature development support are included in the project details listed below.
SINGLE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: Feature Development
ALL I KNOW OF THE DEVIL
Genre Comedy, drama
Writer Shanti Gudgeon
BLINKY BILL
Genre Family
Producer Barbara Stephen
Writer Fin Edquist
Director Deane Taylor
Synopsis A young and mischievous koala embarks on a journey across the wild and dangerous outback in the hope of finding his missing father, but discovers that theres more to being an adventurer than meets the eye. Based on the characters from the childrens book of the same name.
DEATH IS FOR THE LIVING
Genre Romantic comedy
Executive Producer Jason Burrows
Director Trent ODonnell
Writers Kirsty Fisher, Marieke Hardy
Synopsis In search of pain relief from her terminal illness, Sara encounters Dan, a psychotherapist who, through hypnosis, gives her a way to live' her future' in her subconscious but things get complicated when Dan, enamoured by Sara, begins to write' himself into her dream' future.
EM
Genre Romantic comedy
Producers Matthew Dabner, Karen Radzyner, Anna Vincent
Director Kate Riedl
Writer Emma Jensen
Synopsis Jane Austen's Emma Down Under.
END OF ANIMAL
Genre Horror
Producers Michael Wrenn, Paul Yi
Director Eron Sheean
Writer Shane Danielsen
THE ENGAGEMENT
Genre Drama
Producers Bruno Charlesworth, Jo Dyer
Executive Producer Robert Connolly
Director Michael Kantor
Writer Marion Nelson
Synopsis An erotic weekend in the country becomes a trap where a woman is lost in a labyrinth of lies, fantasies and fear but of whose making?
INTERIOR
Writer/Director Jennifer Kent
KING: A STREET STORY
Genre Drama
Producers Rob Coe, Jacqueline McKenzie
Executive Producers Jocelyn Moorhouse, Timothy White
Writer/Director Jacqueline McKenzie
Synopsis King, a courageous and resourceful 12-year-old street-kid who acts like a dog, finds acceptance in a small community on the outskirts of the city. But the threat of a redevelopment forces King to his final redemption.
MADAMS
Genre Comedy
Producers Stephan Elliott, Gary Hamilton
Director Stephan Elliott
Writers Stephan Elliott, Sheridan Jobbins
Synopsis A comedy from the writers of Easy Virtue.
MULAN
Genre Action adventure
Producers Emile Sherman, Iain Canning
Writer Jan Sardi
Synopsis Inspired by the ancient Chinese fable, this new take on the story of Mulan recounts the legendary heroine's rise to greatness and her quest to discover her true identity.
THE PHOBOS EXPERIMENT
Genre Thriller
Producer Penny Wall
Director Rowan Woods
Writer Jacquelin Perske
Synopsis Their mission: simulated training to take humanity 40 million miles to Mars and back. But what if their mission is a lie? A lie that will push the crew beyond breaking point and into a desperate fight for surviva
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Screen Australia has announced over $550,000 in funding for 16 feature film projects, backing a number of debut and second-time writers, directors and producers including many making the transition into features for the first time after creating for other platforms. Eleven new projects have been added to Screen Australia's development slate, while five projects will receive continued support.
