Screen Australia today announced $11 million investment in four feature films, four adult drama productions and one children's series, triggering $70 million in production.Among the features to receive investment is the warm-hearted family film Oddball, from the team that made Kenny. Directed by Clayton Jacobson and starring Shane Jacobson, Oddball is about an eccentric chicken farmer who saves a colony of penguins by putting his sheepdog on their island. The film is produced by Richard Keddie, Steve Kearney and Sheila Hanahan Taylor, and written by Peter Ivan.
German/Canadian/Australian co-production Life, from Australian writer Luke Davies (Candy) and Australian producer Emile Sherman, tells the story of a freelance photographer on assignment for Life Magazine, and his unlikely friendship with a soon-to-be-immortal actor. Starring Dane DeHaan and Robert Pattinson, the film is directed by Anton Corbijn (The American, Control) and is also produced by Iain Canning, Christina Piovesan, Benito Mueller and Wolfgang Mueller.
Two theatrical documentaries were approved for investment, including Only the Dead, which explores the extraordinary career of Australian war correspondent Michael Ware, and is directed by both Ware and two-time Oscar winner Bill Guttentag. The film is produced by Patrick McDonald and is written by both Ware and McDonald.
Documentary filmmaker Jennifer Peedom's Sherpa: In the Shadow of the Mountain will look at the dangerous tensions and drama of a high altitude Everest expedition from the point of view of the Sherpas, and is produced by Bridget Ikin, John Smithson (127 Hours, Touching the Void) and John Maynard.
Screen Australia's Chief Executive Officer, Graeme Mason, said, This is a strong line-up of character-driven feature projects coming from an incredibly talented mix of filmmakers.
It's great to see the Jacobson brothers back together again after Kenny with a new feature. Oddball is a film with enormous potential that will appeal to a broad mainstream audience and comes from both an experienced and passionate team.
Australian producer Emile Sherman and Australian writer Luke Davies' co-production Life is a beautifully written biopic and a great international collaboration that we're thrilled to be involved with.
I'm delighted to be able to announce significant and continued investment in theatrical documentaries. Both Sherpa and Only the Dead are outstanding feature documentary projects. Sherpa promises to be a work of great beauty and emotional subtlety, and Only the Dead promises to be gripping and compelling viewing, said Mr Mason.
Adult television drama investments include the two-part telemovie biopic Gina, which tells the epic story of Australian mining heiress Gina Rinehart. It is produced for the Nine Network by Claudia Karvan, Michael Cordell and Paul Bennett, and is written by both Bennett and Katherine Thomson. It is executive produced by Nick Murray, Jo Rooney and Andy Ryan.
The Kettering Incident, written by Victoria Madden, is a high-end serialised mystery drama set and shot entirely in Tasmania, and is produced for Foxtel by producer Vincent Sheehan with executive producer Penny Win.
The landmark mini-series The Secret River, based on the iconic Australian novel of the same name by Kate Grenville and successful stage-play, will be adapted for the small screen by writers Jan Sardi and Mac Gudgeon. Directed by Daina Reid, the mini-series will be produced for ABC Television by Stephen Luby.
Hiding, written by Matt Ford and produced for the ABC by David Taylor, David Maher and Ford, is a series about a Gold Coast criminal who, with his dysfunctional family, enters witness protection, suddenly finding himself in a strange city with a new identity, posing as a psychology academic.
Creator/director Luke Jurevicius's award winning, high quality children's animation series The New Adventures of Figaro Pho returns for a second series for ABC3. It's written by various writers including Mark Shirrefs and is produced by Frank Verheggen, Daniel Fill, Michael Boughen and Jurevicius, with executive producers Matthew Street and Christopher Mapp.
These five outstanding television drama projects announced today will deliver exceptional and iconic Australian stories to local audiences, and Screen Australia is proud to be an investor in them, said Mr Mason.
FEATURES
LIFE
See-Saw (Life) Holdings Pty Ltd
Producers Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Christina Piovesan, Benito Mueller, Wolfgang Mueller
Writer Luke Davies
Director Anton Corbijn
International Sales FilmNation
Australian Distributor Transmission Films
Cast Dane DeHaan, Robert Pattinson
Synopsis A freelance photographer hustling for the next job and a little-known but soon-to-be-immortal actor strike up an improbable friendship in the course of the cat-and-mouse game that is a photo assignment for Life Magazine.
ODDBALL
WTFN/The Film Company in association with Kmunications
Producers Richard Keddie, Steve Kearney, Sheila Hanahan Taylor
Writer Peter Ivan
Director Clayton Jacobson
International Sales Global Screen
Australian Distributor Roadshow Films
Cast Shane Jacobson
Synopsis The story of an eccentric chicken farmer who saves a colony of penguins by putting his sheepdog on their island.
ONLY THE DEAD
Wolfhound Pictures Pty Ltd & Penance Films Pty Ltd
Producer Patrick McDonald
Writers Michael Ware, Patrick McDonald
Directors Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware
International Sales Cinetic Media LLC (representing North American rights)
Australian Distributor Transmission Films
Cast Michael Ware (reporter/cinematographer)
Synopsis Theatrical feature documentary Only the Dead is the story of what happens when one ordinary man, Michael Ware, an Australian journalist for CNN and Time Magazine, is transplanted into the Middle East by th
