Screen Australia today announced $424,000 in funding to support 15 filmmaking teams to develop their feature film projects. Eleven new feature projects have been added to Screen Australia's development slate, with four teams receiving continued support.Among the filmmaking teams to receive development funding are the makers of this year's multi-award winning film The Rocket, writer/director Kim Mordaunt and producer Sylvia Wilczynski, who will receive funds to develop their love story Pink Mist.
Veteran Australian filmmakers, writer/director Jocelyn Moorhouse and producer Sue Maslin, will be supported to develop their feature script Clara, a drama about one of the most potent love triangles in music history, between Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.
Faith Hope Love is a new drama in development from writer/director Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and producer Angie Fielder (Wish You Were Here). It's a story of returning home, which becomes a layered exploration of family, love, trust, revenge, forgiveness, growth and transformation.
Two filmmaking teams are being supported to adapt novels for the screen. Writer/director Stephen Lance will adapt Erin McKean's novel The Secret Lives of Dresses with producer Leanne Tonkes, and writer Melissa Bubnic will develop her feature script Jamaica, based on the novel by Malcolm Knox, with producer Rachel Connors and director Robert Connolly.
Inspired by a true story, writer Adam Gyngell and producer Ian Collie will develop their feature drama The Fabulist, about magazine editor William Fitzgerald, whose life is turned upside down by an enigmatic con artist.
Writer Geoffrey Atherden will be supported to develop his romantic comedy feature script 40 30 30 with producer Rosemary Blight, and writer Tommy Murphy and producer Kylie Du Fresne will develop their new feature script Holding The Man, with Neil Armfield (Candy) attached as director.
Lucy Lucy is a new science fiction script in development from writers Adam Spellicy and Penelope Chai, about a world that is repopulated with identical submissive female clones after a plague has killed every woman on Earth and one of the clones wants independence. Stuart Parkyn is on board as producer.
Sons of Salt is a crime story in development by writer David O'Donnell, about an ex-con trying to get his life together, who is reluctantly drawn into a dangerous scenario by his pro-surfer brother. Producer Rob Gibson, executive producer Adam Schroeder and director Jonathan auf der Heide are also attached to the project.
Two industry internships through the Talent Escalator program, and an emerging director through the Director's Acclaim Fund will also receive funding support from Screen Australia.
Director Rodd Rathjen will be supported through the Director's Acclaim Fund for the next stage of his professional development, off the back of his short film Tau Seru, which premiered at Cannes 2013 as part of Critics' Week and won Best Australian Short at Melbourne International Film Festival in 2013.
Producer Jiao Chen (Bloomers, Ngurrumbang) will spend six months in Los Angeles working across the development of feature films at Lin Pictures (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator Salvation, The Lego Movie) which has a first look deal with Warner Bros. Producer Katherine Slattery (The Turning) will spend 10 weeks working closely with producer Amanda Higgs (The Slap, The Secret Life of Us) on series two of The Time of Our Lives.
SINGLE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: Feature Development
40 30 30
Genre Romantic comedy
Producer Rosemary Blight
Writer Geoffrey Atherden
Synopsis Raquel's dream of a perfect marriage and future life hits a wall when her perfect man tells her she's one of three candidates to be his wife, but the good news is, at the moment, she's in front.
CARTAGENA
Genre Drama
Producers Kristina Ceyton, Naomi Wenck
Writer Nam Le
Synopsis A teenage assassin living in the slums of Columbia finds himself ordered to do a hit on his best friend. Choosing between loyalty to his friend, and the loyalty required of him by a merciless drug lord, Juan Pablo is a normal boy caught up in a ruthless world. Based on a short story by Nam Le.
CLARA
Genre Drama
Producer Sue Maslin
Writer/Director Jocelyn Moorhouse
Synopsis The emotional, artistic and sensual bonds that existed between legendary 19th century musicians Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms created one of the most potent love triangles in music history.
DOG EAT DOG
Genre Thriller
Producers David Curzon, Janelle Landers
Executive Producer Aidan OBryan
Writer Simon Portus
Synopsis Sam Pearsons ideals of family life in the country are torn apart by a series of wild dog attacks. When the local authorities prove ineffective, moral boundaries begin to blur and Sam takes the law into his own hands. As the situation spirals out of control, paranoia takes hold and Sam finds himself having to question everything he has previously taken for granted.
THE FABULIST
Genre Drama
Producer Ian Collie
Writer Adam Gyngell
Synopsis A magazine editor in Victorian England, William Fitzgerald, has his life turned upside down by an enigmatic con artist. Inspired by a true story.
FAITH HOPE LOVE
Genre Drama
Producer Angie Fielder
Writer/Director Brendan Fletcher
Synopsis A simple story of returning home becomes a layered exploration of family, love, trust, revenge, forgiveness, growth and transformation.
HOLDING THE MAN
Genre Drama
Producer Kylie Du Fresne
Writer Tommy Murphy
Director Neil Armfield
Synopsis There was Romeo and Juliet. Then there was Tim and John. Based on the award-winning memoir Holding the Man.
JAMAICA
Genre Comedy
Producer Rachel Connors
Writer Melissa Bubnic
Director Robert Connolly
Synopsis A ruined businessman seeks a last chance at youthful hijinks with o
