The Railway Man, Rekindling Venus and 100 Bloody Acres secure Screen Australia funding
Jonathan Teplitzky’s The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth, was one of three films to receive production investment funding from Screen Australia.
The Railway Man, adapted from Eric Lomax’s novel about confronting his World War II torturer 30 years on.
Produced by Teplitzky’s Burning Man partner Andy Paterson, as well as Chris Brown, it is written by Frank Cottrel Boyce and Andy Paterson. The film will be distributed locally through Transmission/Paramount and international sales through Lionsgate.
Screen Australia Chief executive Ruth Harley said of The Railway Man investment, “This is a wonderful opportunity for one of our country’s rising directors, Jonathan Teplitzky, to work with one of the world’s finest actors, Colin Firth. The film will also provide great exposure for Australian talent on the world stage.”
Screen Australia have invested $3m across three productions stimulating $21m worth of production. In the statement, Harley also said “It’s exciting for Screen Australia to invest in these three very different projects. They all provide opportunities for Australian talent to take their storytelling to the next level.”
As well as The Railway Man, Australian installation artist Lynette Wallworth will create her first feature project, Rekindling Venus. Written and directed by Wallworth and produced by John Maynard, the production will be a multi-platform work screened exclusively in dome cinemas and planetariums around the world about the “spectacle of fluorescent coral reefs and marine life as the pivot point for global co-operation in the face of climate change.” Australian and UK Distribution through Footprint with International sales by Maze/Sky Skan.
“The film experience Rekindling Venus is of high commercial and cultural merit and it’s great to be able to support an artist of the calibre of Lynette Wallworth to work on such a grand scale using the immersive fulldome cinema experience.”
The third production is debut comedy/horror feature film 100 Bloody Acres by writer director brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes. Produced by Julie Ryan and Kate Croser, executive produced by Jonathan Page, the film’s tagline is “They’re not psycho killers… they’re small business operators.” Local distribution is through Hopscotch with international sales by The Works.
