Screen Australia invests in 15 feature films
Screen Australia has announced it will support of 15 filmmaking teams with $424,000 in funding to develop their feature films.
The announcement:
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 O’Bryan Writer Simon Portus Synopsis Sam Pearson’s 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 old friends in Jamaica, only to discover that the ties that bind them are fast unravelling as he’s dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood. Based on the novel by Malcolm Knox.LONELY GIRL
Genre Thriller
Producer Samantha Jennings
Executive Producer Jonathan Page
Writer Lynne Vincent McCarthy
Director Natasha Pincus
Synopsis A lonely young woman consumed by grief kills a man and hides his body in her basement. When she discovers he is still alive, she decides to keep him. But this is no ordinary man – Ana believes her captive is a killer.LUCY LUCY
Genre Science Fiction
Producer Stuart Parkyn
Writers Adam Spellicy, Penelope Chai
Synopsis Years after a plague kills every woman on Earth, the world is repopulated with identical, submissive female clones. Now, one of them wants her independence.THE MUSICIAN (aka ENEMY ALIEN)
Genre Drama
Producers Su Armstrong, Brian Rosen
Writer Joan Sauers
Synopsis The true story of mercurial classical violist Richard Goldner, who escaped Nazi-occupied Austria to settle in Australia, where he faces a different kind of tyranny before discovering his true calling and forming Musica Viva.PINK MIST
Genre Drama
Producer Sylvia Wilczynski
Writer/Director Kim Mordaunt
Synopsis A love story.THE SECRET LIVES OF DRESSES
Genre Drama
Producer Leanne Tonkes
Writer/Director Stephen Lance Synopsis Dora is engaged to the man of her dreams and is about to begin the job of a lifetime when her aunt Mimi suffers a stroke. She returns home and takes over Mimi’s vintage dress shop, but soon discovers that each dress has a secret story that will change her life forever. Based on the acclaimed novel by Erin McKean.SONS OF SALT
Genre Crime
Producer Rob Gibson Executive Producer Adam Schroeder
Writer David O’Donnell Director Jonathan auf der Heide
Synopsis An ex-con trying to go straight is forced to put his life on the line for his pro-surfer younger brother, whose own criminal habits are now spiralling out of control.UNTITLED GC PROJECT
Genre Drama
Producers Christopher Sharp, Timothy White Writer Natasha PincusTALENT ESCALATOR PROGRAMS: Director’s Acclaim Fund
RODD RATHJEN Director Rodd Rathjen’s short film Tau Seru premiered at Cannes 2013 as part of Critics’ Week and won Best Australian Short at Melbourne International Film Festival in 2013.TALENT ESCALATOR PROGRAMS: Industry Internships
JIAO CHEN
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.KATHERINE SLATTERY
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.
Source: Screen Australia press release.
