Getting back to the Cinema
- Guidelines differ between states. In South Australia, for instance, cinemas and theatres were able to open from 1 June, with precautions. In Victoria, from 22 June, indoor cinemas can open with up to 50 people in a single space. People who are not from the same household should be seated at least 1.5 metres from other people in the venue and the four square metre rule applies. It looks like most cinemas will be open in some form or other by 2 July.
- Australia and New Zealand’s largest cinema exhibition chain, Event Cinemas, released a survey of regular cinema-goers in late May showing 83 percent of respondents plan to go to the movies within 12 weeks of reopening. Whether this proves to be the case remains to be seen.
- Expect the offerings to be limited and often ‘classic’. Cinema Nova, for example, plans to open 22 June with some crowd-pleasing spoon-throwing favourites including Cats, The Room and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As Nova CEO Kristian Connelly told Screenhub, this strange period may also be a great opportunity for Australian films like Babyteeth, Rams and later in the year, The Dry to find their audiences.
- Speaking of Babyteeth, Universal has dated Shannon Murphy’s debut feature for release on 23 July, and has also given a date for Kriv Stenders’ Slim Dusty biopic Slim and I on 27 August.
Getting back to Production
- The official Australian guidelines for an anti-viral screen workplace are now out. There are no surprises but a vital level of certainty for the industry. Key to developing the guidelines has been the experience of productions like Neighbours, which resumed production in early May, and US feature film Children of the Corn, which continued production in NSW throughout shutdown thanks to a self-imposed quarantine bubble.
- CJZ MD Nick Murray and See-Saw Films’ Emile Sherman have called for the Federal Government to underwrite insurance risks of productions having to shut down or replace the director or key cast due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
- The Morrison Government’s complete abandonment of the Arts is shocking, argues shadow Arts Minister Tony Burke in Artshub’s Op Ed. We are now waiting and hoping for some kind of relief package to drop any minute. Watch this space for details on what it will include for the screen sector.
- In the broader industry policy sphere, don’t forget to submit your feedback to the ‘Supporting Australian Stories on Our Screens’ Options paper by 12 June.
Agency Announcements
- Screen Australia has announced $2.1 million of production funding for 14 documentaries.
- Screen Australia and SBS have announced new Tasmanian online drama series The Tailings to premiere on SBS On Demand in 2021. The short-form mystery series (6 x 10 minutes) is directed by Stevie Cruz-Martin and produced by Liz Doran, Richard Kelly (2Jons) and Stephen Thomas (Roar Film) and follows a daughter’s investigation into her father’s death in a remote West Coast community.
- The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) has awarded $1.2million to 33 companies. Announced yesterday, the funds will be distributed through its business and slate development schemes BOOST, BOOST UP and He Ara.
- The Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network (SDIN) have announced Benjamin Law and Jo Dillon as co-chairs for 2020/2021.
- The Cannes Film Festival list of the films we would have seen if there was a place to premiere them includes Ammonite from See-Saw Films.
Festivals make do online
- The Sydney Film Festival will run online from 10 – 21 June. It’s a limited program but includes important prizes for Australian filmmakers in the documentary and shorts categories. There are obvious bonuses for those of us not based in Sydney and now able to ‘attend’!
- A free movie collection curated by Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley, launches 10 June at SBS On Demand. Forty gems from the festival’s past include both local and international titles like A Separation, Amour, Boy, Ali’s Wedding, Certain Women, Strange Colours, Lantana and Leave No Trace.
- The St Kilda Film Festival is running online from Friday 12 June to Saturday 20 June and will recognise Australia’s Top 100 short films. There’s also a special filmmakers’ program The Big Picture with live online events that look very useful for up-and-comers.
- The Cannes Film Festival list of the films we would have seen if there was a place to premiere them includes Ammonite from See-Saw Films.
Workshops, Seminars and Upskilling
- Free online workshops on interactive writing are being offered by SAFC. These are open to anyone, anywhere, and run by Christy Dena.
- Storytelling in animation with Michael Shanks from TimTimFed. Full session goes live on Friday 5 June at 10am AEST on the ACMI YouTube Channel.
- Don’t forget the SPATakeaways conversations available on SPA’s Facebook page. These interactive talks have provided an opportunity to hear from industry leaders during the shutdown and there are many insights to be gleaned. Recent guests included comedian Julia Morris and President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, Valerie Creighton.
Features & Opinion
- Warwick Thornton’s Big Time-Out at The Beach. An interview with the award-winning filmmaker about his very personal project. Part cooking show, documentary series and performance art, it defies genres.
- Nerida Moore, Screen Australia’s Head of Development on Covid impact.
- Ask the mentor: How do I get new clients and build my business?
