Media Release: Funding Boost for the Territory Screen Industry

Transcription

1 Media Release: Funding Boost for the Territory Screen Industry Territorians will be given the opportunity to attend more screen events and experience new home grown films and television, with the announcement of $165,000 of new grants as part of the NT Government s Screen Grant Funding Program. Director of Screen Territory, Ms Penelope McDonald today announced 13 successful applicants would receive funding as part of the first grant round. Funding has been allocated to two new documentary projects, three feature projects have received support as part of Screen Territory s development slate and one project will receive production funding, Ms McDonald said. The documentary projects receiving development support include Outback Paramedic, with producer Dan Falzon looking at the work of paramedics in Alice Springs, and The Long Road, produced by Darwin based Andrew Hyde, exposes the impact of the live cattle export ban on the community in northern Australia. Writer Danielle MacLean will be supported to develop the feature film Don t Fence Me In, based on the life of Betty Fisher, and David Tranter and Trisha Morton-Thomas will be supported for the next drafts of their feature film scripts. Grants to screen culture activities including Sydney Travelling Film Festival, Flickerfest, Flicks in the Wet and Fist Full of Films Festival will continue this year, providing Territory audiences with the opportunity once again experience films that entertain and inspire during Development activities for the screen industry have also been supported including Fist Full of Films labs and a workshop series to be hosted by the Film and Television Association of the Northern Territory (FATANT). The Fist Full of Films labs will take place in Darwin over the lead up to the Fist Full of Films Festival, and provide an opportunity for budding filmmakers to learn more about the techniques of writing and making a good short film; and the FATANT workshops will benefit more established, as well as emerging filmmakers, the first of which is a cinematography master class with renowned Australian cinematographer, Peter de Vries, in Alice Springs in March. Some previously supported projects include the recently broadcast ABC commissioned documentaries, Coniston, and Croker Island Exodus, and Queen of the Desert, as well features including the Camera d or winning Samson & Delilah, and Balibo, the film about Timor Leste starring Anthony la Paglia. Screen Territory has also today announced a new funding round of $ available for applications for project development and production funding closing on 15 March. For more information on the Screen Grants Funding Program call or visit Please find attached a list of all successful applicants and for further information/interview please contact Penelope McDonald on Ends Issued: 4pm, Thursday 31 January, 2013 Department of Arts and Museums Rickie Abraham Ph Authorised by Hugo Leschen on behalf of the Northern Territory Government, Department of Arts and Museums, Cavenagh Street, Darwin

2 Screen Territory Grants Program Grant Recipients PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FUNDING: FEATURE FILM DEVELOPMENT: Brindle Films Calypso Producer: Ms Rachel Clements Writer: Ms Trisha Morton-Thomas A family who follows Aboriginal customary law must make choices about how they relate to their past, and as a consequence make decisions about their futures. Ms Rachel Clements is a graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and has produced or executive produced broadcast documentaries, short dramas and the children s television drama series Double Trouble. Ms Clements is currently developing 8MMM Aboriginal Radio, a satirical comedy series for ABC2, and Cyclone Tracy, a telemovie to be broadcast to coincide with the 40 th anniversary of the cyclone. Ms Trisha Morton-Thomas is a filmmaker and actor, who has over 20 years experience in the media industry. Ms Morton-Thomas is currently developing 8MMM Aboriginal Radio and Cyclone Tracy, and recently starred in the ABC TV drama Redfern Now. Don t Fence Me In The Betty Fisher Story Company: Tamarind Tree Pictures Pty Ltd Producer: Ms Anna Grieve Writer: Ms Danielle MacLean Grant Amount: $ In 1942 half-caste singer Betty Fisher wins Amateur Hour which ignites her dream to become a professional singer but to achieve this she must take on a system that is hell-bent on keeping her in her place. What starts as a battle to become a singer, ends in a fight to be at the very least, the master of her own destiny. Ms Anna Grieve is a Victorian based producer and executive producer with over 20 years experience in producing documentaries and dramas. Ms Grieve co-produced the Territory documentary Croker Island Exodus. Ms Danielle MacLean is a writer and producer who commenced her career with CAAMA Productions in Ms MacLean s writing credits include three episodes of the children s television series Double Trouble, including the AWGIE Award winning episode Lost in the Bush, the AFI Award winning short drama Queen of Hearts, and the ABC TV drama Redfern Now.

3 Mr David Tranter Sweet Country Producer: Mr David Jowsey Writers: Mr Steven McGregor and Mr David Tranter Grant Amount: $ Young Philomac witnesses a murder and what unfolds is the heartbreaking story of race relations on the Northern Territory frontier in Mr David Jowsey is a Sydney based producer whose recent feature film credits include Satellite Boy, Toomelah, Mad Bastards, and Mystery Road, which is currently in post production. Mr Jowsey worked in Northern Territory in the 1990 s as the Executive Producer at CAAMA Productions. Mr Steven McGregor is a graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Mr McGregor s writing credits include the AFI nominated drama Cold Turkey, and the Logie and IF Award nominated documentary My Brother Vinnie. Mr McGregor also wrote two episodes of the ABC TV drama Redfern Now, Stand Up and Pretty Boy Blue, for which he currently nominated for an AACTA Award. Mr David Tranter is Australia s leading Indigenous cinematographer whose work includes the feature films Here I am and Samson + Delilah, the television series Double Trouble and The Alice, and over 200 documentaries. Sweet Country is Mr Tranter s first feature film as a writer. DOCUMENTARY DEVELOPMENT: The Long Road to Nowhere Company: Exposure Productions Pty Ltd Producers: Mr Andrew Hyde and Ms Kristy O Brien Writer: Ms Kristy O Brien Grant Amount: $ A series of short films looking at the community impact of the live cattle export ban. Mr Andrew Hyde is a Darwin based cinematographer who has worked in broadcast television for more than two decades. Mr Hyde s independent production company Exposure Productions Pty Ltd was established in Mr Hyde s cinematography credits include the documentaries In A League of Their Own and Dhakiyarr vs the King. Ms Kristy O Brien is a television and radio journalist who has been working in the Northern Territory since Ms O Brien earned praise from her interstate colleagues for her coverage of the live export ban.

4 Outback Paramedic Company: MILIKOM Pty Ltd Producer: Mr Dan Falzon Writers: Mr Dan Falzon and Mr Tom Falzon It s just another day in paradise for three Paramedic brothers and three of their great mates as they endure the extreme cultural and climatic conditions of the Australian outback town of Alice Springs. PRODUCTION FUNDING: art + soul 2 Company: Hibiscus Films Pty Ltd Producers: Ms Bridget Ikin and Ms Jo-Anne McGowan Writer: Ms Hetti Perkins Director: Mr Steven McGregor Project Type: Documentary Series Broadcaster: ABC TV Grant Amount: $ Building on the success of art + soul, we will continue to inspire and offer new insights into contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture for television audiences. Ms Bridget Ikin is a feature film and documentary producer whose credits include the documentary series art + soul, and the Australian feature films My Year Without Sex and Look Both Ways. Ms Jo-Anne McGowan has produced short dramas and documentaries including the Melbourne Film Festival and AFI Award winning short drama Heart of Pearl, and the Logie nominated documentary My Own Flesh & Blood. Mr Steven McGregor is a graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School s directing program. His credits include the AFI nominated drama Cold Turkey, and the documentaries Croker Island Exodus, In A League of Their Own and My Brother Vinnie, for which he was nominated for a Logie and IF Award. Mr McGregor is currently directing Big Name No Blanket, a documentary about legendary Warumpi Band front man George Rrurrambu for ABC TV. SCREEN CULTURE FUNDING: Darwin Community Arts Fist Full of Films Festival Grant Amount: $ Fist Full of Films is the Territory s longest running short film competition and festival screening Territory-made films for Territory audiences. Darwin Film Society Flix in the Wet Grant Amount: $5500

5 Flix in the Wet is a screening program run by the Darwin Film Society during the Top End wet season. Flickerfest Pty Ltd Flickerfest National Tour Grant Amount: $4500 The Flickerfest National Tour brings the best of Flickerfest s international and Australian programmes to the Northern Territory, providing Territorians with the opportunity to see short films they otherwise would not get to see. Sydney Film Festival Travelling Film Festival NT Tour Grant Amount: $6500 Australia s longest running travelling film festival, Sydney Film Festival s touring arm, the Travelling Film Festival showcases Australian and international features, documentaries and short films. INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUNDING: Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) Ltd AIDC 2013 Grant Amount: $7500 AIDC is an annual international conference and market place held in Australia to promote the interests of the Australian documentary community. A strong contingent of Territory documentary makers attend the Conference. Darwin Community Arts The Fist Full Labs Grant Amount: $ The Fist Full Labs are a series of skills development workshops, to be run in the Darwin region in 2013, to teach entry level and emerging filmmakers the basic skills essential to producing a short film with a specific focus on narrative structures and technical skills. Film and Television Association of the Northern Territory (FATANT) FATANT Workshop Series January June 2013 The FATANT Workshop Series January June 2013 is a series of three workshops, run in Darwin in the first half of the year. The Series will include an Australian Film, Television and Radio School Workshop, a Technology Masterclass and a Professional Development Session.