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Close To The Edge

Thomasin McKenzie and Devon Terrell (“Rap Shit”) star in “Totally Completely Fine,” a series co-production between Sundance Now and Australia’s Stan, which has now started production in Sydney. McKenzie plays a young woman whose life was a mess even before she inherited her grandfather’s coastal clifftop house and became tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge. Strangely though people respond to her chaotic, nihilistic brand of psychology. The series was created and is executive produced by Gretel Vella, who co-wrote the show with Keir Wilkins (“Surviving Summer”) and Emme Hoy (stage play “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall”). The series is produced at Fremantle Australia by Alice Willison (“The Other Guy”), with Nat Lindwall as executive producer. The series is directed by Lucy Gaffy with Adrian Chiarella (“Dwarf Planet”) directing episode four. It is financed with the assistance of Screen Nsw...

AMC Networks’ streaming platform Sundance Now is expanding its 2023 slate with orders for two new series, dark comedy Totally Completely Fine and fantasy mystery series Sanctuary, based on V.V. James novel. They join the recently announced upcoming series Clean Sweep, The Lovers, SisterS, Black Snow, and Far North, all for premiere in 2023.

Inspired by true events, six-part dark comedy Totally Completely Fine, a Sundance Now Original series, stars Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit) and explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways our sadness can unite us. Per the logline, the series follows 20-something Vivian Cunningham (McKenzie), whose life is a mess. Last week she accidentally burnt down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape and this week she’s inherited her grandfather’s coastal clifftop shack and is tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge.

Series also stars Devon Terrell (Rap Sh!

AMC Networks’ Sundance Now has commissioned “Totally, Completely Fine” and “Sanctuary” as two new titles joining the streaming platform’s 2023 slate of original projects.

Written, created and executive produced by Gretel Vella, “Totally, Completely Fine” explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways our sadness can unite us. Inspired by true events,the six-part dark comedy follows 20-something Vivian Cunningham (Thomasin McKenzie), whose life is a mess but nevertheless winds up tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge as she endures her own comedic catastrophes like accidentally burning down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape.

Devon Terrell (“Rap Sh!t”), Brandon McLelland (“The Other Guy”), Rowan Witt (“Book of Mormon” – Original Australian Cast), Contessa Treffone (“Doctor Doctor”), James Sweeny (“Total Control”), Max Crean (“Mystic”) and Brigid Zengeni (“The Good Liar”) join the JoJo Rabbit star among the cast.

Australian streaming service Stan has struck a television development alliance with Hollywood mini-studio Lionsgate. The deal is in addition to the content supply agreement that the pair hatched last year.

Stan and Lionsgate announced the megachurch family drama series “Prosper,” drama series “The Geography of Friendship” and outback comedy crime series “Population: 11” as the first three titles to flow from their development deal.

Separately, Stan announced an expansion of its originals-production activity with other partners and suppliers in Australia. The company says that the new slates put it “on track to deliver 30% of its premium first-run slate from original productions.”

The local slate includes: drama series “Black Snow,” a cold case mystery series set in Far North Queensland; “Last Light,” starring Matthew Fox and Joanne Froggatt; and “The Jump,” a series about the power of friendship and the ways our sadness can unite us.

Also announced is the absurdist comedy feature film “Nude Tuesday,...

Fresh faces lead the cast of the ABC and Fremantle Australia’s children’s comedy-drama The Pm’s Daughter, now shooting in Canberra.

Cassandra Helmot will play Cat Parkes Pérez, a young activist whose relatively normal teen life is thrown into disarray when political turmoil strikes and her mother (Claire Fearon) is unexpectedly thrust into the role of Prime Minister.

Major disruptions begin to occur at Canberra landmarks – all seemingly designed to directly sabotage the Pm. Cat and her new friends, Sadie (Natalie English) and Ollie, set out to track down and unmask a rogue faction within a youth action group called Action Uprising. The clues will take them across every inch of the capital and lead them to investigate even their own schoolmates.

Nya Cofie (The Unlisted) and Amelie James-Power also star as Cat’s classmates Miro and Georgina, joining an adult cast of Anthony Brandon Wong (The Family Law...

The ABC has commissioned two new live-action children’s series, Aquarius Films’ Parent Up and Fremantle Australia’s The Pm’s Daughter.

Both supported by Screen Australia, the series will go into production this year, joining MaveriX, Itch season 2 and Hardball season 2 on ABC Me’s narrative drama slate.

A comedy action series for 8-13 year olds, Parent Up is created and executive produced by Justine Flynn (The Unlisted). It follows Yu Na and Min Park, who want more excitement in their lives. However, they don’t realise just how crazy their lives will become when they discover their once unremarkable parents are actually international spies and have disappeared in suspicious circumstances.

Writing with Flynn are Michelle Lim Davidson, Andrew Lee, Tiffany Zehnal, Melissa Lee Speyer, Tristram Baumber, Sophia Chung, Hyun Lee, Alice McCredie-Dando and David Park.

Directors will include Nick Verso, Chase Lee, Hyun Lee, Darlene Johnson, Neil Sharma and Flynn.

Matt Okine and Harriet Dyer.

Stan has commissioned a second season of comedy series The Other Guy, created by and starring Matt Okine.

Season two will be produced by Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford and Alice Willson for Aquarius Films, while Jude Troy will Ep under her new shingle, Wooden Horse.

The first season followed Aj Amon (Okine), a successful radio host who unexpectedly finds himself back in the dating pool for the first time in a decade after discovering his long-term girlfriend (Valene Kane) was having an affair with his best friend. The series was picked up by Hulu in the Us and Super Channel in Canada.

Create Nsw and Screen Australia have both supported the second season, which will shoot on location in Sydney in the coming months. Much of the cast, including Harriet Dyer, are set to return.

The second instalment will pick up five months after the last,...

2014 Eff short The Guests, which was directed by Shane Danielsen and premiered at Cannes.

Screen Nsw's Emerging Filmmakers Fund for emerging short filmmakers has been renamed and rejigged.

In 2016, Generator: Emerging Filmmakers Fund will "require the inclusion of a female director and priority will be given to teams that include people from under-represented groups," said Screen Nsw.

Each Generator round will $30,000 to projects for production and/or post-production of a short film. There is one round annually and in 2016 funding will be provided for up to three projects.

This year, Aquarius Films (Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford, Cecilia Ritchie, Bec Cubitt and Alice Willison) will act as mentors and executive producers for all the Generator shorts..

Aquarius' slate includes the upcoming Lion, directed by Garth Davis, and Berlin Syndrome, directed by Cate Shortland.

Projects can be drama, factual, animation or experimental and no more than 30 minutes long. Applications close October 30.

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