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Ryan is a successful guy. A regular on TV broadcasts, he’s a successful and computer programmer but reality is very different than his public persona. His marriage is falling apart, and business is not as good as it once was. When his estranged father dies suddenly, Ben returns home for the first time since his teenage escape only to discover that his father’s death is even more suspicious than he originally suspected.

Locusts‘ story of a man dealing with the aftermath of a loved one’s death is frequently mined, though screenwriter Angus Watts tries to keep things interesting by infusing a few twists into the story; namely a fraught relationship with a brother, a former girlfriend, and the driving force at the centre of the entire thing: the town drug de...

Ben Geurens in ‘Locusts.’

Typifying the challenges facing the vast majority of Australian films, Heath Davis’ suspense-drama Locusts and Partho Sen-Gupta’s thriller Slam were released on a handful of screens last weekend.

Working with limited marketing budgets the distributors and producers relied primarily on reviews and publicity, and the weekend figures were commensurately modest.

Ben Geurens and Nathaniel Dean play estranged brothers who are the targets of an extortion racket in Locusts, which grossed $11,000 on 11 screens and $14,000 with previews.

Film Ink Presents is handling the theatrical release of the privately-financed film, which co-stars Jessica McNamee, Steve Le Marquand, Justin Rosniak, Andy McPhee, the late Damian Hill and Alan Dukes, while Jonathan Page’s Bonsai Films will sell the ancillary rights.

“It’s difficult for independent films to secure screens and marketing exposure,” Angus Watts, who produced and wrote Locusts, tells If. “We’re happy with the support from exhibitors...

Cannes-based Fizz-e-Motion, headed by Yannick Rudynski and Luke Corradine, has picked up sales rights to Australian crime thriller “Locusts.”

Directed by Heath Davis, the film stars Ben Geurens (“Reign”) and Jessica McNamee, and is produced and written by Angus Watts.

The pic centers on tech entrepreneur Ryan Black, who returns to his remote hometown for his father’s funeral. Old family tensions are reignited as he’s reunited with his wise-cracking ex-con brother. When Ryan becomes the target of an extortion scam at the hands of desperate criminals, he is forced to resort to extreme measures.

The film, which is being distributed in Australia by Bonsai Films, won best film, cinematography, supporting actor (Justin Rosniak) and producer at the Cult Critic Magazine Awards. It screened at the Gold Coast Film Festival and Newport Beach Film Festival.

Fizz-e-Motion’s titles include Swiss drama/comedy “The Edelweiss Revolution,” directed by Frederic Baillif...

‘Maybe Tomorrow’.

A comedy drama that depicts the juggle of filmmaking and parenthood, Maybe Tomorrow, took home the prize for best independent film at the Gold Coast Film Festival yesterday evening.

Judged by members of the Australian Film Critics Association, the Blackmagic Design Best Australian Independent Film Award gifts Melbourne directors Caitlin Farrugia and Michael Jones $10,000 worth of Blackmagic equipment and software.

Other films nominated in the category, which recognises features made without significant screen agency funding, were Heath Davis’ Locusts, Tony D’Aquino’s The Furies and Imogen Thomas’ Emu Runner.

Maybe Tomorrow, which stars Tegan Crowley and Vateresio Tuikaba as new parents making a self-funded feature film, makes its world premiere at Gold Coast Film Festival this evening.

Farrugia and Jones were presented the award at the Gcff’s inaugural Screen Industry Gala Awards, held at Movie World.

The night also saw actress Sigrid Thornton presented the Chauvel Award,...

‘Book Week’ did not qualify for the Offset.

Eleven years since the introduction of the Producer Offset (Po), Screen Australia has expressed concern about an increase in applications for feature films that have unreasonably high fees.

A big proportion of those fees is being reinvested in the belief that will meet the criteria for qualifying Australian production expenditure (Qape).

The legislation limits the amount that can be claimed as Qape on above-the-line fees to 20 per cent of total film expenditure .

“Alarm bells are ringing at the growth in films that set out on this trajectory having unreasonably high fees,” the agency, which administers the concession via the Producer Offset and Co-production Unit (Pocu), warned this week.

“If the budget has been inflated because of the high level of fees due to re-investments the 20 per cent cap becomes less of a guide when assessing arm’s length.

“Reinvestments seem to be...

Damian Hill and Ty Perham in ‘West of Sunshine.’

Shooting of M4M began in Melbourne on Monday as the cast and crew regrouped following the death on September 22 of Damian Hill, who co-wrote the crime drama/romance with the director Paul Ireland.

Ireland has dedicated the film inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Measure for Measure’ to Hill, his best mate who was to co-produce and play Angelo, a character the director described as a fallen angel.

“After Dame died we got together and decided the best thing to do is carry on and make this for Dame,” says Ireland, who first collaborated with the actor/producer/writer in Pawno in 2015.

“Everyone has been amazing and very stoic. Dame and I were like a married couple. We worked together every day. He was so humble, a beautiful person. I feel like I have lost a part of me, but I’m determined to get through this.