News

Cinedigm has snapped up North American rights to Country Gold, a surrealist country music film from director Mickey Reece (Alien, Climate of the Hunter).

Reece co-wrote Country Gold with John Selvidge and plays the lead, the up-and-coming country music star Troyal Brux. The offbeat comedy follows a fateful evening in 1994 when Troyal meets up with country legend George Jones (Ben Hall). Together, they embark on a wild night in Nashville, the eve before George plans to cryogenically freeze himself.

Reece describes the film as a surreal satire on American celebrity culture. “I wanted to explore a seminal moment in American music history,” said Reece. “Not to belabor the facts, but to rather play with some icons of this particular era and let their vibes take the audience to surprising places.”

Country Gold is Reece’s follow-up to 2017’s Alien, a reimagining of the early years of Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s marriage,...

The ten Indigenous-led productions due to participate in Bunya Talent Lab LA will each receive development funding and participate in a companion writing program with Netflix.

Originally scheduled for May 2020 in LA, the five-day incubator program was delayed due to travel restrictions but will now take place virtually in early February 2021.

In order for the creatives to maintain momentum and utilise the extra time ahead of the event, Screen Australia’s Indigenous department and Netflix will give each team development funding to further develop their projects with Bunya producers.

As part of the hub, each project will also receive one-on-one international mentorship for their production from Australians in Film (AiF).

A final pitch session to Netflix commissioners in early 2021 will see one of the projects land a formal development deal with Netflix, with Bunya Productions engaged as producers.

Projects include a range of feature film and TV series ideas encompassing comedy,...

Australian actor Chum Ehelepola, who plays the roguish Ramtish in Disney’s upcoming live-action Mulan, has signed with Apa.

Born in New Zealand and raised in Sri Lanka and Australia, Ehelepola co-starred in the Australian series The Surgeon opposite Sam Worthington, and The Straits opposite Brian Cox. He also starred in the miniseries How to Talk Australians, directed by Tony Rogers (Wilfred).

Ehelepola has also appeared in numerous films. In the U.S., he currently recurs in the role of Anil on Paul Giamatti’s Lodge 49 for AMC, has recurred on Sony Crackle’s Sequestered, and guest-starred in Lady Dynamite on Fox.

Ehelepola continues to be represented by Affirmative Entertainment, Mollison Keightley Management, and Goodman, Schenkman & Brecheen, Llp.

The broadcast networks have nearly 20 shows debuting this fall, including David Boreanaz’s Seal drama, the adventures of Fox’s Gifted mutants and ABC’s rapping Mayor. To help you prep for it all, TVLine is offering First Impressions of the not-for-review pilots. Next up on our list….

Related Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Cancelled?

The Show | The CW’s Dynasty (Wednesdays at 9/8c, premiere date Tba)

The Competition | ABC’s Modern Family/American Housewife, NBC’s Law & Order: Svu, CBS’ Seal Team (new) and Fox’s Star

The Cast | Grant Show (Melrose Place), Elizabeth Gillies (Victorious...

Rowan Woods. Aftrs has appointed new heads of directing, documentary, cinematography and visual effects.

Head of directing is Rowan Woods, head of documentary Rachel Landers, head of cinematography Kim Batterham and head of visual effects Susan Danta.

.I am thrilled to confirm these new members of our team across the Discipline areas. Rowan, Rachel, Kim and Susan each have impressive careers as filmmakers as well as in teaching and I know our students across the curriculum will benefit from their incredible expertise and experience,. said Aftrs CEO Neil Peplow.

Woods, an Aftrs graduate, has a list of directorial credits that include The Kettering Incident, Nowhere Boys 3, The Straits, Little Fish and The Boys

Landers has been a lecturer at Aftrs since 2009; most recently she has been the subject leader for Non Fiction, developing and running the BA (Screen) and teaching the Master of Screen Arts.. A filmmaker and historian, Landers...

The Information and Cultural Exchange's Sling Shot program for emerging screenwriters from Western Sydney is facilitated by screenwriter Nick Parsons (The Straits, My Place) and is taking applications until this Sunday..

The Ice program takes the form of three intensive workshops "which will cover the narrative elements needed to communicate strong, compelling stories, and support emerging writers to develop a 1 — 2 page pitch document".

"The writer.s first shot at grabbing the attention of a producer or TV exec is usually through the pitch. In the shortest and most succinct form, the pitch must convey the essence of the story, characters, and dramatic stakes, and hook the audience from the on-set".

Workshops are free, and up to ten participants are selected.

Sessions are three Thursday evenings in a row - March 24, March 31 and April 7 - from 5.30 to 7.30 pm at the Information and Cultural Exchange in Sydney's Parramatta.

Parsons was the script...

The Information and Cultural Exchange's Sling Shot program for emerging screenwriters from Western Sydney is facilitated by screenwriter Nick Parsons (The Straits, My Place) and is taking applications until this Sunday..

The Ice program takes the form of three intensive workshops "which will cover the narrative elements needed to communicate strong, compelling stories, and support emerging writers to develop a 1 — 2 page pitch document".

"The writer.s first shot at grabbing the attention of a producer or TV exec is usually through the pitch. In the shortest and most succinct form, the pitch must convey the essence of the story, characters, and dramatic stakes, and hook the audience from the on-set".

Workshops are free, and up to ten participants are selected.

Sessions are three Thursday evenings in a row - March 24, March 31 and April 7 - from 5.30 to 7.30 pm at the Information and Cultural Exchange in Sydney's Parramatta.

Parsons was the script...

Richard Brancatisano.and.Andrea Demetriades

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Director Peter Andrikidis was bowled over by the audience reactions to his romantic comedy Alex & Eve when it screened at the Greek Film Festival at Palace.s Norton Street Leichhardt cinemas on Sunday.

It was the first time he.d seen the film with a paid audience and he marvelled at their rollercoaster of emotions, from laughter to tears to laughter.

After several decades in the business Andrikidis knows not to get carried away - festival patrons don.t always reflect mainstream tastes - but the omens are favourable in the lead up to the opening this Thursday. After all, Oddball shows broad. Aussie comedies can resonate effectively.. .

.I am optimistic but you never know,. says the director, acknowledging that some of what he regarded as his best TV works did not succeed while programs he was less happy with did so.

Exhibitors are supporting...

Veteran writer and executive producer David Ogilvy has been appointed head of Beyond.s new scripted drama division, marking the company's return to the genre after 11 years.

The former ABC executive will develop scripted content across a broad range of genres for local and international markets, working with emerging and established writing, directing and producing talent.

Beyond's last drama series was Stingers, which wrapped production in 2004 after eight seasons on the Nine Network.

Ogilvy joins from ABC TV where he was commissioning editor of fiction since 2012. His credits as Ep at the ABC include The Code, Rake, Anzac Girls, Janet King, Hiding, Mabo, An Accidental Soldier, Paper Giants: Magazine Wars and The Straits.

Previously he worked as a writer and script producer on a broad range of adult and children.s drama.. His writing credits include East West 101, The Strip, Young Lions, Lockie Leonard, Dance Academy, Outriders, Blue Water High and Escape from Jupiter.

Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight.s The Water Diviner won the top prize and the gong for best original feature at the 2015 Awgie Awards.

It was the first time a feature collected the Australian Writers' Guild's Major Award and the gong for original feature since 2012 when Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson won with The Sapphires.

The prize for feature film adaptation was shared by Brendan Cowell for Scarlett Productions'. Ruben Guthrie and Tommy Murphy for Matchbox Pictures' Holding the Man.

Matchbox and Full Clip.s Deadline Gallipoli was named best original TV miniseries, acknowledging the work of writers Jacquelin Perske (also script producer), Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant and Cate Shortland.

FremantleMedia.s Wentworth Season 3, Episode 3 The Governor.s Pleasure by Stuart Page shared the TV series award with Endemol Australia.s Offspring Episode 511 by Michael Lucas. Jan Sardi and Mac Gudgeon took the award for best miniseries adaptation for...

One of Australia.s most experienced screenwriters has criticised sexism in casting which she says discriminates against women who aren.t deemed attractive and those from ethnic backgrounds.

Kristen Dunphy says this bias in casting often works against the stereotypes which writers are striving to avoid.

A screenwriter for 20 years, her extensive credits include Essential Media and Entertainment.s upcoming Sbs drama The Principal, Blackfella Films and Werner Film Productions. ABC3 indigenous teen drama Ready for This, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, The Straits, East West 101, Wildside, Heartbreak High and G.P.

.Talented actresses who are overweight, unattractive, unusual looking or just plain ordinary are still rarely cast, unless the show.s a comedy,. she writes in the latest edition of Aftrs. Lumina, which is dedicated to gender equality in the screen industry.

.It seems there is no such thing as a vital female who is not also young, thin and beautiful.

Aacta-award winner Blake Ayshford believes writers in the UK are more valued than they are in Australia.

That.s one reason why the screenwriter is heading to the UK in a few months to pursue the opportunity to work on an eclectic bunch of projects set in Europe, the Middle East and South America.

Not that Ayshford, whose credits include The Code, Devil.s Playground, An Accidental Soldier, The Straits and Crownies, is turning his back on Oz.

He intends to work part-time in the UK while juggling several Australian projects including adaptations of two popular Australian novels for the ABC. He's written an episode of The Beautiful Lie, a modern retelling of Tolstoy.s Anna Karenina to be produced by Endemol Australia.s John Edwards and Imogen Banks for the public broadcaster.

Ayshford, who won an Aacta award as one of the producers of Devil.s Playground, shared with...

Morrissey Molloy Entertainment, Garry Charny.s Spotted Turquoise Films and Michael Gudinski.s Mushroom Pictures have unveiled a joint venture which aims to produce at least six films.

The first two projects are Boys in the Trees, a drama starring Harrison Gilbertson and Alice Englert, and Wake Up Dead, which has Alex Russell and Luke Ford attached.

.We each bring different skills and strong national and international contacts to the joint venture,. Charny tells If. The .matchmaker. was Maura Fay casting agent Marianne Jade, who is casting both films.

"She suggested we get together for a cup of coffee and we realised we were each producing a film we liked and respected,. said Molloy, who is developing Boys in the Trees for the co-venture between Mushroom and Morrissey Molloy.

Wake Up Dead is the first Australian film from Spotted Turquoise. Charny produced Ray Lawrence.s Jindabyne in his former role as head of April Films.

NBCUniversal International Television Production has taken full control of Australian production company Matchbox Pictures, producers of Hulu's critically-acclaimed drama The Straits and the BAFTA-winning The Slap, which NBC is adapting as a miniseries for the U.S.. NBCUniversal was already an equity partner in Matchbox, having taken a stake in the company back in 2011. The new ownership arrangement will not change management at Matchbox. Chris Oliver Taylor will stay on as managing director, company founders Penny Chapman and Tony Ayres will continue to run the company's scripted production business and Kylie Washington the unscripted. “Matchbox is one

read more...

Goalpost Pictures, Matchbox Pictures. Penny Chapman, Jungleboys, Top of the Lake and Lore won key awards at the Screen Producers Australia awards on Wednesday night. Julie Zemiro hosted the free-wheeling ceremony at the Crown Palladium with an appealing mixture of humour, self-deprecating satire and due respect for the recipients. Goalpost was named Production Business of the Year, its principals Ben Grant and Rosemary Blight noting they have been in the industry for 23 years. Chapman received the Maura Fay Award for Services to the Industry in recognition for her work on programs such as The Slap, The Straits, Old School and Devil.s Playground. Jungleboys took the award for Breakthrough Business of the Year, co-founder Jason Burrows paying tribute to his partners Phil Lloyd and Trent O.Donnell. Burrows also expressed gratitude to Screen Australia, the ABC and Centrelink for .financing. the first nine months of Jungleboys. existence. See-Saw Films. Top of the Lake...

ABC telemovie An Accidental Soldier looks set to be sold to multiple territories after London-based Dcd Rights acquired the international distribution rights.

Dcd Rights will introduce the film to international buyers at the Mipcom market in Cannes which runs October 7-10. The firm has an impressive track record in selling Australian dramas and comedies including Rake, The Slap, Mr & Mrs Murder, The Straits, The Strange Calls and A Moody Christmas.

Directed by Rachel Ward and produced by Goalpost Pictures and Taylor Media, An Accidental Soldier starred Dan Spielman, Marie Brunel, Bryan Brown and Julia Zemiro.

Set during WW1 and scripted by Blake Ayshford and based on the book Silent Parts by John Charalambous, it.s the tale of a romance between a young Australian baker who deserted the front line and a grieving French woman who risks her life by sheltering him from the authorities.

Meanwhile, the third season of...

While numerous heroes will make their first appearance in the second season of The CW's "Arrow," none is more anticipated than Barry Allen, aka The Flash.

It's a big role, partly because whomever is cast in the recurring role will also be the lead of a potential spin-off series. Now, Latino Review reports that the potential casting list has been reduced to three names - James Mackay, Matt Barr and Grant Gustin.

Australian actor James Mackay is best known for a role in the Aussie drama "The Straits" and the upcoming Josh Hartnett-led "Singularity".

Texan-born Matt Barr starred in shows like "Hatfields & McCoys," "Hellcats," "Harper's Island," "Commander in Chief" and has a role in the upcoming "Parkland".

Finally, there's Grant Gustin who is best known for the recurring role of Sebastian Smythe in Fox's "Glee."

The character is slated to appear in the second half of the second season.

Sullivan Stapleton and Alex Russell will play ex-cons in Cut Snake, Matchbox Pictures. crime thriller directed by Tony Ayres, which shoots in Melbourne in late October.

Also attached is Jessica De Gouw, a fast-rising Aussie actress who stars in TV's. Arrow and the upcoming series Dracula, which features Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the vampire who.s brought back to life and poses as an American entrepreneur.

The producers are Trevor Blainey (Noise) and Matchbox Pictures. Michael McMahon (The Home Song Stories, Lou, The Slap).

Written by Blake Ayshford (The Time of Our Lives, The Straits), Cut Snake is described as a tense, psychologically-driven crime thriller in which one man discovers his biggest enemy to putting the past behind him is himself.

It marks a return to the big screen for Ayres who directed a segment of Tim Winton.s The Turning,. episodes of The Slap, executive-produced Underground: The Julian Assange Story...

Bryan Brown and Sam Neill will star in Old School, an ABC series in the vein of the BBC comedy-drama New Tricks. Brown will play Ted, a retired cop, with Neill as Lennie, an ex-crim. The odd couple turn sleuth to solve crimes, unravel scams and earn much-needed dosh.

The cast includes Sarah Peirse as Ted.s feisty, sports-mad wife; Hanna Mangan Lawrence as Lennie.s granddaughter Shannon; Mark Coles-Smith as Jason, the mechanic son of one of Lennie.s prison mates; and Damian Walshe-Howling as a charming opportunist who woos Shannon.

The show was created by Paul Oliver and Steve Wright and will be produced by Matchbox Pictures. Helen Panckhurst and exec produced by Tony Ayres and Penny Chapman.

Production of the eight-part series starts in Sydney in June with the directing chores shared by Gregor Jordan (Two Hands, Buffalo Soldiers), Peter Templeman (Not Suitable For Children) and Oliver.

"The problem with a war is, everybody loses.  So, whatever we do now has to finish it." These are a father's words of wisdom, bestowed upon his adult children as they follow in his footsteps, running drugs and guns between Australia and Papua New Guinea, and warring with the local competition in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) ten-episode dramatic series, The Straits. Led by Emmy Award-winning Scottish actor Brian Cox, The Straits is a drama that relies heavily on violence and dark humor to convey the tale of Harry (Cox) and Kitty (Rena Owen) Montebello, an Australian couple who has raised four adopted children to participate in and someday master the family's...

Devil.s Playground, the Foxtel miniseries that deals with the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the 1980s, .won.t pull any punches,. according to producer Helen Bowden.

Now shooting in Sydney, the six-part series stars Simon Burke as Tom Allen, a psychiatrist who is hired as a confessor to the clergy and gets embroiled in political and theological intrigue.

Burke played Allen as a 13-year-old schoolboy in Fred Schepisi.s 1976 drama The Devil.s Playground. The stellar cast includes Don Hany and John Noble as Bishops, Jack Thompson as the Archbishop, Toni Collette as a State Labor MP who campaigns for social justice, Andrew McFarlane as a priest and Max Cullen as a retired priest.

The screenplay by Blake Ayshford, Cate Shortland, Alice Addison and Tommy Murphy is .complete fiction but drawn from events that happened,. Bowden told If.

Funded by Screen Australia and Screen Nsw and produced by Matchbox Pictures,...

Us cable channel Cinemax is teaming with Working Title and Universal TV for a remake of the Australian blackly comic drama series "The Straits".

The original starred Brian Cox as the head of a crime family smuggling drugs & guns into and exotic wildlife out of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula.

Said patriarch is planning his succession, leading to a battle between his three sons as to who will take over.

"Hell on Wheels" writer/producers Tony and Joe Gayton will produce the American version, which will shift the action to the Florida Keys.

Source: Smh...

Exclusive: Cinemax has put in development The Straits, a drama series adaptation of the 2012 Australian series starring Brian Cox. Hell On Wheels creators Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton will write, executive produce and run the project, a gritty modern-day drama that tells the story of a powerful and dangerous crime family who run their business out of the Florida Keys and into Jamaica, trafficking drugs, guns and exotic animals. When the kingpin tells his three sons that he has not yet chosen a successor, he sets in motion a series of catastrophic events that could destroy the very business he’s fought to build. The original series, based on an idea by and co-starring actor Aaron Fa’aoso, was produced by Australian production company Matchbox Pictures, in which NBCUniversal has a majority stake. The Cinemax version will be co-produced by two other NBCU divisions, Working Title and Universal TV. The...

Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney. Exclusive: The Australian Broadcasting Corp. has ordered Old School, an eight-part series about an ex-criminal and an ex-cop who go into business together, from Matchbox Pictures. Global sales outside Australia will be handled by NBCUniversal International, which owns 60% of Matchbox, producers of The Slap, Underground – The Julian Assange Story and The Straits. In the vein of New Tricks, the BBC comedy-drama series about a bunch of retired cops turned sleuths, Old School was created by Paul Oliver and will be executive produced by Matchbox’s Tony Ayres and Helen Panckhurst. Matchbox has a busy slate for 2013 including reality shows The Real Housewives for Foxtel, Formal Wars for the Seven Network, Next Stop Hollywood for ABC, children’s drama Lost Boys for ABC, drama series Return To The Devil’s Playground for Foxtel and Ayres’ theatrical feature Cut Snake, which will star Sullivan Stapleton and Ryan Kwanten.

ABC’s new drama Redfern Now premiered last night on ABC1 as the second most watched show in its timeslot behind Seven’s Beauty and the Geek.

Billed as the first TV series completely written, directed and produced by Indigenous Australians, the six-part series follows six different stories of life in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Redfern.

Last night’s episode, directed by Satellite Boy’s Catriona McKenzie and starring Leah Purcell, debuted with 721,000 total viewers, across the five city metro markets, according to preliminary ratings from OzTAM.

The drama, which was 12th for the night, beat Nine’s Australian Federal Police which rated 702,000 and Ten’s Law and Order: Svu on 681,000.

Cameras began rolling in May on the series which is produced by Darren Dale and Miranda Dear with Cracker’s Jimmy McGovern as story producer. The Sapphires’ Deborah Mailman and Sheri Sebbens as well as director Wayne Blair...

Mabo has won Film of the Year at the 2012 Deadly Awards, held last night at the Sydney Opera House.

The film’s stars also took out top honours in their categories.

The annual Deadly Awards, now in its 18th year, honour Indigenous excellence in various categories across arts, music and sport.

Mabo was selected ahead of documentaries Freedom Rides 40 Years On and The Tall Man.

Premiering at the Sydney Film Festival, Mabo is an ABC commissioned telemovie on the life of Indigenous activist Eddie Mabo, directed by Rachel Perkins and produced by Blackfella Films.

Mabo actors Jimi Bani and Deborah Mailman made it a clean sweep for the film, winning in their Male and Female Actor of the Year categories.

Bani won ahead of The Strait’s Aaron Fa’aoso, Buried City’s Meyne Wyatt, Charles Passi for Mabo and Leon Burchill for The Krakouer.

Mailman beat Outland’s Christine Anu,...

ABC telemovie Mabo and its two lead actors Deborah Mailman and Jimi Bani have scooped the best film and actor categories at the 2012 Deadly Awards.

The telemovie about Eddie and Bonita Mabo (played by Bani and Mailman), and their fight for indigenous land rights, was directed by Rachel Perkins (Bran Nue Dae, First Australians) and written by Sue Smith (Bastard Boys, Brides of Christ).

The television show of the year was awarded to Sbs series The Straits, which was set in.Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait, and followed the drug-smuggling Montebello family. The cast included Rena Owen, Jimi Bani, Firass Dirani and Suzannah Bayes-Morton and Aaron Fa.Aoso.

Indigenous feel-good movie The Sapphires, which has taken more than $12 million at the box office to date, was also recognised. The original Sapphires - Beverly Briggs, Naomi Mayers, Lois Peeler, Laurel Robinson and Tony Briggs - who wrote the original...

The ABC and HBO Asia have collaborated on a new series Serangoon Road to feature a string of Australian actors Don Hany, Maeve Dermody, Rachael Blake and Michael Dorman.

The series is created by Paul Barron and his Peter Andrikidis and Tony Tilse will direct the 10×1 hour series produced by Great Western Entertainment and Singapore’s Infinite Studios.

As well as the ABC and HBO Asia, ScreenWest and international distributors Conten Media Corporation are finance partners.

Cameras have begun to roll in Singapore.

The announcement:

In a major collaboration between ABC TV and HBO Asia the cameras are currently rolling in Singapore on Serangoon Road, an Australia/Singapore prime-time drama co-production.

The co-production companies participating in this 10 x 1hr series are Perth’s Great Western Entertainment and Singapore’s Infinite Studios. The financing partners include ScreenWest, ABC TV and ABC Commercial, HBO Asia and international distributors Content Media Corporation.

Serangoon...

Rachel Ward is set to direct a new tele-movie for ABC TV. An Accidental Soldier, produced by Kylie du Fresne, producer of The Sapphires, and The Tree’s Sue Taylor, tells the story of a baker in the Anzac services corps who makes an extraordinary decision and finds an unexpected love. The film will star Ward’s husband and actor Bryan Brown as well as French actress Marie Bunel and Dan Spielman.

The announcement:

Straight off the back of a triumphant opening week, The Sapphires producer Kylie du Fresne (The Sapphires, Lockie Leonard) is creating another surprising, untold story of Australians at war for ABC TV. The telemovie An Accidental Soldier, which Kylie will produce with Sue Taylor (The Tree, 3 Acts of Murder) begins filming in Perth on Monday 3 September.

Director, Rachel Ward (The Straits, Rake, My Place, Beautiful Kate) has assembled a stellar international cast. French actress Marie Bunel stars alongside Dan Spielman (Offspring,...

The producer of recent Australian hit The Sapphires, Kylie du Fresne, is teaming up with Sue Taylor to tackle World War I dramatic telemovie An Accidental Soldier for ABC TV.

The story follows a baker in the ANZACs.and is described as .a moving and ultimately uplifting story of love that crosses language and cultures in a time of catastrophe,. according to ABC TV head of fiction Carole Sklan.

Production begins on September 3 in Perth, with director Rachel Ward and a screenplay adapted by Blake Ayshford (The Straits, Crownies) from the book Silent Parts by John Charalambous. The telemovie was developed and financed under the Primeime Television Production Fund between ScreenWest and ABC Television.

An Accidental Soldier should provide a boost to the Western Australian industry, according to ScreenWest boss Ian Booth.

.It will be filmed entirely in Western Australia providing Wa practitioners with an opportunity to work with an...

The Australian Writers’ Guild held its annual awards ceremony on Friday 24 August. The Sapphires and screenwriters Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson won most outstanding script. Michael Lucas won two awards, in the feature film original category for Not Suitable For Children and in the TV series category for an episode of Offspring.

The announcement:

The 45th Annual Australian Writers’ Guild Awgie Awards were held on Friday 24th August at Doltone House in Sydney. The only Australian scriptwriting awards judged solely by writers on the basis of the script recognised a new crop of creative talent bringing Australian stories to our screens and stages.

The best of Australian performance writing across feature films, theatre, television, radio, interactive and animation were celebrated at a star-studded affair at Doltone House in Sydney last night as part of the golden 50-year anniversary of the Australian Writers’ Guild. The awards were hosted by iconic Australian...

The 45th annual Australian Writer.s Guild Awgie Awards, held at Doltone House in Sydney, have honoured local productions including The Sapphires, Not Suitable for Children and The Slap.

Hosted by Roy and Hg.s John Doyle, the event was attended by key industry figures and featured Australian writing talent from across film, theatre, television, radio and animation.

Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson work on The Sapphires earned them an Awgie Award for Most Outstanding Script of 2012 and another for best Feature Film Adaption. Up-and-comer Michael Lucas also collected two awards, for an episode of the television show Offspring and in the Feature Film Original category for Not Suitable For Children.

The teams behind The Slap and The Straits won AWGIEs for Best Mini Series Adaption and Television Mini Series . Original respectively. Brides of Christ and The Leaving of Liverpool scribe Susan Smith cemented her place as a Australian scriptwriting...

New ABC drama The Time of Our Lives, which stars Claudia Karvan, Justine Clarke, Shane Jacobson, began shooting in Melbourne on June 29.

The 13x60 minute drama series also stars William McInnes, Stephen Curry and Michelle Vergara Moore, will explore the lives of the Tivolli family as they juggle, fight, love and play their way through the challenges of contemporary family life.

The series has been created by The Secret Life of Us co-creator Amanda Higgs and writer Judi McCrossin and is being produced by their company Jahm productions for ABC TV.

The series' writers include McCrossin (Beaconsfield, The Surgeon, The Secret Life of Us), Michael Miller (Miss Fisher.s Murder Mysteries), Kris Mrksa (The Slap), Blake Ayshford (The Straits), Ursula Cleary (Beaconsfield script editor), and Tony McNamara (The Rage in Placid Lake).

Matchbox Pictures will produce a new six-hour mini-series about Australian and English journalists covering the battle of Gallipoli with actor Sam Worthington to co-produce, and possibly star in. Among the journalists to be portrayed is Keith Murdoch, father of Rupert Murdoch.

Keith Murdoch’s endeavours in covering Gallipoli is near legendary, credited in some quarters with being a turning point in what had been a badly run campaign.

Penny Chapman of Matchbox Pictures, producers of The Slap and The Straits, told Encore Worthington and his FullClip Productions partner John Schwarz brought the project to NBCUniversal which FullClip is in talks with on other productions, and which owns a major interest in Matchbox Pictures.

The untitled project has received development funding by Foxtel.

The mini-series follows three embedded journalists who see the war going wrong but can’t report on it; Charles Bean, British war correspondent Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett and Rupert Murdoch...

Hollywood-based, Australian writer and executive producer of the NCIS franchise Shane Brennan will return to Australia to continue his involvement in Playmakers’ Scribe Showrunner Initiative.

The announcement:

Australian screenwriter and producer Shane Brennan is back in Australia to continue his involvement in Playmakers’ Scribe Showrunner Initiative for 2012.

Scribe was launched in 2011 with the support of Screen Australia’s Enterprise Program.

Inaugural participants Matt Ford (Panic at Rock Island, Slide) and Shelly Birse (Lockie Leonard, Wildside) are both currently in broadcaster funded development on their own Scribe projects.

Another Scribe success story is the newly announced Nine Network series, House Husbands, co-created by Drew Proffitt and Ellie Beaumont.

House Husbands is a 10 part drama series about four Australian families with one thing in common: the men are in charge of raising the kids.

Filming commenced in Melbourne this week.

In the next few weeks, Shane Brennan will mentor three of the...

Australian actor Aaron Fa'aoso has been handed a fine after pleading guilty to charges stemming from his arrest at a nightclub in Cairns last year.

The Straits star admitted charges of wilful damage and drunk or disorderly behaviour for wrecking a cash register during a bust-up at the city's Heritage nightclub in October.

Fa'aoso appeared at Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday for sentencing and he was ordered to pay a $363 (£227) fine and hand over $913 (£571) for damage to the cash register.

His conviction was not recorded, but he was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond, which means he will have to stay out of trouble or face more court action.

An Australian production company has sold the rights to one of its series across Eastern and Western Europe.

Matchbox Pictures struck the deal with AMC/Sundance Channel Global which will see the Tropical gangster story aired across Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, France, Benelux as well as selected territories in Asia.

Helen Panckhurst, producer at Matchbox Pictures said: “We’re delighted to be receiving significant international interest in The Straits and that the ABC has given us the opportunity to develop such distinctive contemporary Australian drama series.”

The deal was struck through NBCU International, who bought into Matchbox Pictures last year.

Also purchased in the deal was for Matchbox Pictures‘ other stand out series The Slap to air in Benelux on the Sundance Channel, which is in addition to previously secured rights for Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Asia.

Locally, The Straits struggled to secure the audience...

Williams

Assange

Ten has announced Rachel Griffiths and Anthony Lapaglia have been cast in the forthcoming tele movie Underground, based on the early life of Julian Assange as a computer hacker.

Underground will commence shooting over four weeks as of Monday 16 April in Melbourne.

Griffiths will play Assange’s activist mother Christine Assange while Lapaglia will play detective Ken Roberts.

Newcomer Alex Williams has been cast as Assange.

Produced by Matchbox Pictures’ Helen Bowden as producer and Tony Ayres as Ep, who made The Slap and The Straits, it’s written and directed by Robert Connolly.

Bowden said: “Underground is the incredible, true story of a group of schoolboys in Melbourne who were hacking into the some of the biggest corporate and military organisations in the world, at the dawn of the internet age. It is a fascinating tale and we are very excited to be bringing it to the screen.

Australian actor Aaron Fa'aoso has pleaded guilty to two charges stemming from his arrest at a Cairns nightclub in October.

The Straits star was enjoying an evening out at the city's The Heritage hotspot when he was detained by cops for allegedly damaging a cash register.

Fa'aoso was subsequently charged with wilful damage and drunk or disorderly behaviour, and he appeared in court in Cairns on Tuesday to plead guilty, according to The Cairns Post.

The actor's lawyer, Richard O'Shane, asked for sentencing to be deferred to a later date and the judge set the hearing for 23 April.

Aaron Fa'aoso pleaded guilty to two charges in court yesterday morning (March 13). The Australian actor, best known for his roles in new ABC drama The Straits and East West 101, was charged after damaging a cash register at The Heritage nightclub in Cairns on October 16, 2011. According to The Cairns Post, Fa'aoso got drunk during a night out in the weeks after filming for The Straits wrapped in Far North Queensland. The court heard that the incident occurred shortly before midnight, and Fa'aoso was arrested by police outside the club soon afterwards. He was charged with wilful damage and drunk or disorderly behaviour. Fa'aoso's (more)...

The Secret Life of Us and Offspring's producer John Edwards has joined the TV racism debate in Australia. Samoan actor Jay Laga'aia recently claimed that he was axed from Home and Away because of his race, while The Straits' Firass Dirani claimed that most Aussie TV networks do not "create roles for people from a broad range of cultural backgrounds". Although the Seven Network labelled Laga'aia's comments as "offensive" and "insulting", the discussion has gone into overdrive as various other stars have joined the debate. Edwards told The Age that he cast indigenous actress Deborah Mailman in both of his shows (more)...

From drama to reality and factual – meet the production house powerhouses responsible for Australia’s greatest television.

Andrew Denton

Owner/ Creative guy

Zapruder’s Other Films The Gruen Transfer, Hungry Beast, Country Town Rescue, Randling

With producers Anita Jacoby and Peter Thompson, Andrew Denton’s Zapruder’s Other Films is known for intelligent and often funny television.

Denton came to prominence as the host of ABC’s 1988 comedy show Blah Blah Blah and was quick to get involved behind the scenes. His first executive producing credit came in 2001 when he gave The Chaser team their break with The Election Chaser.

Denton is responsible for adland favourite The Gruen Transfer, with five series including Gruen Planet and Nation under its belt. The show is one of the ABC’s highest rating formats attracting international interest.

Denton’s great skill is fostering young talent with his 2008 Project Next experiment resulting in Hungry Beast.

Peter Andrikidis is one of Australia's most respected directors. The Straits marks the third series where he has worked with rising talent Aaron Fa.Aoso, and the first to be based on aspects of his life.

.He.s had a pretty hard life . he.s got a lot to say,. Andrikidis says, who first worked with Fa'Aoso on crime series East West 101 and the soon-to-be released bikie telemovie Brothers in Arms.

"Aaron.s grown so much from East West one to East West three . he.s just learnt so much. He.s like a sponge and he just keeps getting better and better. Certainly, with this character [Noel Montebello] there.s a balance of humour and also, he has a heavy touch as well, so getting the tone of the show right was the big thing with all that cast, so it.s not corny stuff and it still has dramatic levels.

Peter Andrikidis is one of Australia's most respected directors. The Straits marks the third series where he has worked with rising talent Aaron Fa.Aoso, and the first to be based on aspects of his life. .He.s had a pretty hard life . he.s got a lot to say,. Andrikidis says, who first worked with Fa'Aoso on crime series East West 101 and the soon-to-be released bikie telemovie Brothers in Arms. "Aaron.s grown so much from East West one to East West three . he.s just learnt so much. He.s like a sponge and he just keeps getting better and better. Certainly, with this character [Noel Montebello] there.s a balance of humour and also, he has a heavy touch as well, so getting the tone of the show right was the...

ABC’s new series The Straits has had a slow ratings start to its ten episode run.

Produced by Matchbox Pictures, producers of last year’s success The Slap, The Straits movie length premiere averaged 599,000, peaking at 696,000 viewers last night, according to preliminary ratings by Oztam.

Matchbox Pictures’ creative director Penny Chapman spoke to Encore in January: “It’s the violence and the black humour that is going to make this pretty special. I’ve not made a show like this – maybe blue murder but the Straits’ humour is quite enjoyable. Young men respond to it strongly. It’s a real blokes show. And for the ABC that’s great because young men don’t watch the ABC.”

The Straits is based on an idea by Aaron Fa’aoso which has been developed by a team of writers, including: AFI winning Louis Nowra (Cosi, K-19: The Widowmaker, Radiance); Blake Ayshford (Crownies,...

Matchbox Pictures, best known for recent hit series The Slap, will produce its first ever project for a commercial network.

The award-winning, Melbourne-based company is currently gearing up for its April shoot date on upcoming Channel 10 telemovie, Underground.

Penned and to be directed by Robert Connolly, the biographical telemovie is set in late-1980s-suburban Melbourne. It follows Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as a teenager along with his gang of friends . the International Subversives . as they try to break into the computer systems of the world's most powerful organisations.

Hoping to uncover the inner workings of these groups, the boys wage battle from their bedrooms with the technologies, with each other and with the Senior Afp detective who is intent on shutting down their group.

No cast had been confirmed, a Matchbox Pictures spokesman said.

Produced by Helen Bowden and executive produced by Tony Ayres, the telemovie . based on a 1997 Suelette...

HBO has released new teasers for the return of the big-budget fantasy series "Game of Thrones" and its fun Southern vampire drama "True Blood", while ABC Australia have unveiled a full-length trailer for a campy Tropics-set crime saga called "The Straits".

The clip for 'Thrones', which kicks off its second season on April 1st, includes plenty of new footage and bits of dialogue giving us glimpses of more epic landscapes and a few new characters.

As the fifth season of 'Blood' doesn't kick off until the Summer, this first preview doesn't feature any real footage - it's a graphical teaser hinting at the return of Russell Edgington who has seemingly broken out of his concrete prison.

For something a little different and less polished comes the rather bizarre trailer for the new blackly comic Aussie crime series "The Straits".

Brian Cox stars as the head of the Montebello clan,...

Matchbox Pictures has released the trailer to its new series, The Straits.

The production company that produced The Slap tells the story of the Montebellos, a family of gangsters in far north Queensland dealing with drug runners, Png raskols, the police and the inner workings of the family unit. At the head of the family is Harry Montebello, played by Brian Cox (Braveheart, Bourne Supremacy).

Joining Cox is Rena Owen playing his part Torres Strait Island, part Maori wife, Kitty plus AFI Nominated Aaron Fa’aoso (East West 101, Ran), Logie winner Firass Dirani (Underbelly, Pitch Black) as well as new Australian talent; Jimi Bani (Ran, The Sapphires) and Suzannah Bayes-Morton (All Saints, The Tumbler), who together play the Montebello’s children.

The shoot began in June.

Matchbox Pictures won Producer of the Year at Spaa’s Independent Producers Awards.

Screentime and Network Ten have announced more names to their six part series Brothers in Arms.

Alongside actors already announced Callan Mulvey, Anthony Hayes and Damian Walshe-Howling, will be Susie Porter (East West 101, Sisters of War), Todd Lasance (Cloudstreet, Crownies), Luke Ford (Red Dog, Animal Kingdom) and Luke Hemsworth.

About the about the Milperra bikie war in 1984 between rival gangs, the Bandidos and the Comancheros Brothers in Arms will be directed by Peter Andrikidis who has also worked on The Straits, Killing Time and Underbelly and written by Greg Haddrick (Crownies, Underbelly, Mda), Roger Simpson (Halifax Fp, Stingers) and Jo Martino (Winners & Losers, Satisfaction).

Screentime are the production company behind the Underbelly and Crownies.

Ten executive producer Rick Maier said: “There is obviously a great responsibility to tell a story like this truthfully, respectfully and with conviction – so we felt very privileged to see this outstanding ensemble come together.

Helen Bowden and Helen Panckhurst, photo: Cynthia Sciberras

Matchbox Pictures has been named Independent Producer of the Year at the 2011 Spaa Independent Producers Awards.

The production company is behind adult drama series The Slap, children’s show My Place and the upcoming crime series The Straits. Matchbox Pictures was formed by executives Helen Bowden and Helen Panckhurst, and producers Penny Chapman, Tony Ayres and Michael McMahon.

Winners were announced across a number of categories at the awards night on Monday night as part of the Spaa Conference.

See-Saw Films won best feature film for The Kings Speech. The production company run by Emile Sherman and Iain Canning also produced Oranges and Sunshine.

Breakthrough award went to the producers of The Tunnel, Julian Harvey and Enzo Tedeschi with their innovative business model to maximise viewership through an agreement with BitTorrent.

Essential Media and Entertainment won best television drama for their series Rake starring Richard Roxburgh.