eNews Congratulations

Liv

Mon, 14 May 2012 05:25:00 GMT

Liv is having it's World Premiere at Palm Springs International ShortFest in June. Metro Screen Alumni Pauline Findlay and Tracey Savage developed the idea of Red Dot which became Liv and gained a Metro Screen Network Production grant in 2009.

For more information visit: http://www.metroscreen.org.au/_blog/eNews_Metro_Screen/post/Network_production_grants_winner/

Palm Springs International ShortFest: http://www.psfilmfest.org

The Child Star and The Beach

Tue, 08 May 2012 05:53:00 GMT

Metro Screen Alumni Ridwan Hassim won 2 awards at Fox Studios on 4th May at the Premiere Short Film Competition run by Rising Pictures:

Most Original Film: The Child Star [created as part of a Documentary Scholorship via Metro Screen]

Best Film: The Beach [Funded by Screen NSW Emerging Filmmakers Fund]

The films were judged by Kriv Stenders [Director of Red Dog] and Bill Leimbach [Producer of Beneath Hill 60]

Ridwan is in the process of currently writing a microbudget feature.

The Beach: http://speedyriddycreation.blip.tv/file/2067637

The Child Star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd3DNBbwufw

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/speedyriddy

The Sapphires to Screen in Official Selection at Cannes

Tue, 01 May 2012 05:53:00 GMT

The highly anticipated Australian film The Sapphires, directed by Metro Screen Alumni Wayne Blair, has been invited to have its world premiere in Official Selection at the 65th Cannes Film Festival. The Sapphires will screen in Cannes on Saturday 19 May. Wayne made his first two films with Metro Screen through the Lester Bostock Scheme.

Inspired by Tony Briggs' uplifting, hit stage-play of the same name, The Sapphires is adapted for the screen by Briggs and Keith Thompson and is produced by Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne of Goalpost Pictures Australia. The Sapphires is a musical comedy set against the social upheaval of the late 1960s. It stars Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell as an all-girl singing group who are discovered by an unlikely talent scout, played by Chris O’Dowd [Bridesmaids]. Plucked from obscurity on a remote Australian Aboriginal mission, the girls are branded as Australia’s answer to The Supremes and dropped into the jungles of Vietnam to entertain the troops. Screen Australia is a major investor in the film, which has already achieved significant sales around the world.

'Selection into Cannes, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, will truly launch The Sapphires on the international stage,' said Screen Australia’s Chief Executive Ruth Harley. 'There’s something very special about this film and there’s a huge amount of buzz about it already. I’d like to congratulate the filmmakers on this wonderful achievement.'

Website: http://www.festival-cannes.com

Dancing with Jellyfish

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:25:00 GMT

Lew Keilar, a participant in Metro Screen's VFX Certificate IV Scholarship 2011 and Certificate IV in Screen and Media 2008 graduate, has Jeff Duff music video Dancing with Jellyfish screening this month at BEFLIM the Underground Film Festival in Tribeca, New York. The festival features 59 films from 22 countries and the Festival Director was, quote "dazzled", by the music video clip that was created as part of the VFX Certificate IV Scholarship. The clip was produced by Jeff Duff and other course participants Dani Skerrett and Gerald Lee.

To view the clip visit: https://vimeo.com/34460354
Password: DWTJ

BEFLIM Festival Website: http://www.befilm.net/schedule.html

Horse Talk TV

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:57:00 GMT

Horse Talk TV is a entertaining magazine style show on horses and horse riding and is the creation of producer, host and Metro Screen alumni Katie Hickson, a passionate horsewoman who had no previous training in Film or TV production. Horse Talk TV was a finalist in a Metro Screen Network pitching competition and Katie received advice from Metro Screen's Productions and Projects.

The production had no start up funding and the pilot was created by a volunteer crew, including Jan Ellis sourced from Metro Screen, who went on to become the Series editor. To fund Series 1, Katie single-handedly raised over $70,000 in production funds by selling sponsorships into the show. The first season went to air across Australia nationally in 2009 on the C31 free-to-air community TV networks. The show was an instant success with its audience and in 2010 took out Community TV's highest achievement, the Antenna award for 'Most Outstanding Information and Lifestyle Programme'. The Series was picked up in its first year by USA cable network HRTV and airs to over 18 million viewers. The series is also broadcast in New Zealand on Triangle/Stratos TV to 830,000 viewers. In 2010 second series grew from 6 to 8 half hour episodes and reached 700,000 Australian viewers [*2010 OzTAM figures]. Horse Talk TV expanded in 2011 to include Foxtel's Aurora channel, taking the show to 1.2 million pay TV viewers a month. Katie also took on licensing Australia's first dedicated Equestrian IPTV channel called the Horse Talk channel which streams HD equestrian content direct into 3G smart phones & PC's. 2012 saw Horse Talk TV make the big jump to free-to-air commercial TV on Channel 7's newest station '4meTV'. The show now reaches 22 million Australian households and continues to be broadcast in the USA and NZ. Series 3 is currently in production and will air nationally in July 2012. Not a bad effort for a girl who loved horses and just wanted to share that passion with others.

Website: http://www.horsetalktv.com.au

Dead Tone at Fantastic Planet Film Festival

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:44:00 GMT

Metro Screen alumni produced short horror film Dead Tone will be playing at the Fantastic Planet Film Festival Australian SCI-FI and Fantasy Showcase on Wednesday 28th March. It is eligible for the audience award on the night.

Alumni who worked on the film are:

Jodin Meyer – Director and Co Producer [Certificate IV in Screen and Media graduate]
Mary Kirkness – Co Producer [Certificate IV in Screen and Media graduate and current Metro Screen Learning and Development Program Coordinator Short Courses]
Michael Warczak – Co Producer [Certificate IV in Screen and Media graduate]
Dan Christie – DOP [Metro Screen Hire + Post Crew]

For more information visit: http://www.fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com/program_2012/index.php?nav=1&page_no=22

Metro Screen Alumni Invited to Apply to Sundance Writers Lab

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:34:00 GMT

Pauline Findlay [Certificate IV in Screen and Media graduate) has been invited to apply to the Sundance Writers Lab. We wish her every success with her application.

Metro Screen Alumni Winners at 18th WOW Film Festival

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:34:00 GMT

Metro Screen alumni were amongst the winners at this years WOW Film Festival.

Kristy Best [First Break 2010 recipient] was awarded Best Australian Film Comedy for Something Fishy.

Wendy Morrison [VFX Scholarship 2011 recipient] was awarded Best Australian Digi-Media Vodule for The Wooley Song.

Damien Power [Breakout 2011 recipient] was awarded SBS Award and Audience Choice award for Peekaboo. The film was also awarded Best Australian Editor for Katie Flaxman

For more information and full list of winners visit: http://www.wift.org/wow

Money Tree at African Film Festival

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:56:00 GMT

Funded by Metro Screen's First Break Program 2011, Money Tree is an animation about Solomon, a destitute African boy trapped in poverty and his dreams of becoming rich. One day while roaming the village market he finds a coin belonging to a female shopper. He decides against the easy option of purchasing food with the money because he cannot bear to part with the coin, and so seeks the advice of his older brother. Solomon’s brother convinces him to grow a money tree by planting the coin, which he does. Unbeknownst to Solomon however his brother takes the coin at the first opportunity and he spends a week watering nothing. When he finally realises the truth Solomon is confronted with reality that he can never get something for nothing and that what goes around comes around. The film is directed by Hawanatu Bangura and will screen at the inaugural African Film Festival in Sydney on 14th April.

For more information visit: http://africanfilmfestival.com.au/program/money-tree/

The Rose Tattoo World Premiere

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:04:00 GMT

Metro Screen's Indigenous Breakthrough short film 'The Rose Tattoo', written/directed by Alanna Rose and Produced by Julian Galea [Galea Pictures] is set to world premier at 2012 WOW Film Festival.

When: Wednesday 7th March 2012
Cost: $10
Where: NSW Parliament House, 6 Macquarie St, Sydney
Website: http://www.wift.org/wow/WOW_18th_Session2.htm

For more information on the film visit: http://www.galeapictures.com/galeapictures.com/the_rose_tattoo.html

The Light Room

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:56:00 GMT

Metro Screen Alumni Kenny Foo has made his first film 'The Light Room'. He studied Introduction to Screenwriting, Craft of Directing and Camera Essentials at Metro Screen and his short horror film was initially made for Tropfest and can be viewed here: http://vimeo.com/37041004

Unwanted Friend at Tropfest

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:00:00 GMT

The film 'Unwanted Friend' was shot by Metro Screen Certificate IV in Screen and Media Graduate Simon Koloadin.

After 10 days, 60,000 views and 40, 000 votes, Sydney-based filmmaker, Matt Levett, and his quirky comedy ‘Unwanted Friend’, has snared the 16th finalist position in the 2012 Movie Extra Tropfest, beating out nine other hopefuls. The seven minute short is Levett’s first foray into the Tropfest competition, but he is a recognizable face on Australian TV, having starred in 'Home and Away' and 'Winners and Losers'.

Continuing with tradition, Movie Extra Tropfest is a free, public event screened live on Sunday 19th February to an anticipated audience of 150,000 at free outdoor public events across Australia and New Zealand, where it takes place for the first time this year in New Plymouth. It is also televised live to hundreds of thousands more on Subscription TV channel Movie Extra.

For more information visit: http://www.tropfest.com/au

Abbie at Byron Bay Film Festival

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:14:00 GMT

'Abbie' by Metro Screen staffer Erin Good, has been selected to screen at Byron Bay Film Festival! Erin is looking for support for her next project.

For more information visit: http://www.mymotherherdaughter.com

Metro Screen Multiplatform Scholarship Success: Crime Plays

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:09:00 GMT

The Department of Trade and Investment have announced a slate of projects they will fund in 2012 as part of their Interactive Media Fund; Among them is Crime Plays, a mobile-locative game from the team at Sydney-based creative collective, Dog Money World.

A “Cross between The Amazing Race and Grand Theft Auto”, Crime Plays offers an immersive form of storytelling for audiences hungry for involved entertainment.

A true cross-platform offering, Crime Plays involves television integration, online, social media and at its heart, a smart-phone application. Players adopt a fictional role and take their place in a virtual-crime world working their way through the ranks from petty-crim to mob boss. Users complete virtual missions, play mini-games and compete against their peers to become the ‘top dog’ in the fictional, criminal world. All of this is done in real-world locations, seamlessly blurring the lines between real-life and gameplay.

Dog Money World wanted to bring a free-roaming console game experience to the real world using mobile and social platforms:

“We really want to give users the opportunity to play a game that feels as immersive as something like LA Noire or Call of Duty, but without being chained to the sofa. We’re creating a rich world of story and a great multi-player experience” - James Boyce, Dog Money World

The team will be headed up by Anna Bay, James Boyce and Claire Evans who have between them worked on feature films, large-scale digital projects, and brand campaigns for some the world’s most recognized brands including Toyota, Weta Digital and Clinique. They met and began developing Crime Plays while participating in MetroScreen's inaugural MultiPlatform Screen Producer Scholarship in 2010.

Alex Carlyle of LA Noire fame will lead the game design; his experience in gaming goes back more than 10 years and includes multi-million bestsellers including one of PS2’s ‘Top 10 Selling Games of All Time’ The Getaway.

“I was instantly impressed by the potential for the project to provide unique and interesting interaction for the player” - Alex Carlyle, Lead Game Design (LA Noire, The Getaway)

Dog Money World plan to release the game in conjunction with an existing film or television series, incorporating popular characters and story lines into Crime Plays; they are currently in talks with both local and international studios and broadcasters regarding partnership.

“We’re looking to align with a greater narrative property. For Crime Plays, it means a rich story-world around which we can tailor our immersive experience. For the IP owners, it means a brand-strengthening line extension, an innovative tool for audience engagement, and an opportunity for revenue capture” - Anna Bay, Dog Money World

The game will incorporate in-game transactions and will also look to brands for sponsorship.

Crime Plays will be available in 2012. Watch the game trailer here: http://vimeo.com/24546796

For more information, please contact:

Claire Evans, Dog Money World

Phone: 0407 221141

Email: claire@dogmoneyworld.com

Metro Screen Supported Projects in My Queer Career

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:14:00 GMT

Three Metro Screen supported projects have made it in to The Mardi Gras Film Festival program as part of the My Queer Career short film competition program:

'Mogadishu Dreaming' directed Lesley Branagan [supported by our Jumpstart program]
'First Date' directed by John Tsioulos, produced by Ash Morgan [funded by First Break 2011]
'Ostia La Notte Finale' directed by Craig Boreham, Produced by Annmaree J Bell.

'My Queer Career' is one of the world's most prestigious awards for queer short filmmakers and is only open to locally produced work. The major prize includes $3,000 cash and automatic inclusion in the international queer shorts competition, the IRIS PRIZE. Other prizes include in-kind production facilities and support to the value of $15,000. Judges this year were Michael McMahon [Matchbox Pictures, producer The Slap, The Straits ], Fiona MGregor [The Age book of the year author], Mark Woods [Director 37 South and Miff Industry Programs]