Wednesday 5 August 2009

An adaptation of Louis de Bernières’ best-selling novel Red Dog is among $12.5 million of Screen Australia investment announced today.

The film was adapted for the screen by Daniel Taplitz and will be directed by Kriv Stenders and produced by Nelson Woss and Julie Ryan. Production is expected to take place in Western Australia’s Pilbara from October and will star Koko the dog in the title role.

“In an environment where we have significantly less funding to invest in feature films, it is great to find a very Australian story that explodes with charm. The Red Dog story has already touched the lives of many people and we know audiences will also embrace it warmly on the screen,” said Ruth Harley, Screen Australia’s Chief Executive Officer.

Joel Pearlman, Managing Director of Roadshow Films, said, “We are thrilled that Red Dog has received funding approval. We have been working on this project with producer Nelson Woss for a number of years and we are excited that it will now be brought to the screen. Red Dog has the potential to be an extremely broad theatrical release for a wide Australian audience and we are delighted to be collaborating with Screen Australia on the project.”

Screen Australia also announced support for Slide, an innovative integrated multiplatform drama experience, and the second series of the internationally successful children’s television program, Elephant Princess.

Three dramas inspired by real-life events have received production investment support: Hawke, which focuses on the transformation of Bob Hawke; Sisters of War, inspired by a small group of Australians who were made prisoners of war; and Credence, the shocking story of Maria Korp who was left to die in the boot of her car.

Ten documentaries received support including Who Do You Think You Are 3, the latest instalment in the top-rating series where well-known Australians play detective as they go in search of their family history.

Screen Australia’s investment will trigger in excess of $46 million of production.

For production details see below.

Victoria Buchan, The Lantern Group, victoria@lanterngroup.com.au
T: (02) 9383 4033  M: 0408 114 864

Feature

RED DOG
Woss Group Film Productions Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Graham Burke, Joel Pearlman, Aaron Ryder, Su Armstrong
Producers Nelson Woss, Julie Ryan
Writer Daniel Taplitz
Director Kriv Stenders
Sales and Distribution Essential Entertainment, Roadshow
Synopsis Set in Western Australian's Pilbara, Red Dog is based on the Louis de Bernières novel about a dog who brings together a community.

Television Drama

CREDENCE
Playmaker Media Pty Ltd
Producer David Maher and David Taylor
Writer Ellie Beaumont
Director Ian Watson
Sales and Distribution ITVG Global
Synopsis While Melbourne mother of two, Maria Korp, lay dying in the boot of her car, her husband, Joe Korp, pointed the finger of blame at his mistress Tania Herman. As the truth unravelled, a twisted tale of suburban swingers‚ grand scale deception and murder emerged, which shocked Australia. This is the shocking and macabre story of Maria: The Woman In The Boot.

HAWKE
The Film Company
Executive Producers Rick Maier, David Parker
Producer Richard Keddie
Writer Glen Dolman
Director Emma Freeman
Broadcaster Network Ten
Sales and Distribution ABC Commercial
Synopsis The story of Australia’s most-loved Prime Minister as he faces his greatest challenge: a battle within his own party. As he fights for his life, we discover his incredible transformation from the womanising but brilliant trade union president to a polished, egalitarian and visionary world leader.

SISTERS OF WAR
Pericles Film Productions Pty Ltd
Producer Andrew Wiseman
Writer John Misto
Sales and Distribution DCD Rights, ABC Commercial
Synopsis Sisters of War is inspired by the true story of a small group of Australian nurses and nuns who found themselves in the eye of the storm when the Japanese military made them prisoners of war on the remote island of New Britain in 1942. It is a tale of strength, survival and forgiveness.

SLIDE
Slide Films Pty Ltd
Producers David Maher, David Taylor, Nathan Mayfield, Tracey Robertson, Ross Crowley
Writers Keith Thompson, Michael Lucas
Broadcaster Foxtel
Sales and Distribution Fremantle Media Enterprises
Synopsis Slide is an exciting integrated multiplatform drama experience and tracks five teens as they smash their way into adulthood. When you’re 17, life can turn in 24 hours and for Bryan, Tammy, Luke, Linda and Eva this will be the transformative time of their lives. They’ve got 10 weeks, each other and a lift home from mum when they need it. Slide: survive your teenage years with a smile.

Children’s Television

Elephant Princess SERIES 2
Jonathan M Shiff Productions Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Jonathan M Shiff, Julia Adams
Story Producers Chris Roache, Joss King
Writers Simon Butters, Sam Carroll, Max Dann, Joss King, Anthony Morris, Chris Roache
Directors Colin Budds, Grant Brown
Sales and Distribution Network Ten, Disney Channel, ZDF, ZDF Enterprises
Synopsis In an epic battle to defend her Kingdom from Dark Magic and the evil witch Diva, modern teenage girl Alex Wilson falls in love with Caleb, a strikingly handsome boy with a dangerous secret.

Documentaries – Domestic Door

1606 AND 1770: A TALE OF TWO DISCOVERIES
Shoebox Films
Executive Producer Pat Fiske
Producer/Director John Mulders
Broadcaster Foxtel
Sales and Distribution Foxtel
Synopsis A lone Dutch explorer lands on Australia’s northern coast in 1606, charting over 300 kilometres, yet Australians still revere Cook as their discoverer.

Accentuate the Positive
Iris Pictures
Producer Jessica Douglas Henry
Director John Janson-Moore
Broadcaster ABC TV
Sales and Distribution ABC Commercial
Synopsis Follows the introduction of the philosophy of positive education into the school curriculum at Geelong Grammar School, focusing on the experiences of Year 9 students at the unique Timbertop campus in rural Victoria.

From the Ashes
Carbon Media Events Pty Ltd
Producer Helen Morrison
Field Producer Donald Johannessen
Director Dean Gibson
Broadcaster  ABC TV
Sales and Distribution ABC Commercial
Synopsis Two young Indigenous Australian cricketers travel to England as part of a team to retrace the first ever Australian Cricket Tour of 1868, in a journey of self-discovery and extraordinary Indigenous heritage.

The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru
Montevideo Maru Pty Ltd
Producers John Schindler, Bob Blasdall
Director Dick Marks
Broadcaster Foxtel History Channel
Sales and Distribution Montevideo Maru Pty Ltd
Synopsis At the bottom of the South China Sea lies the wreck of Australia’s greatest ever maritime tragedy. One thousand and fifty-three young men and boys, military personnel and civilians, forever entombed in the hold of a Japanese prison ship.

Who Do You Think You Are 3
WhoThree Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Brian Beaton, Margie Bryant
Series Producer Celia Tait
Broadcaster SBS TV
Sales and Distribution Outright, SBS
Synopsis Well-known Australians play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past.

Documentaries – International Door

The Nomad Trail
Orana Films Nomad Pty Ltd
Producer/Director Richard Dennison
Series Directors Richard Dennison, Malcolm Macdonald, Mike Balson, Tim Cope
Broadcaster ABC TV, ZDF/ARTE
Sales and Distribution ABC Commercial
Synopsis The Nomad Trail follows Tim Cope’s remarkable journey over three-and-a-half years as he ‘re-rides’ history from Mongolia to Hungary on the trail of mounted nomad warriors.

Sales, Seduction and Sex
Essential Media and Entertainment
Executive Producer Chris Hilton
Producers Sonja Armstrong, Christine Le Goff
Director Sally Aitken
Broadcaster SBS TV, Arte France
Sales and Distribution RDF, Essential Media, Telfrance
Synopsis Sales, Seduction and Sex – How Shopping was Invented is an intriguing story arguing that the department store is one of the greatest inventions to come out of the industrial revolution, and spawned the rise of consumerism and the modern shopping mall.

Skin Deep
Electric Pictures
Producers Andrew Ogilvie, Andrea Quesnelle, Marco Visalberghi
Director Franco Di Chiera
Broadcaster SBS, Arte France, RAI, WDR
Sales and Distribution,ABC Content Sales
Synopsis Skin Deep is a global journey to discover the origin of human skin colours, drawing on exciting scientific research that not only sheds new light on the human rainbow, but challenges traditional notions of race.

Storm Surfers 2
6ixty Foot Films Pty Ltd with Firelight Productions
Producer Marcus Gillezeau
Producer/Director/Writer Chris Nelius
Co-Director Justin McMillan
Line Producer Ellenor Cox
Broadcaster Discovery Network Asia
Sales and Distribution Off the Fence
Synopsis Storm Surfers 2 follows big wave surf legends Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll as they hunt down the world's biggest waves off the coast of New Zealand.

National Documentary Program

Jandamarra
December Films, Wawili Pitjas Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Stephen Amezdroz
Producer Tony Wright, Eileen Torres
Director Mitch Torres
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis The thrilling story of the great warrior, Jandamarra, who turned from police assistant to resistance fighter, leading his people against the white forces invading their land.