Funding Approvals
IN the archives
2014–2015 production funding

A MONTH OF SUNDAYS
Madman Production Company Pty Ltd
Producers Nick Batzias, Kirsty Stark
Executive Producer Paul Wiegard
Writer/Director Matthew Saville
Australian Distributor Madman Entertainment
International Sales Voltage Pictures
Cast Anthony LaPaglia
Synopsis Everyone deserves a second chance. Even a real estate agent. Frank Mollard’s life takes an unexpected turn for the better when he receives a phone call from his dead mother.

ALI’S WEDDING
Matchbox Productions Pty Ltd
Producers Sheila Jayadev, Helen Panckhurst
Executive Producers Tony Ayres, Michael McMahon, Greg Sitch, Nina Stevenson
Director Wayne Blair
Writers Andrew Knight, Osamah Sami
Australian Distributor Madman Entertainment
International Sales Beta Cinema
Synopsis After a reckless lie sets off a catastrophic chain of events, Ali, the son of a Muslim cleric, finds himself caught between his sense of duty to his family and following his heart. Based on real events, Ali’s Wedding is an irreverent, warm-hearted comedy, and an affectionate and vivid portrait of Islamic life in Australia.

BERLIN SYNDROME
Aquarius Films Pty Ltd
Producer Polly Staniford
Executive Producers Angie Fielder, Troy Lum, David Whealy
Director Cate Shortland
Writer Shaun Grant
Australian Distributor eOne
International Sales Memento Films International
Cast Teresa Palmer, Max Riemelt
Synopsis A passionate holiday romance takes an unexpected and sinister turn when an Australian photographer wakes one morning in a Berlin apartment and is unable to leave.

BREATH
See Pictures Pty Ltd, Gran Via Productions, Breath Productions Pty Ltd
Producers Mark Johnson, Simon Baker, Jamie Hilton
Director Simon Baker
Writer Gerard Lee
Australian Distributor Palace Films
International Sales Arclight Films
Synopsis Based on Tim Winton’s award-winning novel set in mid-70s coastal Australia. Two teenage boys, hungry for discovery, form an unlikely bond with a reclusive surfer and his mysterious wife. The boys are driven to take risks that will have a profound and lasting impact on their lives.

THE DAUGHTER
Fate Films Pty Ltd
Producers Jan Chapman, Nicole O’Donohue
Writer/director Simon Stone
Australian Distributor Roadshow Films
International Sales Mongrel International
Synopsis A man returns to his hometown and unearths a long-buried family secret. As he tries to right the wrongs of the past, his actions threaten to shatter the lives of those he left behind years before. Will they survive the truth?D

DOWNRIVER
Happening Films Pty Ltd
Producer Jannine Barnes
Executive Producers Kristian Moliere, Anthony Nagle, Shaun Miller
Director/Writer Grant Scicluna
Cast Kerry Fox, Reef Ireland
Domestic Sales Rialto
International Sales Level K
Synopsis The chilling story about a teenager, James who serves time for drowning a little boy when he was a child, although the body was never found.  In an attempt to right all wrongs and uncover the truth, James takes dangerous risks to find redemption and return the missing body to the grieving mother.

DOWN UNDER
Eddie Wong Films Pty Ltd, Ealing Studios, Londinium
Producers Jodi Matterson, Ben Latham-Jones
Executive Producers Greg McLean, Abraham Forsythe
Writer/Director Abraham Forsythe
Australian Distributor Studio Canal
International Sales Embankment Films
Synopsis The first comedy to be set during a race riot.

THE DRESSMAKER
Film Art Media Pty Ltd
Producer Sue Maslin
Writer/Director Jocelyn Moorhouse
Australian Distributor Universal
International Sales Embankment Films
Cast Kate Winslet, Judy Davis
Synopsis A gothic tale of love, revenge and haute couture.

ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS
WildBear Entertainment Pty Ltd
Producers Veronica Fury, Brett Ratner
Writer/Director Mark Hartley
Australian Distributor Umbrella Entertainment
International Sales RatPac Documentary Films, Celluloid Dreams, Mongrel Media
Cast Dolph Lundgren, Molly Ringwald, Elliot Gould, Bo Derek, Richard Chamberlain, Just Jaeckin, Franco Nero
Synopsis Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films is a hilarious thrill ride through the bowels of Hollywood’s least-loved indie film studio – where quality was a happy accident!

HOLDING THE MAN
Goalpost Pictures & HTM Productions
Producer Kylie du Fresne
Executive Producers Rosemary Blight, Ben Grant, Cameron Huang, Tristan Whalley
Writer Tommy Murphy
Director Neil Armfield
Australian Distributor Transmission Films
International Sales Goalpost Film UK
Synopsis There was Romeo and Juliet and then there was Tim and John. The course of teenage love rarely runs smooth, but if you find yourself gay in an Aussie all-male school in the 1970s and you're entranced by the captain of the football team, life’s a thrill ride. Based on Timothy Conigrave’s memoir, and the inspiration for the award winning stage play, Holding the Man is the remarkable true-life love story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo.

JASPER JONES
Porchlight Films & Bunya Productions
Producers Vincent Sheehan, David Jowsey
Executive Producers Anita Sheehan, Colin McCumstie, Liz Watts, Rebecca O’Brien
Director Rachel Perkins
Writer Shaun Grant
Australian Distributor Madman Entertainment
International Sales Mongrel Media
Synopsis Jasper Jones is a coming-of-age murder mystery based on the best-selling Australian novel by Craig Silvey.

JOE CINQUE’S CONSOLATION
Fandango Australia Pty Ltd
Producers Sue Murray, Donna Hensler
Director Sotiris Dounoukos
Writers Matt Rubinstein, Sotiris Dounoukos
Australian Distributor Titan View
International Sales Urban Distribution International
Synopsis In early 1997, Anu Singh, a beautiful law student at the Australian National University, began to tell people she planned to kill herself. With doctors unable to help, Anu’s engineer boyfriend, Joe Cinque, attempts to get to the bottom of her condition. But as Anu’s mental and emotional state disintegrates, her plans grow more macabre and more public as she convinces fellow student Madhavi to help her. With Joe beginning to understand the true nature of their relationship, Anu starts talking of killing him as revenge for having made her ill. After an elaborate farewell dinner party attended by friends, Anu attempts to kill Joe but fails. She tries again and this time she succeeds, injecting Joe with a lethal dose of heroin. Nobody tried to stop her.

JUNGLE
Arclight Films International Pty Ltd
Producers Dana Lustig, Gary Hamilton, Mike Gabrawy, Mark Lazarus
Director Greg McLean
Writer Justin Monjo
Australian Distributor Umbrella Entertainment
International Sales Arclight Films International
Cast Kevin Bacon
Synopsis Four travellers set off into the heart of the Amazon rainforest, but what begins as a dream adventure quickly deteriorates into an utter nightmare. After a terrible accident, Yossi is forced to survive for weeks alone against one of the most treacherous backdrops on the planet: the Amazon Jungle. Stranded without a knife, map or survival training, he must improvise shelter and forage to survive. After losing all sense of direction, Yossi begins to give up hope, wondering if he will even make it out of the jungle alive. Based on the real story of best-selling author Yossi Ghinsberg.

KILLING GROUND
Hypergiant Films Pty Ltd
Producer Joe Weatherstone
Executive Producer Lisa Shaunessy
Writer/Director Damien Power
Australian Distributor Mushroom Distribution
International Sales Films Distribution
Synopsis A young couple’s camping trip turns into a violent ordeal when they stumble across the scene of a shocking crime.

LIFE
See-Saw (Life) Holdings Pty Ltd
Producers Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Christina Piovesan, Benito Mueller, Wolfgang Mueller
Writer Luke Davies
Director Anton Corbijn
International Sales FilmNation
Australian Distributor Transmission Films
Cast Dane DeHaan, Robert Pattinson
Synopsis A freelance photographer hustling for the next job and a little-known but soon-to-be-immortal actor strike up an improbable friendship in the course of the cat-and-mouse game that is a photo assignment for Life Magazine.

LOOKING FOR GRACE
Unicorn Films, Taylor Media, Gecko Films
Producers Lizzette Atkins, Sue Taylor, Alison Tilson
Writer/Director Sue Brooks
Australian Distributor Palace Films
International Sales Fortissimo
Cast Richard Roxburgh, Radha Mitchell, Terry Norris, Odessa Young
Synopsis When Grace runs away from home, she and her family have no idea that life as they know it is gone for good.

NOW ADD HONEY
Gristmill Pty Ltd
Producers Wayne Hope, Robyn Butler, Louisa Kors
Executive Producers Greg Sitch, Geoff Porz, Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope
Writer Robyn Butler
Director Wayne Hope
International Sales Lightning Entertainment Group
Australian Distributor Roadshow Films
Synopsis Normal life implodes for a suburban family when their popstar cousin comes to stay.

SCARE CAMPAIGN
Cyan Films Pty Ltd
Producer Julie Ryan
Executive Producer Jonathan Page, Roger Savage, Bryce Menzies
Writers/Directors Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Australian Distributor Madman/Bonsai
International Sales Films Distribution
Synopsis Popular prank TV show, Scare Campaign, has been entertaining audiences for the last five years with its mix of old school scares and hidden camera fun. But as we enter a new age of online TV, the producers find themselves up against a new hard-edged web series which makes their show look decidedly quaint. It’s time to up the ante, but will the team go too far this time and are they about to prank the wrong guy?

SHERPA: IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN
Felix Media Pty Ltd
Producers Bridget Ikin, John Smithson, John Maynard
Writer/Director Jennifer Peedom
Australian Distributor Footprint Films
Synopsis In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of the world in an act that symbolised everything good about human cooperation and courage. Sixty years later, an ugly confrontation high up the mountain between Western climbers and a mob of angry Sherpas makes global news. What’s going on up there?

SPIN OUT (working title CIRCLE WORK)
Stella Rose Productions with Redman Entertainment
Producers Marc Gracie, David Redman
Executive Producers Stephen Basil-Jones, Bryce Menzies
Directors Tim Ferguson, Marc Gracie
Writers Edwina Exton, Tim Ferguson
Australian Distributor Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
International Sales Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
Synopsis At a wild Bachelors & Spinsters Ball two best mates, Lucy and Billy, have one night to discover their love for each other… Love is a Cattlefield.

STRANGERLAND
Dragonfly Pictures Pty Ltd
Producers Naomi Wenck, Macdara Kelleher
Executive producers Andrew Mackie, Richard Payton
Director Kim Farrant
Writers Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons
Australian Distributor Transmission Films
International Sales Wildbunch
Synopsis Strangerland is an unnerving mystery drama about a couple whose lives unravel after their two teenagers go missing in the harsh Australian desert.

TANNA (formerly TABOO)
Contact Films Pty Ltd
Producers Martin Butler, Bentley Dean, Carolyn Johnson
Directors Bentley Dean, Martin Butler
Writers John Collee, Bentley Dean, Martin Butler
Cast Mari Matuwa, Mungow Waripe, Marcelline Kowia, Albi Nangia
Australian Distributor Umbrella Entertainment
Synopsis A groundbreaking glimpse into life, love, war and peace in one of the last tribal societies on earth.

unINDIAN
Producers Anupam Sharma, Lisa Duff
Executive Producers Mr Devendra Gupta, Mr Chandru Tolani
Director Anupam Sharma
Writer Thushy Sathi
Australian Distributor Friends India Entertaainment
Cast Tannishtha Chatterjee, Brett Lee, Supriya Pathak Kapur, John Howard, Adam Dunn, Arka Das, Tiriel Mora
Synopsis When beautiful divorcee Meera meets Will, she finds it hard to resist the tall blonde man with a charming smile… But her family has other ideas in mind, as falling in love with an Australian is not only scandalous – it’s unINDIAN! A cross-cultural comedy with heart and spice.

WYRMWOOD
Guerilla Films Pty Ltd
Producer Tristan Roache-Turner
Executive Producer Jamie Hilton
Director Kiah Roache-Turner
Writers Kiah Roache-Turner, Tristan Roache-Turner
Australian Distributor Studio Canal
International Sales Altitude Film Sales
North American Sales XYZ International Sales
Cast Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill, Berynn Schwerdt, Keith Agius, Luke McKenzie
Synopsis Barry’s life is torn apart on the eve of a zombie apocalypse as he battles hordes of undead to find his missing sister in the Australian bushland.