Podcast – Distribution update and AD advice

16 September 2020 By Caris Bizzaca

Screen Australia Distribution Manager Anthony Grundy looks at the impact of COVID-19 on Australian theatrical while director/AD Neil Sharma imparts learnings.

Headshots of Anthony Grundy and Neil Sharma

Anthony Grundy, Neil Sharma

Find this episode of the Screen Australia Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Pocket Casts

At the beginning of 2020, the two films at the top of the Australian box office were Universal’s The Invisible Man, directed by Australian Leigh Whannell, and Roadshow’s Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

“I remember thinking, ‘this is going to be a great year’,” says Screen Australia’s Distribution Manager Anthony Grundy, also referring to the slew of Aussie titles that were set to release including I Am Woman, Babyteeth, Dirt Music, The Dry, Never Too Late and more.

But then Coronavirus struck, cinemas and cities were placed under lockdown and the distribution landscape, like the rest of the world, was turned upside down.

In this latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast, Grundy explains what happened next, why all eyes were on the release of Tenet and Mulan, and the problem that is in the pipeline for Australian exhibitors and distributors trying to schedule space.

The podcast also features an additional interview with director/assistant director Neil Sharma, who breaks down the different AD roles, getting an agent after his TV directing debut on The Unlisted, the advice he’s learned working alongside directors such as Jeffrey Walker (Lambs of God), and his insights on the differences between working as an AD on local TV compared to international features, like his role as third assistant director on Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

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