-By David Pearce
Cinemas around Australasia rejoiced over the Christmas period.
Event Cinemas (Greater Union) had their best single day ever on
Boxing Day. In addition,
The Hobbit celebrated the best
Boxing Day opening of all time and
Les Misérables had the
best opening day ever for a musical (also on Boxing Day).
The Hobbit’s A$5.9 million opening day was the third best of
all time behind
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(A$7.09 million) and
The Avengers (A$6 million). Although
more than half of Australian screens are capable of showing
The
Hobbit in high frame rate, only around 5% are playing the
higher-resolution version.
The New Zealand production
Shopping was selected for the
Sundance Film Festival, a rare event for Kiwi film.
Shopping
is the debut feature for the writing and directing team of Mark
Albiston and Louis Sutherland. The duo have previously had success
internationally with their shorts
The Six Dollar Fifty Man
and
Run. Shopping focuses on a 16-year-old boy in a small
New Zealand town in 198 whose family are veteran shoplifters and
thieves. Will he follow in their shoes or make his own way?
Production has started on
The Turning, a drama set in a
small Western Australian coastal town. The film is based on a
number of short stories by Tim Winton, all set in the same
location. Seventeen directors will each film one of the connected
stories, which focus on relationships within the community. Stars
include Hugo Weaving, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Cate Blanchett and
Mia Wasikowski.
Filming has been completed on the sequel
Return to Nim's
Island featuring Bindi Irwin, Matthew Lillard and John Waters.
Another sequel just completed is
Mad Max: Fury Road, which
at times had difficult filming conditions in Namibia.
Screen Australia, the major government funding organization for
Australian film and television production, has completely spent its
A$42 million drama budget halfway through the financial year. New
applications will have to apply by late April for funding
announcements in June.
Send your Australia/New Zealand news to David Pearce at insidemovies@hotmail.com.
Christmas releases break records in Australasia
Jan 16, 2013
-By David Pearce
Cinemas around Australasia rejoiced over the Christmas period. Event Cinemas (Greater Union) had their best single day ever on Boxing Day. In addition,
The Hobbit celebrated the best Boxing Day opening of all time and
Les Misérables had the best opening day ever for a musical (also on Boxing Day).
The Hobbit’s A$5.9 million opening day was the third best of all time behind
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (A$7.09 million) and
The Avengers (A$6 million). Although more than half of Australian screens are capable of showing
The Hobbit in high frame rate, only around 5% are playing the higher-resolution version.
The New Zealand production
Shopping was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, a rare event for Kiwi film.
Shopping is the debut feature for the writing and directing team of Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland. The duo have previously had success internationally with their shorts
The Six Dollar Fifty Man and
Run. Shopping focuses on a 16-year-old boy in a small New Zealand town in 198 whose family are veteran shoplifters and thieves. Will he follow in their shoes or make his own way?
Production has started on
The Turning, a drama set in a small Western Australian coastal town. The film is based on a number of short stories by Tim Winton, all set in the same location. Seventeen directors will each film one of the connected stories, which focus on relationships within the community. Stars include Hugo Weaving, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowski.
Filming has been completed on the sequel
Return to Nim's Island featuring Bindi Irwin, Matthew Lillard and John Waters. Another sequel just completed is
Mad Max: Fury Road, which at times had difficult filming conditions in Namibia.
Screen Australia, the major government funding organization for Australian film and television production, has completely spent its A$42 million drama budget halfway through the financial year. New applications will have to apply by late April for funding announcements in June.
Send your Australia/New Zealand news to David Pearce at insidemovies@hotmail.com.
