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Day and Date Down Under

Independent cinemas in Australia and New Zealand join forces

Independent cinemas in Australia and New Zealand join forces

Independent cinema groups in Australia and New Zealand have combined in a historic trans-Tasman pact. The Independent Cinemas Association of Australia (ICAA) has joined up with Kiwi independent cinema group New Zealand Motion Picture Exhibitors Association (NZMPEA).Independent cinema groups in...
'Boy' becomes New Zealand's highest-grossing movie

'Boy' becomes New Zealand's highest-grossing movie

A comedy inspired by writer-director Taika Waititi's Oscar-nominated short Two Cars, One Night and his own childhood in Waihau Bay has just become the highest-grossing New Zealand film of all time. Boy, budgeted at US$4 million, has passed the NZ$7 million taken by Once Were Warriors and the NZ$7...
Hoyts Corporation buys Berkeley Cinema Group

Hoyts Corporation buys Berkeley Cinema Group

The first three items in this month's column come from New Zealand, land of four million people and 40 million sheep....
Get ready for 'Ben Hur—The Stadium Spectacular'

Get ready for 'Ben Hur—The Stadium Spectacular'

The worldwide popularity of films is such that they have a life long after their initial release. DVD sales and TV screenings continue for decades. Films have also been adapted into games, Broadway musicals, ice spectaculars, comic books and much more....
National Trust seeks rebirth of two Sydney cinema treasures

National Trust seeks rebirth of two Sydney cinema treasures

The National Trust is campaigning to reopen two of Sydney's most architecturally spectacular cinemas, the Roxy in Parramatta and the Hub in Newtown. The trust's advocacy manager, Graham Quint, said the rebirth of these two cinemas would provide an excellent arena for smaller Australian and...
Will 'Lord of the Rings' keeps its crown?

Will 'Lord of the Rings' keeps its crown?

Avatar continued its powerful performance in early 2010, taking over Titanic's spot as the world's top-grossing film. In Australia, it overtook Titanic in mid-January and is now the country's highest-grossing release....
The best or the worst of times for Australian film?

The best or the worst of times for Australian film?

Are Australian films “boring, grim and unsatisfying”? Is that why many failed at the box office in 2009? That’s the verdict of Australian playwright and screenwriter Louis Nowra....
Word of mouth grows for 'Mao's Last Dancer'

Word of mouth grows for 'Mao's Last Dancer'

I was at the bridge club for my weekly game and, unusually, the main subject of conversation was a film. The session I attend is 80% female and 20% male. The film in question was Mao’s Last Dancer, and there was almost universal praise from my card-playing compatriots for the film. Several had...
'Mao's Last Dancer' overtakes Paul Hogan movie as Australia's highest-grossing film of 2009

'Mao's Last Dancer' overtakes Paul Hogan movie as Australia's highest-grossing film of 2009

Australian Bruce Beresford’s (Driving Miss Daisy) latest film, Mao’s Last Dancer, has just been released following a very strong marketing push, and was rewarded with an A$4.3 million opening week, making it the highest-grossing Australian film of  the year. This is an Australian production even...
Sun Pictures in Western Australia holds record as world's oldest open-air cinema

Sun Pictures in Western Australia holds record as world's oldest open-air cinema

The Guinness Book of World Records lists Sun Pictures in Broome, Western Australia, as the world’s oldest open-air cinema in operation. The Sun Pictures Building was constructed in Chinatown at the turn of the 20th century by the Yamasaki family and was operated for several years as an emporium...