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A CHANGE OF HEART – ON LOCATION
Sydney can be cold in winter, but the lure of an Idyllic Spot is too strong for ANDREW
L. URBAN, who parks himself in Centennial Park on location with A Change of Heart, a feel
good romantic comedy about a bastard with no heart finally getting one.
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A SCREAM AUSTRALIA
For some years Wild Candy’s been exploring various screens as potential revenue
earners for wildlife content. Their experience with mobile, portable devices and
internet to date indicate that whilst there’s a vibrant screen culture outside
conventional television and the cinema, as yet it isn’t a significant revenue
earner.
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AACID TUNG RETURNS: MAR 99
AACID TUNG, Urban Cinefile’s world weary, sarcastic and cynical
sourpuss goes to the movies in the forlorn hope that something will appeal. It rarely
does. After more than a year, Tung makes this unannounced return, for a mean peek at
recently released movies.
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AACID TUNG'S CRUEL-TO-BE-KIND REVIEWS FOR 2004
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AACID TUNG: AUG/SEPT 97
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AACID TUNG: NOV 97
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AACID TUNG: SEPT/OCT 97
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ABORIGINAL CINEMA HITS EUROPE
The Europeans are taking to our aboriginal filmmakers with a passion, reports Helen Barlow from Paris, where a unique week-long festival of short films is about to screen, with St Tropez and maybe even Clermont Ferrand to follow. (Pic Ivan Sen)
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ACADEMY AWARDS 2004 – THE NOMINATIONS
A 13 year old New Zealand actress, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) is the youngest ever to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, and Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog) is the surprise nominee in the Supporting Actress category, while Jennifer Connelly is absent from a slot in the Lead section for the same film; and seven Australians are recognised, despite the absence of Russ and Nic, led by Peter Weir. Andrew L. Urban reports.
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ACADEMY AWARDS 2004 – THE WINNERS
It’s got a Ring to it: 11 Oscars, including Best Director for Peter Jackson, but the acting awards were spread about, with two for Clint Eastwood’s boys in Mystic River. Australia’s Russell Boyd won the cinematography award and Adam Elliot picked up the animated short Oscar for Harvie Krumpet. Andrew L. Urban reports
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ACADEMY AWARDS 2008 - NOMINATIONS
There are no major surprises in this year’s Oscar nominations and it’s no
surprise that Ratatouille is nominated for a Best Animated Feature award – but
it is a pleasant surprise (full of irony) that it also has nominations in sound
and, most notably, for Original Screenplay.
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ACADEMY AWARDS 2008 - WINNERS
Hollywood paid tribute to its roots at this year’s Oscars, with several
Europeans winning awards and many more nominated. As Tilda Swinton (Best
Supporting Actress, Michael Clayton) pointed out in her press conference, “Dude,
Hollywood is built on Europeans.” Andrew L. Urban reports.
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ACTOR'S CLOSE UP – CHRIS HAYWOOD
One of Australia’s most liked, respected and experienced actors, Chris Haywood, is the inaugural subject of Andrew L. Urban’s ‘Actor’s Close Up’, (Monday, Feb. 28, 6.30pm, Stephen Roberts Theatre), part of a new film course within Sydney University’s Continuing Education Program, which is open to the public (places still available, $45; Book & Pay - Tel: 02 9036 4789 or pay at door). Clips from his work will include scenes from his latest film for Paul Cox, Human Touch (releases April 14, 2005).
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ADAM – INSIDER BRIEFING
To ‘Aspies’, us ordinary ‘neurotypical’ humans seem strange, irrational and even
wildly incomprehensible. What if an Aspie boy met an incomprehensible
‘neurotypical’ girl, asked Max Mayer; the question led him to make Adam.
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ADAMS, CHRIS + AUSTRALIAN FILMS = A BIGGER PICTURE
In November 2008, American film deal maker Chris Adams was in Australia and
talking frankly about how he can take Australian creativity and maximise it, by
helping Australians to make better films with better financial returns – and
international prospects. This week, three months later, Andrew L. Urban got him
on the phone to discover that those plans are going gangbusters.
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ADAPTATIONS: NOVEL TO FILM
Books are a controversial source of material for
filmmakers: adaptations prove that there are no rules - Gone With
The Wind, for example, turned an ordinary novel into an
extraordinary film, argues MATT DILLON. (Pic, Me Myself I)
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ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2005 - PREVIEW
Running from February 18, to March 3, the second biannual Adelaide Film Festival is gaining muscle and will showcase films from more than 43 countries in more than 200 screenings including over 100 Australian premieres, nineteen of them world premieres; in all, more than seventy feature films and more than sixty documentaries, having almost doubled its capacity from 28,000 to 55,000 seats. Andrew L. Urban reports.
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ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2009 – PREVIEW
Thirty-nine Australian films, including nine new features, eight documentaries
and 22 shorts will be showcased at the 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival
(February 19 – March 1, 2009), offering a snapshot of the state of Australian
filmmaking, with romantic comedy, historical dramas, and inspiring documentaries
of human courage all emerging as strong themes.
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AFCA AWARDS 2008 - THE BLACK BALLOON SOARS AGAIN
The Black Balloon has been named Best Australian Film of 2008 by the
Australian Film Critics’ Association (AFCA).
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AFI 2000 - AND THE WINNER IS?
With big changes underway in Australia’s film culture arena Michaela Boland
wonders if this year’s AFI Awards will be the last.
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AFI 2000: NOMINATIONS
Four debut feature films are Best Film nominees in this year’s Australian Film
Institute Awards: Better Than Sex, Chopper, Bootmen and Looking for Alibrandi – all
written, produced and directed by first timers. Chopper received the highest number of
nominations across all categories (10), closely followed by Looking for Alibrandi (9)
while Better Than Sex and Bootmen both received nominations in eight (8) categories.
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AFI 2000: THE WINNERS AT A GLANCE
Four of the five awards collected by Looking for Alibrandi were in the hands
of women: producer, writer, lead actress and supporting actress; the fifth was for
editing. But with Bootmen, which also won five awards, the gender share is reversed; four
of the winners are men. The three big awards won by Chopper were all collected by men;
director, lead actor and supporting actor, but Russian Doll’s writing award was
shared between a man and a woman.
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AFI AWARDS 1997: TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE
The AFI Awards in Melbourne last week mark a watershed: in
1998, the Awards presentation moves to Sydney, after three years
in Melbourne. But there is more at stake than geographical one
upmanship. It’s a chance to change, to exercise Australian
creativity. Urban Cinefile editor ANDREW L. URBAN opens a debate
on the awards and the presentation. (Best Film Kiss or
Kill,pictured)
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AFI AWARDS 2000 - FULL REPORT AND VIDEO CLIPS
Welcome to our extensive, multi-media coverage of this year’s Emirates AFI Awards. Links from
this page will take your eager eyes to lists of winners and nominees, to reviews of many
of the films entered, and to extensive video coverage of the night itself (in association with SBS), including the
first ever public footage from the after party, on our specially designed AFI Channel.
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AFI AWARDS 2001 – NOMINATIONS
Clearly, the AFI voting membership has remembered The Dish, which was not in the running
last year, but is nominated among the Best Films. There’s no hint of a subversive
frame of mind evident in the nominations list, although some of you may think that
nominations in a few categories are worth a decent barney over a beer.
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AFI AWARDS 2001 – THE RUSSELL CROWE INCIDENT
An incident around Russell Crowe soured what was already a controversial event
as far as some of the media were concerned, reports Andrew L. Urban.
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AFI AWARDS 2001 – THE WINNERS
With a rare double whammy of two awards, one in tv one in film, actress Kerry
Armstrong can feel justifiably proud: but as Baz Luhrmann pointed out on the night (again
– he did so at the if award a week earlier) it was not just the individuals and
films, but all the nominees that were winners, a showcase of diverse and creative
filmmaking. Andrew L. Urban and Louise Keller report from the presentation – and the
parties.
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AFI AWARDS 2002 - WINNERS
Aboriginal stories and filmmakers dominate the AFI Awards winners list, followed by a debut feature about the aftermath of a death on a close-knit group. The Awards won’t be much help to the winning films commercially, but the public can at least take them as reliable guides to quality as well as popularity when it comes time to buy or rent them on DVD, says Andrew L. Urban.
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AFI AWARDS 2002 – THE NOMINATIONS
In a historic juxtaposition that perhaps underscores the shifts in the sand of Australian society, all four Best Film nominees in this year’s AFI Awards - Australian Rules, Beneath Clouds, Rabbit Proof Fence and The Tracker - examine issues of indigenous culture, reports Andrew L. Urban.
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AFI AWARDS 2003 - NOMINATIONS
On the morning that Australia’s professional film critics body, the FCCA, presents the first movie awards for the season, the AFI announced the nominees, where Jonathan Teplitzky’s the crime comedy Gettin’ Square has the most nominations with 12 (equal record with Newsfront, 1978) out of 14 categories, followed by Sue Brooks’ Japanese Story. Andrew L. Urban reports.
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AFI AWARDS 2003 - WINNERS
The irony fairly bounced off the walls of Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre as Japanese Story was called out on eight occasions as the film whose makers and cast won eight of the 14 awards in feature film at the 2003 AFI Awards presentation on November 21, 2003. The irony being that the unofficial theme of the night was ‘keep it Australian stories’ as anyone within reach of the microphone rallied those watching to take up the good fight in the Free Trade Agreement talks with the US. Andrew L. Urban reports.
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AFI AWARDS 2004 - WINNERS
Every award in the feature film categories was taken home by someone associated with Somersault, as AFI members showered the film with accolades. Having already taken $1.3 million, in six weeks of cinema release, the film should now enjoy a second burst of popularity before hitting the DVD shelves. (Pic. Anthony Anderson, Cate Shortland)
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AFI AWARDS 2004 – NOMINATIONS
With a record 15 AFI Award nominations in all 13 categories for which it is eligible, Cate Shortland’s Somersault will help turn the gloom surrounding Australian features upside down, in tandem with Alkinos Tsilimidos’ Tom White, which received 12 nominations, reports Andrew L. Urban.
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AFI AWARDS 2005 – NOMINEES
In this year’s AFI Awards, Little Fish is nominated in every category for which
it is eligible (13), almost matched by The Proposition (12) as well as Look Both
Ways (11) and Wolf Creek received seven nominations, but missed out to Oyster
Farmer in the Best Film category. But let’s not compare their successes with
anything from Hollywood, urges Andrew L. Urban
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AFI AWARDS 2005 – WINNERS
Sarah Watt has emerged as Australia’s hottest new director, after her debut
feature Look Both Ways was voted Best Film at the AFI Awards where she also won
her second Best Director Award, following a similar honour at the IF Awards
earlier in the week. Andrew L. Urban reports.
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AFI AWARDS 2006 - NOMINATIONS
With 12 nominations, Suburban Mayhem is a surprise omission from the Best Film
category in this year’s AFI Awards – but then the film doesn’t open commercially
until October 26 so the only public screenings have been at festivals, where the
film was rated into a Best Film nominations in the If Awards – and it wasn’t
eligible for this year’s film critics’ awards. Such are the vagaries of
Australia’s weird awards systems, reports Andrew L. Urban.
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AFI AWARDS 2006 – INTERNATIONAL NOMINEES
Following Urban Cinefile’s recognition of Australians working internationally
with its Honours List in 2001, the AFI (and others) have adopted the practice of
awarding Australians in foreign films. This year, the AFI’s list has grown to
include not only actors (Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain a hot favourite),
actresses and filmmakers in various categories from cinematography to production
design.
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AFI AWARDS 2006 – WINNERS
For all the popular fuss over Kenny and its star Shane Jacobson (Best Actor), the 2006 AFI Awards are owned by Ten Canoes and its makers who between them collected seven awards including Best Film and Best Director, and the Byron Kennedy Award for director Rolf de Heer.
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AFI AWARDS 2007 - NOMINEES
The AFI Awards nominations list is dominated by five feature films, which appear
in just about every category: Clubland, The Home Song Stories, Lucky Miles,
Noise and Romulus My Father, with Clubland the one missing out on the Best
Feature category.
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AFI AWARDS 2007 – NON FEATURE NOMINEES
The first award nominations of this year’s film awards season is a “robust &
diverse selection of short fiction, short animation & documentaries …a testament
to the ingenuity, imagination & determination of our filmmakers to peel away the
layers of our society,” according to AFI CEO James Hewison.
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AFI AWARDS 2007 – WINNERS
Real lives inspire award winning films at this year’s AFI Awards; but can the
awards continue to live with a split presentation personality, asks Andrew L.
Urban. (Pic. Romulus, My Father)
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AFI AWARDS 2008 – INDUSTRY CATEGORIES - WINNERS
Unfinished Sky has won three craft awards, for best music, cinematography and
sound, at the first of two AFI Awards presentation nights (December 5 & 6) in
which veteran cinematographer Peter James was recognised with the International
Award for Excellence. (Pic. Unfinished Sky)
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AFI AWARDS 2008 – NOMINEES
The Black Balloon’s 11 nominations reflect the film’s box office popularity with
gross takings to date of $2.3 million; Unfinished Sky has 10 nominations and has
grossed $0.96 million; The Jammed and The Square with seven nominations each,
have taken $0.36 million and $0.31 million respectively. [The Jammed is no
longer playing at cinemas]
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AFI AWARDS 2008 – WINNERS
On its 50th anniversary, the Australian Film Institute held perhaps its biggest
bash in Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, which turned out to be The Black Balloon
Evening – with the film winning five major awards, including Best Film. It was
also the year’s most commercially successful Australian feature (among the films eligible for an AFI Award and thus excluding Australia).
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AFI AWARDS 2009 – NOMINATIONS
It is newsworthy that a box office award is introduced by the AFI while so many
filmmakers can’t get their films distributed or distributed adequately in
cinemas, and the talk of the industry is still the low % of the box office share
our films generate. The winners (if the award continues beyond this year) will
be doubly awarded, since the most popular film will no doubt win the ‘most
popular film’ award (Members’ Choice, as well; questions will be asked if it
doesn’t.) Is this good for Australian film, asks Andrew L. Urban.
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AFI AWARDS 2009 –WINNERS
The AFI voters chose Samson & Delilah and the public* voted for Mao’s Last
Dancer in this year’s crowded AFI Awards, the former recognising a unique
cinematic work, the latter confirming significant popular satisfaction – both
films reflecting two very different heroic journeys.
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AFI AWARDS COMMENTS - READERS RESPOND
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AFI AWARDS FEATURE ENTRIES 1999
Of the 18 entries in this year’s AFI Awards, 14 are debuts for the directors
(three of them women), and seven were made for under $2 million. (Pic, Siam Sunset)
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AFI ENTRIES 2000
A hefty 25 feature films (Monkey's Mask excluded) are
entered for the 2000 AFI Awards, to be presented November 18 at Fox Studios, Sydney.
Professionally accredited representatives from guilds and unions will select the nominees
in all categories (announced October 18), and the approximately 8,000 AFI members - who
will later vote on all the nominations - will have a chance to see the films during a
national tour starting August 1. (Pic, 15 Amore)
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AFI NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FILM 2006
The Australian Film Institute’s National Festival of Film commences on the
August 21 in Melbourne and in Sydney on August 22, with Suburban Mayhem; this
festival offers AFI members an opportunity to see all the Australian films in
contention for an award. Members’ guests, and the general public, may also
attend certain screenings (those not marked *) but cannot vote – unless they
join on the spot.
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AFI NOMINATIONS, 1998: Feature Films
It’s a tough year – for voters. Which makes it a great year for quality. A
glance at this year’s AFI nominations confirms the strength of Australian feature
film production over the past two years, with a significant volume of high quality films
– and all exploring new emotional, psychological and cultural territories.
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AFI NOMINEES 1999: FEATURE FILM
Scoring a nomination in every category for which it is eligible (11), Gregor
Jordan's critical and commercial hit, Two Hands, is the early favourite for the 1999 Best
Film AFI Award.
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AFI NOMINEES 1999: NON FEATURE
This year's nominations for Non-Feature films and documentaries were announced on October 13, 1999. The awards presentation is held on November 13, 1999 at Fox Studios and telecast live on SBS TV from 8.30pm.
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AFI WINNERS 1999
For the first time, the awards are presented at the Hordern Pavilion, one of the
heritage buildings on the Fox Studio lot, followed by a party at the adjacent Royal Hall
of Industries, another heritage building. If the Hall of Industries sounds a little odd
for a movie night, we should remember that filmmaking is as much a manufacturing industry
as it is a creative endeavour. (Pic, Winner Best Film - Two Hands)
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AFI WINNERS 2000: FULL LIST
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AFI WINNERS, 1998
And the winners are:
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AFTRS - BOOK & VIDEO ORDER
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AFTRS: EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT OFFER
TO URBAN CINEFILE READERS – SAVE $15 ON
HARDCOVER ILLUSTRATED COFFEE TABLE BOOK - PLUS VIDEO WITH EIGHT UNIQUE FILM
SCHOOL GRADUATES' SHORTS
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AGENT CODY BANKS: THE MAKING OF
It may be overused, but how else do you describe driving a Ferrari, flying a helicopter and hanging out with beautiful women when you’re still in high school? Hal Hayes checks out the world of Agent Cody Banks and concedes that it is… well, awesome.
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ALFIE - AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK
Almost 40 years on, Alfie is back on the big screen. Eleanor Singer charts the progress of his modern-day embodiment, Jude Law, as he makes his amoral way through the ‘swinging Manhattan’ of 2004.
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AMERICAN BEAUTY
American Beauty - the title resonates with promise but it's the irony that hits you after
you've seen the film and the ambiguities that it unleashes. The combination of Alan Ball's
exceptional screenplay and the opportunity to work with Sam Mendez, one of the world's
premiere theatre directors, proved a powerful lure to the likes of Kevin Spacey and
Annette Bening; here, the lead cast talk about their roles.
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AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE AWARDS: WINNERS 2001
The Lord of the Rings (part 1) has won its first major official accolade with a
Movie of the Year award from America’s Film Institute, while Moulin Rouge won awards
for editing and music score, and Judy Davis was voted Actor of the Year – Female, for
her role as Judy Garland in “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows" (ABC).
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AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE HONOURS AUSSIES: NOMINATIONS 2001
With their nominations in key categories, Aussies Jill Bilcock,
Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe (pic), Judy Davis, Frances O’Connor and Naomi Watts have
turned the inaugural American Film Institute’s awards into an off-shore sort of
Australian awards and for good measure, Rachel Griffiths has been chosen as one of the
first presenters, alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Haley Joel Osment, Michelle Pfeiffer and
others.
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AMISTAD
Andrew L. Urban pores over the filmmakers' notes, in which Steven Spielberg's (pictured) film Amistad has brought into the open a crucial episode in American history, which few Americans ever learnt about. But it also issues a challenge to Australians to discover more of their own history.
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AMORES PERROS
The director, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and the writer, Guillermo Arriaga Jordan, of
Amores Perros (Love’s a Bitch) passionately explain their motives and feelings about
making the multi-award winning film, which is an enigmatic, haunting, visceral study of
the oft-suffering human condition.
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AMY - ON LOCATION
Scribbled notes during a Melbourne stage performance of
Man of La Mancha, a vague idea - and a woman who could dance but
not walk; these are some of the ingredients that prompted David
Parker to write Amy, and his wife Nadia Tass to direct it. Andrew
L. Urban visited the Melbourne location for this report.
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AN EDUCATION – INSIDER BRIEFING
The stars and filmmakers talk about turning a memoir of a teenager in 1961
London into one of the most enjoyable films of the year. Editor’s Advice: Do NOT
read this article until you’ve seen the film; you’ll get a lot more out of both.
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ANACONDA: PLAYING WITH SNAKES
Making a film like Anaconda is an adventure in itself. To
bring the thrills to the screen, filmmakers take risks, invent
new ways of doing things and go through a survival test. Andrew
L. Urban pieces together some of the background.
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ANALYZE THIS
Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro and director Harold Ramis talk about Analyze This, a comedy
with something to say; beneath the humour of the mobster who needs a shrink to sort out
his panic attacks
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ANASTASIA - VIDEOS & CDS WON
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ANATOMY OF A LOW BUDGET, PRIVATELY FINANCED AUSTRALIAN FILM
It was about to shoot when they lost 25% of the money. . . it was spartan and draining,
but as Spudmonkey's producer JONATHAN SILVER (pic) tells in his own words, the film was getting
made because everyone believed in the screenplay.
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ANDREWS, JULIE – SCREEN ACTORS GUILD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Julie Andrews, who for more than a half-century has been a beloved and
much-honoured stage, film, television and recording star, as well as a
celebrated author and dedicated goodwill ambassador, will receive the Screen
Actors Guild Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian
accomplishment. Andrews will be presented the Award, given annually to an actor
who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” at the 13th Annual
Screen Actors Guild Awards, on Sunday, January 28, 2007.
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ANGST: PAIN IS FUNNY
PAIN IS FUNNY - Andrew L. Urban visits the set of Angst to talk to
director Daniel Nettheim, who at 33 is the oldest on the shoot
and reckons pain is funny – if it's someone else's.
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ANIMAL LOGIC AT THE MOULIN ROUGE
When you look at the fantasy that is Paris and the Moulin Rouge in Baz Luhrmann’s
eye popping romantic musical tragedy, you’re looking at virtual reality in the
service of cinema, reports Andrew L. Urban.
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ANNA AND THE KING
Thought you knew the story of the British governess who won the heart of the King of Siam?
Well think again: Fox’s Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat,
opens up an epic new vista on one of the world’s most exotic love affairs, reports
NICK RODDICK.
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ANTITRUST
Antitrust is an action thriller set in the cut-throat world of the computer industry. And
it’s Ryan Phillippe's throat that’s on the line. Max Levant reports.
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APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX: DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Claiming that this longer version is sexier, funnier, more bizarre, more romantic
and is more politically intriguing than the orginal Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola
also believes it blasts away at ‘the stench of a lie’ about the Vietnam war;
it’s an anti-lie film.
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APOCALYPTO – THEY CAN YUCATAN
In Apocalypto, two Australians– director Mel Gibson and cinematographer Dean
Semler – conspire to take us back in time and place to the ancient Maya of
Yucatan, as authentically as possible, from the language to the location.
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APSA 2009 – WINNERS
Australian stories of two very different relationships, Samson & Delilah and
Mary and Max, have won Best Feature and Best Animation respectively at this
year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Gold Coast, Nov. 26, 2009) with Iranian and
Palistinian films sharing the Jury Grand Prize.
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ARONSON, LINDA
Writers should push the boundaries and keep up with audiences who are fast on the uptake, warns acclaimed Australian screenwriting guru Linda Aronson, or they will become nothing but re-writers – of other people’s novels.
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AS GOOD AS IT GETS - PRESS CONFERENCE
Jack Nicholson (pictured), one of the greatest living American screen
actors gave a press conference in Sydney. Accompanied by Greg
Kinnear, his co-star in As Good As It Gets, and
writer/directorJames L. Brooks, he revealed he nearly didn't
take the part. Andrew L. Urban and Louise Keller report on the
press conference.
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ASDA AWARDS 2003
Fred Schepisi’s body of work is recognised by his peers in this year’s Outstanding Achievement ASDA Award; five other directors – including one woman – are also honoured, as guest presenter Wim Wenders hands out the accolades in Sydney.
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ASDA AWARDS 2004
Ray Lawrence (Lantana, Bliss) was awarded this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award by his film director peers at this week’s presentation ceremony, with Peter Weir as ASDA’s (Australian Screen Directors Association) special guest, at the dinner held at the old St Patrick’s College on Manly hill overlooking Sydney harbour.
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ASIA PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL 2001
Christine Piper reports how Western audiences are shifting their
perceptions about Asian cinema – aided by films such as In
the Mood for Love, and festivals such as the Sydney Asia Pacific
Film Festival, now in its second year.
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ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS 2007 – NOMINEES
Joan Chen (in Tony Ayres’ The Home Song Stories) is nominated for the Best
Actress award in the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and Australian
filmmakers Michael James Rowland and Helen Barnes are nominees for the
screenplay award (for Lucky Miles), while features from Lebanon, Iran,
Indonesia, Korea and Turkey are vying for the Best Film award.
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ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS 2007 – WINNERS
A Turkish actor, a Korean actress, Palestinian and Iranian directors and
Australia’s Dr George Miller were among the recipients of the inaugural Asia
Pacific Screen Awards, presented at the Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast, on
the Pacific shore, where 500 film industry practitioners and international
officials gathered to witness this visionary landmark event, as Andrew L. Urban
reports. (Pic Secret Sunshine)
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ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS 2008 - NOMINATIONS
Just days after its IF Awards nomination for Best Film, and the Australian Directors Guild nomination of Elissa Down for Best Director, her film The Black Balloon is the only Australian film to be nominated (Best Children’s Film) in the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, to be presented on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, on November 11.
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ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS 2008 - WINNERS
aking with the antiquated rituals of the Oscars, the Asia Pacific
Screen Awards produced a presentation that generated interest in the nominated
films – many of which have not had much exposure outside their home countries –
and put the filmmakers and their work the focus, while also delivering glamour
and buzz, reports Andrew L. Urban from the Gold Coast.
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ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS 2009 – NOMINATIONS
Three Australian films – Samson & Delilah, Mary and Max and Gandhi’s Children
– are among the 37 nominated films from 16 countries in their year’s Asia
Pacific Screen Awards, to be presented on the Gold Coast on November 16.
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AUSSIE CINEFEST LAUNCHED
Several award winning and/or festival selected Australian films – including over two dozen made by students at the Australian Film Television and Radio School - can now be downloaded (for as little as US$1.99) via broadband from anywhere in the world at AussieClix, the first country-dedicated section on the premiere CineClix.com website, in a pioneering digital distribution arrangement facilitated by Urban Cinefile, as announced at the Berlin Film Festival today (10/2/2005).
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AUSSIES AT TORONTO 98
PAUL FISCHER continues his coverage of the 23rd Toronto International Film Festival with special reports on what the Australians are doing there.
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AUSTRALIA – INSIDER BRIEFING
A huge journey, a vast continent, a major transformation, love, family and
change in a precarious world – these are some of the big themes that drew Baz
Luhrmann to a challenging task of making Australia – the movie.
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AUSTRALIAN DVD AWARDS 2002 – CAST YOUR VOTES
As one of the sponsors of these new awards (launched 2001), we invite our readers to cast their votes online (with a chance to win great prizes – see below) in the public categories. Presented by Region 4 Magazine and Pioneer Electronics, the Australian DVD Awards will be presented on March 7, 2003 at Sydney’s luxurious State Theatre.
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AUSTRALIAN DVD AWARDS 2003 – THE NOMINATIONS
Nominations for the second Australian DVD Awards (March 7, State Theatre, Sydney) feature some of the anticipated high profile releases – such as Lord of The Rings with 7 nominations - but some of the less obvious DVDs are also contenders, like Leunig’s animated cartoons and Dinotopia.
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AUSTRALIAN DVD AWARDS 2003 – THE WINNERS
Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring lorded it over all comers the 2nd Australian DVD awards at Sydney’s glorious State Theatre on Friday March 7, picking up five awards including Best Use Of Special Features, Best Audio Commentary, Best Box Set Presentation, Best DVD and Highest Selling DVD 2002. Jackson recorded a special message of thanks for the night – on DVD.
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AUSTRALIAN DVD AWARDS 2004 – THE NOMINATIONS
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AUSTRALIAN DVD AWARDS 2004 – THE WINNERS
Peter Jackson sent an acceptance speech on digi-tape (via Urban Cinefile), Kate Ceberano opened the night in great style (at the piano) and Dave Hughes hosted the event with larrikin good humour (with an edge), as 500 DVD players (people, not machines) gathered in Sydney’s gorgeous State Theatre to recognise excellence in DVD making (in just over an hour). (And to party…)
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AUSTRALIAN EFFECTS AND ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2002
The creative and technical wizards behind Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Ice Age,
Band of Brothers, Moulin Rouge and many more films, will gather in Sydney in February 2002
from around the world at the AEAF; you can attend, filmmakers can show their own work and
can also enter the awards.
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AUSTRALIAN FILMS AT CANNES 1998
Twelve new feature films are screening at Cannes this year,
two of them in the Festival programme, and all of them on the
market for international sales. On this page, we present a
snapshot of each film.
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AUSTRALIAN FILMS AT CANNES 1999
Here’s a snapshot list of all the Australian features at Cannes. (Pic, Siam Sunset)
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AUSTRALIAN MOVIE CONVENTION 1998
Close to 800 delegates have gathered here at the Royal
Pines Resort for the annual get together of cinema operators and
film distributors, to exchange everything from pats on the back
to bitchy gossip, to see new movies on the way, and to check out
the latest cinema sight and sound technology and candy bar gizmo;
Andrew L. Urban reports from the inside. (Parent Trap, pic)
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AUSTRALIANS AT CANNES 2005
For the first time, two Australian films will be screened as a single program in Un Certain Regard, the Cannes sidebar devoted to the filmmaker’s personal vision: Jewboy, a 52 minute feature by director Tony Krawitz, and Yellow Fella, a 25 minute documentary by award-winning director Ivan Sen, will screen as one feature-length program. Clara, a stop-motion animation by director Van Sowerwine, will screen in the Shorts Competition, and Greg McLean’s thriller, Wolf Creek, screens in Directors Fortnight.
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AVOIDING AMBIGUITY
New York lawyer John J. Tormey III advises producers to be
skeptical with contracts – even those from the big studios
– when it comes to getting your fair share of the returns - whether your film is a titan or a mouse.
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AWARDS SEASON 2002
With the Australian film critics’ awards now slotted for October 31 (moved from its usual February slot), the end-of-year award season offers Australian filmmakers a succession of showcases, with the IF awards announced on November 6 (in Sydney) and the AFI Awards on November 15 (in Melbourne). But they’re not all ‘on the same page’, as Andrew L. Urban explains.
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AWARDS SEASON FOR AUSTRALIAN FILMS - 2004
The four major presentations in the annual Australian movie awards season will take place in a 13 day window from October 29 to November 10, with the Ovation channel broadcasting the AFI Awards in full and SBS telecasting the IF Awards. Here is our quick guide to the season
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AZTEC REX – AN AFFORDABLE (AND GORY) DINO MOVIE
As Aussie director Brian Trenchard-Smith wraps shooting in Hawaii on his
latest feature, Aztec Rex, he talks about making this gory creature feature for
a seriously low budget – and how he did it. (Extracted with thanks from Fangoria
magazine.)
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