Media releases - 2012
Development support for 10 feature projects announced

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Screen Australia today announced over $275,000 in funding to support the development of 10 feature film projects. Australian screenwriter John Ratchford has also been supported to undertake a six-month professional internship with Island Pictures in London, working closely with acclaimed screenwriter Dominic Minghella, creator of hit TV series including Doc Martin and Robin Hood.

Among the feature projects supported for development include writer/director Catriona McKenzie’s (Satellite Boy), new project One White Crow. The script is a thriller based on a true story about an Australian academic who loses faith in God and scientifically proves there is life after death. Also based on true events is writer, director and producer Bill Bennett’s script Defiant about two young Indian lovers from different castes who are marked for honour killings. Bennett is developing Defiant with producer Anupam Sharma.

Aussie Girls is a new comedy in development from writer Josephine Emery and Kingdom Come is an action feature script to be developed by writers Marc Furmie and Shiyan Zheng. Marc Furmie is attached to direct Kingdom Come with Martin Fabinyi on board to produce along with executive producers Ron Saunders, Keith Sweitzer and Rob Woodburn.

Writer, director and producer Robert Connolly (Balibo) will develop his script Paper Planes about a young boy’s passion for flight that compels him to compete in the world paper plane championships. Maggie Miles is attached to the project as a producer. Kristine Wyld has also been supported to develop her thriller feature script Metamorphosis with producer David Elfick.

Writer Ross Grayson Bell and producer Heather Ogilvie will be supported to develop Salvation Creek, a drama about a high-flying magazine editor’s experience coping with grief and writer/director Andrew Lawrence has been supported to develop the drama script Sentido with producer Monique de Groot and executive producer Andrena Finlay.

Producer John Polson has received matched funding to develop Sydney Project and producer Jessica Brentnall has also received matched funding to develop The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore based on the novel by Benjamin Hale.

SINGLE-PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: FEATURE DEVELOPMENT

AUSSIE GALS
Genre Comedy
Writer Josephine Emery
Synopsis Georgie and Kylie are sisters. When Georgie’s boyfriend cons her into pulling a job for him and the heat is on her, Kylie has to risk everything she has to save her sister from her own worst plans.

DEFIANT
Genre Thriller
Writer/Director/Producer Bill Bennett
Producer Anupam Sharma
Synopsis Two young lovers from different castes are marked for honour killings. Based on true events.

KINGDOM COME
Genre Action
Producer Martin Fabinyi
Executive Producers Ron Saunders, Keith Sweitzer, Rob Woodburn
Writer/Director Marc Furmie
Writer Shiyan Zheng
Synopsis After a masked gunman takes 16 people hostage in the Calvary Pentecostal Church and pits the church members against each other, Australian Federal Police agent Doug Limner is assigned the task of ending the crisis. As Limner struggles to control the situation, he is forced to confront his own demons, and choose between the lesser of evils.

METAMORPHOSIS
Genre Thriller
Producer David Elfick
Writer Kristine Wyld
Synopsis Scientist Susan Wang, inspired by the visual deception of the insect world, disguises herself to gain prison access to her sister’s killer and dispense her own form of justice.

ONE WHITE CROW
Genre Thriller
Producer Jodea Bloomfield
Executive Producer Raphael Benoliel
Writer/Director Catriona McKenzie
Synopsis An Australian academic who has lost faith in God scientifically proves there is life after death. Based on a true story.

PAPER PLANES
Genre Family
Writer/Director/Producer Robert Connolly
Producer Maggie Miles
Synopsis A young boy’s passion for flight compels him to compete in the world paper plane championships.

SALVATION CREEK
Genre Drama
Producer Heather Ogilvie
Writer Ross Grayson Bell
Synopsis A high-flying magazine editor thinks she’s coping brilliantly with grief until the day she can’t get out of bed. Sometimes salvation turns out to be a place of unexpected beauty.

SENTIDO
Genre Drama
Producer Monique de Groot
Executive Producer Andrena Finlay
Writer/Director Andrew Lawrence
Synopsis Alejandro, a young Australian of Mexican heritage, sets out on a rite of passage journey to his homeland of Mexico to find out who his father was and to discover his own identity.

SINGLE-PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: FEATURE MATCHED FUNDING

SYDNEY PROJECT (Working Title)
Genre Drama
Producer John Polson

SINGLE-PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: FEATURE MATCHED INITIAL OPTION FUNDING

THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE
Genre Drama
Producer Jessica Brentnall
Synopsis Bruno Littlemore is unlike any chimpanzee in the world. Born and raised at Lincoln Park Zoo, Bruno falls under the care of university primatologist, Lydia Littlemore, revealing a remarkable gift for language. A heartbreaking exploration of what it feels like to be human. Based on the novel by Benjamin Hale.

INDUSTRY INTERNSHIPS

JOHN RATCHFORD INTERNSHIP
Writer John Ratchford will work closely with writer Dominic Minghella (Doc Martin, Robin Hood) and Island Pictures in London for six months during production of their slate of television and film projects, including post-production on the feature film The Scapegoat.

 
Media Enquiries
Teri Calder T: 02 8113 5833; M: 0408 440 995
teri.calder@screenaustralia.gov.au