News

Back Roads returns with a journey through the Tarkine region in Tasmania, guided by one of Australia’s celebrated actresses, Marta Dusseldorp. Well-known for her roles in popular dramas such as Jack Irish, Janet King, and Bay of Fires, Marta joins Heather Ewart on a path of discovery through ancient rainforests, vast plains, and stunning coastlines. […]

Back Roads: Tarkine, Tas with Marta Dusseldorp...

South Australian Anthony Frith’s close encounter with “Sharknado” prodco The Asylum in “Mockbuster” is among five handpicked titles to be showcased at the Adelaide Film Festival Goes to Cannes showcase, held at Cannes Marché du Film on May 17.

The five works in progress range from queer adult anime, comedic doc, and traditional non-fiction to family dramas, helmed mostly by newcomers, and reflect the dynamic filmmaking community of Southern Australia, set to tempt potential co-financiers in Cannes.

So far two titles have received international backing. “Mockbuster” has been pre-sold to Giant Pictures and Drafthouse Films for North America, on top of domestic distribution in Australia via Umbrella Entertainment; Kelly Schilling’s drama “With or Without You,” handled locally by Icon Film Distribution, has been picked up by global sales agent LevelK.

Aimed at bringing together selected South Australian creators and producers with global industry delegates and to promote South Australia as a filmmaking hub,...

Tasmania-set crime-drama series “Bay of Fires” is to be reignited for a second season.

The show sees a single mother, portrayed by Marta Dusseldorp, forced into a witness protection program that relocates her and her family to a remote location in Tasmania. There they are surrounded by a community of suspicious and criminally-minded individuals.

The second season gives her a glimmer of hope. After months in which time nobody has tried to kill her, the woman finds herself in a position of influence. But she needs to juggle a host of new problems, some of which are of her own making.

The writing team is headed by Andrew Knight and Max Dann, Romina Accurso, Josephine Dee Barrett and Hannah Samuel (“The Pm’s Daughter”).

The show is an Archipelago Productions and Fremantle Australia production for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It has major production investment from the ABC and Screen Australia, in...

“EastEnders” star Michelle Collins is making the leap from acting to production, and hopes to champion “working-class voices” in her projects.

During a panel at Content London on Thursday, Collins discussed the ins and outs of making the career transition alongside Sir Lenny Henry, Banijay U.K. CEO Patrick Holland, Marta Dusseldorp, Alexandra Rapaport, Gabija Siurbyte, Calle Jansson and Ernestas Jankauskas. Collins is currently back on BBC soap “EastEnders” as Cindy Beale, who was resurrected from the dead after 25 years, but said she recently went through a tough time in her career.

“I went to ‘EastEnders’ when I was 26, I stayed for 10 years and then I left and I was very successful. Had a very good agent, had lots of leading roles on primetime TV,” Collins said. “And then suddenly, as women who are actresses know, it kind of stopped. It’s weird. You don’t know when it does,...

Marta Dusseldorp, Melinda Vidler, and Albert Mwangi will come together in Adelaide next week for the production Kelly Schilling's 'With or Without You', a real-life inspired mother-daughter story of finding love and safety from tough beginnings.

The post Marta Dusseldorp, Melina Vidler, Albert Mwangi ready for Adelaide adventure with Kelly Schilling’s ‘With or Without You’ appeared first on If Magazine.

Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy” has been set as the opening title of next month’s Sydney Film Festival, which will celebrate its 70th edition, June 7-18. The film, a tale of sprituality and survival in 1940s Australia, starring Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and Aswan Reid, will also play in the festival’s competition section.

Other titles in competition include: the world premiere of Australian documentary feature “The Dark Emu Story,” directed by Allan Clarke; Christian Petzold’s previously announced “Afire”; Charlotte Regan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Scrapper”; Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster”; Aki Kaurismäki’s compassionate comedy “Fallen Leaves”; Kim Jee-woon’s “Cobweb”; Asmae El Moudir’s “The Mother of All Lies”; Alice Englert’s directorial debut “Bad Behaviour”; Celine Song’s Sundance and Berlinale 2023 selected romance “Past Lives”; Liu Jian’s 2023 Berlinale-selected animation “Art College 1994”; Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” a thriller about an...

The gig economy, and the food delivery industry in particular, are set for scrutiny in “Appetite,” an Australian short-form series that will debut next month at Canneseries, the TV festival that runs alongside the Mip-TV rights market (April 14-19).

“Appetite” is a mystery-comedy in which three penniless food delivery riders are brought together after their housemate mysteriously vanishes on the same night as a rider has a fatal roadside accident. They set out to discover the truth behind the accident and expose multinational food behemoth, Appetite.

“Appetite” was created by Mohini Herse (“Hair”) who wrote, directed and produced the series under her Fell Swoop Pictures banner. She worked with fellow writers Neilesh Verma (“Letters Home”) and Grace Tan (“Lucky Peach”), director Neil Sharma (“Heartbreak High”), and producer Karen Radzyner (“Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo”).

The drama includes performances from rising stars Shirong Wu (“Neighbours”), Gabriel Alvarado (“The Winter’s Tale...

Series

Sky has revealed a four-part documentary series that will explore the rise and fall of former Spanish King Juan Carlos I, who for years was celebrated as a progressive icon, until scandal and allegations surrounding his financial arrangements led to his abdication in 2014.

Told from the perspective of his close friends and confidants, palace insiders, former intelligence officials and critics, the series looks at the former King’s personal life including affairs, allegations of corruption, and alleged abuse of power – leading up to and including the events and circumstances of his abdication.

It is produced by Emmy nominated Christian Beetz, who created the series with Anne von Petersdorff and Georg Tschurtschenthaler from Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion, and author Pedro Barbadillo. Executive producers at Sky Deutschland are Christian Asanger and Felix Kempter, and for Sky Studios, Barnaby Shingleton. It is being produced by Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion in association with Sky Studios.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call Home.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following […]

The post Jack Brings Sarah Out on the Town on Her First Day at Work on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call Home.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following […]

The post Sarah Adams is Angered When Jack Duncan Invades Her Privacy on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call Home.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following […]

The post Carolyn and Jack Visit Douglas on Their Honeymoon on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following the […]

The post The Consequences of Henry’s Accident Inspires Soul Searching For the People In His Life on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Jurassic Park star Sam Neill is set star in Foxtel’s Australian TV drama series The Twelve, which is due to begin production next week.

Neill will be joined by Marta Dusseldorp, Kate Mulvaney, Brooke Satchwell, and Hazem Shammas in the 10-part series, which is adapted from the Belgian crime series of the same name.

The Twelve follows 12 jurors – ordinary Australians with struggles of their own – who are tasked with deciding the case of a woman (Mulvaney) accused of killing a child.

Neill will play a Colby Sc, a lawyer involved in the case, while Satchwell and Hazem Shammas form part of the jury.

Producing is Warner Bros. Television International Australia, in partnership with Easy Tiger, with major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Foxtel, as well as financial support from Screen Nsw.

Ally Henville, Ian Collie and Rob Gibson will produce for Easy Tiger, while Michael Brooks...

Sam Neill will make a welcome return to Australian TV drama in Foxtel’s The Twelve, which begins production next week.

He will be joined by Marta Dusseldorp, Kate Mulvany, Brooke Satchwell, and Hazem Shammas in the 10-part series, with the lead cast unveiled in Sydney today.

Adapted from the Belgian crime series of the same name, The Twelve tells the story of 12 jurors – ordinary Australians with struggles of their own – who are tasked with deciding the case of a woman (Mulvany) accused of killing a child.

Neill will play a Colby Sc, a lawyer involved in the case, while Satchwell and Hazem Shammas form part of the jury.

Speaking at today’s announcement, Neill said there were a “number of reasons” behind his involvement in the project.

“I recognised the character,” he said.

“He was very familiar to me – I’ve got a couple of close friends in New...

Hoodlum Entertainment chief content officer Tracey Vieira has been named president of Screen Producers Australia (Spa), succeeding Michael Tear.

She will helm the incoming council alongside VP Suzanne Ryan – founder and CEO of Slr Productions – after both were elected at Spa’s Agm today.

Vieira, who joined the Spa council in 2019, said she was pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with members of the organisation, as well as with CEO Matthew Deaner and the rest of his team.

“In a rapidly evolving production environment, Spa’s role is critical and it is a great privilege to be able to contribute to the industrial and government policy work that the organisation delivers to help ensure local production remains strong and buoyant now and in the future,” she said.

The remainder of the incoming council is made up of councillors Nathan Anderson, Nick Murray, and David Redman, and advisors Marta Dusseldorp,...

When Foxtel first began to craft with Fremantle Wentworth back in 2011, the hope was it would sit comfortably alongside the service’s premium HBO and BBC dramas.

While based on Reg Watson’s long-running ’80s drama Prisoner, and suitably honouring its legacy, it was not designed to a be remake. The desire was to see a modern reimagining of the characters; one that was ambitious and bold.

“We wanted to make something great for Foxtel and set the bar high. It was all part of our hopes for what we could do in the future,” executive producer and former Foxtel head of drama Penny Win recalls to If.

Originally created by Lara Radulovich and David Hannam, Fremantle Australia CEO Ian Hogg pitched Foxtel director of television Brian Walsh the series over a meal in Cannes.

By December that year, early plotting was underway, with journalist and critics Michael Idato and...

Festival

The Italian Cultural Institute in London, La Biennale di Venezia and Curzon have teamed for ‘From Venice to London,’ a season where seven films from Venezia 78 will be shown at Curzon cinemas across London from Nov. 18-22.

“The Lost Daughter,” directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal will open the season and “The Hand of God,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will close it. The other selections include “Qui rido io,” directed by Mario Martone; “La santa piccola, directed by Silvia Brunelli, “La ragazza ha volato, directed by Wilma Labate,” “Il buco,” directed by Michelangelo Frammartino; and “Ariaferma,” directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo.

President of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “This year the selection has been praised for its exceptional artistic quality. We are sure the London audience will appreciate its high calibre.”

Katia Pizzi, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in London, added: “It’s my special pleasure to welcome to...

Tasmania will welcome production on crime/thriller drama series Bay of Fires next year after the ABC greenlit the project.

Produced by Archipelago Productions and Fremantle, the story follows single mother of two Stella Heikkinen (Marta Dusseldorp) as she experiences a spectacular and life-threatening fall from grace.

Betrayed by her own company and in immediate danger, Stella has no option but to move her young family to a small town in the Tasmanian wilds tiny amidst a community rife with simmering feuds, crime, and sometimes, murder.

Dusseldorp, who signed an exclusive development and production partnership with Fremantle in 2018, created the series with Andrew Knight and Max Dann, both of whom are writers alongside Sarah Bassiuoni.

She also produces for Archipelago Productions, alongside Sally Riley for the ABC, and Yvonne Collins. Executive producing are Greg Sitch, alongside Louise Smith for the ABC, and Chris Oliver-Taylor for Fremantle.

Major production investment has come from Screen Australia,...

One of the best things about the proliferation of streaming services is that we can finally watch some of the best foreign programming in the US without needing it to be Americanized.

We had a chance to talk about that and a lot more with Marta Dusseldorp, who has had several programs airing on Acorn TV, where the final episode of the final season of Jack Irish, in which she costars with Guy Pierce, drops today.

Having watched as many of her shows as possible, it was such a pleasure to chat with Marta. Please read about her interesting viewpoint on the show and a lot more below.

How do you feel about Jack Irish coming to an end? You've been doing that for a long time now.

Yeah, I think a decade. Well, it was time, I think, for everyone, but I think they did a beautiful job with the story,...

The Freak is having urges she can’t control, and Lou Kelly warns “A lot of people we know will end up dead.”

After almost a decade on the small screen one of Australia’s most successful dramas is coming to an end.

Fremantle’s Wentworth: The Final Sentence stars Leah Purcell as Rita Connors, Pamela Rabe as Joan Ferguson, Kate Atkinson as Vera Bennett, Katrina Milosevic as Boomer, Robbie Magasiva as Will Jackson, Kate Jenkinson as Allie Novak, Bernard Curry as Jake Stewart, Rarriwuy Hick as Ruby Mitchell, Susie Porter as Marie Winter, Kate Box as Lou Kelly, Jane Hall as Ann Reynolds, Zoe Terakes as Reb Keane and Vivienne Awosoga as Judy Bryant.

Supporting cast includes David de Lautour as Dr Greg Miller and Jacquie Brennan as Linda Miles, with guest cast Marta Dusseldorp as Sheila Bausch.

To premiere Tuesday August 24 at 8.30pm on Fox Showcase.

The post...

To mark the release of Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt) on 19th July, we’ve been 3 copies to give away on DVD.

School captain Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw) has a serious crush on her classmate Abbie (Zoe Terakes), and is worrying over inviting her to the Year 12 formal. When Ellie accidentally spills the beans to her mum (Marta Dusseldorp) and outs herself in the process, things start to get complicated and a little bit spooky. Enter her deceased aunt Tara (Julia Billington), a lesbian activist from the ‘80s who returns from the dead to act as a kind of fairy godmother to Ellie, guiding her through the trials and tribulations of her first love.

Sophie Hawkshaw plays Ellie and non-binary actor Zoe Terakes, is Abbie (ABC’s Janet King). Julia Billington is Aunt Tara and Marta Dusseldorp is Erica, Ellie’s mother. Marta is one of Australia’s most recognised actresses,...

We don't have a lot going on this week, but we hope you find something you'll enjoy to watch this week.

There is a new Netflix movie called Gunpowder Milkshake, Jack Irish makes his final stand on Acorn, and Dr. Death wreaks havoc on Peacock.

And don't forget Schmigadoon on Apple TV+! We'll be covering that one in depth. Check it out.

Sunday, July 11

8/7c Big Brother (CBS)

The time slot premiere of Big Brother picks up with Frenchie in power, but will the wildcard competition change the trajectory of the game?

With the nominations coming up, Frenchie needs to make a plan to secure his future.

With alliances forming, who landed where?

It’s going to be fun!

9/8c Good Witch (Hallmark)

There's a focus on couples on the next Witch as Tom and Martha celebrate their anniversary.

Will this emphasis on love bring Stephanie and Adam closer together?...

Monica Zanetti’s Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) opens in UK cinemas today via Kaleidoscope, with Arcadia Films also announcing a range of sales in other territories, including the US.

The queer rom-com, written and directed by Monica Zanetti, follows Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw), a high-school high-flyer who aces her academic work but can’t figure out a way to talk to Abbie (Zoe Terakes), the person with whom she’s hopelessly in love – or ask them to the formal.

Then a miracle happens: her dead lesbian aunt Tara (Julia Billington) returns as fairy godmother to offer plain-speaking advice from beyond the grave, but she hasn’t dated since the 1980s, and Gen Z dating norms aren’t easy for her to grasp.

Marta Dusseldorp, Rachel House, and Bridie Connell also star.

MahVeen Shahraki and Patrick James are the producers for Brazen Lot, with executive producers Brian Cobb, Steve Jaggi,...

This week, actors such as Simon Baker, Bryan Brown and Marta Dusseldorp were in Canberra. Their aim was to convince parliament to introduce rules requiring streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ to spend 20 per cent of their local revenue on new Australian drama, documentary and children’s content.

Many of Australia’s film and television organisations see local content rules as a key way of tackling significant changes that have disrupted business norms and revenue streams. The Federal Government has indicated it supports quotas for some services at least.

Requirements on global services seem an easy answer — and who doesn’t want more Australian TV? — but this call ignores complex realities of how the TV business and its funding have changed.

Before exploring the key differences of 21st century television, let’s consider why pursuing content requirements on streaming services is a high risk, low reward campaign.

Nathalie Morris...

A delegation of actors, crew, writers, and producers have converged on Canberra to push for local content requirements for SVOD and AVOD platforms, as well as other reforms relating to the screen sector.

Actors Simon Baker, Bryan Brown, Marta Dusseldorp, and Justine Clarke jointed Flying Bark Productions CEO Barbara Stephen, and Blue Rocket Productions co-founder David Gurney at Parliament House today as part of the Make it Australian campaign.

Spearheaded by the Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg), Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg), Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Meaa), and Screen Producers Australia (Spa), the campaign previously took to the capital in 2019 to lobby on similar issues.

Since then, the government has proposed in a green paper that streaming services be required to invest a percentage of their revenue on Australian content in the form of commissions, co-productions, and acquisitions. It is consulting on the paper until late May.

The Make It Australian campaign...

The Secret She Keeps and Wentworth scribe Sarah Walker is set to write and executive produce crime thriller series The Last House Guest for Elle and Dakota Fanning’s newly-formed production company, Lewellen Pictures.

An adaptation of The New York Times bestseller from author Megan Miranda, it is the first project in development under the Fanning sisters’ first look deal with Civic Center Media in association with MRC Television.

The Last House Guest follows an intimate friendship between two girls who fall violently in love with each other’s differences, which, in the end, create doubt, betrayal and tragedy.

Dakota and Elle will executive produce alongside Brittany Kahan Ward and Mary Jane Skalski for Echo Lake Entertainment.

Over the past few years, Walker has been working on an adaptation of Gina Frangello’s novel A Life In Men for Charlize Theron and Beth Kono’s production company Denver & Delilah. The...

Ben Lawrence and Beatrix Christian’s Hearts and Bones was named best original feature film screenplay at the Australian Writers’ Guild’s annual Awgie Awards yesterday evening, while Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps took home the adaptation prize for Penguin Bloom.

Two of 2019’s top dramas, The Hunting, written by Niki Aken and Matthew Cormack, and Total Control (Episode 3), by Pip Karmel, were recognised in the television categories, while The Heights, lauded for its depiction of contemporary Australia, won Peter Mattessi the Awgie in the television serial category, ending a run of 16-straight years for Neighbours and Home and Away.

Playwright Suzie Miller’s critically acclaimed one-woman play Prima Facie took out the evening’s highest honours, winning the 2020 Major Award, the David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre, and in the stage category.

The one-woman play holds a mirror up to the Australian legal system, exposing...

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following the […]

The post Jack Tries to Get Answers About Bert’s Death on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following the […]

The post Jenni Baird Threatens Marta Dusseldorp’s Future on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following the […]

The post Marta Dusseldorp Must Tell Brett Climo Her Darkest Secret on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sometimes the most challenging aspect in life for people can be finding a place where they truly feel comfortable and at peace. That’s certainly the case for the protagonist of the Australian television series, ‘A Place to Call.’ The lead character, Sarah Adams, who’s played by Marta Dusseldorp, returns to her native Australia following the […]

The post Marta Dusseldorp Performs a Spiritual Cleansing on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

‘Lion’. (Photo: Mark Rogers)

What’s your favourite Australian film of the last decade?

That’s one of the questions Aacta is putting to the general public over the coming week as voting opens for its new Audience Choice Awards.

In contention for the film award are: Peter Rabbit, Red Dog, The Sapphires, The Great Gatsby, The Water Diviner, The Dressmaker, Lion, Ride Like A Girl and Mad Max: Fury Road.

While many of those nominated correspond to the Academy’s own ‘Best Film’ winners over the past 10 years, there are some notable exclusions – 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge, 2018’s Sweet Country and 2019’s The Nightingale.

The Favourite TV Drama of The Decade category sees each broadcaster score two nods – bar Sbs, who were snubbed. They include 10’s Offspring and Neighbours, ABC’s Mystery Road and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Foxtel’s Top of the Lake and Wentworth, Seven’s Molly and Home and Away,...

Steven Oliver in ‘Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky’.

Local films from directors Jo-Anne Brechin and Steven McGregor are among the 12 world premieres to feature on the line-up for Miff 68½ – Melbourne International Film Festival’s upcoming digital-only iteration.

To run August 6-23, the event will encompass some 69 features and 44 shorts from 56 countries – an impressive number given the rights complications inherent in putting together an online showcase. Forty-nine per cent of films are from a female director, and all films are available to stream across Australia.

Miff artistic director Al Cossar said: “I’m delighted to say that, despite the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, Miff’s ‘radical act’ is to keep going and continue on our mission to bring you the world through unforgettable screen experiences. At Miff, we are driven by a deep understanding that film has the ability to entertain, inspire, illuminate and empower audiences in a way that few other...

1. “The Baby-Sitters Club” Season 1 (available now)

Why Should I Watch? Netflix’s adaptation of Ann M. Martin’s ’90s era novels have been wooing plenty of viewers well-outside its young adult demographic — this critic included — without abandoning its most important fanbase. “The Baby-Sitters Club” is a rich, warm-hearted story about a group of middle-schoolers who band together, not only to make a little extra money and give themselves an excuse to hang out, but to provide a much-needed service for parents; the titular baby-sitters have an earnest yet relaxed investment in the kids they care for, and that same casually compassionate attitude buoys the series itself to lovable heights. Adult viewers may come for a pastel-dipped piece of nostalgia, but they — and younger audiences — will stick around for a savvy, inclusive, and rewarding update on “Bsc.”

Bonus Reason: Casting is strong throughout the show, but casting directors Danielle Aufiero and...

Finding a secure, loving home is one of the most important things in life for the characters of the romantic drama series, ‘A Place to Call Home.’ The Australian television show, which stars Noni Hazlehurst, Jenni Baird, Brett Climo, Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood and David Berry, focuses on their characters as they strive to start a new […]

The post Dominic Allburn Notices Marta Dusseldorp is Being Followed on A Place to Call Home appeared first on Shockya.com.

The Handmaid's Tale may be sitting out all of 2020, but Yvonne Strahovski is returning to TV screens in the coming weeks.

The beloved actress will lead the cast of Netflix drama Stateless, a six-episode limited series.

Stateless centres on four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert: an airline hostess escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat caught up in a national scandal.

When their lives intersect they are pushed to the brink of sanity, yet unlikely and profound emotional connections are made amongst the group.

Strahovski plays Sofie Werner, and the rest of the cast includes Asher Keddie as Claire Kowitz, Fayssal Bazzi as Ameer, Marta Dusseldorp as Margot, Dominic West as Gordon, Cate Blanchett as Pat, and Jai Courtney as Cam Sandford.

Also stararing are Soraya Heidari as Mina, Rachel House as Harriet,...

Marta Dusseldorp in ‘Wentworth’ (Photo credit: Sarah Enticknap).

In a world away from A Place to Call Home, Marta Dusseldorp has donned the prison track suit with a guest role in Foxtel’s Wentworth, which resumes shooting this week.

Her character Sheila Bausch, a senior figure in the True Path cult, is on remand, charged with the murder of nine people at the cult’s retreat.

Described as highly intelligent, charismatic and manipulative, Sheila worked as the personal secretary for True Path’s founder Dr Mendel (Brian Vriends).

The Fremantle production re-starts after shutting down on March 23, just before a planned hiatus. The show has the advantage of being shot in its own large building in Melbourne, which has the flexibility of moving scenes set in a small cell to a bigger cell.

Executive producer Jo Porter, who is Fremantle’s director of scripted, said: “We have carefully adjusted our...

Joel Edgerton will produce and star in Thomas M Wright’s ‘The Unknown Man’.

Amid turbulent times for the sector, Screen Australia has some positive news, announcing production funding for three feature films, four television series, a children’s series and two online projects.

Overall, the projects, including Thomas M Wright’s The Unknown Man, produced by See-Saw Films and Anonymous Content, and starring Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris, will share in $8.5 million of production funding.

Other projects include family drama The Midwife from Playmaker Media for Nine; a comedy created by Kitty Flanagan called Entitled for the ABC, and the debut feature film from artist Del Kathryn Barton, Puff, produced by Causeway Films.

“We’re blown away by the projects in this slate and it’s great to see such a wide range of genres. I am particularly delighted to support Puff, the directorial debut of renowned artist Del Kathryn Barton,...

Asher Keddie and Darren Gilshenan in ‘Stateless’ (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti).

Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding Australia to Stateless, the six-part drama about four strangers whose lives collide in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert, co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie.

The series produced by Matchbox Pictures and Blanchett and Andrew Upton’s Dirty Films, which premieres on the ABC this Sunday, will roll out on the streamer later this year.

The first two episodes of the drama starring Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Fayssal Bazzi, Asher Keddie and Blanchett have their world premiere on Wednesday night at the sixth edition of the Berlin International Film Festival’s Berlinale Series.

Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse directed the series scripted by the showrunner McCredie and Belinda Chayko and produced by Sheila Jayadev and Paul Ranford.

Strahovski plays Sofie Werner, an airline hostess on the run from her...

The Make it Australian campaign is heading back to Canberra for the first time since the federal election, restating its case for local content requirements to be placed on digital platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The campaign is spearheaded by the Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg), Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg), Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Meaa) and Screen Producers Australia (Spa).

Among the delegation that will be in Canberra today and tomorrow are actors Marta Dusseldorp, Hugo Weaving, Leah Vandenberg and Rhys Muldoon, director Gillian Armstrong, screenwriters Shane Brennan and Ellie Beaumont, cinematographer Andrew Conder, and producers Barbara Stephen and Kevin Whyte. During the two-day visit, they will meet with representatives of the Liberal, National, Labor, Green and Centre Alliance parties.

The campaign will also push for the retention of Australian and children’s content rules for commercial free-to-air and pay television, competitive incentives to support film and television production in a global market,...

(L-r) John Sheedy, Daisy Axon, Julie Ryan, Lisa Hoppe and Tenille Kennedy (Photo credit: Court McAllister).

John Sheedy’s feature debut H is for Happiness, an adaptation of Barry Jonsberg’s young adult novel My Life as an Alphabet, has won this year’s $100,000 CinefestOZ Film Prize.

Announcing the award at the Saturday night gala, jury chair Rachel Ward said: “If we have the power as jurors to change the world to be a better place, then voting for H is for Happiness to win the CinefestOZ 2019 is our contribution. As juror Alex Dimitriades added, H is also for Hope.”

The other finalists were Owen Trevor’s Go!, Ben Lawrence’s Hearts and Bones, Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch and Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure.

Sheedy said: “The competition was so tough. There were five amazing films, I saw all of them. To be chosen in such good company...

Marta Dusseldorp, Glenn Gainor, Alex Dimitriades and Ben Young will join chair Rachel Ward on the jury which will determine the winner of this year’s $100,000 CinefestOz Film Prize.

Owen Trevor’s Go!, John Sheedy’s H is for Happiness, Ben Lawrence’s Hearts and Bones, Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch and Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure will compete for Australia’s biggest film prize.

“The quality of this year’s Film Prize finalists is exceptionally high and we are delighted to have a jury of equal calibre to decide on the winner,” CinefestOZ chair Helen Shervington said.

Dimitriades made his acting debut in Michael Jenkins’ The Heartbreak Kid followed by Ana Kokkinos’ Head On. Other film performances include Three Blind Mice, Ghost Ship, Deuce Bigalow, Kings of Mykonos, Summer Coda, The Infinite Man and Ruben Guthrie.

His TV credits include The Slap, The Principal, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Wanted,...

Sophie Hawkshaw (L) and Zoe Terakes in ‘Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)’.

Since Zoe Terakes came out, the proudly gay actor has not been offered any screen roles as straight characters – but that has not hindered the 19-year-old’s flourishing career.

There is no such discrimination in the theatre world and Zoe is currently performing in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge at the Ensemble Theatre, directed by Iain Sinclair.

She made her stage debut as Catherine, a college student who is romantically involved with Italian immigrant Rodolpho, in the Old Fitz Theatre production of the play while she was studying for the Hsc.

Miller’s play has been a talisman for her as she appeared in the Melbourne Theatre Company production, also directed by Sinclair, earlier this year.

Terakes is gratified by the growing acceptance of Lgbtqi actors and storylines but she tells If: “In the...

Sophie Hawkshaw (L) and Zoe Terakes in ‘Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)’.

Since Zoe Terakes came out, the proudly gay actor has not been offered any screen roles as straight characters – but that has not hindered the 19-year-old’s flourishing career.

There is no such discrimination in the theatre world and Zoe is currently performing in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge at the Ensemble Theatre, directed by Iain Sinclair.

She made her stage debut as Catherine, a college student who is romantically involved with Italian Rodolpho, in the Old Fitz Theatre production of the play while she was studying for the Hsc.

Miller’s play has been a talisman for her as she appeared in the Melbourne Theatre Company production, also directed by Sinclair, earlier this year.

Terakes is determined to overcome the attitude prevalent in sections of the screen industry that gay actors can’t be convincing as straight characters.

The iMom Short Film Ariel Martin‘s The iMom (2014) short film stars Matilda Brown, Marta Dusseldorp, Karl Beattie, Curt Bonnem, and Tom Kiesche. Plot Synopsis The iMom‘s plot synopsis: “With a rapid evolution in robotics in a not-so-distant future, loving couples are now able of tackling with the discouraging and tiresome task of parenting, as the innovative [...]

Continue reading: The Imom Short Film: Cyborg Matilda Brown Takes Care of Two Kids in Ariel Martin’s Touching & Disturbing Story...

Julia Billington

When Julia Billington was at the National Institute of Dramatic Art there was a tacit belief among sections of the screen industry that a gay actor could not come out.

“It wasn’t spoken about but it was an undercurrent, a hangover from the past decade,” she tells If. “If you were queer, you should keep it on the down-low.”

Since she graduated from Nida in 2008 clearly there has been growing acceptance of the Lgbtqi community, although it’s far from universal.

Citing the 38.4 per cent of respondents who voted no in the same sex marriage plebiscite in 2017, she says: “We can pat ourselves on the back but there is still a long way to go.”

Currently Billington is relishing playing Tara, a lesbian who died in the 1980s and is reincarnated as a fairy godmother in Monica Zanetti’s rom-com Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt).

Adapted...

Top (l-r) Sophie Hawkshaw, Zoe Terakes; Bottom (l-r) Rachel House, Marta Dusseldorp.

As a teenager Monica Zanetti searched in vain for gay rom-coms which she could watch with her mother, while Neil Armfield’s same-sex romantic drama Holding the Man was a major influence.

That has inspired the writer-director to make her feature directing debut on Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), which, unlike Armfield’s film has a happy ending.

Shooting in Sydney started today, starring Marta Dusseldorp, fellow Janet King alumni Julia Billington, Kiwi Rachel House, Zoe Terakes and newcomer Sophie Hawkshaw.

Zanetti adapted the screenplay from her eponymous play which was staged in 2017 at The Depot Theatre in Marrickville, her second feature credit after Jonnie Leahy’s 2014 drama Skip Deep.

Hawkshaw’s Ellie is 18 and struggling to find the courage to ask classmate Abbie (Terakes) to the formal. Luckily her aunt Tara (Billington), a lesbian who died in the 80s,...

Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher.

Every Cloud Productions’ Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears will get a cinema release in the Us before premiering on the streaming service Acorn TV.

The Svod platform also acquired the four Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries telepics, which launch on the Seven Network at 8.30 pm on February 21.

Tony Tilse directed the feature film spin-off of the ABC series and novels by Kerry Greenwood, which stars Essie Davis, Rupert Penry-Jones, Nathan Page, Miriam Margolyes, Jacqueline McKenzie and Ashleigh Cummings.

Acorn TV, which is home to the Miss Fisher series, bought the film sight unseen from the distributor All3Media International and will book Us cinemas after the Australian distributor Roadshow sets its release date. It is the first deal for the movie, which is yet to be screened for international buyers.

“It’s a perfect marriage,” Fiona Eagger, who produced the film with Deb Cox,...

Acorn TV has boarded two spin-offs of Australian period drama Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

The U.S. Svod service has taken the North American rights to Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries and feature film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

The company has struck the deal with All3Media International and revealed the news at its TCA session.

The Modern Murder Mysteries series moves the setting to the 1960s. In 1964, when the famous aunt she never knew, Phryne Fisher, goes missing over the highlands of New Guinea, the gorgeously reckless Peregrine Fisher, played by Geraldine Hakewill, Wanted inherits a windfall. Peregrine sets out to become a world-class private detective in her own right with the unerring guidance of The Adventuresses’ Club, a group of exceptional women of which her celebrated aunt was a member. The series co-stars Joel Jackson (Deadline Gallipoli) as ambitious cop Detective James Steed and Catherine McClements (Wentworth) as Birdie,...

Chris Oliver-Taylor on the set of ‘Neighbours’.

Since taking the helm of Fremantle’s Asia Pacific operations last September, Chris Oliver-Taylor has been busy realigning the Australasian business.

Adhering to Fremantle’s global mantra as “the place creatives call home,” the CEO has significantly upped the drama development budget and is prepared to commission blind scripts, i.e., before a network is aboard.

Oliver-Taylor and his team led by Jennifer Collins, the Australian director of content, are discussing projects with a host of A-grade writers including Robert Connolly, Giula Sandler, Katherine Thomson, Tommy Murphy and Matt Cameron.

“We want to work with world-class writers, predominantly but not exclusively Australian,” he tells If in his first interview since moving over from Matchbox Pictures, succeeding Ian Hogg.

“The second part of the strategy is having great IP, whether it’s a book, a play or an original idea. The third is a strong financial strategy.