News

Alex Russell is set to star in Sons of Salt, the story of an ex-con trying to get his life together who is reluctantly drawn into a dangerous world by his pro-surfer brother. ..

This is the first feature from Five Lip Films (formerly Rockpool Films), the young collective made up of Nida grads Russell, James Elliot, and Sarah-Jane McAllan, plus Ande Cunningham and David O.Donnell (Waapa).

The five are back and forth between La and Sydney, and the shingle doesn't have a premises..

Last year Cunningham directed short film Oranges Don.t Grow on Trees, featuring Russell and Sarah Snook..

This Friday, the outfit will premiere their latest project, Picture Wheel.—.a short written and directed by O'Donnell and starring Russell and James Hoare (the upcoming Picnic at Hanging Rock mini).—.at California's Cinequest Festival.

James Hoare (centre back) in 'Picture Wheel'.

O'Donnell also wrote the script for Sons of Salt,...

Alex Russell is set to star in Sons of Salt, the story of an ex-con trying to get his life together who is reluctantly drawn into a dangerous world by his pro-surfer brother. ..

This is the first feature from Five Lip Films (formerly Rockpool Films), the young collective made up of Nida grads Russell, James Elliot, and Sarah-Jane McAllan, plus Ande Cunningham and David O.Donnell (Waapa).

The five are back and forth between La and Sydney, and the shingle doesn't have a premises..

Last year Cunningham directed short film Oranges Don.t Grow on Trees, featuring Russell and Sarah Snook..

This Friday, the outfit will premiere their latest project, Picture Wheel.—.a short written and directed by O'Donnell and starring Russell and James Hoare (the upcoming Picnic at Hanging Rock mini).—.at California's Cinequest Festival.

James Hoare (centre back) in 'Picture Wheel'.

O'Donnell also wrote the script for Sons of Salt,...

Red deserts, sweaty brows, scalding sand and swimsuits. Nowhere does summer quite like Australia – and nowhere is it captured better than on film. But how well do you know your classics?

They’re A Weird Mob

Puberty Blues

Age of Consent

The Daughter

These Final Hours

On the Beach

Blackrock

All Men Are Liars

The Overlanders

The Sundowners

The Back of Beyond

Mutiny on the Bounty

Welcome to Woop Woop

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

Muriel’s Wedding

Red Dog

Road Games

Fair Game

Long Weekend

Dead Calm

The Killing of Angel Street

Newsfront

Heatwave

The Year of Living Dangerously

Wake in Fright

Sunday Too Far Away

The Water Diviner

The Man From Snowy River

The Man From Snowy River

The Water Diviner

Australia

The Silver Brumby

Goldstone

Dead Heart

Babe: Pig in the City

Mystery Road

Bungala Boys

Bra Boys

The Coolangatta Gold

The Four Minute Mile

Crocodile Dundee...

Cyber.

A story about the victims of cyber bullying is the 2016 winner of Get Reel: Top Ten Filmmakers. Festival.

Cyber, produced by young filmmaker Georgia Cramp, was declared the winner at the finalist screening on July 24 at the Ritz Cinema in Sydney. Happy Thoughts by Michael Hall was the runner-up.

The Get Reel Short Filmmakers. Festival received more than 1650 entries from across Australia and New Zealand. Entrants were asked to respond to the theme of .Being Seen. through a short film ten minutes or less shot on a smart device.

The competition awarded $4500 in prizes, and films were voted by a judging panel that included the likes of Danielle Cormack, Jessica Grace Smith, Socratis Otto and Marcario De Souza.

The competition was aimed to start a conversation around mental health. Funds raised from the finalist screening go to Suicide Prevention Australia.

Cyber tells the story of how an attacker eventually...

Holding On.is the brainchild of Sydney directors and old friends Simon Bruncke and Trent Beattie.

It centres on the 'Skid Kids', six bodyboarding-mad kids from Cronulla who found fame in the 70's.

The road to making the film began when Bruncke graduated from university and started working for Taylor Steele, a veteran producer of surf movies.

"He took a chance on me to run his Australian operations, which was mostly marketing, sales and distribution on all his films, putting together premieres and things like that", Bruncke said. "I loved it"..

That gig led to the director working with Garage Entertainment, the outfit behind 2007's Bra Boys (Holding On is also narrated by a famous actor, though this time it's David Wenham instead of Russell Crowe)..

Garage is now looking after the film's distribution in Australia/ Nz, while Xtreme Video has taken other territories.

While Bruncke was distributing action-sports documentaries of every kind,...

Distributor Fred Media has signed a deal to represent Garage Entertainment.s two award-winning documentaries and reality series at Mipcom in October.

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Fred will present.Bra Boys.and.Fighting Fear, along with.The Crew, a series currently airing on Australia.s Nine Network and Fox Sports.

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Mike Aldrich, Fred Media general manager said he had been a big fan of Garage Entertainment for years and had always wanted to work with Mick Lawrence and his team.

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"These are truly brilliant offerings in documentary/reality style and will wow international audiences with their strong stories and iconic images and I can.t wait to represent them at Mipcom..

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Garage Entertainment owner and founder,.Michael Lawrence,.said he was excited to have the productions presented at Mipcom.

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.If they.re good enough for Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Keidis, Snoop Dogg,.Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Bj Penn,.we are hoping they...

Madman production, That Sugar Film, is poised to become the number one Australian documentary of all time.

It has now taken more than $1.6 million at the box office and almost $500,000 in New Zealand cinemas.

The number one position excluding IMAX screenings, is now held by Bra Boys ($1,698,976).

The box office success comes on the back of the the documentary's recently announced Aacta Award nomination for Best Documentary.

The winner will be announced on December 9.

It has remained on Australian cinema screens for 22 weeks.

Head of Madman Production Company, Nick Batzias, said it was absolutely incredible to reach such a milestone..

"In addition to being a great success for Madman as a business, it is a clear indication that the ultimate goal of taking this important message to a broad Australian audience and impacting change is being achieved," he said..

"It is a testament to Damon's passion and determination, both making and promoting the film,...

Madman production, That Sugar Film, has become the number one Australian documentary of all time.

It has now taken more than $1.6 million at the box office and almost $500,000 in New Zealand cinemas.

It now holds number one position,, excluding IMAX screenings, after collecting $1,699,064 at the box office.

.It surpassed Bra Boys ($1,698,976).

The success comes on the back of the the documentary's recently announced Aacta Award nomination for Best Documentary.

The winner will be announced on December 9.

It has remained on Australian cinema screens for 22 weeks.

Head of Madman Production Company, Nick Batzias, said it was absolutely incredible to reach such a milestone..

"In addition to being a great success for Madman as a business, it is a clear indication that the ultimate goal of taking this important message to a broad Australian audience and impacting change is being achieved," he said..

"It is a testament to Damon's passion and determination,...

Exclusive: Universal, eOne secure major territories on Crowe’s directorial debut.

“I thought I had the best job in the world, but I think I’ve found a better one,” Russell Crowe recently told the producers of his feature directorial debut The Water Diviner, currently half way through shoot in Australia.

Despite having to contend with searing local temperatures, Crowe has developed the directing bug, according to producer Keith Rodger of Crowe’s production outfit Fear of God Films.

Crowe’s approach, allied to Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios’ well-received script, have been paying off in the market as well as on set, with a number of deals locking in recent months.

Upi cut a number of deals with David Garrett’s Mister Smith, including for France, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Austria and Benelux, as well as securing a joint deal for Universal with eOne for Australian and New Zealand rights.

eOne themselves...

Prolific Tweeter Russell Crowe is in talks to do double duty as both the star and first-time director of "The Water Diviner," reports Deadline.

The period drama tells the story of a dad on the hunt for his sons, two soldiers who've disappeared after fighting for the Allied forces in Gallipoli during Wwi. Like Crowe, his character is Australian, so filming will take place down under and in Turkey, where the battle of Gallipoli was fought.

Crowe's been looking for a directorial gig for a while, and even confirmed last year that he was attached to direct a biopic about the late Bill Hicks. He was also "seriously considering" starring in and directing "77," as well as "The Long Green Shore" and a feature about a surf gang called the Bra Boys. (Crowe narrated a documentary about the gang, and his wife reportedly wasn't too thrilled about him becoming more involved.

Star plumps for tale of father's search for missing sons in wake of ill-fated battle of Gallipoli as first behind-camera project

Russell Crowe is to make his directing debut on the post-first world war drama The Water Diviner, reports Deadline.

Crowe has picked the project, based on a screenplay by Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios, from a number of Australia-themed options.

The Water Diviner focuses on a father from New Zealand-born Crowe's adopted homeland who travels to Turkey in 1919. There, he hopes to discover what has happened to his two sons, both of whom have gone missing following the battle for Gallipoli. The failed 1915-16 Allied campaign, which incorporated troops from Australia and New Zealand, aimed to knock Turkey out of the war.

Other projects considered by Crowe for his first film behind the camera have included The Long Green Shore, about a group of Australian soldiers fighting an obscure...

Russell Crowe has entered talks to make his directorial debut in The Water Diviner.

The Man of Steel actor is also in line to star in the Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios-written period drama, reports Deadline.

Set in 1919, Crowe will star as an Australian father who travels to Turkey to search for his sons, who have been missing since the Battle of Gallipoli.

Crowe has previously considered directing several Australian films including The Long Green Shore and Bra Boys.

He can currently be seen filling Marlon Brando's iconic role of Jor-El in Zack Snyder's Superman reboot Man of Steel.

The actor will star in Darren Aronofsky's Noah.

The Water Diviner will shoot in Australia and Turkey later in the year.

Exclusive: Hot off the opening of the Superman reboot Man Of Steel in which he plays Jor-El, Russell Crowe has firmed his long-held plans to make his feature directorial debut. He is in talks to helm and star in The Water Diviner, a film scripted by Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios that will shoot in Australia and Turkey later this year. It is set in 1919, and an Australian father travels to Turkey to find his two sons, who are missing after the battle of Gallipoli. The film will be produced by Troy Lum and Andrew Mason for Hopscotch Features and by Keith Rodger for Fear Of God Films. Over the years, Crowe has considered several films for his directing debut, and they have all been Australian stories that have included The Long Green Shore and Bra Boys. He has been on quite a roll. After Les Miserables, he will star...

The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off for the eleventh time starting Wednesday when "The Five-Year Engagement" premieres, and festival organizers have just announced the star-studded jury for this year's edition.

Thirty-nine celebrities -- of various levels of fame and awards kudos -- make up the six juries, with producer Irwin Winkler ("Goodfellas") serving a jury president.

Among those selected by Tribeca this year: Patricia Clarkson, Hugh Dancy, Rosario Dawson, Dakota Fanning, Kellan Lutz, Michael Moore and Olivia Wilde. Also on the list: Brett Ratner. The controversial big-budget director will serve on the Documentary and Student Short Film Competition jury along with Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun, Susan Sarandon and Shailene Woodley, among others.

“We are honored to have this accomplished group dedicate the time and care it takes to view and discuss the films in competition this year,” Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in a statement.

For...

It’s a star-studded list that includes some interesting, and surprising, names, which is just what you’d expect from the Tribeca Film Festival. The juries have been announced, and you could hardly got a more varied mix.

Juries Announced For 2012 Tribeca Film Festival And Tribeca Film Institute Programs

Academy Award-Winning Producer/Director Irwin Winkler To Serve as Jury President

Patricia Clarkson, Hugh Dancy, Rosario Dawson, Dakota Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Susannah Grant, Kellan Lutz, Michael Moore, Mike Newell, Brett Ratner, Susan Sarandon, Olivia Wilde, and Shailene Woodley are among the Jurors

The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by founding partner American Express, today announced its jurors – a diverse group of 39 individuals, including award-winning filmmakers, writers and producers, acclaimed actors, respected critics and global business leaders. Irwin Winkler has been named President of the Jury. The Jury will be divided among the six competitive Festival categories and will announce the winning films,...

When shooting a documentary about your two best mates, walking the line between being a filmmaker and a friend can be difficult. Just ask Macario De Souza.

.As a friend, you want to put down the camera and be with your mates,. says the 27 year-old director. .But you can.t do that while you.re making a movie..

Fighting Fear is De Souza.s follow up to 2007.s Bra Boys, the highest grossing local (non-imax) documentary in Australian history. Shot over three years, the film tracks the friendship between cage fighter Richie Vas and pro-surfer Mark Matthews from the ages of 12 to 27 as they experience highs and lows, personally and professionally.

.There.s a lot of movies about female friendship,. says executive producer Michael Lawrence. .But Macca and I hadn.t seen a film for a long time about men being mates, and I think mateship is a really great Australian theme.

Action documentary Fighting Fear posted a modest opening over the weekend, after receiving the biggest release in history for an Australian documentary. The film, which is directed by Bra Boys filmmaker Macario De Souza and distributed by Garage Entertainment, opened on 55 screens and grossed $104,555, with a screen average of $1,639. The documentary follows the friendship of mixed martial arts fighter Richie Vas and pro surfer Mark Matthews as they deal with the highs and lows of their personal and professional lives. French-Australian co-production Santa's Apprentice also opened over the weekend, posting a screen average of $833 across 149 screens and grossing $124,092. The film features the voice talents of Shane Jacobson (Kenny) and singer, Delta Goodrem. Feel-good...

New Australian action documentary Fighting Fear will receive the biggest Australian documentary release in history.

Director Macario de Souza told Encore the film will open across an impressive 60 screens with another possible 6 to be added, while in New Zealand it will open across 15 screens.

Opening November 10, it’s distributed through action sports brand Garage Entertainment with Hoyts and Village/Greater Union both exhibiting.

De Souza, co-director of Bra Boys, is confident Fighting Fear will capture the audiences just as well, after Bra Boys holds the record highest grossing Australian documentary, taking $1,698,976 at the box office.

About the friendship between surfer Mark Matthews and cage fighting hopeful Richie Vaculik, and narrated by Joel Edgerton, d Souza told Encore Fighting Fear is about about capturing ‘the realness’: “I think its the ‘old blue collar, Aussie battler story’ that most people can relate to. It’s that realness rather than the American fictional bullshit.

Film and television sales company Odin's Eye Entertaiment has acquired Macario De Souza's Fighting Fear from Garage Entertainment. The action documentary is De Souza's first feature since 2007's Bra Boys - which holds the record for the highest grossing local (non-imax) documentary in Australia. The film follows the friendship and exploits of professional surfer, Mark Matthews and mixed martial arts cage fighter, Richie 'Vas' Vaculik and was shot over three years. .It.s The King.s Speech with action sports,. says executive producer, Michael Lawrence. .It.s about two guys who just got each other.. The film will be released across more than 40 screens from November 10 and hopes to rely on a word-of-mouth strategy. "The...

Film and television sales company Odin's Eye Entertaiment has acquired Macario De Souza's Fighting Fear from Garage Entertainment. The action documentary is De Souza's first feature since 2007's Bra Boys - which holds the record for the highest grossing documentary in Australia. The film follows the friendship and exploits of professional surfer, Mark Matthews and mixed martial arts cage fighter, Richie 'Vas' Vaculik and was shot over three years. .It.s The King.s Speech with action sports,. says executive producer, Michael Lawrence. .It.s about two guys who just got each other.. The film will be released across more than 40 screens from November 10 and hopes to rely on a word-of-mouth strategy. "The...

Actor reportedly considering making directorial debut on movie based on story of 1974 Symbionese Liberation Army shootout

Russell Crowe is considering making his feature directorial debut on the period cop film 77, according to Deadline.

The screenplay is based on a story by James Ellroy, whose novel La Confidential was adapted for the 1997 Curtis Hanson film in which Crowe starred. It will connect two stories from 1974 which drew public attention at the time: the unsolved murder of an La police officer and a notorious shootout between members of "leftwing revolutionary unit" the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd. The firefight, one of the largest in Us history, saw more than 50,000 rounds of gunfire exchanged and resulted in the deaths of five members of the group.

Crowe may also take a role in the film, whose events will be seen through the eyes of two police partners, one black and one white.

The...

As far back as March of 2007, Russell Crowe was considering making his directorial debut with Bra Boys, a drama about surfers in his native Australia. For whatever reason you feel like citing-- Robin Hood flopping? surfers being sooooo 2002?-- the movie never panned out, but it seems Crowe has finally found the movie that will get him behind the camera for real. And appropriately enough, the movie ties him back to one of his first major American films, L.A. Confidential. According to Deadline Crowe is "seriously considering" starring and directing 77, a cop movie based around two real-life stories from Los Angeles in 1974-- one the unresolved murder of an Lapd officer, the other a shootout between the Symbionese LIberation Army and the police department. The two main characters are cop partners, one black and one white. David Matthews has rewritten the script originally done by James Ellroy, whose novel...

Russell Crowe is said to be seriously considering both starring in and making his feature directorial debut on the period cop drama "77" reports Deadline.

Based on a story by James Ellroy and a script by David Matthews, the story deals with the connection between two cases - the unsolved murder of an Lapd officer, and the nationally televised shootout in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd.

Events will be seen through the eyes of two police partners, one black and one white. Dick Wolf and Tony Ganz are producing.

Crowe is waiting on a re-write before making a decision. This marks the third project he has come close to potentially directing, the other two being the WWII drama "The Long Green Shore" and a narrative adaptation of the documentary "Bra Boys".

He's not just an actor anymore. Deadline is reporting that Russell Crowe is "seriously considering" taking on a project called 77 that he would not only star in, but would direct as his feature directorial debut. 77 focuses on two stories from 1974: the unsolved murder of an Lapd officer, and the nationally televised shootout in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd, where 50,000 rounds of gunfire were exchanged. The events will be seen through the eyes of two police partners, one black and one white. He hasn't exactly signed on yet, but is waiting for a rewrite of the screenplay first. Read on! 77 is based on a story by L.A. Confidential writer James Ellroy. The screenplay was adapted by David Matthews. Crowe has been looking at getting into directing for a little while, as he's been attached to a project called Bra Boys before, ...

Exclusive: Russell Crowe is seriously considering starring in and making his feature directorial debut in 77. The period cop movie has a script by David Matthews, a rewrite of an original screenplay by La Confidential's James Ellroy. Dick Wolf and Tony Ganz are producing. Crowe has been itching to make his directing debut for years and this sounds like a dynamite premise. The drama connects two stories from 1974. It deals with the unsolved murder of an Lapd officer, and the nationally televised shootout in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd, where 50,000 rounds of gunfire were exchanged. The events will be seen through the eyes of two police partners, one black and one white. Crowe was attached to Bra Boys, the dramatic adaptation of the documentary about outlaw surfers in Australia, and before that flirted with directing the Australia-based WWII drama The Long Green Shore, based...

Russell Crowe continued to move past the dismal box office receipts from last year’s prison escape drama The Next Three Days and started talking about making his directorial debut with the period cop drama 77. According to Deadline, Crowe looked over scriptwriter Tony Ganz’s adaptation of a James Ellroy story about the unsolved murder of a Lapd officer in 1974 and the gunfight in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd. Crowe earlier considered directing Bra Boys, based on the documentary about outlaw surfers in Australia as well as the Australian World War II drama The Long Green Shore.

Russell Crowe continued to move past the dismal box office receipts from last year’s prison escape drama The Next Three Days and started talking about making his directorial debut with the period cop drama 77. According to Deadline, Crowe looked over scriptwriter Tony Ganz’s adaptation of a James Ellroy story about the unsolved murder of a Lapd officer in 1974 and the gunfight in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd. Crowe earlier considered directing Bra Boys, based on the documentary about outlaw surfers in Australia as well as the Australian World War II drama The Long Green Shore.

Russell Crowe continued to move past the dismal box office receipts from last year’s prison escape drama The Next Three Days and started talking about making his directorial debut with the period cop drama 77. According to Deadline, Crowe looked over scriptwriter Tony Ganz’s adaptation of a James Ellroy story about the unsolved murder of a Lapd officer in 1974 and the gunfight in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd. Crowe earlier considered directing Bra Boys, based on the documentary about outlaw surfers in Australia as well as the Australian World War II drama The Long Green Shore.

Russell Crowe continued to move past the dismal box office receipts from last year’s prison escape drama The Next Three Days and started talking about making his directorial debut with the period cop drama 77. According to Deadline, Crowe looked over scriptwriter Tony Ganz’s adaptation of a James Ellroy story about the unsolved murder of a Lapd officer in 1974 and the gunfight in South Central L.A. between the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Lapd. Crowe earlier considered directing Bra Boys, based on the documentary about outlaw surfers in Australia as well as the Australian World War II drama The Long Green Shore.

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival)

Directed by: Adam Blaiklock

Written by: Joe Velikovsky, Matt Tomaszewski and Adam Blaiklock

Starring: Ben Oxenbould, Daisy Betts, Sam Lyndon, Simon Lyndon, Leeanna Walsman, Harry Cook and Peter Phelps

Boat-locked dramas have held their place among low-budget thrillers for some time. “Dead Calm,” “Open Water” and “Donkey Punch” have proffered a variety of versions of people locked in a precarious place with nowhere to go but down.

This time, young Australian filmmaker Adam Blaiklock casts a group of fairly seasoned Australian television actors and takes them to Thailand, where cheap fish and boat charters lure thousands of similarly minded southerners each year. This team has leased a vessel called “Hedonist” for what was supposed to be a boys’ surfing trip but now consists of four guys, two girls, a skipper and his crew. The two girls are two...

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival)

Directed by: Adam Blaiklock

Written by: Joe Velikovsky, Matt Tomaszewski and Adam Blaiklock

Starring: Ben Oxenbould, Daisy Betts, Sam Lyndon, Simon Lyndon, Leeanna Walsman, Harry Cook and Peter Phelps

Boat-locked dramas have held their place among low-budget thrillers for some time. “Dead Calm,” “Open Water” and “Donkey Punch” have proffered a variety of versions of people locked in a precarious place with nowhere to go but down.

This time, young Australian filmmaker Adam Blaiklock casts a group of fairly seasoned Australian television actors and takes them to Thailand, where cheap fish and boat charters lure thousands of similarly minded southerners each year. This team has leased a vessel called “Hedonist” for what was supposed to be a boys’ surfing trip but now consists of four guys, two girls, a skipper and his crew. The two girls are two...

A former professional surfer who is thought to have inspired the creation of Home and Away's River Boys has spoken out about the soap characters. The three bad boys, made up of the Braxton brothers, have recently been compared to Koby Abberton and his gang the Bra boys. The River Boys are set to create a stir on Summer Bay but Abberton, who was previously romantically linked to Paris Hilton, insisted that he isn't bothered by the characters. He told Australian radio Nova FM: "I've had (more)...

Home and Away welcomes surf gang The River Boys to the soap next week. The three bad boys, made up of the Braxton brothers, are thought to have been inspired by former professional surfer Koby Abberton and his gang the Bra boys. The River Boys are set to create a stir on Summer Bay but Abberton, who was previously romantically linked to Paris Hilton, insisted that he isn't bothered by the characters. He told Australian radio Nova FM: "I've had some of the hottest girls (more)...

London, Nov 9 – Actor Russell Crowe has pulled out from a new film about Australia’s infamous Bra Boys gang at the request of his wife Danielle Spencer.

The ‘Gladiator’ star admits that his wife was unhappy about his involvement with the project, which was to be a fictional account of the unruly family gang members, who had several clashes with New South Wales authorities almost two decades ago.

‘I stepped away from that. It’s not something my wife is comfortable with me approaching,’ dailyexpress.co.uk quoted Crowe as saying.

The actor was inspired to do the movie after.

Russell Crowe has stepped away from a new film about Australia's infamous Bra Boys gang at the request of his wife Danielle Spencer. The movie star admits his wife was unhappy about his involvement with the project, which was to be a fictional account of the unruly family gang members' clashes with New South Wales authorities almost two decades ago.

Crowe tells WENN, "I stepped away from that. It's not something my wife is comfortable with me approaching." The actor was inspired to develop the project after watching 2007 documentary "Bra Boys: Blood Is Thicker Than Water", which was written and directed by members of the gang.

He adds, "Whatever was encapsulated in that documentary is not really the full story and the longer you wait the more things happen. I wasn't actually directly attached to the film, but my involvement helped the producers get their own idea off the ground.

Russell Crowe has stepped away from a new film about Australia's infamous Bra Boys gang at the request of his wife Danielle Spencer.

The movie star admits his wife was unhappy about his involvement with the project, which was to be a fictional account of the unruly family gang members' clashes with New South Wales authorities almost two decades ago.

Crowe tells WENN, "I stepped away from that. It's not something my wife is comfortable with me approaching."

The actor was inspired to develop the project after watching 2007 documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker Than Water, which was written and directed by members of the gang.

He adds, "Whatever was encapsulated in that documentary is not really the full story and the longer you wait the more things happen. I wasn't actually directly attached to the film, but my involvement helped the producers get their own idea off the ground."...

Having met “Flea” Virostko in sixth grade, then filming and aiding the fame of the Santa Cruz surf scene by producing “The Kill” cult surf action videos, Joshua Pomer provides a true insider’s perspective on the surf gang that ruled “Steamer Lane” and the Santa Cruz waves.

In an apt point of irony, surfing was brought to Santa Cruz by three Hawaiian princes in 1885. That those waves would become ruled by warriors lacking in nobility and known as “The Godfather,” “Ratboy,” “Barney” and “Flea” brings the esteem of the sport back to the working classes.

“Bra Boys,” the successful tale of the surf gangs at Maroubra Beach on Australia’s east coast, boasted Russell Crowe as the narrator. With a much more soothing timbre, “The Westsiders” has Rosanna Arquette, whose utterance of “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” heralds the opening of the story.

Hopscotch Films’ Troy Lum believes it’s vital for any development process to have a commercial sensibility.

What were your strongest performing films of the 2009/2010 financial year?

Mao’s Last Dancer and Bright Star.

What titles didn’t necessarily meet your expectations?

We were a little disappointed with The Boys Are Back; we loved the film and were hoping that it would do a bit better

Were there any surprises?

We had a great result with The Concert, a little film with a big heart.

How experimental are Hopscotch’s plans in terms of distribution models?

We are very cautious in this regard. We are respecting the windows and will only move from this position if there is an industry-wide change

Are you focusing your promotional efforts across a wider range of platforms?

We are much more focused in the digital marketing arena. We have invested heavily in the Hopscotch...

It’s been four years since Encore published its Top 20 Directors and Producers list, and we felt it was time to compile a new, more comprehensive list that included professionals working across all areas – film, television and Tvc production – as well as the leaders and decision-makers that determine the direction of the industry.

Instead of having a limited list of panellists, we consulted with the main agencies and organisations, and also asked our readers to nominate their candidates. We ended up with a list of more than 200 screen industry professionals, and deciding the final 50 was indeed a difficult task. Of course, some other very influential and successful people didn’t make the final cut, but there were only 50 spots and too many talented men and women!

We hope you’ll enjoy – or not, and if so, debate it passionately – the selection of what will become our annual Power 50 list.

1. Christopher Mapp...

Russell Crowe is in early negotiations to reprise his role as Jack Aubrey, the British captain in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.  Crowe has never been a part of a movie sequel.

The 2003 movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won two (cinematography and sound effects editing).  It was released the same year as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which swept all 11 of its nominations leaving only two remaining awards for the Crowe starrer.  It earned $212 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

The first movie was based on several books from the 20-novel series written by Patrick O’Brian based on adventures at sea during the Napoleonic Wars.  A script has been written for another film based on the eleventh book “The Reverse of the Medal.”  Discussions are taking place to acquire the rights from the owner (O’Brian died in 2000).

“The Reverse of Medal,...

Eric Bana's directorial debut Love The Beast has become the second-highest debut for a domestic documentary in Australia.

The motor-mad Hulk star showcases his love of fast cars in the new film, which features guest appearances by U.S. talk show host Jay Leno, British Top Gear TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson and American TV's Dr. Phil McGraw.

And Bana has scored big at the box office Down Under, with the movie raking in a total of Aus$353,810 ($241,000/£167,955) in its first week of release, reports Daily Variety.

Bra Boys, a 2007 film, holds the record for the biggest opening for a documentary in Oz, grossing Aus$389,040 ($265,000/£184,680).

DVD Links: Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed Not much at all to tell you about today. However, there is a pretty big deal going on right now for the first four seasons of HBO's "The Wire". You can buy them for the next couple of hours for just $95.49, which is $54.50 off the regular price. If you are interested click here, if not check out the small selection of new stuff coming out this week. South Park - The Complete Eleventh Season I finished watching this just a day ago and this article here may need to serve as my review since there isn't a ton to say. I think by now you either know you like "South Park" or you hate it. I am actually surprised, and happy, the show has stayed on the air this long and this eleventh season has some pretty good stuff in it,...

• Just in time for summer, distributor Screen Media Films has acquired the domestic rights to Jeremy Gosch's Bustin' Down The Door. This surfer documentary (following in the recent footsteps of Bra Boys and Surfwise) is more than just attractive people running down the beach; the film details how competitive surfing transformed into the enormous money-maker it is today. Edward Norton narrates the project. Because he refuses to promote The Hulk, perhaps Norton will use his vacation time to publicize this surfer flick. After receiving great reviews at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, this documentary is sure to make a splash.Other names attached to the project include surfers Kelly Slater, Ian Cairns, and Tom Curren. Fellower surfer Shaun Tomson lends his producing skills to Monika Gosch and Robert Traill.    ...

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SYDNEY -- To call the production values of the Australian surfer documentary Bra Boys amateurish would be too kind. But there's something strangely compelling about the undiluted machismo of the culture it celebrates. It's a piece of unabashed myth-making from first-time writer-director Sunny Abberton, himself a member of the infamous surf tribe from the working-class beachside suburb of Maroubra, in Sydney.

Footage of world-class surfing and a hard-charging rock soundtrack should attract the niche wave-rider market overseas. The addition of Russell Crowe as narrator of some largely superfluous commentary gives it an imprimatur of professional cool. (Crowe will make his directorial debut with a film based on the docu later this year.) The film became Australia's highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary when it was released locally last year, making mainstream celebrities of its subjects. So far the film has done well at international fringe festivals.

One-eyed and technically inexperienced he may be, Abberton (co-directing with fellow Bra Boy Macario De Souza) is able to provide a raw insider's look into the way an aggressive, dysfunctional environment spawned this territorial clan of blood-brothers. With their penchant for bare-knuckled brawling and run-ins with the police, the Bra Boys have been making headlines in Australia since the mid-1990s. Abberton doesn't shy away from including amateur video of all-in street fights, yet the Bra Boys are generally portrayed as misunderstood outlaws rather than the thuggish gangsters of the authorities' vision.

The self-serving narrative soon zeros in on the Abberton brothers -- Sunny, Jai, pro surfer Koby and Dakota, the youngest. The boys, who have a heroin-addicted mother and three different fathers, find solace in the surf and in the company of other troubled kids from broken homes. We're taken inside a tight-knit community where stabbings, turf wars and police scrapes are as commonplace as the surfing and beach parties that show off the Bra Boys' playful side.

The well-publicized controversies include a 2003 murder trial, in which Jai was charged with, and later acquitted of, killing a fellow Bra Boy and standover man, while Koby was charged with being an accessory.

The narrative is ramshackle, a seemingly ad hoc collection of badly edited talking-head interviews and wobbly, unfocused footage, punctuated by Gothic intertitles mirroring the style of gang members' tattoos. The objectivity of an autobiographical documentary has to be questioned, but it's unlikely a stranger could get the subjects to speak with such candor.

BRA BOYS

Berkela Films

Bradahood Prods./Garage Industries

Sales: Hopscotch Prods.

Credits:

Directors: Sunny Abberton, Macario De Souza

Writer: Sunny Abberton

Producers: Sunny Abberton, Michael Lawrence

Executive producers: Jason Bergh, Sal Masakela, Michael Lythcott, Nicholas Cook, Michael Lawrence, John Mossop

Directors of photography: Macario De Souza, Brook Silvester

Music: Jamie Holt

Narrator: Russell Crowe

Editor: Macario De Souza

Running time -- 85 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

Russell Crowe's new movie has been rocked by scandal just a month before its big debut - one of its real-life stars has been arrested on assault charges.

Crowe is narrating the story of Australia's top surfers in Bra Boys, and one of the guys featured in the film has been charged with assault after punching a man during a fight in Hawaii.

Professional surfer Koby Abberton lashed out during a club brawl in Honolulu on 8 March, according to the Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Police claim the 27-year-old he punched was actually trying to break up the fight. Abberton was arrested by local police officers and taken into custody, where he was charged with assault in the third degree.

Abberton was granted bail and is expected to go before a magistrate early next week (beg31Mar08).

• Since when did surfing culture get mixed up with gangsterism? Bra Boys, an aussie documentary film opening on April 11th in New York City at The Quad Theatre, L.A. and a half dozen screens in surfland Hawaii, appears to demonstrate that this merger of sport and lifestyle is not a social phenomenon - it's a way of life. Know for hot temperament, Russell Crowe narrates the docu - a project that he is actually developing as a feature-length film. Crowe brought his Bra Boys project to Universal Pictures with Stuart Beattie and Grazer producing. Written, directed and produced by Sunny Abberton, himself a childhood resident of Maroubra's public housing projects, the docu traces the cultural evolution of the much maligned --- and tattooed --- youthful surfing community, and in particular the Abberton brothers: Sunny, Koby, Jai and Dakota, one charged with murdering a Sydney "standover man" (Australian slang

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Variety reports that Oscar winner Russel Crowe has inked a deal with his Beautiful Mind partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard to make his directorial debut with the Australian surfing drama Bra Boys. Pirates of the Caribbean scribe Stuart Beattie is on board to write the screenplay based on an upcoming nonfiction book and a new documentary narrated by Crowe. The Universal feature centers on an underground surfer movement created by three brothers in Sydney. No word yet if the Gladiator star plans to take on a role in the film. He is set to appear in a pair of films this fall beginning with the Western remake 3:10 to Yuma, then onto Ridley Scott's crime drama American Gangster opposite Denzel Washington.