With six Oscar nominations under his belt, Australian-born director Peter Weir has firmly established himself as one of our most respected filmmakers thanks to a number of visually striking, narratively ambitious movies. But how many of his titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at all 13 of his movies, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1944, Weir helped usher in the Australian New Wave of cinema with “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975), “The Last Wave” (1977), “Gallipoli” (1981) and “The Year of Living Dangerously” (1983). He brought his unique brand of filmmaking to Hollywood with the romantic mystery “Witness” (1985), which brought him his first Oscar nomination for Best Director. He earned a subsequent bid in the category for the inspirational teacher drama “Dead Poets Society” (1989), competing once again for the media satire “The Truman Show” (1998) and the swashbuckling epic “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” (2003), for which he also contended in Best Picture.
Born in 1944, Weir helped usher in the Australian New Wave of cinema with “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975), “The Last Wave” (1977), “Gallipoli” (1981) and “The Year of Living Dangerously” (1983). He brought his unique brand of filmmaking to Hollywood with the romantic mystery “Witness” (1985), which brought him his first Oscar nomination for Best Director. He earned a subsequent bid in the category for the inspirational teacher drama “Dead Poets Society” (1989), competing once again for the media satire “The Truman Show” (1998) and the swashbuckling epic “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” (2003), for which he also contended in Best Picture.
- 8/16/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Set during the Battle of Verdun in 1916, Conscript puts you in the shoes of a French soldier struggling to find his missing brother across bunkers that have turned into miserable graveyards. Survivors are scarce, and seemingly endless waves of German soldiers and vicious rats stand between him and any hope of escape. In stark contrast to the games under the Call of Duty and Battlefield umbrellas that are problematic for their glorification of violence and warfare, Conscript is memorable for the way that it presents war as ugly, grim, and devastating.
Graphically, the latest game developed and designed by Australian solo developer Jordan Mochi feels sprung from the 16-bit era of gaming, with a low-resolution top-down camera and limited color palette, but it’s gameplay emulates more modern Psx-era survival horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Save points are infrequent, the inventory limited and resources scant, forcing you...
Graphically, the latest game developed and designed by Australian solo developer Jordan Mochi feels sprung from the 16-bit era of gaming, with a low-resolution top-down camera and limited color palette, but it’s gameplay emulates more modern Psx-era survival horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Save points are infrequent, the inventory limited and resources scant, forcing you...
- 7/25/2024
- by Ryan Aston
- Slant Magazine
Peter Weir, the legendary Australian director of “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” “The Year of Living Dangerously,” “Gallipoli,” “Witness,” “Dead Poets Society,” “The Truman Show,” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” is getting some richly deserved recognition. Following his honorary Oscar in advance of the 2023 Academy Awards, he will now receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the Venice Film Festival this fall.
“With a total of only 13 movies directed over the course of 40 years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of the great directors of modern cinema,” said Alberto Barbera, the artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, in an official statement.
Weir has been nominated for six Academy Awards throughout his career — three times for Best Director, for “Witness,” “The Truman Show,” and “Master and Commander,” for which he also received a Best Picture nod, and once for Best Original Screenplay for “Green Card.
“With a total of only 13 movies directed over the course of 40 years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of the great directors of modern cinema,” said Alberto Barbera, the artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, in an official statement.
Weir has been nominated for six Academy Awards throughout his career — three times for Best Director, for “Witness,” “The Truman Show,” and “Master and Commander,” for which he also received a Best Picture nod, and once for Best Original Screenplay for “Green Card.
- 5/9/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
The Venice Film Festival will fete Australian director and screenwriter Peter Weir with its honorary Golden Lion at its forthcoming 80th edition.
Accepting the honor, Weir said: “The Venice Film Festival and its Golden Lion are part of the folklore of our craft. To be singled out as a recipient for a lifetime’s work as a director is a considerable honor.”
Born in August 1944, Weir was one of the pivotal figures in the Australian New Wave cinema of the 70s. He began his career in 1969 when he took a job with the government-funded Commonwealth Film Unit as a director. Weir struck out on his own in 1973 and directed his first feature film, the comic-horror The Cars That Ate Paris (1974), which he also wrote. He won an international audience with Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), followed by The Last Wave (1977), for which he also co-wrote the screenplay.
Accepting the honor, Weir said: “The Venice Film Festival and its Golden Lion are part of the folklore of our craft. To be singled out as a recipient for a lifetime’s work as a director is a considerable honor.”
Born in August 1944, Weir was one of the pivotal figures in the Australian New Wave cinema of the 70s. He began his career in 1969 when he took a job with the government-funded Commonwealth Film Unit as a director. Weir struck out on his own in 1973 and directed his first feature film, the comic-horror The Cars That Ate Paris (1974), which he also wrote. He won an international audience with Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), followed by The Last Wave (1977), for which he also co-wrote the screenplay.
- 5/9/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The Venice Film Festival will honor Australian director and screenwriter Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, Master and Commander) with its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 81st edition, running Aug. 28 to Sept 7.
The decision was made by the board of la Biennale di Venezia, based on a proposal made by festival director Alberto Barbera.
“The Venice Film Festival and its Golden Lion are part of the folklore of our craft,” said Weir. “To be singled out as a recipient for a lifetime’s work as a director is a considerable honor.”
Said Barbera: “With a total of only 13 movies directed over the course of 40 years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of the great directors of modern cinema. At the end of the 1970s, he made a name for himself as the main man behind the rebirth of Australian film thanks to two movies,...
The decision was made by the board of la Biennale di Venezia, based on a proposal made by festival director Alberto Barbera.
“The Venice Film Festival and its Golden Lion are part of the folklore of our craft,” said Weir. “To be singled out as a recipient for a lifetime’s work as a director is a considerable honor.”
Said Barbera: “With a total of only 13 movies directed over the course of 40 years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of the great directors of modern cinema. At the end of the 1970s, he made a name for himself as the main man behind the rebirth of Australian film thanks to two movies,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Venice Film Festival will honor Australian director and screenwriter Peter Weir – whose body of work comprises “Dead Poets Society,” “The Truman Show,” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” – with its 2024 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
“With a total of only thirteen movies directed over the course of forty years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of the great directors of modern cinema,” Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera said in a statement.
Barbera added that Weir made a name for himself at the end of the 1970s as the leading figure behind the rebirth of Australian cinema thanks to two movies: “The Cars That Ate Paris” (1974) and cult classic “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975). The international success of his following two films, “Gallipoli” and “The Year of Living Dangerously” then “opened Hollywood’s doors.”
“Weir combines reflections on personal themes and a need to...
“With a total of only thirteen movies directed over the course of forty years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of the great directors of modern cinema,” Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera said in a statement.
Barbera added that Weir made a name for himself at the end of the 1970s as the leading figure behind the rebirth of Australian cinema thanks to two movies: “The Cars That Ate Paris” (1974) and cult classic “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975). The international success of his following two films, “Gallipoli” and “The Year of Living Dangerously” then “opened Hollywood’s doors.”
“Weir combines reflections on personal themes and a need to...
- 5/9/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Peter Weir is easily regarded as one of the most legendary filmmakers in Hollywood, with masterpieces that have garnered several nods of major accolades. Also the mastermind behind Robin Williams’ critically acclaimed 1989 comedy thriller Dead Poets Society, he has led an unparalleled career in the entertainment industry.
Peter Weir received an Honorary Oscar Award | Photo: Screengrab/Oscars/YouTube
However, that very unparalleled career of his just may have ended a lot before the genius director announced it out loud. Yes, as heartbreaking as this would sound to many of his fans, Weir retired a long time ago from his star-studded directing profession, and fans wouldn’t have known about this had he not addressed this issue publicly.
Peter Weir has put an end to his Legendary Filmmaking Career
Even though the last movie he made was almost a decade and a half ago back in 2010, fans were still awaiting Peter...
Peter Weir received an Honorary Oscar Award | Photo: Screengrab/Oscars/YouTube
However, that very unparalleled career of his just may have ended a lot before the genius director announced it out loud. Yes, as heartbreaking as this would sound to many of his fans, Weir retired a long time ago from his star-studded directing profession, and fans wouldn’t have known about this had he not addressed this issue publicly.
Peter Weir has put an end to his Legendary Filmmaking Career
Even though the last movie he made was almost a decade and a half ago back in 2010, fans were still awaiting Peter...
- 3/19/2024
- by Mahin Sultan
- FandomWire
It has been 14 years since his last movie, The Way Back, was released. That was his 14th movie and from how things stand now, it will be his last. Namely, legendary Australian filmmaker and director, Peter Weir, has confirmed that he has definitely retired from filmmaking as he has no more energy to make movies. This shouldn’t come as a major shock, as the director is turning 80 in August this year, and with what he has done so far, he has earned the right to rest.
This was confirmed during a discussion with the audience in Paris, as part of the Festival de la Cinémathèque, where he said:
“Why did I stop directing? Because, quite simply, I have no more energy. I’ve stopped filmmaking in 2020. It was time for me. I felt I want to leave the gambling table, so I no longer direct. But before that, occasionally...
This was confirmed during a discussion with the audience in Paris, as part of the Festival de la Cinémathèque, where he said:
“Why did I stop directing? Because, quite simply, I have no more energy. I’ve stopped filmmaking in 2020. It was time for me. I felt I want to leave the gambling table, so I no longer direct. But before that, occasionally...
- 3/19/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Last year, Australian filmmaker Peter Weir was given an honorary Oscar for having “illuminated the human experience with his unique and expansive body of work.” Sadly, it’s now official that his filmography is complete, as Weir confirmed during an appearance at the Festival de la Cinémathèque in Paris that he has retired from directing.
Télérama reported (and IndieWire was kind enough to translate their report) that Weir was asked why 14 years have gone by since his last movie. Weir replied, “I am retired. Why did I stop cinema? Because, quite simply, I have no more energy.“
Born in 1944, Weir got his career started in television back in the 1960s, working on the TV projects The Life and Times of the Reverend Buck Shotte and Man on a Green Bike. After contributing a segment to the anthology film Three to Go, he made the 50 minute movie Homesdale and the documentary Whatever Happened to Green Valley?...
Télérama reported (and IndieWire was kind enough to translate their report) that Weir was asked why 14 years have gone by since his last movie. Weir replied, “I am retired. Why did I stop cinema? Because, quite simply, I have no more energy.“
Born in 1944, Weir got his career started in television back in the 1960s, working on the TV projects The Life and Times of the Reverend Buck Shotte and Man on a Green Bike. After contributing a segment to the anthology film Three to Go, he made the 50 minute movie Homesdale and the documentary Whatever Happened to Green Valley?...
- 3/18/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Mel Gibson is the Oscar-winning actor and director who has had his fair share of highs and lows, due in large part to several self-inflicted scandals. Let’s look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1956, Gibson and his family moved from New York to Australia, where he first came to prominence as an actor thanks to George Miller‘s original “Mad Max” trilogy, plus leading roles in Peter Weir‘s “Gallipoli” and “The Year of Living Dangerously.” He had equal success in the US, starring in everything from action films (the “Lethal Weapon” franchise) to romantic comedies (“What Women Want”).
He first hit the Oscar jackpot with the 1995 historical epic “Braveheart,” in which he also starred as Scottish warrior William Wallace. That film brought his wins in Best Picture and Best Director. He had similar directorial success with the controversial box-office bonanza “The Passion of the Christ...
Born in 1956, Gibson and his family moved from New York to Australia, where he first came to prominence as an actor thanks to George Miller‘s original “Mad Max” trilogy, plus leading roles in Peter Weir‘s “Gallipoli” and “The Year of Living Dangerously.” He had equal success in the US, starring in everything from action films (the “Lethal Weapon” franchise) to romantic comedies (“What Women Want”).
He first hit the Oscar jackpot with the 1995 historical epic “Braveheart,” in which he also starred as Scottish warrior William Wallace. That film brought his wins in Best Picture and Best Director. He had similar directorial success with the controversial box-office bonanza “The Passion of the Christ...
- 12/30/2023
- by Misty Holland, Tom O'Brien, Chris Beachum and Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Hollywood works in phases. We’re in the middle of a vast superhero movie phase, which, maybe, seems to be on the downslide. Twenty-five years ago, war movies were all the rage in the wake of Saving Private Ryan, and once those taped off, historical epics became the blockbuster of choice for studios. Indeed, it was the smash success of Braveheart and Gladiator that paved the way for this run of films which started to tape off in the mid-aughts after a few mammothly pricey films, such as The Last Samurai and Troy, only earned modest profits for their studios. One such film was 20th Century Fox’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. It earned critical raves but cost too much to become the franchise Fox was hoping for, with it being based on a long-running series of books by Patrick O’Brien. Yet, the movie holds...
- 11/8/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Writer/Director Joe Cornish discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Attack The Block (2011)
Rocks (2019)
Poltergeist (1982)
Gremlins (1984)
Avanti! (1972)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1977)
Witness (1985)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Fearless (1993)
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
Gallipoli (1981)
The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)
The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The Rescuers (1977)
Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
Bambi (1942)
Dumbo (1941)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
This Island Earth (1955)
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Matinee (1993)
The Lord Of The Rings (1978)
The Omen (1976)
Damien: Omen II (1978)
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exterminator (1980)
Friday The 13th...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Attack The Block (2011)
Rocks (2019)
Poltergeist (1982)
Gremlins (1984)
Avanti! (1972)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1977)
Witness (1985)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Fearless (1993)
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
Gallipoli (1981)
The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)
The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The Rescuers (1977)
Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
Bambi (1942)
Dumbo (1941)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
This Island Earth (1955)
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Matinee (1993)
The Lord Of The Rings (1978)
The Omen (1976)
Damien: Omen II (1978)
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exterminator (1980)
Friday The 13th...
- 1/24/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The 13th Annual Governors Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Saturday night came in with a vengeance. It was, perhaps, the biggest crowd of industry notables, Oscar contenders, and others I can ever remember at one of these events, where AMPAS hands out honorary Academy Awards.
It is a non-televised event, which means the recipients can go on as long as they like with their acceptance speeches, and so, for that matter, can the presenters. The good news is this particular foursome of honorary winners, Peter Weir, Euzhan Palcy, Diane Warren, and Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Michael J. Fox, each made some of the most heartfelt and compelling speeches ever heard at the Governors Awards. It was an evening to remember.
Of course those who know this event, which basically kicks off the Oscar season and bookends it with the actual Academy Awards ceremony (coming...
It is a non-televised event, which means the recipients can go on as long as they like with their acceptance speeches, and so, for that matter, can the presenters. The good news is this particular foursome of honorary winners, Peter Weir, Euzhan Palcy, Diane Warren, and Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Michael J. Fox, each made some of the most heartfelt and compelling speeches ever heard at the Governors Awards. It was an evening to remember.
Of course those who know this event, which basically kicks off the Oscar season and bookends it with the actual Academy Awards ceremony (coming...
- 11/20/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis had it’s star-studded premiere on Wednesday night at the Cannes Film Festival. One of the big tentpole movies to show at the festival, the biopic on the King of Rock and Roll was enthusiastically received.
Variety reported “The film received an uproarious 12-minute standing ovation, the longest of this year’s festival so far. As the the cheers went on and on, a teary-eyed Butler hugged an equally-emotional Priscilla Presley, who flew to the South of France to give her blessing for the movie about her late husband.”
Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ standing ovation during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2022. Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ standing ovation during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2022. Jerry Schilling, Tom Hanks, Priscilla Presley, Olivia DeJonge, Austin Butler, Alton Mason, Catherine Martin, Toby Emmerich and Baz Luhrmann...
Variety reported “The film received an uproarious 12-minute standing ovation, the longest of this year’s festival so far. As the the cheers went on and on, a teary-eyed Butler hugged an equally-emotional Priscilla Presley, who flew to the South of France to give her blessing for the movie about her late husband.”
Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ standing ovation during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2022. Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ standing ovation during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2022. Jerry Schilling, Tom Hanks, Priscilla Presley, Olivia DeJonge, Austin Butler, Alton Mason, Catherine Martin, Toby Emmerich and Baz Luhrmann...
- 5/26/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Peter Weir's "Witness" is a firmly established classic now, but it took critics by surprise in 1985 for a lot of valid reasons. Though Harrison Ford was a bona fide movie star thanks to the "Star Wars" saga and two go-rounds as Indiana Jones, he had yet to shed the matinee idol stigma (keep in mind that "Blade Runner" was a box-office flop in 1982). Peter Weir was the leading light of the Australian New Wave via triumphs like "Picnic at Hanging Rock," "The Last Wave," and "Gallipoli," but he was a poet trying his luck in the prose world of Hollywood. Most...
The post It Took a Total Re-Write to Make Witness An Oscar Winner appeared first on /Film.
The post It Took a Total Re-Write to Make Witness An Oscar Winner appeared first on /Film.
- 5/23/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
2022 Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) has signed on to star alongside Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline in Apple TV+’s upcoming series Disclaimer created by Alfonso Cuarón, which also has Sacha Baron Cohen in talks for a role, Deadline can confirm.
The Ankler was first to report the news. Oscar winner Cuarón is writing, directing and exec producing his first-ever series, which is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. In it, Blanchett will play Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past, one that reveals her darkest secret.
Cuarón’s...
The Ankler was first to report the news. Oscar winner Cuarón is writing, directing and exec producing his first-ever series, which is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. In it, Blanchett will play Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past, one that reveals her darkest secret.
Cuarón’s...
- 3/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Mel Gibson has been set to star in The Continental, the prequel to the Keanu Reeves film series John Wick. The Continental will be presented as a three-night special-event TV series, produced for Starz by Lionsgate Television.
The Continental will explore the origin behind the hotel-for-assassins, which increasingly has become the centerpiece of the John Wick universe. This will be accomplished through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, who is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals. No word yet on who’ll play Winston Scott (the hotel owner is played in the films by Ian McShane). Gibson will play a character named Cormac.
The Continental will explore the origin behind the hotel-for-assassins, which increasingly has become the centerpiece of the John Wick universe. This will be accomplished through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, who is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals. No word yet on who’ll play Winston Scott (the hotel owner is played in the films by Ian McShane). Gibson will play a character named Cormac.
- 10/18/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
"The natural landscape is a common setting and often a frightening place - one that functions by its own logic and is hostile to outsiders." Dive into this brief history of the Australian New Wave era of cinema thanks to a new video essay on YouTube. This was commissioned by Little White Lies and written / edited by filmmaker Will Webb (who has been making many video essays in addition to this one). Here's the intro: "How a government funding scheme gave rise to a cinematic revolution in 1970s Australia, featuring now iconic films such as Wake in Fright, Walkabout and Mad Max." It all kicked off in the early 1970s and lasted through the 80s, with other Australian classics like The Man From Hong Kong, Gallipoli, Mad Dog Morgan, Razorback, and Crocodile Dundee. Webb's essay covers the first few films and various themes of the era, including how the films...
- 8/3/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Gallipoli director Peter Weir and star Mel Gibson will be honoured this week at the 2021 Australian International Screen Forum via the event’s Trailblazer Awards.
The award will recognise their contribution to a body of work that transformed the Australian industry and led to Australian films breaking into international markets.
Screen Forum chairman Chis Beale said: “The Awards are given to Australians who have blazed a trail for Australian film and television; and that doesn’t merely include their own success, but also laying the foundation for others to follow – Peter and Mel fit that category”
Gallipoli, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson, was released in 1981 and was a breakthrough film in Australia and internationally, nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film and winning eight AFIs.
Peter Weir. (Photo courtesy the National Film and Sound Archive)
Tomorrow (Australian time), the Screen Forum will screen tribute...
The award will recognise their contribution to a body of work that transformed the Australian industry and led to Australian films breaking into international markets.
Screen Forum chairman Chis Beale said: “The Awards are given to Australians who have blazed a trail for Australian film and television; and that doesn’t merely include their own success, but also laying the foundation for others to follow – Peter and Mel fit that category”
Gallipoli, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson, was released in 1981 and was a breakthrough film in Australia and internationally, nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film and winning eight AFIs.
Peter Weir. (Photo courtesy the National Film and Sound Archive)
Tomorrow (Australian time), the Screen Forum will screen tribute...
- 3/25/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Oscar-nominated Richard Linklater, producer Basil Iwanyk and “Shadow In The Cloud” director Roseanne Liang headline the speakers line-up at the Australian International Screen Forum set to take place later this month.
The event’s industry program showcases innovative Australian and international content, and features conversations with leading film industry mentors and talent from Australia and the U.S.
Proceedings kick off with an industry-only screening of Robert Connolly’s recent hit film “The Dry” ahead of its official North American release in May. The mystery thriller stars Eric Bana as a federal agent returning to his small hometown in Victoria’s drought-stricken rural countryside to investigate a murder-suicide.
The forum has previously announced that Peter Weir’s 1981 film “Gallipoli” will be the focus of a 40th anniversary retrospective. The salute will include a screening of the restored version of the film, a conversation with star Mel Gibson, and tributes and reminiscences from cast and crew.
The event’s industry program showcases innovative Australian and international content, and features conversations with leading film industry mentors and talent from Australia and the U.S.
Proceedings kick off with an industry-only screening of Robert Connolly’s recent hit film “The Dry” ahead of its official North American release in May. The mystery thriller stars Eric Bana as a federal agent returning to his small hometown in Victoria’s drought-stricken rural countryside to investigate a murder-suicide.
The forum has previously announced that Peter Weir’s 1981 film “Gallipoli” will be the focus of a 40th anniversary retrospective. The salute will include a screening of the restored version of the film, a conversation with star Mel Gibson, and tributes and reminiscences from cast and crew.
- 3/5/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Australian International Screen Forum, to be held later this month, has unveiled its full program, including talks with writer, director and producer Richard Linklater; Thunder Road CEO Basil Iwanyk and writer-director Roseanne Liang.
Blossom Films executive Per Saari and Elizabeth Haggard, Participant Media VP will also appear in conversation.
For US registrants, the event will also open with a screening of Robert Connolly’s The Dry, an industry preview ahead of its Stateside release in May via IFC Films. A Q&a with the film’s star, Eric Bana, will be held after the session for all registrants worldwide.
Typically held in New York in partnership with Screen Australia, the Australian International Screen Forum aims to connect the Aussie and US industries.
The 2021 event will take place entirely online, consisting of screenings, keynotes, interviews, panels, and workshops.
The panel sessions promise a range of topics including: female-led production companies...
Blossom Films executive Per Saari and Elizabeth Haggard, Participant Media VP will also appear in conversation.
For US registrants, the event will also open with a screening of Robert Connolly’s The Dry, an industry preview ahead of its Stateside release in May via IFC Films. A Q&a with the film’s star, Eric Bana, will be held after the session for all registrants worldwide.
Typically held in New York in partnership with Screen Australia, the Australian International Screen Forum aims to connect the Aussie and US industries.
The 2021 event will take place entirely online, consisting of screenings, keynotes, interviews, panels, and workshops.
The panel sessions promise a range of topics including: female-led production companies...
- 3/4/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Australian comedian and podcaster Wil Anderson discusses a few of his favorite Australian films.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Crying Game (1992)
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)
100 Horsemen (1964)
Mad Max (1979)
Walk Into Hell a.k.a. Walk Into Paradise (1956)
Walkabout (1971)
The Chain Reaction (1980)
Wake In Fright (1971)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Time Bandits (1981)
The Road Warrior (1981)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
The Castle (1997)
Chopper (2000)
Young Einstein (1988)
Reckless Kelly (1993)
Mr. Accident (2000)
Wolf Creek (2005)
Romper Stomper (1992)
Hammers Over The Anvil (1993)
Unhinged (2020)
The Nice Guys (2016)
Gladiator (2000)
Two Hands (1999)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Ned Kelly (2003)
Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Kenny (2006)
Borat (2006)
Gallipoli (1981)
Phar Lap (1983)
Seabiscuit (2003)
The Dish (2001)
Other Notable Items
Bruce Springsteen’s disappointing Jeep Superbowl commercial
Neil Young
Gruen TV...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Crying Game (1992)
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)
100 Horsemen (1964)
Mad Max (1979)
Walk Into Hell a.k.a. Walk Into Paradise (1956)
Walkabout (1971)
The Chain Reaction (1980)
Wake In Fright (1971)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Time Bandits (1981)
The Road Warrior (1981)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
The Castle (1997)
Chopper (2000)
Young Einstein (1988)
Reckless Kelly (1993)
Mr. Accident (2000)
Wolf Creek (2005)
Romper Stomper (1992)
Hammers Over The Anvil (1993)
Unhinged (2020)
The Nice Guys (2016)
Gladiator (2000)
Two Hands (1999)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Ned Kelly (2003)
Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Kenny (2006)
Borat (2006)
Gallipoli (1981)
Phar Lap (1983)
Seabiscuit (2003)
The Dish (2001)
Other Notable Items
Bruce Springsteen’s disappointing Jeep Superbowl commercial
Neil Young
Gruen TV...
- 2/16/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Mel Gibson will appear in a Q&a ahead of a 40th anniversary screening of Peter Weir’s Gallipoli at this year’s Australian International Screen Forum, which aims to connect the Australian and US industries.
Typically held in New York in partnership with Screen Australia, the 2021 event, planned for late March, will be held entirely online, and consist of screenings, keynotes, interviews, panels, and workshops.
The screening of Weir’s landmark 1981 film, from a National Film and Sound Archive (Nfsa) restored print, will also include an interview with Gibson’s co-star Mark Lee and tributes from on-and-off screen talent.
Weir has endorsed the forum’s tribute to Gallipoli, set across rural Western Australia, a WWI training camp in Cairo and then the battlefront in Turkey.
“The film is a memorial to the men who fought and died at Gallipoli in southern Turkey in 1915,” the director said. “It was inspired...
Typically held in New York in partnership with Screen Australia, the 2021 event, planned for late March, will be held entirely online, and consist of screenings, keynotes, interviews, panels, and workshops.
The screening of Weir’s landmark 1981 film, from a National Film and Sound Archive (Nfsa) restored print, will also include an interview with Gibson’s co-star Mark Lee and tributes from on-and-off screen talent.
Weir has endorsed the forum’s tribute to Gallipoli, set across rural Western Australia, a WWI training camp in Cairo and then the battlefront in Turkey.
“The film is a memorial to the men who fought and died at Gallipoli in southern Turkey in 1915,” the director said. “It was inspired...
- 2/9/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Ashleigh Cummings, who starred in AMC’s NOS4A2, has joined Citadel, Amazon’s global event thriller from the Russo Brothers.
Cummings will feature as a series regular in the drama, which stars Priyanka Chopra Jones and Richard Madden as well as Danish actor Roland Møller.
No word yet who Cummings will play in the spy series, which is a co-production with the Russo’s Agbo and Midnight Radio.
The series will feature a U.S. “mothership” edition, which will star Quantico star Chopra Jones and Bodyguard star Madden, as well as local language extensions of the franchise in Italy, India and Mexico.
Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio will serve as writers and executive producers of Citadel. Patrick Moran, Mike Larocca, and Joe and Anthony Russo will also serve as executive producers.
Cummings played lead Vic McQueen in AMC horror series NOS4A2,...
Cummings will feature as a series regular in the drama, which stars Priyanka Chopra Jones and Richard Madden as well as Danish actor Roland Møller.
No word yet who Cummings will play in the spy series, which is a co-production with the Russo’s Agbo and Midnight Radio.
The series will feature a U.S. “mothership” edition, which will star Quantico star Chopra Jones and Bodyguard star Madden, as well as local language extensions of the franchise in Italy, India and Mexico.
Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio will serve as writers and executive producers of Citadel. Patrick Moran, Mike Larocca, and Joe and Anthony Russo will also serve as executive producers.
Cummings played lead Vic McQueen in AMC horror series NOS4A2,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Russia and Korea openings boost Pixar’s ‘Soul’ while ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ extends global lead over ‘The Croods: A New Age’.
‘Soul’ hits $71m total in select territories
Number-one openings in both Russia and South Korea gave Disney’s Soul a boost, helping the Pixar animation achieve an estimated $10.4m at the weekend box office, a 79% rise on the previous session. The total across the 13 markets where it’s playing is an estimated $71.2m.
Soul grossed an estimated $3.5m for the five-day weekend in South Korea – the second-highest non-Korean title opening under Covid, and 25% ahead of the debut number for...
‘Soul’ hits $71m total in select territories
Number-one openings in both Russia and South Korea gave Disney’s Soul a boost, helping the Pixar animation achieve an estimated $10.4m at the weekend box office, a 79% rise on the previous session. The total across the 13 markets where it’s playing is an estimated $71.2m.
Soul grossed an estimated $3.5m for the five-day weekend in South Korea – the second-highest non-Korean title opening under Covid, and 25% ahead of the debut number for...
- 1/25/2021
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Frank Woodley.
Many producers fear the Federal Government’s sweeping media reforms will spell the death knell of Australian features, forcing them and some writers and directors to focus on content for streamers or free-to-air broadcasters.
Lowering the Producer Offset for films to 30 per cent from July 2021 will leave a gap of at least 25 per cent of the budgets which most producers will find impossible to fill, according to producer/distributor Sue Maslin.
“The exceptions will be largely foreign-financed films or local films with cast led by foreign actors making the most of Australian financial incentives, cast, crew and locations. That or extremely low budget films with little hope of competing in the cinema market,” the Film Art Media principal tells If.
“I find this summary dismissal of Australian cinema devastating and will be forced to relegate all feature films currently in development to the bottom drawer until we see...
Many producers fear the Federal Government’s sweeping media reforms will spell the death knell of Australian features, forcing them and some writers and directors to focus on content for streamers or free-to-air broadcasters.
Lowering the Producer Offset for films to 30 per cent from July 2021 will leave a gap of at least 25 per cent of the budgets which most producers will find impossible to fill, according to producer/distributor Sue Maslin.
“The exceptions will be largely foreign-financed films or local films with cast led by foreign actors making the most of Australian financial incentives, cast, crew and locations. That or extremely low budget films with little hope of competing in the cinema market,” the Film Art Media principal tells If.
“I find this summary dismissal of Australian cinema devastating and will be forced to relegate all feature films currently in development to the bottom drawer until we see...
- 10/2/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming musical drama “Elvis” has added several prominent Australian actors to its cast. Richard Roxburgh, Helen Thomson, David Wenham, and Dacre Montgomery have joined an ensemble that includes the previously announced Tom Hanks, Austin Butler and Olivia DeJonge.
Roxburgh, who worked with Luhrmann on “Moulin Rouge!,” will portray Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley. Rufus Sewell, who was initially cast in the role, had to drop out when production was delayed due to coronavirus. Thomson, an award-winning theater actress who also appeared in “Top of the Lake: China Girl,” plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys Presley. She replaces Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was originally signed to play the role, but had to leave the project due to other commitments when shooting was put on hold last spring.
Wenham plays Hank Snow and Montgomery (“Stranger Things”), plays TV director Steve Binder. Also joining the cast are Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel (“Adore”), Leon Ford,...
Roxburgh, who worked with Luhrmann on “Moulin Rouge!,” will portray Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley. Rufus Sewell, who was initially cast in the role, had to drop out when production was delayed due to coronavirus. Thomson, an award-winning theater actress who also appeared in “Top of the Lake: China Girl,” plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys Presley. She replaces Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was originally signed to play the role, but had to leave the project due to other commitments when shooting was put on hold last spring.
Wenham plays Hank Snow and Montgomery (“Stranger Things”), plays TV director Steve Binder. Also joining the cast are Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel (“Adore”), Leon Ford,...
- 9/16/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)
Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)
Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...
- 8/7/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
If you’re looking to dive into the best of independent and foreign filmmaking, The Criterion Channel has announced their August 2020 lineup. The impressive slate includes retrospectives dedicated to Mia Hansen-Løve, Bill Gunn, Stephen Cone, Terry Gilliam, Wim Wenders, Alain Delon, Bill Plympton, Les Blank, and more.
In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.
See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.
25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...
In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.
See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.
25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...
- 7/24/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The producer of Narcos takes us on a walk through some of the movies that made him.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Contagion (2011)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Rififi (1955)
Night And The City (1950)
Thieves’ Highway (1949)
Never on Sunday (1960)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Game (1997)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
The Great Escape (1963)
Children of Men (2006)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Godfather (1972)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Animal House (1978)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Trading Places (1983)
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
The Beastmaster (1982)
Sheena (1984)
High Risk (1981)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Piranha (1978)
Gallipoli (1981)
Witness (1985)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Mad Max (1980)
Max Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1978)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
The Hobbit (1977)
The Return of the King (1980)
Class (1983)
The Great Santini (1979)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Contagion (2011)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Rififi (1955)
Night And The City (1950)
Thieves’ Highway (1949)
Never on Sunday (1960)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Game (1997)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
The Great Escape (1963)
Children of Men (2006)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Godfather (1972)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Animal House (1978)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Trading Places (1983)
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
The Beastmaster (1982)
Sheena (1984)
High Risk (1981)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Piranha (1978)
Gallipoli (1981)
Witness (1985)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Mad Max (1980)
Max Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1978)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
The Hobbit (1977)
The Return of the King (1980)
Class (1983)
The Great Santini (1979)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High...
- 6/16/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Glendyn Ivin (Photo credit: Stephen MaCallum).
While Glendyn Ivin was directing a Tvc in Melbourne over four days last week he felt the mood shift among the crew as the coronavirus deepened.
“I could feel the energy drop and the doubt set in. Jobs were being cancelled and schedules emptying by the minute,” the director of The Cry, Safe Harbour and Gallipoli tells If.
“Perhaps like most people working in the film and television industry as I come towards the end of a production I always start to wonder if it will be my last. Maybe my luck is up and my phone will never ring again.
“I doubt any of us have found ourselves in this industry with job security as a priority. We live from job to job and it’s overall a wonderful thing.
“But this feels different. This is a random, enforced time of doubt and...
While Glendyn Ivin was directing a Tvc in Melbourne over four days last week he felt the mood shift among the crew as the coronavirus deepened.
“I could feel the energy drop and the doubt set in. Jobs were being cancelled and schedules emptying by the minute,” the director of The Cry, Safe Harbour and Gallipoli tells If.
“Perhaps like most people working in the film and television industry as I come towards the end of a production I always start to wonder if it will be my last. Maybe my luck is up and my phone will never ring again.
“I doubt any of us have found ourselves in this industry with job security as a priority. We live from job to job and it’s overall a wonderful thing.
“But this feels different. This is a random, enforced time of doubt and...
- 3/23/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
(L-r) Dop Ben Nott, Kriv Stenders and Jamie Leslie.
Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to film and TV first assistant director Jamie Leslie, who died on Friday from cancer. He was 62.
His final film in a distinguished 38-year career was Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
“Not only was he an industry legend but he was an incredible mentor for me and a huge reason that film came to be,” Stenders says.
“Jamie came on early in pre-production when the film was teetering on the edge of an abyss. We weren’t bonded, we lost $2 million two weeks before shooting, we had no tanks, choppers or guns and we were running on fumes longer than I ever thought was humanly possible.
“But never once did he waver. He was my rock and every hour, every day we just worked the problem, until there was the next one.
Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to film and TV first assistant director Jamie Leslie, who died on Friday from cancer. He was 62.
His final film in a distinguished 38-year career was Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
“Not only was he an industry legend but he was an incredible mentor for me and a huge reason that film came to be,” Stenders says.
“Jamie came on early in pre-production when the film was teetering on the edge of an abyss. We weren’t bonded, we lost $2 million two weeks before shooting, we had no tanks, choppers or guns and we were running on fumes longer than I ever thought was humanly possible.
“But never once did he waver. He was my rock and every hour, every day we just worked the problem, until there was the next one.
- 2/9/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
by Lynn Lee
[This article contains spoilers]
“One of the best war films ever made.”
That’s not a critic’s blurb – that’s how my father described 1917 to me the other day. The fact that he and my mother loved the film didn’t surprise me, given that I was the one who recommended it to them. What did surprise me was how much they loved it. It’s not that they haven’t seen many war movies – to the contrary, my childhood and adolescence included a healthy dose of them, from early black and white greats like Grand Illusion to sweeping Hollywood epics like Lawrence of Arabia. Over the years my parents have continued to add films as varied as Das Boot, Gallipoli, Saving Private Ryan, and Master and Commander to their favorites.
So what was it about 1917 they deemed worthy to stand with the classics? My dad cited the cinematography, of course,...
[This article contains spoilers]
“One of the best war films ever made.”
That’s not a critic’s blurb – that’s how my father described 1917 to me the other day. The fact that he and my mother loved the film didn’t surprise me, given that I was the one who recommended it to them. What did surprise me was how much they loved it. It’s not that they haven’t seen many war movies – to the contrary, my childhood and adolescence included a healthy dose of them, from early black and white greats like Grand Illusion to sweeping Hollywood epics like Lawrence of Arabia. Over the years my parents have continued to add films as varied as Das Boot, Gallipoli, Saving Private Ryan, and Master and Commander to their favorites.
So what was it about 1917 they deemed worthy to stand with the classics? My dad cited the cinematography, of course,...
- 2/6/2020
- by Lynn Lee
- FilmExperience
Top: Tyroe Muhafidin, Charlie Vickers. Bottom: Tom Budge, Markella Kavenagh.
Aussie actors Tom Budge, Markella Kavenagh, Tyroe Muhafidin and Charlie Vickers will be series regulars in Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings, due to start filming in New Zealand next month.
Kavenagh, whose previous credits include The Cry, Romper Stomper, Picnic at Hanging Rock and True History of the Kelly Gang, was reported as attached to the production from last July. However, Amazon had yet to officially confirm her casting in the series, led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.
The Lord of the Rings will be the first major series for Tyroe Muhafidin, who has previously appeared in a number of short films including Two Sands, as well as the online series Caravan. Vickers, who has been largely based in the UK, was most recently seen in Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach, while...
Aussie actors Tom Budge, Markella Kavenagh, Tyroe Muhafidin and Charlie Vickers will be series regulars in Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings, due to start filming in New Zealand next month.
Kavenagh, whose previous credits include The Cry, Romper Stomper, Picnic at Hanging Rock and True History of the Kelly Gang, was reported as attached to the production from last July. However, Amazon had yet to officially confirm her casting in the series, led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.
The Lord of the Rings will be the first major series for Tyroe Muhafidin, who has previously appeared in a number of short films including Two Sands, as well as the online series Caravan. Vickers, who has been largely based in the UK, was most recently seen in Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach, while...
- 1/15/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
World War II has been a favorite subject of Hollywood since 1940, before the U.S. even entered the fighting. But the industry has been less interested in World War I, aka The Great War or The War to End All Wars (as it was sadly/optimistically dubbed).
In the past 25 years, there have been 16 best-picture Oscar nominees set during WWII. In those same years, there was only one set in World War I: Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse.” This is just one of many reasons why Universal-DreamWorks’ “1917,” a strong Oscar contender this year, seems so remarkable.
Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who co-wrote “1917” with director Sam Mendes, says she’s not surprised filmmakers have gravitated to the later war. “The Second World War was about countries uniting to fight the tyranny of the Nazis; it seemed like the only option to save humanity. But with the First World War, the motivations are obscure.
In the past 25 years, there have been 16 best-picture Oscar nominees set during WWII. In those same years, there was only one set in World War I: Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse.” This is just one of many reasons why Universal-DreamWorks’ “1917,” a strong Oscar contender this year, seems so remarkable.
Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who co-wrote “1917” with director Sam Mendes, says she’s not surprised filmmakers have gravitated to the later war. “The Second World War was about countries uniting to fight the tyranny of the Nazis; it seemed like the only option to save humanity. But with the First World War, the motivations are obscure.
- 1/2/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences set a precedent in 1938 by nominating the French-language “Grand Illusion,” directed by Jean Renoir, as best picture. After that, Oscar voters’ enthusiasm for foreign-language films in that category was pretty subdued for decades.
Happily, that’s changing.
Last year, two foreign-language films were nominated for best picture, “Roma” and “Cold War.” It could happen this year, with “Pain and Glory” and “Parasite” likely, and “The Farewell” also possible; three in one year would be an Oscar record. And don’t overlook France’s “Les Miserables.”
As the world has gotten smaller, the role of foreign-language films has gotten bigger. The Academy is increasingly nominating foreign-language reps in other categories, such as the 30 times a director has been nominated, from Federico Fellini in 1961 (“La Dolce Vita”) to Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”) and Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”) last year.
Only five foreign-language pics have ever won...
Happily, that’s changing.
Last year, two foreign-language films were nominated for best picture, “Roma” and “Cold War.” It could happen this year, with “Pain and Glory” and “Parasite” likely, and “The Farewell” also possible; three in one year would be an Oscar record. And don’t overlook France’s “Les Miserables.”
As the world has gotten smaller, the role of foreign-language films has gotten bigger. The Academy is increasingly nominating foreign-language reps in other categories, such as the 30 times a director has been nominated, from Federico Fellini in 1961 (“La Dolce Vita”) to Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”) and Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”) last year.
Only five foreign-language pics have ever won...
- 12/19/2019
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Films designed to look like one uninterrupted take — whether they’re really one long shot, or just cleverly edited to appear that way — can be sweeping and engrossing or merely a novelty. At their worst, they inspire sentiments similar to what a friend of mine once wrote on social media: “Hey directors, I don’t buy a ticket to your movies so I can be your editor.”
The premise of crafting a feature that appears to be a single camera movement gets a boost from Sam Mendes’ “1917,” which follows two British soldiers during WWI on a life-or-death mission through No Man’s Land to the front lines. Under the guidance of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, that camerawork leads to moments of genuine suspense and wartime horror, with only occasional instances of gimmickry.
Bookended by sequences involving people running through crowded trenches of soldiers — the obvious lack of tracks for the moving...
The premise of crafting a feature that appears to be a single camera movement gets a boost from Sam Mendes’ “1917,” which follows two British soldiers during WWI on a life-or-death mission through No Man’s Land to the front lines. Under the guidance of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, that camerawork leads to moments of genuine suspense and wartime horror, with only occasional instances of gimmickry.
Bookended by sequences involving people running through crowded trenches of soldiers — the obvious lack of tracks for the moving...
- 11/25/2019
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
John Brumpton in ‘Measure for Measure.’
One of Australia’s hardest working actors, John Brumpton rarely turns down offers – except when he is asked to work for free.
In the past year he has played a rapist in Stephen Johnson’s Western High Ground, a gunslinger in the second season of Mystery Road, Hugo Weaving’s protector in Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure and a worried dad in Jamie Helmer and Michael Leonard’s short The Diver, which premieres in competition in Venice.
IMDb lists 95 credits for the actor who made his screen debut in The Flying Doctors in 1989 and took up the profession after working as a surveyor and professional boxer.
“It’s a tough industry and surviving this long is an achievement,” he tells If. “My approach is: ‘Just be yourself.’”
He was inspired to become an actor by watching Bryan Brown in Stir, Breaker Morant and...
One of Australia’s hardest working actors, John Brumpton rarely turns down offers – except when he is asked to work for free.
In the past year he has played a rapist in Stephen Johnson’s Western High Ground, a gunslinger in the second season of Mystery Road, Hugo Weaving’s protector in Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure and a worried dad in Jamie Helmer and Michael Leonard’s short The Diver, which premieres in competition in Venice.
IMDb lists 95 credits for the actor who made his screen debut in The Flying Doctors in 1989 and took up the profession after working as a surveyor and professional boxer.
“It’s a tough industry and surviving this long is an achievement,” he tells If. “My approach is: ‘Just be yourself.’”
He was inspired to become an actor by watching Bryan Brown in Stir, Breaker Morant and...
- 8/29/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Peter Weir celebrates his 75th birthday on August 21, 2019. With six Oscar nominations under his belt, the Australian-born director has firmly established himself as one of our most respected filmmakers thanks to a number of visually striking, narratively ambitious movies. But how many of his titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at all 13 of his movies, ranked worst to best.
SEEJim Carrey movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Born in 1944, Weir helped usher in the Australian New Wave of cinema with “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975), “The Last Wave” (1977), “Gallipoli” (1981) and “The Year of Living Dangerously” (1983). He brought his unique brand of filmmaking to Hollywood with the romantic mystery “Witness” (1985), which brought him his first Oscar nomination for Best Director. He earned a subsequent bid in the category for the inspirational teacher drama “Dead Poets Society” (1989), competing once again for the media...
SEEJim Carrey movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Born in 1944, Weir helped usher in the Australian New Wave of cinema with “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975), “The Last Wave” (1977), “Gallipoli” (1981) and “The Year of Living Dangerously” (1983). He brought his unique brand of filmmaking to Hollywood with the romantic mystery “Witness” (1985), which brought him his first Oscar nomination for Best Director. He earned a subsequent bid in the category for the inspirational teacher drama “Dead Poets Society” (1989), competing once again for the media...
- 8/21/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Samuel Gelfman, a New York producer known for his work on Roger Corman’s “Caged Heat,” “Cockfighter” and “Cannonball!,” died Thursday morning at UCLA Hospital in Westwood following complications from heart and respiratory disease, his son Peter Gelfman confirmed. He was 88.
Gelfman was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Caldwell New Jersey where he attended grade and high school, before graduating Princeton University in 1953 with a degree in architecture. Soon after, he returned to New York where he worked for the Candida Donadio talent agency and the Feuer and Martin company. It was the latter that got him his next job as an Off-Broadway producer for the improvisational theater The Premise.
From there, he became the Vice President of New York Production for United Artists, before leaving to buy film rights for the first video cassette company Cartrivision. At that time, he also began working with...
Gelfman was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Caldwell New Jersey where he attended grade and high school, before graduating Princeton University in 1953 with a degree in architecture. Soon after, he returned to New York where he worked for the Candida Donadio talent agency and the Feuer and Martin company. It was the latter that got him his next job as an Off-Broadway producer for the improvisational theater The Premise.
From there, he became the Vice President of New York Production for United Artists, before leaving to buy film rights for the first video cassette company Cartrivision. At that time, he also began working with...
- 8/18/2019
- by Nate Nickolai
- Variety Film + TV
Leon Ford in ‘The Letdown’ (Photo credit: Tony Mott).
Admirers of Leon Ford who enjoyed his work as Ruben in the ABC’s The Letdown and other shows should savour his performance in Jeremy Sims’ upcoming movie Rams because after that he will be off screen for a while.
The actor-writer moved to Los Angeles last year with his wife Alice Bell and their three young children as Alice serves as the writer/creator and co-showrunner on The Expatriates, a 10-part Amazon series produced by Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films.
Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel, the series centres on a group of close-knit American women and their lives as outsiders in Hong Kong and is yet to go into production.
“I would like to find a happy medium that a lot people have where they can go and back forth and do jobs,” he tells If during a family vacation in Australia.
Admirers of Leon Ford who enjoyed his work as Ruben in the ABC’s The Letdown and other shows should savour his performance in Jeremy Sims’ upcoming movie Rams because after that he will be off screen for a while.
The actor-writer moved to Los Angeles last year with his wife Alice Bell and their three young children as Alice serves as the writer/creator and co-showrunner on The Expatriates, a 10-part Amazon series produced by Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films.
Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel, the series centres on a group of close-knit American women and their lives as outsiders in Hong Kong and is yet to go into production.
“I would like to find a happy medium that a lot people have where they can go and back forth and do jobs,” he tells If during a family vacation in Australia.
- 8/8/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
In today’s film news roundup, Kristen Schaal and Holland Taylor have joined the cast of “Bill & Ted Face The Music”; Gravitas sets a pair of release dates; Alamo Drafthouse unveils its “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” plans; and Peter Weir is set for an honor.
Castings
Kristen Schaal and Holland Taylor have joined the cast of “Bill & Ted Face The Music” as characters from 700 years in the future.
Schaal will play a messenger while Taylor is set to take on the role of The Great Leader, the most powerful person in the universe. Keanu Reeves will again portray Ted “Theodore” Logan, and Alex Winter will reprise his role as Bill S. Preston, Esq. Other cast members include Scott Mescudi – best known by his stage name Kid Cudi – William Sadler, Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine.
Amy Stoch and Hal Landon Jr. have signed on to reprise their...
Castings
Kristen Schaal and Holland Taylor have joined the cast of “Bill & Ted Face The Music” as characters from 700 years in the future.
Schaal will play a messenger while Taylor is set to take on the role of The Great Leader, the most powerful person in the universe. Keanu Reeves will again portray Ted “Theodore” Logan, and Alex Winter will reprise his role as Bill S. Preston, Esq. Other cast members include Scott Mescudi – best known by his stage name Kid Cudi – William Sadler, Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine.
Amy Stoch and Hal Landon Jr. have signed on to reprise their...
- 7/12/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Anni Browning accepts the 2017 Spa Award to Film Finances for Best Service and Facilities.
In 22 years with Film Finances Australasia, Anni Browning experienced numerous highs and faced a few challenges as the cinema industry ebbed and flowed.
Browning, who has stepped down as MD of the completion bond company but is still a consultant, supported Rachel Perkins’ debut feature Radiance.
She took one of her biggest risks on a Rolf de Heer movie, which she counts as one of her proudest achievements.
The biggest trend during her time has been the proliferation of low budget films, despite the need to pay crews and allocate reasonable money for post- production. Film Finances bonded a lot of films budgeted at $1 million- $1.5 million and one-off feature docs costing as little as $100,000- $200,000.
One thing which has not remained constant is the insurance bond premium. When she started it was as high as 6 per cent of the budget.
In 22 years with Film Finances Australasia, Anni Browning experienced numerous highs and faced a few challenges as the cinema industry ebbed and flowed.
Browning, who has stepped down as MD of the completion bond company but is still a consultant, supported Rachel Perkins’ debut feature Radiance.
She took one of her biggest risks on a Rolf de Heer movie, which she counts as one of her proudest achievements.
The biggest trend during her time has been the proliferation of low budget films, despite the need to pay crews and allocate reasonable money for post- production. Film Finances bonded a lot of films budgeted at $1 million- $1.5 million and one-off feature docs costing as little as $100,000- $200,000.
One thing which has not remained constant is the insurance bond premium. When she started it was as high as 6 per cent of the budget.
- 7/7/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Sir John Monash.
Producers Helen Leake and Gena Ashwell and director Bruce Beresford aim to start shooting Monash, a biopic of Sir John Monash, hailed by many as the foremost Allied military commander in World War 1, in Europe in the northern spring.
The screenplay is by Louis Nowra, who started collaborating with Leake in 2012. Beresford joined the project in the middle of last year.
Leake and her Dancing Road Productions partner Ashwell have secured investment from the UK and France and are confident of raising the rest of the budget in Australia, including the Producer Offset.
They plan to start shooting in France and England next May/June with a high-profile ensemble cast of Aussies and Brits. Screen Australia has provided story development funding.
Explaining the rationale for the film, Leake tells If: “Monash was a winner, a hero, unlike the Gallipoli story which was about loss. As Bruce said,...
Producers Helen Leake and Gena Ashwell and director Bruce Beresford aim to start shooting Monash, a biopic of Sir John Monash, hailed by many as the foremost Allied military commander in World War 1, in Europe in the northern spring.
The screenplay is by Louis Nowra, who started collaborating with Leake in 2012. Beresford joined the project in the middle of last year.
Leake and her Dancing Road Productions partner Ashwell have secured investment from the UK and France and are confident of raising the rest of the budget in Australia, including the Producer Offset.
They plan to start shooting in France and England next May/June with a high-profile ensemble cast of Aussies and Brits. Screen Australia has provided story development funding.
Explaining the rationale for the film, Leake tells If: “Monash was a winner, a hero, unlike the Gallipoli story which was about loss. As Bruce said,...
- 5/31/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Timothy Lee on location in ‘Mystery Road.’
After serving as a script editor on three seasons of House Husbands and writing episodes of Rush and Serangoon Road, Timothy Lee’s career has gone up a couple of gears.
Lee, who graduated from Aftrs in 2006, modestly credits his progression in part to the talent drain which has resulted in numerous Aussie writers plying their trade in the Us and the UK.
“That has created opportunities for the next generation of writers,” says Lee, who got his start as a script assistant/researcher on Rescue Special Ops after securing an Australian Writers’ Guild internship with Southern Star, mentored by Sarah Smith.
That led to writing episodes of the Nine Network drama and the fourth season of Network Ten’s cop show Rush. Working on Playmaker Media’s House Husbands, he reflects, “was good for my craft but not so good for my profile.
After serving as a script editor on three seasons of House Husbands and writing episodes of Rush and Serangoon Road, Timothy Lee’s career has gone up a couple of gears.
Lee, who graduated from Aftrs in 2006, modestly credits his progression in part to the talent drain which has resulted in numerous Aussie writers plying their trade in the Us and the UK.
“That has created opportunities for the next generation of writers,” says Lee, who got his start as a script assistant/researcher on Rescue Special Ops after securing an Australian Writers’ Guild internship with Southern Star, mentored by Sarah Smith.
That led to writing episodes of the Nine Network drama and the fourth season of Network Ten’s cop show Rush. Working on Playmaker Media’s House Husbands, he reflects, “was good for my craft but not so good for my profile.
- 5/13/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
In 1965 Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland came up with the term “youthquake” to describe the social upheaval as the 1950s-set constraints on pop culture, fashion, and, well, decorum were cast aside. The new four-part series from Acorn TV, “Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries,” takes place in Australia during this exact era, and costume designer Maria Pattison was tasked with capturing this exuberance in the outfits worn by Peregrine Fisher, portrayed by Geraldine Hakewill.
“She was grounded in the youthquake movement and power to the people,” Pattison said recently in an interview with IndieWire. “A lot of expression was coming out through clothing, because ready-to-wear was happening and people were able to choose things off the rack and create their own style.”
The result is a vibrant color palette of jewel tones and pastels in polished, tailored looks that never veer into fusty. “When we think of the ‘60s a lot...
“She was grounded in the youthquake movement and power to the people,” Pattison said recently in an interview with IndieWire. “A lot of expression was coming out through clothing, because ready-to-wear was happening and people were able to choose things off the rack and create their own style.”
The result is a vibrant color palette of jewel tones and pastels in polished, tailored looks that never veer into fusty. “When we think of the ‘60s a lot...
- 4/30/2019
- by Ann Donahue
- Indiewire
Travis Fimmel as Major Harry Smith.
Transmission Films has released two images and the trailer of Kriv Stenders’ Vietnam War movie Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
Travis Fimmel plays Major Harry Smith, who led a largely inexperienced company of 108 men who held off about 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers for three and a half hours in torrential rain on August 18 1966.
The drama scripted by Stuart Beattie, based on a story by James Nicholas, Jack Brislee, Karel Segers and Paul Sullivan, co-stars Luke Bracey, Richard Roxburgh, Daniel Webber, Nicholas Hamilton, Aaron Glenane, Anthony Hayes and Stephen Peacocke.
Transmission Films will launch the film produced by Red Dune Productions’ Martin Walsh and Deeper Water Films’ John and Michael Schwarz on August 8.
“To see the battle portrayed on screen for the first time is a heart pounding and emotional experience for audiences. The passion and expertise of the filmmaking team...
Transmission Films has released two images and the trailer of Kriv Stenders’ Vietnam War movie Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.
Travis Fimmel plays Major Harry Smith, who led a largely inexperienced company of 108 men who held off about 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers for three and a half hours in torrential rain on August 18 1966.
The drama scripted by Stuart Beattie, based on a story by James Nicholas, Jack Brislee, Karel Segers and Paul Sullivan, co-stars Luke Bracey, Richard Roxburgh, Daniel Webber, Nicholas Hamilton, Aaron Glenane, Anthony Hayes and Stephen Peacocke.
Transmission Films will launch the film produced by Red Dune Productions’ Martin Walsh and Deeper Water Films’ John and Michael Schwarz on August 8.
“To see the battle portrayed on screen for the first time is a heart pounding and emotional experience for audiences. The passion and expertise of the filmmaking team...
- 4/24/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Beirut brought a taste of their new album, Gallipoli, to the Late Show on Thursday, performing the LP’s title track. The exotic song is named for the Italian city it was written in, while musically, the band returns to its horns-laden roots.
Their performance tapped into that original sound, with singer Zach Condon leading a trio of horns players over a jolly, pulsating organ and percussion tune. The result is an indie-fanfare sound that resembles both the band’s original music, as well as the rural Italian town the new work was conceptualized in.
Their performance tapped into that original sound, with singer Zach Condon leading a trio of horns players over a jolly, pulsating organ and percussion tune. The result is an indie-fanfare sound that resembles both the band’s original music, as well as the rural Italian town the new work was conceptualized in.
- 2/8/2019
- by Brandon Kahn
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Kodi Smit-McPhee (X-Men: Apocalypse) is set as a lead opposite Kyle Gallner in CBS All Access’ straight-to-series true-crime drama Interrogation.
Co-created by Swedish writer-producer Anders Weidemann and John Mankiewicz, Interrogation is an original concept based on a true story that spanned more than 30 years, in which a young man (Gallner) was charged and convicted of brutally murdering his mother. He is sentenced to life in prison and spends the next two decades fighting to prove his innocence. Since the episodes are made to be watched in any order, the audience will jump back and forth in time, witnessing this man’s story unfold in multiple timelines.
Smit-McPhee will play a troubled and homeless teen who meets Gallner’s character at a drug-rehabilitation center, where they became quick friends. To those who met him he was remembered as mysterious and known for his violent confrontations over drugs and sex.
Peter Sarsgaard...
Co-created by Swedish writer-producer Anders Weidemann and John Mankiewicz, Interrogation is an original concept based on a true story that spanned more than 30 years, in which a young man (Gallner) was charged and convicted of brutally murdering his mother. He is sentenced to life in prison and spends the next two decades fighting to prove his innocence. Since the episodes are made to be watched in any order, the audience will jump back and forth in time, witnessing this man’s story unfold in multiple timelines.
Smit-McPhee will play a troubled and homeless teen who meets Gallner’s character at a drug-rehabilitation center, where they became quick friends. To those who met him he was remembered as mysterious and known for his violent confrontations over drugs and sex.
Peter Sarsgaard...
- 2/7/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Game of Throne‘s star Ian Beattie just can’t win in Beirut’s humorous new video for “Landslide.” The song will appear on Zach Condon and his group’s forthcoming fifth studio album, Gallipoli.
In the Eoin Glaister-directed clip, which was shot in Kazakhstan, Beattie’s character embodies the song’s resilient outlook, which juxtaposes the defeating feelings of a landslide while declaring “I can’t hold on” against uplifting harmonies and Condon’s plucky Farfisa organ melodies.
The new visual opens on an armored Beattie being dragged by a horse,...
In the Eoin Glaister-directed clip, which was shot in Kazakhstan, Beattie’s character embodies the song’s resilient outlook, which juxtaposes the defeating feelings of a landslide while declaring “I can’t hold on” against uplifting harmonies and Condon’s plucky Farfisa organ melodies.
The new visual opens on an armored Beattie being dragged by a horse,...
- 1/10/2019
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
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