In this issue: [V] Island Parties set to scorch through summer, first Sydney International Film Festival in November, watch the trailer for Wolf Creek 2, Anchorman 2 cast staying classy and heading to Sydney, new series’ on ABC, Gravity breaks box office records, results are in from the Australian Drama Survey and the Hola Sol Festival Cantina as part of this year’s Hola Mexico Film Festival.
Channel [V] Island Parties back this summer!
Summer’s set to be a scorcher this year, may as well be a cool kid and go to one of the [V] Island Parties. A music experience like no other, [V] Island Parties are exclusive gigs on Channel [V]’s very own floating island in Sydney Harbour. This year, a huge international act will be coming on board, to be announced next week.
Get amongst the action and win tickets from www.vmusic.com.au
[V] Island Parties return December 5, 2013.
Cultures of the World at Cinema Park
Get ready for the very first Sydney Intercultural Film Festival to be held at Belmore Park in Sydney this year. Prepare for a transformation from 13 to 17 November as Belmore Park will be transformed into a buzzing hive of film, music, food and cultural activity offering film-buffs, musos and foodies something different.
Special film screenings, musical performances, star meet-and-greets, themed family fun days, stand-up comedy performances, film exhibitions and demonstrations, international food stalls, children’s rides, and prize and cash giveaways will be open to the public for a $2 entry fee.
Check out www.siff.org.au for more information
Wolf Creek 2 has a trailer
Sadistic serial killer Mick Taylor is back in Wolf Creek 2. Following rave reviews during it’s Venice Film Festival debut, Wolf Creek 2 now has a trailer for horror film fans to sink their teeth into.
The film was written by Greg Mclean and Aaron Sterns, and produced by Helen Leake (Swerve, Black and White, Heavens Burning), Greg Mclean and Steve Topic (Crawlspace).
Wolf Creek 2 will be released in Australia on the 20th of February 2014 by Roadshow Films.
Stay Classy Sydney, the Global News Network is heading your way
The hugely anticipated sequel to Anchorman is just around the corner and guess what?! The stars of Anchorman will heading down under! The Australian premiere of ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES will be Sunday November 24 at Hoyts, The Entertainment Quarter, Sydney with stars Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Director Adam McKay all in attendance!
With the 70’s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) – All of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy…while taking the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm.
ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES will release in Australian cinemas on December 19.
Matchbox Pictures’ Nowhere Boys hits TV screens November 7
Matchbox Pictures’ new TV series Nowhere Boys will screen each Thursday night at 6.30pm from November 7 on ABC3. Pitched towards young teens, the fantasy action-adventure series premiered the first four episodes at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August and received a strong response from a broad audience.
Released alongside the series is also an immersive online experience that links to the television episodes in a way that has never been seen before in Australia.
The 13-part television series follows four boys who get lost in the forest and discover, when they return home, that they are in an alternate world identical to theirs except for one startling difference – they were never born.
Created and produced by Tony Ayres (The Slap and Underground: The Julian Assange Story), produced by Beth Frey (Next Stop Hollywood, Dr Sarmast’s Music School) and executive produced by Michael McMahon (Next Stop Hollywood and The Slap) and Helen Panckhurst (The Straits and My Place), the series is brought to life by a terrific team including directors Daina Reid (Paper Giants: Magazine Wars, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War), Peter Carstairs (September), Alister Grierson (Sanctum, Kokoda) and Craig Irvin (Tethered), who has also been a writer on the series.
Gravity is a box office hit passing $300 million worldwide
Alfonso Cuarón latest project starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney has broken box office records with no sign of slowing down. Less than three weeks after it’s record-breaking opening, the film has now passed the $300 million mark. Word of mark has propelled the film into the minds of the public as a must-see film. Critically acclaimed and unlike anything made before, Gravity finds brilliant medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone on her first shuttle mission alongside veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski. Despite the routine mission, disaster strikes and the shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone.
Go see it now if you haven’t already.
Australian Drama Survey figures released
Australian drama is on the up according to the Australian Drama Survey by Screen Australia. The Survey revealed an overall increase in expenditure on drama of $129 million or 9% on the previous year. Australian TV drama expenditure increased by 27 per cent on the previous year to reach the highest level on record, and total hours increased by 11 hours or 19 per cent, while Australian feature production expenditure was down 10% on the previous year.
The increase in broadcaster funding has contributed to export growth in program sales and income from the sale of formats. The results also show the long-term policy settings which ensure Australians have access to Australian content in prime time as partially contributing to the increase in popularity of Australian programming on commercial television.
Screen Forever is coming to town!
Just a few weeks away is SPAA’s inaugural conference for 2013, Screen Forever. With international guests this year include a producer with the acclaimed Sesame Workshop, the three creators behind the global children’s animation franchise Ben 10, Israel’s format king and the man responsible for managing Merchant Ivory’s projects.
Get more information and register at www.screenforever.org.au/
New series coming to Aussie TV
The latest new comedy series on ABC2, #7DaysLater, seems an interesting concept. Passing new frontiers in the TV medium, this innovative, interactive, multi-platform comedy series sees each episode of the series written, shot, edited and broadcast within seven days featuring a different celebrity guest each week. Episode 1 featured Colin Mochrie (Who’s Line is it Anyway?) and Episode 2 is set to star 80’s icon, Corey Feldman (The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys).
One half of West Australian comedy duo, Henry & Aaron, Aaron McCann has also been cast in this exciting new series.
Get the fiesta started at Hola Sol Festival Cantina
This year’s Hola Mexico Film Festival has a Sol Beer and tequila swigging counterpart in Sydney with the Hola Sol Festival Cantina to put a Mexican kick into hot days and balmy evenings at the Chauvel Cinema next month.
Whether you’re popping over to see one of the many Mexican films – including the likes of La Vida Breve Y Precoz De Sabina Rivas, nominated for 11 Ariel awards (The Mexican Academy Film Award, considered the most prestigious award in the Mexican film industry) – or simply fancy transporting yourself into Central America’s heart and soul, the bar will be offering a plethora of treats for the senses.
With free Day of the Dead Style face painting as well as talks, workshops and events, there’s something for everyone.
The Festival Cantina will be kicking off on Wednesday 27 November and open every day for an entire week, from 6pm to 11pm on week days and from 2pm to 11pm at the weekend.
More details and the full schedule can be found at www.holamexicoff.com
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