• Congrats to Little Fish, starring Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett, which has achieved an outstanding gross box office of $2,276,488 as of 6 October, comparable to other critically acclaimed Australian film releases such as Lantana and Japanese Story. Read our interview with director Rowan Woods.
  
  Doing well overseas is Australian writer/director Greg McLean's feature Wolf Creek, which opened at number four on the UK box office, taking $3,645,787 (1,556,982 pounds) as of 2 October. The film opens nationally on 3 November.
  
  Also achieving critical and popular acclaim is Sarah Watt's debut feature Look Both Ways, which has grossed $2,146,234 locally as of 6 October. The film also won the coveted Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The award is voted on by over 750 international media and carries a cash prize of $15,000.



• Wayne Blair received the 2005 Deadly Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television as director of the short film The Djarn Djarns. Held at the Sydney Opera House in September, the 11th Annual Deadly Awards celebrated Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander excellence in music, sport, entertainment and community achievement. The Deadly follows on the heels of the film's Crystal Bear Award in the Kinderfilmfest program at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. Read our conversation with Wayne on the making of The Djarn Djarns.



• 'The Theatre of History: the Cinema of Manoel de Oliveira' is touring nationally. Audiences are in for a rare treat with the first Australian survey of cinema's great Portuguese filmmaker. At 96, Oliveira is one of the world's oldest working directors. A selection of his films will screen in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide as part of the AFC's National Cinémathèque program.



• Look Both Ways, the debut feature film from writer/director Sarah Watt, has won the coveted Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The award is voted on by over 750 international media and carries a cash prize of $15,000.



• Next up for the Big Screen touring festival is Burnie with Noni Hazlehurst introducing Little Fish. Congrats to local resident Gavin Myers who won a Big Screen prize pack, including an introduction to Noni on opening night.

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• A new AFC and Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) initiative, MeetMarket, aims to bring together Australian doco makers and international acquisition executives attending AIDC in Melbourne, 13-16 February 2006. MeetMarket will provide an opportunity for creative and original ideas to be fast-tracked in a supportive, structured setting. Selected documentary ideas will be presented in one-minute pitch teasers made available online to local and international buyers. After viewing the teasers, buyers will meet with selected project teams in a 'market' environment during the AIDC. Deadline 4 November.



• Hot on the heels of the SPARK 2005 workshop held earlier this month, comes the news that another two SPARK projects from 2004, The Home Song Stories and Noise, have been greenlit by the FFC and will go into production soon. Footy Legends, the third SPARK project, is now in post-production. SPARK, an initiative of AFC in association with the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, is a national residential script workshop providing selected writers and their creative teams with an intensive hothouse environment to develop their scripts. It features focused one-to-one sessions with leading local and international advisors from Europe and the US.



• The annual Raw Nerve scheme is an initiative of Screen Development Australia (SDA) in conjunction with the AFC and provides emerging/first-time filmmakers with the opportunity to produce quality short films on a minimal budget. Projects can be in any genre. Deadlines: Qld (closed in Sept); NSW - 7 Oct (Metro Screen); WA - 27 Oct (FTI); SA - 31 Oct (Media Resource Centre); Vic - 3 Nov (OPENChannel).



• The AFC has launched an email newsletter, IndiVision News, which aims to keep Australian filmmakers in touch with the latest issues and developments in low-budget filmmaking. You can subscribe to receive IndiVision News twice a year.



• AFC funding deadlines - October/November:
  
  FILM DEVELOPMENT
  14 Oct: Strand J - Documentary Early Development; Strand K - Documentary Development
  21 Oct: Strand L - Shooting Time-Critical Material
  28 Oct: Strand D - Draft Funding; Strand V - Interactive Digital Media Early Development
  4 Nov: General Development Investment (GDI)
  11 Nov: Filmmaker Fellowships & Attachments
  25 Nov: Strand L - Shooting Time-Critical Material
  
  INDIGENOUS
  28 Oct: Drama Development
  25 Nov: Documentary Development
  
  
• AFC funding approvals. Travel Grant approvals, starting August 2005, are now available online.

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• Ten Minutes of Passion is an innovative new series of radio programs commissioned by the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA). The ten 10-minute mini-features, documentaries and soundscapes meld archival audio and contemporary sound to explore emotions like love, anger and obsession. The projects can now be sampled online.



• The NFSA recently arranged an oral history interview with Paul Clarke, a third-generation Italian/Australian who played the role of Joe, the Aboriginal stockman, in the iconic Australian colour feature film Jedda (1955). Jedda was Paul's only major film role and he was able to shed much light on the experience of filming in the Australian interior, working with Charles and Elsa Chauvel and alongside the two Aboriginal leads, Rosalie Monks and Robert Tudawali. He also has made available memorabilia from the film, some of it not previously held in the collection.



• The NFSA will present the newly restored version of director Sam Peckinpah's 1965 Western epic Major Dundee at the Canberra International Film Festival in October. Australian actor and cast member Michael Pate is scheduled to be in attendance. The screening signifies the NFSA's engagement with international film archiving: in this case the work of Sony Pictures' film restoration program.



• If you're in Canberra during October, you could check out two free exhibitions at the NFSA while enjoying Floriade. The theme this year is Rock 'n' Roll in Bloom, celebrating 1.47 million flowers and the 50-year history of rock 'n' roll music in Australia. From Johnny O'Keefe up to the present time, the history of music will be celebrated with rare footage, records, CDs, costumes, programs and documentation. There will also be a special exhibition of rock posters, record covers and other memorabilia. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 12.30 to 2pm, great records from the Archive's sound collection will be selected and played by staff members in the beautiful heritage courtyard.

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• Big Screen update: In August/September Peter Castaldi visited Bendigo with Alex Dimitriades (Head On, La Spagnola) and Cloncurry with a doco crew. Richard Sowada headed to Broome with Tom E Lewis (The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Yellow Fella) and the WA wheatbelt where Steve Bisley appeared to introduce The Big Steal and Mad Max. South was received well in Wagin, with a live piano accompaniment by local pianist Alicia Hough.
  
  In early October there was a one-off screening of The Sentimental Bloke in Launceston, with a live accompaniment by composer and performer Jen Anderson, before it tours Europe, including a performance at the prestigious International Silent Film Festival of Pordonone, Italy. Alice Springs will bring the 2005 tour to a close.



• Experience the visionary cinema of Powell and Pressburger as part of the AFC's National Cinematheque. Their work together was deemed one of the greatest collaborations in the history of cinema, championed by devotees Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese for its 'real film magic'. Powell and Pressburger's films combine music, dance, painting, literature and photography, working across a number of familiar genres such as noir, melodrama, the war film, the ballet film, and the murder-thriller. Adelaide Mercury Cinema: 3-17 October; Melbourne ACMI Cinemas: 28 September - 12 October; Canberra Electric Shadows Cinema: 15-23 October.



• Embassy Roadshow September update: Beijing coordinated a successful event 'Melbourne-Tianjin Sister City 25th Anniversary Australian Film Week', with a very encouraging response from patrons. The Mayor of Tianjin joined the Lord Mayor of Melbourne to open the showcase. The Roadshow is currently looking into the feasibility of holding a film festival in Mongolia in October. Taipei is currently hosting a return season. Manila will be presenting an event for the second time in early October with the next port of call Lisbon in late October. The Roadshow is a travelling film festival that showcases contemporary Australian films to international audiences, facilitated through Australian embassies and posts abroad. It is an initiative of the Australia International Cultural Council through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and is coordinated by DFAT and the AFC.



• The 2005 ATOM Awards nominees have been announced. Congratulations to AFC-supported projects including Knot at Home: Stories of Dreams and Crossing the Line, nominated for both Best Indigenous Resource and Best Documentary: Social and Political Issues. Visit the AFC website to download a PDF list of all finalists. Winners will be announced in the next few days.



• The awards season is truly hotting up with the AWGIES nominations just out and AFI Awards screenings taking place nationally. The non-feature category AFI nominees have been announced including Jabe Babe: A Heightened Life (Best Documentary), Azadi, Jewboy (Best Short) and Pinata and The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (Best Short Animation). Russell Crowe will host the AFI Awards on 26 November.
  
  
• October/November submission deadlines are coming up for the following international festivals: Mumbai, Clermont-Ferrand, Goteborg, Creteil and Aspen. See Festival Profiles for more information.

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• The ASDA Conference was held in Sydney at the Sydney College of the Arts, 16-18 September. The conference was attended by AFC Film Development Director Carole Sklan and Project Managers Richard Brennan, Megan Simpson Huberman and Stephen Wallace. The spotlight was on the possibilities of low-budget filmmaking, generating much discussion on new trends and the inherent strengths of working at this level. AFC staff were involved in curating four of the conference sessions: Inside IndiVision; Shooting Fast; Private Finance for Low-Budget Features; and Digital Dreaming. US director Joel Schumacher, whose feature Phone Booth was shot for US $1.2m over two days, gave the keynote speech. Read our feature article by Adrian Martin, which was presented at the conference. Transcripts of Joel's speech and other conference sessions will be added to the AFC website over the next month.


• On 15 September, the Women Working in Television (WWIT) committee held the 2005 Women Talk Television Networking Event at the Wharf Restaurant, Sydney Theatre Company, with a new record of 410 people attending. Guest speakers were: Jennie Brockie (presenter, Insight, SBS TV) and Gretel Killeen (host, Big Brother, Network Ten). AFC Chair Maureen Barron hosted the event. WWIT is a partnership between the AFC and free-to-air networks, subscription television and SPAA to advance the careers of women across Australian television.


• Oscar-winning producer Melanie Coombs (Harvey Krumpet) was the special guest speaker at the recent Women in Film and Television (Victoria) Annual General Meeting. At the AGM, Sue Marriot was elected the new President of WIFT (Vic). With a strong film and television industry background, she leads a team of Board Members who are committed to creating professional development opportunities for members through local and international WIFT branches. All mail for WIFT (Vic) should now be sent c/o Sue Marriot, Film Offices, Level 1 / 179 Johnston Street Fitzroy VIC 3065. For further information on WIFT (Vic), email info@wiftvic.com or visit their website.



• The Queensland-based producer Trish Lake (Freshwater Productions) has been elected SPAA President for 2005-06. Nick McMahon (Crawford Productions), has been re-elected as Vice President. Trish is currently developing feature film, television drama and documentary projects. Freshwater co-produced the critically acclaimed feature film, Gettin' Square with Mushroom Pictures and Working Title.

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• A new version of the A-Z Documentary Budget (posted 14 September 2005) is now available to download. There have been significant changes to the previous version.



• Read about the success of AFC-supported projects. This month we feature The Dog and Cat News, Moustache and Ward 13.



• Are you looking for details of a particular Australian film title - feature, short, TV drama or documentary? The Searchable Film Database includes Australian and co-produced features, TV drama and documentaries from 1990 and shorts from 1998. It is updated on the AFC website each month.



• Upcoming Production Report.



• Latest updates to Get the Picture Online.

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• Carole Sklan, Director of Film Development, is leaving the AFC to take up the position of Commissioning Editor at SBS Independent. Carole has made a major contribution to the work of the AFC during her time here and will no doubt continue to do so in her new role at SBS in Melbourne. AFC Chief Executive Kim Dalton has paid tribute to Carole's contribution to the work of the AFC over the last four years. "Carole has significantly expanded the scope of our development programs," he said, "including introducing the SPARK script workshop, establishing the highly successful Broadband Production Initiative with ABC New Media, and re-establishing the role of the AFC in the area of low-budget feature films through its IndiVision initiative. Although she will be sadly missed at the AFC, her new position will once again allow her to work at the script coal-face, which is her first love, with one of the AFC's major production partners where she will continue to have a close relationship with many AFC projects." Carole will remain at the AFC until mid-October.



• Welcome to NFSA Senior Archival Loans Officer John Brady, Project Coordinator, australianscreenonline, Kate Stone, Industry and Cultural Development Administrator Brian Wilson and Communications Assistant Natalie Holdsworth.



• Positions vacant.

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• The Australian films Little Fish, Look Both Ways, Josh Jarman, The Magician, The Proposition and Wolf Creek are screening October-November so keep an eye out for them at your local cinema.
  
  
• Sony Tropfest announced in September an exciting new feature film production arm, the Tropfest Feature Program (TFP). Beginning in 2006, the TFP will produce one feature film each year with a budget of no more than $1 million.



• The touring Trasharama-Agogo Film Festival, 7 October - 30 November, showcases the cream of Australian horror, sci-fi, bad taste comedies, dodgymentaries, sick animations, B-grade schlock and other filmic disasterpieces.



• Popcorn Taxi will feature a special retrospective screening of the hard-hitting and exciting drama Stir (1980), featuring an electrifying and brilliant performance from Bryan Brown, on 19 October, at Cinema Paris in Sydney, After the screening join special guests Bryan Brown, co-star Gary Waddell, director Stephen Wallace and producer Richard Brennan for an interview and audience Q&A.
  
  
• Popcorn Taxi has weekly screenings and Q&A sessions in Sydney and Melbourne. After 350+ shows over six years in Sydney and Melbourne, the event is spreading its wings to Darwin, Adelaide and Brisbane. If you are in these cities you can join the email list for your state on the Popcorn Taxi website. Darwin will start in November and will operate from Deckchair Cinema with screenings and filmmaker chats. The guest filmmakers coming to Darwin will also run special one-off professional development seminars for local filmmakers. Adelaide plans to do shows from both the Mercury Cinema and Palace Nova, starting before the end of the year.



• ABC TV has begun its search for Australia's favourite film. What's the film that excites your imagination, indulges your fantasies - the one you could see over and over again? Any feature-length cinema release film is eligible, in any language, any genre, whether it is documentary or animation, romantic comedy or Hong Kong action film. The top 10 films will be announced with the TV special, My Favourite Film, presented by At The Movies host Margaret Pomeranz. To nominate your favourite film go to the website. Voting closes 19 October.



• The Canberra International Film Festival, 27 October - 6 November, is an 11-day film festival with associated activities including workshops, seminars and visiting directors.
  
  
• Presented by John Willsteed, a QPIX workshop in Brisbane, 29 October, will explore sound design during production. Ensuring the best capture of sound is vital for the success of any film.



• Immersion: Northern Rivers Screenworks, in Byron Bay throughout December, will host three interrelated projects - clinics, masterclasses and a producers' incubator - aimed at the professional development of Northern Rivers and interstate practitioners.



• mo:life monthly is an informal gathering that offers the opportunity to discuss the latest advances and opportunities in mobile media technology and culture. Find out about the various players and networks and what they offer; explore the capabilities of the latest handsets; and see what others around the globe are doing with this new format. Contact d.opitz@metroscreen.org.au



• Metro Screen's Members Production Group (MPG)meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 6.30pm at Metro Screen. Meetings are open to all Metro Screen members and give you the opportunity to pitch new ideas, discuss your current projects, share skills and resources and collaborate with others to produce your own films, TV content and media projects.



• ScreenWest and PAC Screen Workshops have announced the initiative PAC Script Lab, monthly rehearsed readings of West Australian feature film scripts on the last Sunday of each month. The ultimate aim is for a honing of West Australian scripts and an increase in the profile, quality and awareness of West Australian film projects.



• IF Magazine's What's On in Film July to December 2005 guide to screen events is sponsored by the AFC. Contact publishing@afc.gov.au for a hard copy.



• Other AFC-supported activities and events.

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Melbourne film writer Adrian Martin recently presented a longer version of this article at the Australian Screen Directors' Association Conference in Sydney.

The conference looked at various perspectives on low-budget filmmaking and also featured a keynote address by US producer Joel Schumacher and sessions by Rolf de Heer and IndiVision Lab participants.

Low-budget cinema has emerged as the new hope for the Australian industry in 2005. Modest productions like Sarah Watt's Look Both Ways and semi-improvised experiments like Kriv Stenders' Blacktown or Scott Ryan's The Magician have stirred more enthusiasm among audiences and critics than several years' worth of movies trying to be glossy and generic. These 'breakout' works also seem to be finally ending the drought in terms of film festival interest abroad.

However, low-budget cinema is an area in which filmmakers need to tread carefully. Despite the admirable adoption of artistic slogans such as 'creativity comes from constraint', and the confident assertion that even normally 'effects-heavy' genres (like science fiction or fantasy) can be handled in ingeniously cheap ways, there is already an abundance of cliches bearing down upon this field of production.

Read the full article.

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