Beaconsfield telemovie heading to production

via @encoremagazine

Beaconsfield the telemovie, based on the 2006 Tasmanian mining disaster moves into production in July, announced The Nine Network.

Starring Shane Jacobson (Kenny, Top Gear Australia) and Lachy Hulme (Matrix Trilogy,Let’s Get Skase) the three hour film tells the story from the perspective of rescuers Matthew Gill and Pat Ball.

Other cast include Sasha Horler (Offspring, Love My Way and Hawke) and Michala Banas (Winners and Losers and McLeod’s Daughters).

Beaconsfield is produced by Southern Star John Edwards (Paper Giants,Love My Way) and Jane Liscombe (Last Ride, Cracker Bag). It is written by Judi McCrossin (The Secret Life of Us, The Surgeon) and will be directed by Glendyn Ivin (Last Ride, Offspring).

  

AUDITIONS: Beaconsfield mine disaster telemovie

Mullinars are looking for men in their 50's and 60' to play locals in a tele-movie based on the Beaconsfield Mine Disaster. There will be a week of shooting later in the year.

Auditions will be held by Jane Norris in  Hobart on July 1st - to get involved, email your interest (and experience if you have it) to melbourne@mullinars.com.au

Courtesy of Ryk Goddard, ABC Hobart

Tasmanian doco-drama: Convict Women

Partially produced in Tasmania by Irish production company Ned Kelly Pictures, CONVICT WOMEN is a pioneering film/TV series that fuses history, genealogy and drama to reveal the stories of these forgotten women for the first time.


From 1787 to 1853, over 25,000 women, nearly half of them Irish, were transported in the dark holds of ships on a 16,000-mile journey to the other side of the world as bonded labour. Arriving alone, or with small children in the colonies, these single, married and widowed women, lived, loved, toiled and died under Australian skies. 


Check out the website here, including a great gallery of production stills.







  

Tassie short to screen in Viscera Film Festival

Briony Kidd's The Room at the Top of the Stairs will screen at the Viscera Film Festival in July. The festival takes place at Theatre7 in Las Vegas over two nights -  July 29-30, 2011


Congrats to the cast & crew of this fantastic Tasmanian short film! 


Check out the trailer for the festival!

Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival - Tasmania

The 2011 Tasmanian "Breath of Fresh Air" Film Festival is being launched this week. 

One of Tasmania’s first major film festivals, set in historic Launceston, in the heart of the beautiful Tamar Valley, one of Australia’s premier food and wine regions, is a celebration of fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to screen based story telling that inspires positive change.

Details of the Launceston launch:
When: Thursday 9th June @ 5pm, Inveresk Tramsheds.
RSVP: Email admin@bofa.com.au if you can make it!

From the BOFA website:

A breath of fresh air is an expression we all use. But what does it mean? Freedom! New ideas! Innovative ways to change things for the better. These fundamental aims of every artist are the mantra for Australia’s newest and freshest film festival – the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air (BOFA) Film Festival.

The first Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival was held in 2010, an initiative of the Launceston Film Society, Australia’s largest film society. After the initial success, the Festival is now controlled by a  new company limited by guarantee, with the objective of making the Festival one of Tasmania’s biggest annual events. The Tasmanian Government is supporting BOFA in making the BOFA Tasmania’s first major annual film festival, an essential part of the national festival circuit.

BOFA will take place on 23-27 November 2011, against  the stunning backdrop of one of Australia’s most beautiful regional centres,  Launceston in the fertile Tamar Valley of northern Tasmania.

The new festival will feature world class cinema, a Digital SLR Short Film competition, the Fusion Film competition  and the Big Ideas Series – all flavoured with Tasmania’s  internationally acclaimed food and wine. Join film-lovers, directors, writers, producers and industry professionals from all corners of the world, to participate in a festival which showcases cutting-edge film-making and fresh  ideas on contemporary issues.

BOFA celebrates the power of film  to affect positive change in a modern world.

A Breath of Fresh Air – the very essence of film and of Tasmania.

Themes for this year's festival:

New Horizons
New and positive perspectives on contemporary themes such as new technology, social issues, third world issues.

Food for Thought
Food themes ranging from celebration of food to positive perspectives on food security, treatment of animals etc.

Visit the website here.

The book of Launceston: A portrait of the town

Launceston sketchbook; (Sketchbook series)

Big Mamma's Boy - website launched & volunteers req'd

The team behind the new Australian comedy Big Mamma's Boy are preparing for the film's cinema release on July 28th by recruiting keen street-level marketeers across the country.

Distribute flyers and posters, assist in ticket give-aways, share the trailer online or like them on Facebook - help promote the film and they'll show you some love via a Madman gift voucher, tickets to advanced screenings and even some food give-aways. Get involved!

This spirited romantic comedy explores Australia's multicultural nuances with hilarious results and goes to show that being a big mamma's boy is a lot tougher than it sounds

Check out the website here.

Tasmanian feature film Breeding in Captivity

Independent feature film Breeding in Captivity is currently in development in Tasmania. 


Employing the Mike Leigh developmental method of film making, the project features an outstanding list of talented Tasmanian cast and crew, who are hoping that this project will take the local industry to 'the next level'. It's certainly an exciting project and one that is well worth supporting.


Check out this video, which captures the premise of the film and also shows a bit of the development process in action.




Info from the website:

Fuelled by a passion for growing the Tasmanian film industry from the grass roots and up, a team of dedicated and experienced Tasmanian arts practitioners have teamed up to spawn an ambitious feature film entitled Breeding in Captivity. Utilising a lengthy and in depth rehearsal process inspired by the Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies fame) method of film making, award winning local director Lucien Simon and NIDA graduate Nathan Spencer are hoping to carve out a niche for Tasmanian stories on the international screen stage.

Alice and Owen are the epitome of the average suburban couple. When the woman living next door commits suicide, her sudden death acts a catalyst which forces the pair into facing the reality of their marriage, with both taking divergent journeys of self-discovery that lead them to the same destination: betrayal.

Check out the new Breeding in Captivity website, which features blogs from writer/director Lucien Simon and producer Nathan Spencer.

There is also information about sponsorship packages that allow individuals and/or business to get involved with the project.