Screen Australia has announced AUS$12.8 million ($7.9m) funding round across 46 narrative projects, including Robert Connolly’s Shiver, the first Australian narrative feature film to shoot in Antarctica.
The drama is adapted from Nikki Gemmell’s acclaimed novel and follows the profound transformation of a young journalist as she ventures into the vast, fragile wilderness of Antarctica.
It will be produced by Liz Kearney (Memoir of a Snail) and Kate Laurie (Petrol) alongside Connolly. The film has received major production investment from Screen Australia in association with VicScreen, with support from Minderoo Pictures, while international sales are handled by HanWay
“The film continues our exploration of deeply personal stories set against vast landscapes, celebrating the power of science to understand our place in this changing environment,” said Connolly.
“Shiver will take audiences on an epic journey into a world I fell in love with as a child, rich with the mythic stories of the great explorers and the majestic power of this remote wilderness. Our recent shoot in Antarctica began a life changing journey to tell this powerful story.”
Shiver is Robert Connolly’s 10th feature film in a 25-year career that includes the critically acclaimed The Dry with Eric Bana, the award-winning political thriller Balibo featuring Anthony LaPaglia and an extraordinary early career performance from Oscar Isaac, and the beloved family film and box office hit Paper Planes.
The selection of Screen Australia grantees also includes ABC-backed six-part comedy Bad Company, set within the crumbling walls of an iconic theatre company on the brink of bankruptcy and starring Anne Edmonds and Kitty Flannagan.
It will be directed by Tom Peterson (Fisk) and produced by Andrew Walker (Deadloch), with executive producer Kevin Whyte (Rosehaven), Edmonds and Ben Grogan (Upper Middle Bogan).
“We know Australian stories are in demandacross the world and in our own backyard, and Screen Australia is uniquely positioned to support the tapestry of voices that celebrate and speak to our multi-faceted, diverse community,” aid Director of Narrative Content at Screen Australia Louise Gough said.
“Local stories are resonant because they are beautifully particular yet underpinned by universal themes that all viewers can relate to,” said Director of Narrative Content at Screen Australia Louise Gough said,
Further beneficiaries include Written in the Stars, an Australian and Canadian feature based on Su Dharmapala’s novel ‘The Wedding Season’, which has been adapted by Menik Gooneratne.
It is billed as a heartwarming rom-com exploring universal themes of love and destiny while celebrating the Sri Lankan community in modern-day Melbourne. It will feature an all-South Asian cast led by Australian actor, writer and producer Fawzia Mirza.
It is produced by Leanne Tonkes (The Second), Andria Wilson Mirza (Queen of My Dreams), Melissa Russo (Together), Jenni Tosi (Holly’s Heroes), Marc Tetreault (Sullivan’s Crossing), and Jason Levangie (Sullivan’s Crossing).
It has received major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the Telefilm Canada Production Program and VicScreen. Local distribution is by Maslow Entertainment.
Screen Australia has also backed six-part series The Killings: Parrish Station from Helium Pictures for Stan. It is directed by Daniel Nettheim (The Tourist, The Assassin), created and written by Ben Jenkins (The Chaser, The Checkout) Tim Pye (Bali 2002), Yolanda Ramke (Cargo) and Catherine Smyth-McMullen (The Other Lamb).
A cosmic mystery intertwines with horror as a gruesome massacre at a remote research station plunges a detective into an inexplicable, decades-long mystery. The series is produced by Kerrie Mainwaring (Bali 2002) and executive produced by Mark Fennessy. It has received major investment from Screen Australia and Screen NSW. International sales by sales by ITV Studios.
Further investments include 2 Moons by director Fadia Abboud (House of Gods) and in partnership with Powerhouse Parramatta. The science fiction drama set in Western Sydney explores the lives of five ordinary people as they grapple with a potential apocalypse.
It is produced by Annabel Davis (Here Out West) and Kali Reid from Co-Curious and executive produced by Sheila Jayadev.
Screen Australia has also gotten behind Shilling It, a six-part satirical web-series in development from creators Henry Stone and TV presenter Tony Armstrong, centred on a fictionalised version of Armstrong, as an Australian television personality caught in the ethical tug-of-war of lending his name to dodgy social media content brand deals.
Across six 10-minute episodes, Tony will navigate fame and influence while attempting to maintain personal integrity. Shilling It will be co-written and produced by Tony Armstrong and Henry Stone, with Stone directing.
The body has also put money into comedy feature The Martini Mama; six-part drama series Florence, based on the true story of the iconic and enigmatic designer Florence Broadhurst, and Bloom: A five-part webseries about 16-year-old who receives a cancer diagnosis and the emotional and physical toll this has on her and the people who love her.
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