News

‘Informer 3838.’

With the Nine Network’s primary channel on track to deliver its highest ever commercial shares this year, the broadcaster’s upfronts announcement on Wednesday night predictably contained few surprises.

Among the new offerings will be The Parent Jury, which puts diverse parenting styles to the test; retro variety show Step Back in Time; and observational documentary series Taronga: Who’s Who In the Zoo.

The network also unveiled the cast of Screentime’s drama Informer 3838, which stars Ella Scott Lynch as Melbourne criminal lawyer turned police informant Nicola Gobbo.

In a new agreement with BBC Studios, Nine will get Seven Worlds, One Planet, a landmark wildlife series presented by Sir David Attenborough, which will transport viewers to seven continents as it reveals the survival challenges facing numerous animals.

That deal also encompasses first-run rights to five series under the BBC Planet banner including Perfect Planet, Green Planet, Frozen...

You don’t have to be a Broadway baby to scratch your onstage acting itch. In fact, all around the country—and outside of it—there are bustling theater communities producing works so vibrant they’d have Edward Albee rolling over in his grave. Want in on that action? You’d be wise to know the ins and outs of industry happenings, and this is a good place to start: From across the pond and back again, here is the week’s biggest regional theater news. You’re an (Australian) wizard, Harry.All 42 performers for the upcoming Australian premiere production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” have been announced. Leading the cast in the title role will be Gareth Reeves alongside Paula Arundell as Hermione, Gyton Grantley as Ron Weasley, Lucy Goleby as Ginny, Tom Wren as Draco Malfoy, among others. Performances will begin Jan. 19, 2019 at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.

Exclusive: Aunjanue Ellis (The Help) and Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) are joining Emmy-winning actress Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) and Matthew Modine in the independent production of Miss Virginia. Also, Australian actor Christopher Egan, known for his work in Letters to Juliet and Resident Evil, has joined Hanna Griffiths (Macbeth, Underbelly Rush) in the new Warren Zide and James Wallace-produced romantic drama Brookers.

First, for Miss Virginia: Niles Fitch, Nadji Jeter, Amirah Vann and Michael Beasley also round out the cast in the film which is being directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna (Shelter) and produced by Erin O’Connor, Rob Pfaltzgraff, and Maurice Black of the Moving Picture Institute, Stacey Parks of Media Sparks Films and M. Elizabeth Hughes. Miss Virginia is set to commence production later this month in Los Angeles.

Inspired by a true story, Miss Virginia follows a struggling inner-city single mother who moves...

Peter Weir on the set of his last feature 'The Way Back'.

Adg CEO Kingston Anderson told If earlier this year that he was angling for a high-profile director to present the Feature award at this year's Adg awards.

Now we know who it is: Peter Weir will present the Best Direction in a Feature Film award at the awards in Melbourne.

Weir will bestow the award on one of the five nominees; Garth Davis (Lion), Simon Stone (The Daughter), Ben Young (Hounds of Love), Craig Boreham (Teenage Kicks) and Jonnie Leahy (Skin Deep).

.It is a great privilege to have one of Australia.s pre-eminent directors, Peter Weir, presenting the award for Best Direction in a Feature Film," said Adg CEO Kingston Anderson..

"We have a tradition at the awards to have our best feature directors presenting this award. Directors who have presented the award in the past include Fred Schepisi,...

Sara West in 'Don't Tell'.

Tori Garrett.s Don.t Tell will make its world premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival in California.

The film, shot in Queensland, boasts a strong cast, including Sara West, Rachel Griffiths, Jack Thompson, Aden Young, Jacqueline McKenzie, Susie Porter, Kim Knuckley, Robert Taylor and Gyton Grantley..

Based on the book by lawyer Stephen Roche, Don.t Tell follows a young woman, Lyndal (West), who fights back after enduring sexual abuse at a prestigious private school. With a local lawyer by her side, Lyndal takes on the church who denied her abuse for over a decade. The film is based on true events and a 2001 case that helped changed Australian child protection laws..

The film.s producer, Scott Corfield, said he was thrilled for the film to have its world premiere at the festival.

.When you produce a film like Don.t Tell...

Ben Mingay and Sam Neill star in Nine's new mini-series 'House of Bond'..

Nine has unveiled its programming line-up for the new year, and with it sees the return of Underbelly.—.this time focused on the .untold, uncut. story of Mark .Chopper. Read.

The series, known as Underbelly Files: Chopper, will be once again be produced by Screentime..

Also coming up for the network is the mini-series House of Bond, which tells the rags to riches tale of the controversial business tycoon Alan Bond. Sam Neill, Rachael Taylor and Adrienne Pickering star alongside Hacksaw Ridge.s Ben Mingay as Bond.

Other cast members include Samantha Jade, Gyton Grantley, Marcus Graham, Anne Looby, Johnny Ruffo, Roy Billing, Paul Gleeson and Jack Campbell..House of Bond.was produced by Cjz, with the assistance of Screen Australia and Screen Nsw. The mini was written by Sarah Smith and directed by Mark Joffe..

Karl Stefanovic...

Sam Neill, Sue Milliken, Anthony Buckley (Photo credit: Peter Jackson).

The 71st Australian International Movie Convention wrapped last week, with a delegation of just over 1,000 converging on the Gold Coast for the five-night-four-day convention.

Seven features screened at Aimc, including three Australian films: Don.t Tell — attended by cast members Jack Thompson Am, Rachel Griffiths, Sara West, Gyton Grantley, Martin Sacks and Robert Coleby; Jasper Jones — introduced by director Rachel Perkins; and Transmission's Oscar contender Lion — attended by mother and son Sue and Saroo Brierley, on whose story the film is based.

Sam Neill followed in the footsteps of Jack Thompson, winning the Aimc Lifetime Achievement award, and used the occassion to read out amusing testimonials from the likes of Bryan Brown, Rob Sitch and John Cleese congratulating him on his award..

Neill.s Hunt for the Wilderpeople director Taika Waititi watched on, fresh from the set of Thor: Ragnarok,...

Sam Neill, Sue Milliken, Anthony Buckley (Photo credit: Peter Jackson).

The 71st Australian International Movie Convention wrapped last week, with a delegation of just over 1,000 converging on the Gold Coast for the five-night-four-day convention.

Seven features screened at Aimc, including three Australian films: Don.t Tell — attended by cast members Jack Thompson Am, Rachel Griffiths, Sara West, Gyton Grantley, Martin Sacks and Robert Coleby; Jasper Jones — introduced by director Rachel Perkins; and Transmission's Oscar contender Lion — attended by mother and son Sue and Saroo Brierley, on whose story the film is based.

Sam Neill followed in the footsteps of Jack Thompson, winning the Aimc Lifetime Achievement award, and used the occassion to read out amusing testimonials from the likes of Bryan Brown, Rob Sitch and John Cleese congratulating him on his award..

Neill.s Hunt for the Wilderpeople director Taika Waititi watched on, fresh from the set of Thor: Ragnarok,...

The Dressmaker director Jocelyn Moorhouse on Sophie Theallet: "I met her because we are both good friends with Rupert Everett." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Loving Billy Wilder, watching Sunset Boulevard, an Audrey Hepburn Sabrina remodeling, Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Visit and Jack Nicholson in Sean Penn's The Pledge, Sergio Leone, Alice B Toklas in Paris, South Pacific, David and Albert Maysles' Grey Gardens, consulting with Sophie Theallet about Madeleine Vionnet and Cristóbal Balenciaga - Jocelyn Moorhouse and producer Sue Maslin revealed the underpinnings of The Dressmaker.

Kate Winslet as Tilly Dunnage: "We're entering a fable. Although the story, of course, is very truthful and universal."

Based on the novel by Rosalie Ham, screenplay Pj Hogan and Moorhouse, starring Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth, and Hugo Weaving with Sarah Snook, Kerry Fox (Alison Maclean's The Rehearsal), Gyton Grantley, Alison Whyte, Shane Bourne, and Barry Otto (Gracie Otto and...

Ben Mingay.

Ben Mingay (Packed to the Rafters, Hacksaw Ridge) will star as Alan Bond in House of Bond, Nine's miniseries now in production.

House of Bond tells the tale of Australia.s most controversial tycoon, whose excesses ran to women, fame, money, crime and everything in between..

The mini-series co-stars Rachael Taylor (Jessica Jones) as Diana Bliss, Adrienne Pickering (Rake) as Eileen Bond and Sam Neill (House of Hancock) as Roland .Tiny. Rowland.

House of Bond is the rags-to-riches tale of Bond.s incredible rise and spectacular fall in the 1970s and 80s as the cheeky, knockabout .Ten Pound Pom. who fought his way from the back alleys of Fremantle to become the richest man in Australia and one of our greatest sporting heroes for winning the America.s Cup..

The series will also star Gyton Grantley, Samantha Jade, Anne Looby, John Howard, Johnny Ruffo, Roy Billing, Paul Gleeson and Jack Campbell.

Australian feature film Don't Tell is set to start filming next month in South East Queensland.

Directed by Tori Garrett and bringing together a strong cast including Rachel Griffiths and Jack Thompson, the film is based on true events and a 2001 child abuse case that changed how Australia handles child abuse claims.

Produced by Scott Corfield, the film stars Aden Young, Jaqueline McKenzie, Gyton Grantley, susie Porter and Robert Taylor.

The film is about Toowoomba Preparatory School, the Anglican Church and child sex abuse of an 11-year-old girl.

It tells the story of a survivor, Lyndal, and the last trial by a jury of its kind.

Producer, Scott Corfield, said Lyndal used the law to expose an institution guilty of heinous behaviour..

"A jury of four people representing our society had the responsibility to do what was morally right and hold that institution publicly accountable in the most transparent way,...

Indiana Evans and Justine Clarke have joined the cast of the fourth season of Playmaker Media.s House Husbands, now shooting in Melbourne.

Evans (Secrets & Lies, Janet King) is playing Tash, a single mother new to Melbourne who ignites a tumultuous love triangle. Clarke is Eve, the hot-headed tuckshop lady who competes with the catering business run by Kane (Gyton Grantley).

Also new to the cast are Akos Armont (Winter, Janet King) as the charming and ambitious Dr Saxon, whose presence creates tension within the hospital, and Jane Kennedy as Belinda, the resident Director of Medical Services.

Returning regulars include Lewis (Gary Sweet), Justin (Firass Dirani), Mark (Rhys Muldoon), Gemma (Julia Morris), Abi (Natalie Saleeba), Alex (Darren McMullen) and Miss Looby (Louise Siversen). Mark.s controlling boss Rachel, played by Jane Allsop in season one, makes a fiery comeback . Also returning from season one to cause trouble is Rodney (Nicholas Coghlan...

Kate Winslet in The Dressmaker..

Director Jocelyn Moorhouse has wrapped production on feature film The Dressmaker, which has been shooting at Docklands Studio Melbourne and various locations in Victoria for the past eight weeks.

Set in the 1950s, the movie follows Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage (Kate Winslet) who returns to her hometown in the Australian countryside to take care of her sick mother (Judy Davis), after being exiled when she was ten years old because of false accusations of murder. Having since become an expert dressmaker in Paris, Tilly transforms the town members with her couture creations and in the process, exacts revenge on the people who wrongly accused her of murder all those years ago.

The film also stars Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving, as well as featuring Rebecca Gibney, Kerry Fox , Caroline Goodall, Gyton Grantley, Sacha Horler, Shane Jacobson, Sarah Snook and Barry Otto.

.Working with Kate, Judy, Liam and Hugo was wonderful,...

The Nine Network.s drama House Husbands is being remade in France and Italy.

The French version of the Playmaker Media series co-created by Ellie Beaumont and Drew Proffitt will be produced by Paris-based Made in Pm.

The Italian remake will be produced by Rome-based Publispei. Both companies will adapt the scripts of the first season.

Neither has yet been sold to a broadcaster, although Made in Pm produces drama for the channels TF1 and France2. The format deals were negotiated by Zdf Enterprises.

Playmaker Media.s David Maher said, .'The rise of the stay at home dad is obviously happening everywhere and it's great when a warm, funny and relatable Aussie drama like House Husbands resonates internationally..

Andy Ryan, Nine.s co-head of drama, said, .We are thrilled to be exporting the House Husbands format to such competitive TV markets. Just like Australian viewers, the French and Italian networks...

The Nine Network.s crime drama Fat Tony & Co. easily won its timeslot on Sunday night. The premiere of the Screentime-produced series starring Robert Mammone as the infamous criminal Tony Mokbel drew 1.379 million viewers in the five capital cities. Adding the regional audience of 443,263, the first episode had a national average of 1.834 million, peaking at 2.06 million.

The second episode was watched by 1.236 million in the capitals/1.6 million. The nine-part series features other original members of the Underbelly franchise including Vince Colosimo as Alphonse Gangitano, Gyton Grantley as Carl Williams, Les Hill as Jason Moran, Madeleine West as Danielle McGuire, Simon Westaway as Mick Gatto, Gerard Kennedy as Graham Kinniburgh, and Kevin Harrington as Lewis Moran The premiere of season four of Seven.s Downton Abbey pulled 1.125 million (down 206,000 on the launch of season three last year) in the capitals, 1.74 million nationally, and ABC.s Rake had 617,000.

The debut of Matchbox...

It was a clear and starry sky last night at the 21st Tropfest short film festival, a far cry from last year when teeming rain forced thousands of film-goers to evacuate.

It is partly because of the tendency for it to rain in February that has prompted festival organisers to announce a change of date, with the 22nd Festival due to be held on December 8 this year.

It wasn.t the only change announced on the night, with the news Tropfest will now be held at the Centennial Parklands instead of the Domain. Festival Director John Polson made the announcement live from the Tropfest stage, much to the surprise of the 90, 000 strong crowd.

"We.ve been extremely privileged,. Polson said. .The Domain is now an important part of our history, having been our home since 1999. However, with our steadily growing audience, Centennial Parklands is really the only Sydney venue that...

Channel Nine series House Husbands has begun shooting season two this week in Melbourne. Starring Firass Dirani, Gary Sweet, Gyton Grantley and Rhys Muldoon, the series, created by Ellie Beaumont and Drew Proffitt, follows four stay-at-home dads and their families. Debuting on September 2, 2012, the first episode of House Husbands averaged a record-breaking 1.376 million viewers. It was announced House Husbands was renewed for a second season on 23 September 2012. Returning to the series alongside the men are Julia Morris, Natalie Saleeba, Tim Campbell and Leah de Neise, plus Anna McGahan and Georgia Flood.

There will also be a number of new cast members joining the team, including guests Craig McLachlan (Rescue: Special Ops), Madeline West (Underbelly), Geraldine Turner (Home and Away) and Rick Donald (Underbelly: Razor). Heads of Drama for the Nine Network, Jo Rooney and Andy Ryan, said: .We are thrilled to have House Husbands returning for a second season. .With...

Image: Memory Muster ambassador Laura Enever

The Australian mobile phone industry is using a photo competition to encourage the recycling of the 22m devices and accessories no longer used by Australians.

MobileMuster, the official recycling program of the mobile industry, is encouraging users to upload their top six photo memories to mobilemuster.com.au to have those images turned into postcards as well as the chance to have their work displayed publicly.

In the Memory Muster campaign, competition images will be posted in an online gallery for users to vote on and be in the running for two awards which will see the top images displayed publicly and at a Memory Muster gala exhibition.

To be eligible for the competition however, users must first send in their old devices to MobileMuster.

Launched by sustainability agency Republic of Everyone, the campaign includes website, social media and PR with actor Gyton Grantley of House Husbands and Underbelly,...

Popular Nine Network drama House Husbands will return for a second season.

The new series, which stars Gary Sweet, Julia Morris, Rhys Muldoon, Gyton Grantley and Firass Dirani, will begin filming next year according to Nine and production house Playmaker Media.

House Husbands is currently Australia.s highest rating drama, attracting an average weekly audience of just over 2 million viewers each week, according to consolidated OzTam figures quoted by Nine.

The success of the drama comes as Nine struggles under an onerous debt burden and after a string of dramas - apart from its Underbelly franchise - which failed to capture a widespread audience such as Tricky Business and Cops L.A.C.

Playmaker Media directors David Taylor and David Maher said in a statement: .We couldn.t be more pleased our House Husbands are back for another series. It is a huge credit to our dedicated team of writers,...

Nine has recommissioned its family drama House Husbands for a second series.

The announcement:

The Nine Network and Playmaker Media today confirmed that House Husbands will return for a second season.

New episodes of Australia’s favourite new family drama will begin filming in 2013.

Gary Sweet, Julia Morris, Rhys Muldoon, Gyton Grantley and Firass Dirani will all return, along with Natalie Saleeba, Tim Campbell, Anna McGahan and Leah de Niese as well as the younger cast of children the country has fallen in love with.

Nine’s Director of Television, Michael Healy, says: “I am delighted Australian audiences have taken House Husbands into their hearts and made it the number one drama in the country.

“I am thrilled to confirm a second series of House Husbands will go into production with the same acclaimed cast and crew.”

Directors of Playmaker Media, David Taylor and David Maher, add: “We couldn’t...

Cockatoo Island plays host to Sydney Harbour’s new International Film Festival in October. And adding a bit of spice to the mix they’re introducing a sailing event, inviting film lovers to climb aboard with the stars a month before the festival kicks off.

The announcement:

Australia’s newest and most novel international film festival is adding a spectacular celebrity-studded sailing event to its program.

The Cockatoo Island Classic will bring down the curtain on the inaugural five-day Cockatoo Island Film Festival, with participants finishing off the southernmost point of the Island on the afternoon of October 28.

There’s a photo call and announcement this Wednesday to outline the event:

When:

Wednesday, September 12 at 10.30am

Who:

Classic 13-metre boat Antara, built in 1951

Logie and AFI Award winning actor Gyton Grantley

Muriel’s Wedding, Rake and Paper Giants star Matt Day

Rats In The Ranks and Mrs Carey’s Concert...

Australian production company Playmaker and the Nine Network have announced the cast of new series House Husbands.

The 10 part series about stay-at-home dads is due to begin production at the end of the month.

The series is produced by Slide’s Sue Seeary and Lockie Leonard’s Drew Proffitt and created by Proffitt and Ellie Beaumont and directed by The Great Mint Swindle’s Geoff Bennett and Offspring’s Shirley Barrett.

The cast includes Gary Sweet of Rescue Special Ops, Rhys Muldoon of Lockie Leonard, Gyton Grantley of Underbelly and Firass Dirani of Underbelly: Golden Mile as well as Celebrity Apprentice’s Julia Morris, Underbelly: Razor’s Anna McGahan and Winners and Losers’ Natalie Saleeba.

Executive producers are Nine’s Jo Rooney and Andy Ryan and Playmaker’s David Maher and David Taylor.

House Husband’s received funding from Screen Australia two weeks ago.

Well, I can.t believe it.s been almost a decade since graduating from drama school and almost a decade since I.ve done any further drama study. I mean, I.ve worked closely with dialect coaches over the years and privately with teachers preparing auditions, but in terms of flexing the muscle in a classroom environment I haven.t done much.

Having spent the last two pilot seasons in La, it.s incredible to see the commitment actors make to the evolution of their craft. It.s not unusual to find professional actors taking two classes a week alongside their usual filming or stage commitments. That.s before their regular voice class, Alexander class and weekly session with a therapist which, according to renowned American acting coach, Larry Moss, are a must.

It.s funny, but in my late-teens and early-20s I couldn.t get enough of everything .drama.. There was Atyp,...

Lincoln Lewis will star as Amos in “The Forgotten Men”, An Australian short film which co-stars Jack Thompson, Kerry Armstrong and Gyton Grantley. The 23 minute film set for limited release later this year had it’s premiere at the Dungog Film Festival earlier this year. Check out it’s trailer below: Earlier this week Lincoln and his girlfriend Rhiannon Fish celebrated [...]...

Want to win a couple of newly released Blu Rays? That’s good, because we want to give them to you. The only thing that makes a horror double feature better, is viewing said double feature in crystal clear 1080p, on the most amazing home video platform to date.

It’s easy to win. You simply have to be a “fan” of our facebook page, a follower on our twitter, and leave a comment below, telling us how you’re staying cool in the great heatwave of 2011. Easy enough for two free Blu-Rays right? Thought so. Contest is limited to residents of the Us only, and please, only one entry per contestant. The winner will be chosen at random via random.org. Contest will end at midnight, the 23rd of August, which is the release date of Super Hybrid. Good luck, and have fun. All that we ask in return...

The Reef is the latest “Based on a True Story” movie that follows a group of Australian friends who take boat out in the ocean and something bad happens. The movie follows along the same lines as Open Water and several other “shark infested” movies from the past few years. We follow our friends who set out to deliver a yacht to its new owner. Something happens (of course) along the way and the bottom of the boat hits a reef and ends up ripping a hole in it. Decision making plays the key part of the story as they have to decide if they should stay with the boat and wait for a passer by or swim for shore or whatever comes first. You know what happens next, trouble with a fin!

Director Andrew Traucki takes us on this ride with these people as he builds the characters and...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

Captain America: The First Avenger - Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones

Friends with Benefits - Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson

Movie of the Week

Friends with Benefits

The Stars: Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson

The Plot: A guy (Timberlake) and girl (Kunis) try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more.

The Buzz: Hmm, this premise is strangely familiar, and comes with an even more docile cast than No Strings Attached. I still have some faith in the film itself though, as director Will Gluck’s previous entry was the excellent Easy A. Still, Gluck didn’t write Easy A, and that’s what was great about that film, the writing. Two new relatively untested writers penned Friends with Benefits – yeah, I’m right back to doubting this film. But...

2010 - 80 mins. - Rated R

D: Andrew Traucki

C: Zoe Naylor, Damian Walsh-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickerring, Keiran Darcy-Smith

A group of yuppies are stranded out in the middle of the ocean after deciding to abandon their capsized boat with a hungry shark hunting them down. 

The first thing that comes to mind is, that the premise is a bit too reminiscent of Open Water. However, The Reef vividly brings to life this atmosphere involving people stuck in what is a seemingly endless nightmare that grows more helpless with each passing moment. The Reef sure is one suspenseful film, but it isn't riveting. It isn't the kind of movie that shakes people to the core. Comparisons to other similar films in this sub-genre is unavoidable. The Reef isn't the type of movie that has any kind of profound effect on its audience like Frozen. However, it is slightly better then the film that it evokes,...

Rank the week of July 19th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Limitless

(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)

Flickchart Ranking: #1890

Times Ranked: 3217

Win Percentage: 51%

Top-20 Rankings: 12

Directed By: Neil Burger

Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard

Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller

Rank This Movie

Take Me Home Tonight

(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #5722

Times Ranked: 1234

Win Percentage: 49%

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: Michael Dowse

Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt

Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama

Rank This Movie

The Reef

(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #10667

Times Ranked: 152

Win Percentage: 47%

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: Andrew Traucki

Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith

Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller

Rank This Movie

Tekken

(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #9314

Times Ranked: 332

Win...

The Reed The waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are unmatched in beauty and danger. Clear and blue, teeming with life – they tempt adventurers from the world over. On July 19 Image Entertainment presents The Reef. Based on a true event, it’s the gripping story of a group of friends on a yachting trip who find themselves facing the terrifying choice of “sink or swim.” A thriller that pits man’s will to live against nature’s relentless urge to feed, Andrea Traucki’s (Black Water) The Reef will be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97 and on Blu-ray™ for $29.97. This title will also be available on digital download.

Ship delivery man Luke (Damian Walsh-Howling) is accompanied by four friends (Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor, Mark Simpson) as he charts a yacht to its new owner. Along the way, their ship is ripped open by the coral...

Hey peeps! Here's another cool looking shark movie based on based on a true story. Image Entertainment will drop The Reef on DVD and Blu-ray on July 19th.

The waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are unmatched in beauty and danger. Clear and blue, teeming with life – they tempt adventurers from the world over. On July 19 Image Entertainment presents The Reef. Based on a true event, it’s the gripping story of a group of friends on a yachting trip who find themselves facing the terrifying choice of “sink or swim.” A thriller that pits man’s will to live against nature’s relentless urge to feed, Andrea Traucki’s (Black Water) The Reef will be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97 and on Blu-ray™ for $29.97. This title will also be available on digital download. Pre-book is June 21st.

Ship delivery man Luke (Damian Walsh-Howling) is accompanied by four friends (Gyton Grantley,...

We mentioned a few days ago that the shark thriller The Reef was swimming our way, but the good folks over at Image Entertainment have just made it official. Read on for the details.

From the Press Release

The waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are unmatched in beauty and danger. Clear and blue, teeming with life – they tempt adventurers from the world over. On July 19 Image Entertainment presents The Reef. Based on a true event, it’s the gripping story of a group of friends on a yachting trip who find themselves facing the terrifying choice of “sink or swim.” A thriller that pits man’s will to live against nature’s relentless urge to feed, Andrea Traucki’s (Black Water) The Reef ill be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97 and on Blu-ray™ for $29.97. This title will also be available on digital download.

Ship delivery man...

On July 19, Image Entertainment will release Andrea Traucki's The Reef on DVD. Ship delivery man Luke (Damian Walsh-Howling) is accompanied by four friends (Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor, Mark Simpson) as he charts a yacht to its new owner. Along the way, their ship is ripped open by the coral reefs hiding just below the ocean.s surface. They are forced to choose: stay on board with slim hope of rescue, or swim twelve miles to the nearest island.through shark-infested waters. Those that abandon ship are faced with the race of their lives, for as soon as they enter the water a Great White shark catches their scent and the white-knuckled chase is on! During shooting, Traucki actually shot The Reef in Australia using real sharks. No one was eaten....

Mid-July is going to be a good time for DVD and Blu-ray releases featuring people getting eaten alive. Dinocroc and Supergator take time out between rounds to devour anyone in their path. Native American lycan legends go on the prowl in Maneater and Monster Wolf. Most importantly, the Australian Open Water-ish shark thriller The Reef finally surfaces on American shores.

The people chomping begins on July 12th when Anchor Bay releases the Roger Corman produced, Jim Wynorski directed, Syfy original creature feature Dinocroc vs. Supergator (review here). The late David Carradine makes one of his final appearances in this monstrous smackdown that sees genetically engineered reptilian rivals escaping their confines and chomping their way through a series of scientists, tourists, and bikini babes in Hawaii. The actors chew the scenery almost as much as the monsters.

E1 Entertainment will release Maneater to DVD on July 12th. Dean Cain stars as a former FBI profiler,...

Four years ago, producer Michael Robertson.s company Prodigy Movies released its first feature, survival thriller Black Water, in which a group of tourists is stalked by crocodiles in northern Australia. Black Water co-writer and director Andrew Traucki.s latest film for Prodigy is The Reef, in which a group of tourists (played by Damien Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering and Zoe Naylor) is stalked by a shark off the coast of Queensland. The progression from killer crocs to killer shark is, perhaps, a perfectly natural one. .It is a natural progression,. admits Robertson. .It.s something Andrew thought about for a while, whether he should follow up with such a similar theme. He.s always felt sharks are a very dangerous...

Andrew Traucki brought a touch of realism to the shark film sub-genre with The Reef, and found himself in uncharted distribution waters.

His first film Black Water starred a dangerous (and very real) crocodile, and his follow up The Reef sees a group of tourists trying to survive the attack of a white shark, but writer/director/producer Andrew Traucki is not afraid to be known as ‘the one who makes movies about lethal animals’.

“At the moment I’m really enjoying working on thrillers regardless of whether they have dangerous animals in them or not. But I’m also working on straight drama, action and

The Reef stars Damian Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, Gyton Grantley, Adrianne Pickering and Kieran Darcy-Smith.

It’s based on a true story that Traucki read years ago.

“There is a great benefit in being a writer/director in that you know that what you write has to translate into film.

The 2011 Australian Film Festival has begun. This year's event, which is taking place in Sydney, features stars including Transformers actress Isabel Lucas, True Blood's Ryan Kwanten and Underbelly actors Damian Walshe-Howling and Gyton Grantley. Festival director Barry Watterson told Aap: "I have to say there are a lot of potentially great films coming. I think that our storytelling is actually going to prove to be our saviour in the end. "Our only worry really is that the Australian audience for Australian films doesn't (more)...

Aussie shark thriller 'The Reef', helmed by Andrew Traucki, saw it's UK premiere at the Film4 Frightfest All-Night event in London last October and it's already been picked up stateside by Image Entertainment. There's no Us release date just yet though so for the time being you'll just have to gawp at the new batch of stills and a couple of new look one-sheet posters for the flick with bite below. I'm always a little perturbed by the movie's tagline 'Pray That You Drown First', that's just asking for trouble and waiting for a hate-filled critic to use! 'The Reef' stars Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor, Damian Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley and Kieran Darcy-Smith....

Shark films. It seems impossible for filmmakers to return to the crystal blue depths without critics and fans drawing comparisons with Spielberg’s fantastic classic thriller, Jaws. The problem here of course is that in most cases there are stark differences between Jaws and whichever other shark film you may be looking at. Budget, script, scope and of course a lack of Spielberg in any new shark attack thriller makes the comparisons relatively unfair.

So for once let’s forget jaws, this’ll have you on the edge of your seat!

Directed by Andrew Traucki, The Reef is an Australian horror/thriller has succeeded where so many other shark films have failed. Bringing together a relatively unknown cast (this side of the hemisphere at least), the film gives us believable characters and even a somewhat plausible story.

A group of friends, Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling), Matt (Gyton Grantley), Suzie (Adrienne Pickering...

The Reef, the latest Australian offering which brings viewers yet more deep-sea scares is set to hit DVD and Blu-ray next week and to celebrate FilmShaft have been sent and exclusive clip featuring interviews with cast and crew from the film in which they share one or two of their own shark stories with us!

Love sharks? Yeah they are pretty cool when all is said and done, but even the most hardened shark fanatic will think twice before going into the water after watching The Reef, a film supposedly based on true events which tells the story of a Great White Shark with a taste for human flesh.

I had the opportunity to watch the film last year and it kept me on the edge of my seat (look out for my review this weekend), but until Monday, for a cheeky look behind the scenes on the shoot, check...

Director: Andrew Traucki. Review: Adam Wing. I hate sharks. I just want to make that clear from the outset. Of all the memorable screen villains created over the years, the mere suggestion of shark bait is enough to see me running – or should that be wallowing? Even Deep Blue Sea, Renny Harlin’s unintentionally hilarious action thriller managed to scare the crap out of me. I hate sharks – it’s as simple as that. Andrew Traucki sticks to what he knows best with his second water based feature, not to be confused with the Freddie Prinze Jr. voiced animated effort of course. That was a whole different kind of scary. The Australian swamps of Black Water are replaced by the Great Barrier Reef, and our hapless victims are stalked not by a killer crocodile, but by a rather impressive white pointer shark. Four backpackers set out on a week’s holiday,...

Henry Inglis and Aaron McCann have won the Movie Extra Webfest competition with their online series Henry & Aaron’s Perfectly Adequate Webisode Series.

The West Australian duo will receive a $50,000 productin budget to make seven webisodes, which will premiere on the Movie Network website and screen on Movie Extra at a later date.

Their project follows a mismatched pair of best friends who host a daily podcast. Henry is an aloof, liberal-minded slob who uses their podcasts as a soap box for his scattered left-wing activism, while Aaron is a hot tempered, obnoxious Irishman who doesn’t know when to shut up. An ex-radio producer discovers their podcasts and is determined to turn the boys into global internet superstars, whether they like it or not.

The Movie Extra Webfest winning entries were chosen from over 100 60-second trailer submissions to the competition’s Facebook page, which attracted 14,843 fans and received more...

Momentum have brought sharks right back into the forefront of our minds with their brand new movie coming out in January called ‘The Reef’. It stars Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor, Damian Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Kieran Darcy-Smith and is written, produced and directed by Andrew Traucki.

Based on a true story, The Reef sees a group of friends go out on a pleasure boat who, after running aground and capsizing are limited on options. Their dingy has sprung a leak, their Sos system only works if a plane flies overhead and they have to decide whether it’s best to stay on the boat or to try and swim to land which is 10 miles away! After choosing to swim to land, we’re taken on a roller-coaster ride which involves the group doing their best to avoid the killer sharks that may be lurking in the Coral Sea of the east coast of Australia.

The Reef

Stars: Damien Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, Adrienne Pickering, Gyton Grantley, Kieran Darcy-Smith | Written and Directed by Andrew Traucki

Based on a true story, The Reef is the latest entry into the “open water” school of horror that has already brought us films such as Open Water and Adrift. This latest effort comes from Andrew Traucki, the director of Black Water – the Aussie killer croc movie that, like this film, was also based on a true life story.

For four friends, a week sailing on the Great Barrier Reef should have been a dream vacation. But when their boat crashes into the reef and capsizes, the dream turns into a nightmare. Plunged into the icy depths of the ocean, the friends take their chances and attempt swim from the now-useless, and slowly sinking boat, to land. Taking to the open water, the four realise – all too late – that they are not alone…...

According to Prodigy Movies producer Michael Robertson, his company will continue to make genre-based lower budget films even though Road Train failed at the box office.

“Road Train did not perform at the box office and will now go out as a DVD in March next year, but the reason I am pursuing genre-based lower budget storylines is that they do sell overseas, and I have the track record of Black Water, Road Train (aka Road Kill in the United States) and the soon-to-be-released The Reef to show for this,” Robertson told Encore.

Road Train was released in South Australia on October 21. It received positive reviews, but it didn’t succeed at the box office.

“This is a contrary reaction to the film’s achievements overseas as per the sales it has obtained, including the most recent one to Korea at the American Film Market. The 30+ countries that have all...

Entrants of the Movie Extra Webfest were required to create and produce a sixty second trailer of an original idea or concept to go in the running to win a $50,000 budget to produce a seven part web series based upon the trailer.   All eligible entries were posted on Facebook. The 15 finalists were chosen from 100 entries by a select panel of industry judges - which included Gyton Grantley and Marc Fennell - to be broadcast on six of the Movie Network Channels from now until when the winner is announced in January next year.   The criteria used by the judges to select the 15 finalists is reflected in the originality, creativity and quality of the trailers, which includes Mort by Chris Hogben, the story of a local funeral home, and the desperate measures the owners resort to when business starts to dry up.

Beneath Hill 60 Directed by: Jeremy Sims Written by: David Roach Starring: Brendan Cowell, Gyton Grantley, Aden Young Produced from the diary of an Australian miner Captain Oliver Woodward, with liberties taken by the screenwriter and co-producer, David Roach (who offered a post-screening Q & A), Beneath Hill 60 tells the story of a underground, secret war that was fought beneath no man's land during World War I. This film offered an objective story, never posing either side as the enemy, and stuck to the necessities to tell Woodward's story. Director Jeremy Sims leads this Australian production into a deeply enjoyable portrayal of this lesser-known aspect of a brutal war. Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell) leaves Australia during World War I due to their need for miners with underground explosive expertise. His team, the Australian Tunneling Company, is instructed to blow up the strategic Hill 60 knowing full well that the Germans were...

Presided over by revered actress Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) and presented by fellow Aussie actors Alex Dimitriades (Summer Coda), Gyton Grantley (Underbelly) and AFI Ambassador Cate Blanchett, the AFI Awards nominations were announced this week.   Weaver, who stepped into hosting duties for an unavailable Catherine McClements, had the right amount of finesse and comedic timing to ensure the announcements were entertaining. She quickly struck up a rapport with the now smitten Shane Jacobson, whose ahem... smooth moves failed to impress the actress.   Star of the hit comedy Kenny, Jacobson will host the award ceremony itself, scheduled for December 11 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne.

If you thought that Jaws gave you pause for thought while you were on your holidays then you definitely haven’t heard of The Reef! Starring Damien Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, Adrienne Pickering, Gyton Grantley and Kieran Darcy-Smith, The Reef is an independently financed Australian picture headed to UK DVD in January 2011.

I’m please to say I’ve had the chance to see this film in all of it’s deep blue glory and while you won’t be getting my review until later this year I can quite happily say that I spent the entire time on the edge of my seat. The trailer, which can be seen below, truly does not do this film justice but it does give you a tiny glimpse of what lies under the water in this fantastically put together aquatic thriller. Enjoy!

When the trip of a lifetime takes a devastating turn, four...

Some time back, as principal photography was getting started, we told you about an upcoming Australian thriller called The Reef . Andrew ( Black Water ) Traucki directed, utilizing real sharks (!) for the shoot. That said, an official trailer is now live - dissimilar from that sales preview that was posted and yanked from the web earlier this year. Damian Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering and Kieran Darcy-Smith star in the film as four friends who are forced to swim ashore when their boat capsizes in the Great Barrier Reef. There, they are stalked by a 15-foot great white shark.