On the back of a hugely successful start to 2015 for local film, Screen Australia is helping keep the hits coming by backing three high profile titles with marketing loans totalling $1million. This support will help Last Cab to Darwin, Blinky Bill The Movie and The Dressmaker reach wider audiences, and maximise their box office success. Already expected to be strong cinema drawcards, the selected films will benefit from broader exposure pre-release and thus contribute to a high performing year for the Australian film industry.
This bespoke funding programme at Screen Australia known as P&A Plus (Print and Advertising Plus) was established to enhance the distribution and marketing of quality Australian films with solid marketing plans, execution and ideas by giving them an extra boost to ensure their success on Australian screens. A range of projects have benefited from support through the fund in the past, usually by way of a loan and Screen Australia continues to invest strongly in films that are deemed to have commercial potential, and able to achieve higher box office success and a wider release on more screens across the country with additional marketing support.
Last Cab to Darwin, Blinky Bill The Movie and The Dressmaker have received a collective boost of $1million to help grow their marketing plans. All three are proudly and overtly Australian in their stories and settings. Last Cab to Darwin is a road movie filled with hope, set against the Australian outback about a Broken Hill cab driver Rex, who, on hearing the news he doesn’t have long to live, embarks on an epic journey to Darwin, thinking that he will end his life but instead discovering through people and places along the way that it’s never too late to start living. Blinky Bill The Movie tells the story of one of Australia’s most recognised characters and national icons on an outback adventure following his explorer father’s footprints. The Dressmaker is a bittersweet comedy about a young woman, Tilly Dunnage, who returns to rural Australia after many years in Europe to right some wrongs of the past, bringing 1950s haute couture to the Australian outback along the way.
Richard Harris, Head of Business and Audience at Screen Australia, says: “We recognise that the distribution environment is evolving and we need to be on the front foot to give our films the greatest shot at success. In a content landscape where it is becoming increasingly difficult to gain audience attention, P&A Plus has become an even more crucial element of Screen Australia’s funding mix”.
“These loans are part of a suite of programs that Screen Australia has in place designed to support the release of a range of films, both commercial and niche, into the marketplace and maximise their potential to reach audiences.”
“Last Cab to Darwin, Blinky Bill The Movie and The Dressmaker secured their marketing loans by demonstrating their outstanding marketing, PR and advertising plans, the strong talent involved, and the films’ compelling story lines. They all have a great sense of Australian spirit and adventure and we are very excited about their upcoming releases into cinemas. In fact Last Cab to Darwin opened just two weeks ago and is already off to a strong start taking more than $3million at the local box office, a real credit to the Icon team who delivered a stellar campaign. We believe in these films and are proud to partner with them to help make them be as successful as they can.”
The three films will be enjoyed by Australian audiences over the next few weeks and months: Last Cab to Darwin opened on Thurs 6 August, Blinky Bill The Movie comes just in time for the school holidays in September and The Dressmaker opens in Australian cinemas on 29 October.
Screen Australia also recently revamped its guidelines on 1 July 2015 across five funding programs to provide screen practitioners more flexibility, easier to understand guidelines and broadened eligibility to increase the opportunity to access support in response to the creative needs of the screen industry. This extended to the P&A Plus program that has been reworked to suit a broader range of films and offer support for alternative releases and innovative marketing initiatives.
“We are committed to supporting the Australian film industry and believe that increasing the visibility of great films such as Last Cab to Darwin, Blinky Bill The Movie and The Dressmaker through these marketing loans will really help them to get the recognition and success that they deserve. We have high hopes for their reception in the market and look forward to partnering with many more films in the future through this model,” said Richard Harris.
