Sydney- The third annual Digi SPAA forum staged by the Screen Producers Association of Australia is introducing a new award this year, with prizes including a trip to Rotterdam’s Cinemart international film market. The SPAARTAN award will recognize “innovative, self-starting filmmakers,” said SPAA Executive Director, Geoff Brown. Digi SPAA provides a forum for Australian and New Zealand filmmakers to showcase their work in a competitive environment. Eligible films are features … [Read more...] about New Digi SPAA award to recognize innovative film-makers
format licensing
SSI clinches European video deals and acquires Things to Try Before You Die
Sydney- Warner Home Video Benelux has bought from Southern Star International the DVD rights to Australian dramas Love My Way, Two Twisted and McLeod’s Daughters, feature film The Interview, and British crime series Wire in the Blood. Warner Home Video Italy snapped up the first two seasons of McLeod’s Daughters and the tweeners’ The Sleepover Club series 1 and 2. Also, SSI has acquired international sales rights to Things to Try Before You Die, an 8 x one hour travel, … [Read more...] about SSI clinches European video deals and acquires Things to Try Before You Die
Disney jumps into Australia’s BigPond
Sydney– Australian telco Telstra’s BigPond Movies VOD service has added Disney-ABC International Television to its list of suppliers, joining Warner Bros. Sony, MGM, the BBC, Granada, Discovery, TWI and Troma, and local distributors such as Icon, Hopscotch, Beyond and Becker Entertainment. It’s the Disney Co.’s first internet movie VOD deal in Australia. BigPond’s download-to-rent scheme prices new movies at A$5.95 (US$5.00) or $4 for members, and TV episodes at … [Read more...] about Disney jumps into Australia’s BigPond
Ten launches interactive airtime offerings for mobiles
Sydney- Network Ten and belong (formerly Legion Interactive and See) are partnering on a mobile phone interactive offering which enables consumers to interact with sponsor billboards and commercial spots via their mobile phones. Viewers can text a key word to a short code embedded in a standard television commercial in order to, for example, receive a brochure, enter a competition, book a test drive or receive a product sample. Peter Birch, Ten's head of sales for Digital Media said: "This is … [Read more...] about Ten launches interactive airtime offerings for mobiles
CanWest to keep Australia’s Network Ten
Sydney- Canada's CanWest has abandoned plans to sell its majority stake in Network Ten after failing to unearth a bidder that would meet its asking price. There was a lot of interest from a number of parties at very competitive prices compared to multiples of other deals in the market, but CanWest felt there was more future value in Ten than was reflected in those approaches, according to one source. Local media reported there was interest from the private buyout arm of Merrill Lynch, San … [Read more...] about CanWest to keep Australia’s Network Ten
KBS comes on board The Asian Pitch
Singapore- Korea Broadcasting Systems (KBS) has joined Singapore’s MediaCorp and Japan’s NHK in The Asian Pitch, a pitching event for Asian documentary makers launched in November 2006 to create Asian-made HD documentaries. Park Chung Yong, Chief Producer of KBS, believes the project can provide the groundwork to develop independent production in Asia and help expose Asian content to international media. After the April 30 deadline, MediaCorp’s HD company, Caldecott Productions … [Read more...] about KBS comes on board The Asian Pitch
