George Souris MP Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing

Minister for the Arts

MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday 4 December 2012

NSW FILMS ACHIEVE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

Minister for the Arts, George Souris, today congratulated three NSW film and television makers for having their productions chosen to screen at the prestigious Sundance Film festival in the U.S next month. “All three productions were supported by Screen NSW and reinforce the fact that NSW is the hub for film-making in Australia and the Asia/Pacific region,” Mr Souris said. The three productions are the television drama series Top of the Lake and two feature films Two Mothers and Coral: Rekindling Venus. Top of the Lake is directed by Academy Award winning Sydney-based Jane Campion (The Piano, Bright Star, Portrait of a Lady), with Garth Davis, and produced by Academy Award winning Sydney producer, Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech, Dead Europe). It will be the first television series ever to screen in its entirety at the Sundance Film Festival. Two Mothers is an Australian/French co-production filmed on location in regional NSW. It stars Naomi Watts and Robin Wright, is directed by Anne Fontaine (Coco Avant Chanel) and produced by NSW producer, Andrew Mason (The Matrix), and Dominque Besnehard. Coral: Rekindling Venus written and directed by NSW, Lynette Wallworth and produced by John Maynard. It will be shown in the New Frontier program for experimental and innovative work. Mr Souris also congratulated the 22 Screen NSW-supported film and television projects that were nominated for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards last night with The Sapphires deservedly picking up 12 nominations. “In the past year, the Liberals and Nationals Government has invested $6.5 million towards attracting 32 new, major screen productions to be made in NSW which have generated $99 million in investment for the State’s economy and create more than 4,300 local jobs. “In that time, NSW production companies were responsible for $538 million - or 79 per cent - of film and television drama expenditure across the country with more than $315 million spent on productions filmed in NSW. “This Government’s support for the State’s screen industry encourages more high quality productions to film here, creating employment for NSW creative teams and crews and ensuring that we all benefit from the economic and cultural impact of a vibrant screen sector.” AACTA-nominated, NSW Government-backed films and television programs include: Burning Man (ten nominations), Lore, Mental and Wish You Were Here (each have eight nominations), Puberty Blues (six nominations), Redfern Now (five nominations), Not Suitable For Children and Once Upon A Time In Cabramatta (each have four nominations), A Moody Christmas, Go Back To Where You Came From and Storm Surfers 3D (each have three nominations), 33 Postcards, Devil's Dust and Rake - Season 2 (each have two nominations), and receiving one nomination each: Dance Academy - Series 2, Mabo, A Common Purpose, I Can Change Your Mind About Climate, A Few Best Men, All the Way and The Adventures of Figaro Pho. For more information on Screen NSW’s programs, visit www.screen.nsw.gov.au Media contact: Norm Lipson 0467 734 679