Movies

Film festival debuts with strong showing of Aussie talent

𝔉Australian Hollywood film talent flocked to the first Australian International Screen Forum in New York las🅘t week, which showcased film, television and digital content from Down Under. The four-day forum at Film Society of Lincoln Center was a schmoozefest of producers, investors and agents rubbing shoulders.

Executives from NBC, Vice Media, Sony Pictures Classics and indepen♋dent, New York-based mini-studios including A24 and Neon were there to mix and mingle with the Australian industry — including 13 emerging Australian filmmakers, the Post writes.

Eager film fans turned up for in-demand screenings to check out Australia’s latest offerings — and in hopes of meeting film t✨ale🌳nt.

Naomi Watts, Huܫgh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness and Simon Baker were among major Australian actors and producers at the forum, where guests sipped Tasmanian sparkling wine at VIP events.

Screenings included the New York premiere o൲f Baker🃏’s directorial debut film, “Breath.”

Screen Australia, the government agency that funds production of features, documentaries and 🎉Web series, has announced it is supporting huge features by Australian film and television producer Bruna Papandrea (“Big Little Lies”), who founded the production company Made Up Stories. The pr🥃ojects include “Penguin Bloom” with Watts and Reese Witherspoon, which tells a true story of a family’s friendship with a unique little bird.

Graeme Mason, CEO of Screen Australia, noted it was remarkable 💛that two countries can be so geographically distant, and yet be such close creative and commercial p♕artners.

“It speaks to the shared affection for each other’s 𝓰stories, and a genuine desire for ඣour very talented people to be able to work together,” he said.