news

 

July 2008

Balibo Film Pty Ltd is currently in production in Darwin and East Timor on the political thriller, BALIBO. In the film, war correspondent Roger East and the young José Ramos-Horta travel to East Timor to investigate the murders of the Balibo Five in 1975.  BALIBO is directed by Robert Connolly and produced by John Maynard and Rebecca Williamson and is scheduled for release in mid 2009.

 

March 2008

Arenafilm is pleased to announce a new partnership with Indigo Film & Television. Indigo Film & Television is an independent distributor and co-producer of films for the international market. They now hold the rights to THREE DOLLARS, THE BANK, THE BOYS, ALL MEN ARE LIARS and SWEETIE.

 

February 2008

ROMULUS, MY FATHER received two awards and six nominations for The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) Awards held in Sydney in February, 2008. These include:

Winner
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Marton Csokas - Romulus, My Father

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Romulus, My Father

 

Nominations
BEST FILM
Romulus, My Father - Robert Connolly & John Maynard

BEST DIRECTOR
Richard Roxburgh - Romulus, My Father

BEST ACTOR
Eric Bana - Romulus, My Father

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Geoffrey Simpson ACS - Romulus, My Father

BEST EDITING
Suresh Ayyar ASE - Romulus, My Father

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Romulus, My Father

BEST MUSIC SCORE
Basil Hogios - Romulus, My Father

 

December 2007

ROMULUS, MY FATHER was recently nominated in every category for this year’s Australian Film Awards, making it the most nominated film in the Award’s history.  At the Awards ceremony, which was held on December 6, 2007, ROMULUS won the following awards:

AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM
Romulus, My Father - Robert Connolly & John Maynard

AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
Eric Bana - Romulus, My Father

AFI YOUNG ACTOR AWARD
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Romulus, My Father

AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Marton Csokas - Romulus, My Father

Arenafilm is currently in pre-production on BALIBO – a political thriller in which War correspondent Roger East and the young José Ramos-Horta travel to East Timor to investigate the murders of the Balibo Five.  BALIBO will be directed by Robert Connolly and production is anticipated for early 2008.

John Maynard has also just returned from location on his first short in twenty-five years.  NICE SHOOTIN’ COWBOY was written and directed by Ben Phelps and based on a short story by Anson Cameron.  It was shot in Shepparton, Victoria in December of this year.

 

 

November 2007

ROMULUS, MY FATHER has been acquired by US Distributor, Magnolia Pictures. Magnolia Pictures specialises in a unique slate of films including the Academy Award nominated documentaries ENRON: SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM, CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS and THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN.

 

 

September 2007

ROMULUS, MY FATHER was selected for the Special Presentation section of the Toronto International Film Festival where it screened to packed houses.  A video of Richard Roxburgh, Producer Robert Connolly, Screenwriter Nick Drake and Eric Bana at the Elgin Theatre presenting ROMULUS on 12th September can be viewed here.

 

 

December 2006

After twenty years of business in Sydney, Arenafilm has opened a Melbourne office!  Robert Connolly has relocated to Melbourne to head up the Victorian branch of Arenafilm, whilst John Maynard remains in Sydney with the existing staff.

 

 

May 2007
ROMULUS, MY FATHER was released nationally in May 2007. It collected a Box Office of $2.6m – the highest this year for an Australian film.