This is an interview with Dee McLachlan from August 2007, just as The Jammed hit it big.
Today the AFI Award nominees were announced.
The Jammed is up for:
Best film, best direction, best original screenplay, best editing, best lead actress (Emma Lung and Veronica Sywak) and best supporting actress (Saskia Burmeister).
Go The Jammed!
I’ve scored some great interviews so far, but have had a lot of refusals (or been outright ignored) for many more.
An interesting pattern has emerged. Of those that have taken part, many have seen their careers reach new highs since being interviewed. A few examples: The breakaway success of Dee McLachlan’s The Jammed, the long overdue Oscar awarded to George Miller, the Fantastic Fest Award for Jon Hewitt’s Acolytes, Galinski’s just sold Prey overseas and the Lee (Latauro) Zachariah’s awards sweep for The Bazura Project at this years Antenna Awards.
Back in May, I interviewed the acclaimed short film writer/director David Michôd at the St Kilda Film Festival. He graciously gave me his time and it was the only interview I managed to obtain for the night. It’s just been announced he is to direct the feature Animal Kingdom, starring Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton, Jackie Weaver and Ben Mendelsohn.
On the flip side, several people who refused to be interviewed have had their then upcoming projects flop at the box office. And no, I won’t name names.
In total four films were given letters of intent from Screen Australia:
Animal Kingdom - about 17-year-old Joshua J Cody, who navigates his survival between an explosive criminal family and a cop who thinks he can save him
Being Dead - A political thriller about a married couple who are savagely murdered
Pangs - about a suburban vampire working as a Nightline crisis counsellor
I Love You Too - about a man who befriends a dwarf after he breaks up with his girlfriend
From these brief outlines, all these films have commercial potential and are a world away from the standard kitchen sink dramas we have been making lately. Can you feel the winds of change?
Here’s the David Michôd interview:
and here’s the ubercool Spider, which David co-wrote with Nash Edgerton
and here’s the gongs for The Bazura Project at the Antenna Awards. Why haven’t these incredibly talented guys been picked up by a commercial TV station yet?
Here’s a promise. I will never ask for a cent from the funding bodies for this documentary. You simply don’t need a lot of money to make a first film. You can buy a HD camera and a good microphone for under two grand nowadays (about a twelfth the price of a new car). I have no track record or previous successes, so no right to taxpayer’s money.
The only thing I will ask of Screen Australia is:
1. statistics
2. an interview with the CEO
I know a few industry insiders read this blog, so hopefully it will get passed around and Screen Australia will respond.
