Pitchfest leads to important contacts
Oz SPAAMart opens doors; 'Sharp, ' 'Home' create buzz
Then a bell rang (reminding some participants of their school days) and each producer moved on to the next buyer at a nearby table.
That hothouse process was repeated six times a day for three intensive days at the inaugural SPAAMart, which paired 18 Australian producers and five Kiwis with around 25 local and international distribs, sales agents and financiers.
"It was like speed dating with scripts," says producer Rosemary Blight, who made 18 pitches at the Nov. 19-21 gathering, part of the Screen Producers Assn. of Australia's annual confab in Melbourne.
It may take awhile to determine how many of these whirlwind courtships lead to trysts, as the buyers took home piles of scripts and some want to see filmmakers' previous films, or in the case of tyro helmers, their videos or short films.
But the general feeling was positive, with many attendees feeling confident some of the seeds planted will flower in coming months.
"The overall standard was very good," says Sofia Sondervan, head of East Coast production for Ed Pressman and John Schmidt's ContentFilm. She's following up on four or five projects and hopes at least one or two will blossom into deals.
One of a handful of U.S. execs at the event, Sondervan suggests the organizers invite more Yanks next year, opining, "It would be beneficial for Australian producers and filmmakers to get a handle on the American and foreign markets so they can make more internationally-appealing films."
Blight was encouraged by the feedback to her two projects: "Clubland," an A$7.2 million ($5 million) comedy-drama starring Brenda Blethyn, to be helmed by Cherie Nowlan ("Thank God He Met Lizzie"); and "Elise," a thriller about a woman's attempts to solve the mystery of her sister's disappearance 20 year ago, from writer-director James Bogle.
San Fu Maltha of Dutch distrib A-Film (a member of the Euro buying consortium Indie Circle) is evaluating three scripts and thinks a further half-dozen could be interesting depending on how each evolves.
Nonetheless, Maltha expressed surprise that "most projects are not at a very developed stage" and that none of those he saw had an Aussie distrib attached. (The latter reflects the fact that SPAAMart marked the unveiling of the majority of works).
Beforehand, Maltha clearly had low expectations, opining that with the exception of "Lantana" and "Rabbit-Proof Fence" (he acquired both), Oz cinema in the past few years was "unimaginative and repetitive."
Victoria Treole, Miramax's Oz-based scout, lauded the "interesting cross-section of producers, genres and the nature of projects." But she hopes next year the organizers will take a "more rigorous approach" to selecting projects and ensure more U.S. buyers and sales agents attend (that was difficult this time, coming right after Mifed).
Roadshow Films' managing director Joel Pearlman was enthusiastic: "We're actively interested in three projects."
Producer Megan McMurchy was heartened by responses to "Footy Legends," Vietnamese-born director Khoa Do's film about a group of young guys in Sydney's grim western suburbs who are obsessed with rugby league football. Khoa has been getting attention from his first pic, "The Finished People," which he's self-distributing, drawing healthy auds in Sydney and Melbourne.
Matt Carroll relished the chance to pitch "Ice," drama from first-time filmmaker Sofya Gollan, to U.K. distrib Momentum, among others. He calculates he'd have had to spend a month travelling the world -- and a lot of money-- to get face-time with the buyers he saw at the mart.
Strong interest was expressed in "The Sharp End," a Vietnam War saga about the unlikely friendship between a Maori soldier and a Vietnamese interpreter, from Kiwi writer-directors Grant and Bryce Campbell, exec produced by Peter Jackson.
Among other titles generating buzz were "Home Song Stories," a Chinese love triangle by writer-helmer Tony Ayres planned as a co-prod with Hong Kong; "Brothers in Arms," true story of a biker gang massacre, from "Moulin Rouge" producer Martin Brown; and "Black Sheep," a rustic New Zealand comedy written and directed by Jonathan King.
SPAAMart director Duncan Thompson, who says the event exceeded his expectations, has sent dossiers on the projects, on request, to sales agents Fortissimo, Renaissance and Celluloid Dreams.
