ad info




CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
   movies
   music
   tv
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 CNN programs
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
Movies

Film festival highlights Sydney as movie mecca

Crowds gather at the Sydney film festival

Web posted on: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 5:41:25 PM EDT


In this story:

A country of film buffs

Festival fare

Hollywood and Sydney -- mutual admiration

'No Teamsters'

RELATED STORIES, SITES icon



From Lauren Sydney and Paul Vercammen
CNN Entertainment News Correspondents

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Australia is the latest stop on the film festival circuit. And unlike some other screen jams, organizers say, the 46th annual Sydney Film Festival is less about competition and more about the art of cinema.

The first night fiesta marked the premiere here of the U.S. film "Limbo," a winner at flashy festivals like Cannes.

"It's not like a Sundance Film Festival," says David Pratt of the Australian Film Commission. "Certainly it's more about the craft and celebrating the actual art of filmmaking, not necessarily a business-type situation."

Throngs of film-loving Aussies pour into the theater
A country of film buffs

Gayle Lake, director of the Sydney Film Festival, agrees. She says the event is more for the people of Sydney and cinema lovers.

"Compared to the United States and certainly a lot of other countries around the world," Pratt says, "per year, Australians do see more films."

There's no better place to celebrate celluloid, says Australian actress Rachel Griffiths.

"We only have a population of 17 million people, though we are, I think, almost the highest cinema-going population in the world. And now we're doing all these festivals. We're using Australia as a little screening ground. I think 'Titanic' grossed $50 million in Australia. You know, for this tiny little population, we love the movies."

"Run, Lola, Run" has been the darling of other film festivals this year
Festival fare

This year, an estimated 12,000 festival visitors have plenty to see. More than 150 features from more than 20 countries are unspooling in Sydney, mainly at the opulent State Theater, a 70-year-old picture palace in the heart of town.

"Gods and Monsters" (1998) makes its premiere here, as does another Oscar nominee, Iran's "Children of Heaven" (1997). Venice festival winner, this year's "Cabaret Balkan," is being showcased along with the German hit "Run Lola Run" (1998) a favorite at the North American Festival.

Director Tom Tykwer says he's curious to see how "Run Lola Run" will translate below the equator.

"It's very interesting to go on the other side of the globe and see what people think about that movie," Tykwer says.

The next "Star Wars" installment will be partially shot here, at Twentieth Century Fox's new studios in Sydney
Hollywood and Sydney -- mutual admiration

The American entertainment industry has been moving many film and TV projects to Australia.

When "The Matrix" hit No. 1 at the U.S. box office this spring, Sydney's film community probably wanted to shout from the rooftops. The film, which was made in Sydney, further established Australia as a new production mecca.

"It was just a lot of fun, really great," says Keanu Reeves, star of "The Matrix." "Nice people, great artists, crew, it's a great city, and for the look of the film it's great too."

Both "Babe" movies also were made down under.

"I love the whole process. I loved being in Australia. I loved the crew," says James Cromwell, who played Farmer Hoggett in "Babe" (1995) and "Babe: Pig in the City" (1998)

The sequel to "Mission Impossible" (1996) is currently being shot in Australia. Parts of the follow-ups to "Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace" are also expected to be shot here too. Fox Studios are betting on Australia as a center of production with its new state-of-the-art facility in Sydney.

"We have a full digital-effects facility. We have full sound and vision post-production facilities. We have sound stages that have great support spaces to them for production offices and dressing rooms." says Kim Williams, chief executive for Fox Studios Australia.

The NBC television movie "Noah's Ark" was also shot in the "land down under"
'No Teamsters'

Television projects are also thriving. The top-rated NBC mini-series "Noah's Ark" was filmed just outside Melbourne, and another fantasy is project underway, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Down Under."

"Farscape" on the Sci-Fi Channel is another production operating in Sydney. Advantages include: the strength of the U.S. dollar against the Australian dollar, lower wages and reduced transportation costs related to union regulations found in the United States.

"There are no Teamsters in Australia, so you immediately wipe out a huge amount of money because here the crew members drive their own truck," says Matt Carroll, producer of "Farscape."

Sydney is considered a sophisticated, forward-looking city. It's no accident many of the subjects filmed here have futuristic tones.

"The best material to bring to Sydney is fantasy material, anything that's science-fiction or set in some nondescript world," says "The Matrix" producer Andrew Mason.


RELATED STORIES:
Films during Human Rights Watch fest highlight Balkan region's problems
June 14, 1999
Review: Artfully hanging in 'Limbo'
June 3, 1999
Review: 'Matrix' offers tales from the cryptic
April 9, 1999

RELATED SITES:
'Limbo' official site
About 'Children of Heaven'
'Gods and Monsters' official site
'Run Lola Run' official site
'Matrix' official site
'Star Wars: Phantom Menace' official site
'Babe: Pig in the city' official site
'Mission Impossible' official site
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

MORE MOVIE NEWS:
An Asimov twist: Robin Williams, robot
Beauty and the Bugs: 'Anna and the King'
Review: 'The End of the Affair' -- get out your handkerchiefs
Hanks tops box office with 'Toy Story,' 'Green Mile'
 LATEST HEADLINES:
SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

Back to the top   © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.