We’re looking for the best of 2010!
Encore wants to hear from screen industry companies who think they’re the best at what they do.
This year we will recognise the work of those companies that, in spite of all ongoing and new challenges, keep the Australian film and television sectors alive and at the highest level of production values.
Encore has been the voice of the Australian screen industry since its inception in 1983. We have witnessed all the changes, the successes and missed opportunities. We’ve seen some companies flourish while others perished. We’ve reported on the technologies that allowed professionals to tell their stories. We’ve seen it all.
It’s well past the deadline but Madman should get a nod for distributor of the year. Learning from the lessons of 2009 and earlier, they took the initiative with Animal Kingdom, really committing to marketing well before Sundance. So by the time the film broke at Sundance people already had a place to go to find out more, and more there was with a teaser being cut real early on.
Same goes for The Loved Ones, which they really took a punt on and should be respected as that was always a hard sell. So the film didn’t set the box office on fire but talk about pride at seeing the posters emblazoned on trams and walls around the city, and then hearing random young people at least be aware of the film. It should do fiery blazes on DVD. Their preview screenings of TLO were amazing entertaining events, that really fired up audiences. Maybe the blueprint of the lead up should be changed but some parts should also be studied.
The Hunter and Hail and whatever else they have on their slate for 2011 make me excited to see what they will do next, as in 2010 they really jumped into the stream, took some risks, had a few defeats but also won big time with a few films. Lots of the industry will probably accredit the Sundance win with lots of the success but it takes a savvy and organised distributor to take hype, wrap it up in a bow, and keep feeding it for six months so that its still fresh and exciting by the time a film hits cinemas.