Spaa Leads Australian Delegation To The International

MEDIA RELEASE 11 November 2008


SPAA LEADS AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA

The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) is leading a delegation
of senior Australian producers to the International Film Festival of India
(IFFI), to be held in Goa from 22nd November to 2 December 2008.

The National Film Development Corporation has extended an invitation to
SPAA to bring a delegation to participate in the Film Bazaar, a co-production
event attached to IFFI. SPAA's Executive Director Geoff Brown, and Julie
Marlow, Senior Policy Consultant, have organised a top line group of profile
Australian producers, all of whom have Australian-Indian projects in
advanced stages of development, to travel to Goa for this prestigious event,
where they will mix with a group of Indian producers and financiers, along
with a delegation from Europe.
Geoff Brown commented: "There has been serious interest for the past five
years from many of our members to open negotiations with India for a co-
production treaty. The time is now right, and talks have opened between our
two countries, so it's extremely important for our select group to go to India,
make contacts and start some serious business. SPAA is pleased to lead the
delegation, and looks forward to forging some lasting bonds that will lead to
production activity with this wonderful range of projects and people."

The following five leading producers and production services companies will
go to Goa:
Jim McElroy, one of Australia's leading producers, whose career spans almost
40 years in film and television, produced Peter Weir's first film The Cars That
Ate Paris and his subsequent classics Picnic At Hanging Rock, The Last Wave
with his twin brother Hal McElroy. Jim then solo produced Peter Weir's first
American picture The Year Of Living Dangerously for MGM, starring Mel
Gibson and Sigourney Weaver. This picture won an Academy Award for Linda
Hunt as best supporting Actress. Jim has produced many hours of television
and is presenting his latest feature project in Goa, a romantic comedy
entitled The Test, ideal material for an Australian-Indian co-production.
John Winter, producer of the award-winning Rabbit Proof Fence, directed by
Phillip Noyce and Paperback Hero starring Hugh Jackman, just two of his
numerous credits, has over the years developed a close relationship with the


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Indian film community. His feature films have screened at five of the major
Indian film festivals and he was on the jury of the Pune International Film
Festival. His company Wintertime Films now has a slate of India centric
Australian feature film and TV projects which he will represent in Goa.

Chris Kennedy is the renaissance man of Australian film a writer, director
and producer, he has written, directed and co-produced 4 feature films, one
of which, Doing Time For Patsy Cline, won 5 Australian Film Institute Awards.
Chris is bringing two projects to Goa; combining his love of music, comedy
and dance, they are both ideal co-production material.

Anupam Sharma heads Film and Casting Temple. The company has been
recognized for pioneering Indo Australian film links and has successfully
completed over 167 projects between the two countries which include feature
films, TV serials, music videos, and TV commercials. Films and casting
TEMPLE is also the only company to successfully structure three of the
biggest marketing tie ups and grants for Bollywood films in Australia and
Singapore. Anupam is taking a slate of projects to pitch at Film Bazaar and
is the consultant to the delegation in India.

Luke Gracias heads up Instinct India, an arm of one of Australia's most
prolific production companies Instinct Entertainment currently in production
with their feature Charlie and Boots, starring Paul Hogan and Shane
Jacobsen. Instinct India line produced "Singh is Kinng" in Nov - Dec 07.
About 70% of the film was shot in Australia and this was the first film which
had an all Australian technical crew. This was released on 8 Aug on
approximately 1700 screens in 26 countries. It broke all box office records on
the highest first weekend take and its first week. Luke is looking not only to
co-produce projects with leading Indian producers, but to attract Indian
projects to shoot in Australia.

SPAA's delegation will be in India from 22nd to 30th December. Geoff Brown
is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of
International Producers Associations (FIAPF) and as an official of this
prestigious global organisation he will be attending the FIAPF Winter General
Assembly in Goa.

Contact: Julie Marlow, SPAA. Mobile: +61 413 183 059.