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Blinder to sign up new distributor, first trailer released

Australian rules football drama Blinder is searching for a new distributor.

A theatrical release was originally planned for January 24 but a clash with another planned release by independent distributor Jump Street Films spurred the change, according to director Richard Gray.

The $5 million film will now be screened for distributors in the next fortnight ahead of a planned wide theatrical release next year. Gray said keeping the release date within the window between the Australian Open in January and the start of the AFL main season was crucial with executive producers and former AFL greats Glenn Archer and Sam Keckovich, and legendary actor Jack Thompson, also lined up to do "a mountain of publicity".

The film also stars Josh Helman (Animal Kingdom, The Pacific), Oliver Ackland (The Slap, Cloudstreet), Rose McIver (The Lovely Bones), Steve Bisley (Red Hill), Anna Hutchison (Wild Boys), Zoe Carides (Death In Brunswick), Bob Morley (Road Train) and Angus Sampson (Insidious).

The story centres on 18-year-old Tom (Ackland) from Torquay in Victoria who, having fled Australia on the back of a football scandal that ended his career, returns home to clear his name and reignite an old flame.

Gray (Summer Coda, Mine Games) also co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Didier and Michele Gray.

Contact this reporter at bswift@www.if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.

  1. Story still doesn’t add up.

    Jump Street has been on since the start so why did they schedule another film for release at same time? And why can’t that be moved instead? Why release a trailer without a distributor? Especially as a distributor would want input? Why not court distribs privately?

    And what about other attachments? Was Jump Street also doing foreign sales? Does this mean the project is now adrift? A $5m film with no recoupment options? Seems like a much bigger story than what is reported here.

    Also no mention of Save Your Legs, another sport themes Australian movie with far more muscle behind it, also releasing Jan 26… Maybe this is a reason?

  2. I’m seeing this for the first time and it brings into stark focus a fundmental problem with Australian Features – our trailers. Is there no one in this country who isn’t working in ads that knows how to properly cut a trailer that will make audiences actually want to see a film?

    This is another serious stinker that takes its place at the end of a long line. It’s much worse than the film actually looks (which must have taken some bizarre talent), not to mention that they seem to show the actual end of the movie. Talk about a spoiler.

    It’s no coincidence that the last three trailers for Oz movies that we’re well crafted are “Red Dog”, “The Sapphires” and “Mental”. The first two were smashes and the third will soon take its place beside them. I’ve got to assume all were cut either in the US or with a hand from over there guiding it. If not, I’d be very happy to hear who is doing good work here in Oz.

    The idea that good films fail here must be viewed in the context of our inability to make compelling, funny, moving trailers. In the US, every week they make great trailers out of shit films. We seem to excel in the opposite.

  3. I agree, the trailer looks awesome. Case seems rather jaded. These guys picked up a distributer right away. Probably a good move for them

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