By Simon de Bruyn
The total box office for local 2009 releases has now crossed the $8 million mark, with two Australian distributors responsible for the lion’s share of this figure.
Films distributed by Icon Films – Mary and Max and Disgrace – as well as the Paramount/Transmission/Footprint combination – Samson and Delilah and My Year Without Sex – have grossed a total of $5,886,000 this year.
The remaining 14 films on the list, from a range of distributors, total $2,335,000. As a 2008 release, 20th Century Fox-distributed film, Australia, is not included in the numbers.
In terms of weekend numbers, Last Ride added a further $60,000 on 16 screens for a new total of $190,000.
Wake in Fright is up to $136,600 in its third week, from five screens, while Disgrace added $113,581 to its coffers and looks set to cross $1 million.
The Burning Season opened on three screens and took $3,850, while Bastardy took $3,900 across three screens in its third weekend for a new total of $27,400.
| Film | Budget | Distributor | Weeks | Box Office |
| Samson and Delilah | $1.6m | Para/Trans/Footprint | 10 | $ 2,658,589 |
| Mary and Max | $8m | Icon | 14 | $ 1,441,441 |
| My Year Without Sex | $3.8m | Para/Trans/Footprint | 7 | $ 946,219 |
| Disgrace | $10m | Icon | 4 | $ 840,124 |
| Love the Beast | Madman | 9 | $ 777,351 | |
| The Combination | $1.169m | AFS | 11 | $ 727,586 |
| Two Fists, One Heart | $8.5m | BVI | 2 | $ 295,500 |
| Last Ride | $4m | Madman | 2 | $ 190,369 |
| Wake in Fright | Madman | 3 | $ 136,603 | |
| Beautiful | $2m | Kojo/Jump Street | 6 | $ 55,619 |
| Closed for Winter | $2m | Omnilab Media | 6 | $ 48,197 |
| Shadows of the Past | $ 820,000 | Summer Night | 9 | $ 42,437 |
| Bastardy | $ 260,000 | Film Camp | 3 | $ 27,410 |
| The Chifleys of Busby St | Ronin | 1 | $ 13,123 | |
| Crush | $2m | Filmscope/Odin’s Eye | 1 | $ 13,051 |
| The Burning Season | Gil Scrine/Freshwater | 1 | $ 3,848 | |
| Salvation | Hopscotch | 1 | $ 3,182 | |
| Prey | $4m | Damage Releasing | 1 | $ 1,089 |
| $ 8,221,738 |
Source: MPDAA & Inside Film