Press release from Limelight PR
MIFF 37ºSouth Market, the Melbourne International Film Festival's film co-financing event closed its fourth edition on Sunday, with the announcement of the producers who were awarded the MIFF 37ºSouth Market Alliance places at the UK's Production Finance Market (PFM), Abu Dhabi Circle and Canada's Strategic Partners.
The winning producers of the October PFM places are Melbourne-based Robert Connolly, Sydney-based Lisa Shaunessy and Melbourne-based Richard Lowenstein.
The place at the October Circle was awarded to Queensland-based Della Churchill, while those selected for the places at September's Strategic Partners are New Zealand-based Philippa Campbell and Melbourne-based Yael Bergman.
The MIFF 37ºSouth Market Alliances ensured that each producer registered for the 2010 MIFF 37ºSouth Market were automatically considered, by MIFF 37ºSouth Market’s international financing guests for participation at these international events. These are the only guaranteed Australia/NZ places at each of these events.
This year, the MIFF 37ºSouth Market, Australia's only film co-financing market to be held at a film festival, secured some 38 film financiers/buyers who met with a record 76 registered producers. Across the various strands of market, which include 37ºSouth: Bridging the Gap, 37ºSouth:Post Script & Direct, and 37ºSouth’s Books at MIFF, scheduled one-to-one meetings have increased 13 per cent to 1,182 from last year's total of 1,041and are up 45 per cent on 2008's 814 and are more than four times 2007's tally.
MIFF 37ºSouth Market 2010 international film financiers/buyers included Participant (USA), Protagonist (Europe), IFC (USA), Wild Bunch (Europe), Essential (USA), BBC Films (Europe), Sierra (USA), Salt (Europe), Myriad (USA), Coach14 (Europe), Elephant Eye (USA), 6Sales (Europe), Film Sales Company (USA), U-media (Europe), Icon International (USA/Europe), Back-Up Films (Europe), ArcLight (USA), The Works (Europe), along with such Australian companies as Roadshow, Hopscotch, Transmission, Madman, ABC, Accent, Rialto, PackScreen and Umbrella.
The co-financiers/buyers also viewed completed local seeking distribution and/or sales agents (and take followup meetings) in the 37ºSouth: Breakthru Screenings, as well as attend the world premieres of MIFF Premiere Fund co-financed titles The Wedding Party and Machete Maidens Unleashed!
The MIFF Premiere Fund will open for a new round of applications on 9 August 2010 at www.miffpremierefund.com
MIFF 37ºSouth Market is the exclusive Australia/NZ institutional partner of London’s Production Finance Market (PFM) and the Australia/NZ producer partner of the Abu Dhabi Circle and Canada's Strategic Partners. See www.miff37degreesSouth.com for details of the market and for MIFF's activities for industry professionals on almost every day of the festival, including the Melbourne Digital Summit and the Robert Rosen Lecture Series.
For more information on the Melbourne International Film Festival, go to www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au