Bridge Commander Torrent

Encore's Power 50, 2011

Filmmaker James Ricketson applied for script development funding using a pseudonym and a fake ABN number but the result was counterproductive, to say the least. Should artists be allowed to use pseudonyms when applying for public funding, or is the Government right to scrutinise such actions, taking them to their last consequences? Read more »

What makes Sundance unique is that it takes place in this enclosed bubble up in the mountains in a ski resort in Utah. It’s like being locked inside a world.  As a film reporter here you see so many films. You don’t have an enormous red carpet, like some of the other more glamorous festivals, but on the other hand you do get to see a lot of well known actors and directors – and in unguarded moments. Read more »

For the second consecutive year, Encore has chosen a select group of screen professionals who have achieved new heights in 2010/2011, whose decisions influence and shape Australia’s audiovisual industry, and whose work has stood out from the crowd. These are our Power 50.

1. Emile Sherman – Producer

Last February, Sherman became the first Australian producer to receive an Academy Award for Best Picture, alongside his See-Saw Films partner Iain Canning, and Bedlam Productions’ Gareth Unwin. It also won at the BAFTAs and the Producers Guild of America, in addition to the many other honours for its cast and crew.

While technically a UK production, the Australianness of the film is undeniable – and so is its success; with a modest U$15m budget, The King’s Speech before the cameras even start rolling? From his decision to shoot the New York classic in Sydney and in, oh blasphemy, stereoscopic 3D, to the debate over the ‘Australianness’ of the project and its eligibility to receive financial incentives, there’s no denying Baz is one of the most important artists and businessmen the country has seen.