BYE-BYE BUNYA

Australian TV producer Bunya Entertainment says that Sophia Zachariou will step down as co-managing director, after a five-year stint. Bunya Entertainment is one half the Bunya Group of corporations and was established by Zachariou, David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin in 2019. 
 
Zachariou is at the moment in post-production on “The Office” (Amazon) and “Ladies in Black” (ABC) and can ship these sequence earlier than she departs the corporate. Other productions from Bunya Entertainment embrace the six x half-hour sketch comedy sequence “The Moth Effect” (Amazon) and the comedy sequence “Nice Shorts.”

In 2020 Zachariou additionally created the Bunya Talent Indigenous Hub, in partnership with Netflix and Screen Australia, which funded and developed 10 First Nations writers and administrators to additional develop their TV tasks. The Hub was later prolonged to incorporate a partnership with SAFC, Screen NT and Screen NSW.
 
Jowsey and Simpkin will proceed as co-MDs of Bunya Entertainment. The separate Bunya Group entities, Bunya Productions (“Mystery Road,” “Sweet Country,” “Limbo”) and the distribution firm Dark Matter, will stay below their stewardship.

“We have loved [Zachariou’s] vibrant contribution over the past five years. She leaves the company in great shape, with a strong production and development slate.  We wish Sophia every success with her future endeavors,” mentioned Jowsey and Simpkin. 

LOVING LIMBO

“Limbo” was the large winner on Monday on the Film Critics Circle of Australia, which handed out its annual FCCA Awards for Australian Films of 2023 at a ceremony in Sydney. “Limbo” claimed six out of 9 complete awards, together with greatest movie and greatest director for Ivan Sen. Simon Baker received the very best actor prize for his function within the movie. Best supporting actor and greatest supporting actress have been awarded to Rob Collins and Natasha Wanganeen, respectively, for his or her performances in “Limbo.” 

Zar Amir Ebrahimi received the very best actress prize for “Shayda,” with the movie additionally successful greatest screenplay for Noora Niasari.  Rachel Ward took house greatest documentary function for “Rachel’s Farm,” which she directed and starred in.

HIGHER ORBIT

Chinese director Lu Chuan (“Kekexili: Mountain Patrol,” “City of Life and Death,” “Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe”) has joined the Stars Collective mentor committee, a part of the Stars Collective movie funding operation in Hollywood that’s operated by China’s Starlight Media.

The Stars-Hana Investment fund is partnering with “leading game companies including Tencent and Tencent-owned DreamSky Technology, as well as HYJZ, Forevernine, and other globally renowned gaming companies with hundreds of millions of users,” to concurrently develop a sequence of video video games.

It stories that, as producer, it’s creating diversifications of upcoming movies and IP that embrace: “Every House is Haunted” from Sam Raimi and Roy Lee; “The Burden” from James Wan and Sam Raimi; “Hunting Season” from James Wan and Don Murphy; James Wan’s “The Call of Cthulhu,” “Mass Extinction” and “GMO”; “The Goxfather” with Jon Chu; and “Memory Lost in Space,” based mostly on the bestsellers by Tong Hua.

Stars Collective holds a 25-year unique picture-related merchandising license within the Greater China area for the upcoming “The Garfield Movie” encompassing all classes, besides theme park and stage rights.

ENTERTAINING TOKYO

Mitsubishi Estate and Tokyo Broadcasting System have damaged floor on an leisure trade hub in central Tokyo that can span 205,800 m2 (2.2 million sq. ft) together with workplace, theatre, retail and resort area, property publication Mingtiandi stories.” We purpose to turn into a base that delivers the very best content material to the world, together with establishing services the place entertainment-related corporations, startup corporations, and creators can collect,” the businesses mentioned in a press release. The companions are reported to be committing JPY 200 billion ($1.34 billion) to the mission.

“Located in a traditional entertainment area, Akasaka Entertainment City also includes an 18-storey, 38,150 m2 block which will include 12 floors of hotel space and six levels for theatres. The developers plan to incorporate a 4,900 m2 plaza connected directly to Akasaka station on Tokyo Metro’s Chiyoda Line,” Mingtiandi mentioned.