The sure-fire signal Australia is back in Beijing's good books
Fu Ni chomped nonchalantly on an apple while surveying Albanese, his fiancee Jodie Haydon, the Australian media pack and a large contingent of Chinese security guards from inside her new digs.
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Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The screen queens building Brisbane's answer to Pixar
Five of the films take place in the same cinematic universe. 'Sanctuary City' is a seaside utopia inhabited by animals from every continent, but dominated by Australian ones, voiced by the likes of Deborah Mailman, Sam Neill, Angourie Rice, Thomas Weatherall and David Wenham. 'What's so impressive about their work is that they are championing Australian talent,' says Australian Cinémathèque associate curator Rosie Hays, who has programmed the Like A Photon Creative back catalogue for a Saturday screening series at GOMA. 'They're Brisbane-based. They're doing all of the things that many in the film industry say are not possible. I love that they're women-led, and I love that they just get on with making great stories.' On a cold Wednesday morning in a nondescript office block in West End, Bates and Souvlis are getting on with the storymaking business. Both graduates of the Bachelor of Creative Industries at QUT, the two met while working on children's TV at Channel 10 on Mount Coot-tha and decided to start out on their own. 'The industry was changing. YouTube Kids was just coming about, so I was looking at the media landscape for kids and thinking that we had something to offer,' Souvlis says. 'We were really dedicated and passionate about quality children's content that had kindness and representation at its heart.' Despite having experience in live action only they quickly became the first female Australians to be commissioned to make an animation for Sesame Street (titled 1 to 10 Hoedown). At the same time Disney commissioned them to make a 26-episode preschool series, Balloon Barnyard, about two balloon donkeys who solve problems and mysteries. The third string to their bow was a reading app for children called Kindergo, which rose to be the number one kids' app in over 30 countries. That's when Universal Pictures came knocking. 'Universal said, 'would you be interested in doing theatrical releases in Australia for Australian audiences? Can you create us a movie?'' Bates, a former teacher and children's book publisher, recalls. 'And we said, 'what if we created you a Marvel-esque universe whereby we had six to 10 films, and all of those stories wove into each other. Wouldn't that be better?' And they said, 'yeah, actually that would be better.'' The first cab off the rank in was The Wishmas Tree, both a cautionary environmental tale and a smart dive into the yuletide film market. Despite an unlikeable protagonist and a curtailed cinema release due to COVID, it got them off to a strong start. The film that followed, superhero story Combat Wombat starring Mailman, taught them a major lesson in what makes a character relatable. 'A 40-year-old, reluctant female superhero – you couldn't possibly tell where that idea came from,' Souvlis laughs. 'In the beginning, I was like, 'kids won't relate to this',' Bates says. 'But you find the heart of that hero. I mean, look at [2009 Pixar film] Up: you've got your older character and your younger character, and you feel just as strongly for the old character.' Occupying a pleasing middle ground between Hollywood and Studio Ghibli, the Sanctuary City movies are both earthily comedic ('You've gotta make 'em laugh,' Bates says) and emotionally affecting. Amid the knockabout action, Daisy Quokka portrays a child finding her own path and a parent reconciling with his estranged daughter. The Lost Tiger tackles First Nations identity in the story of a thylacine adopted by kangaroos as a baby who reconnects with his mob. Then there's The Sloth Lane – an anti-fast food quasi-zombie movie that is also a heartfelt celebration of family. With its cast including Latino and American actors, the 2024 film played on 1000 screens in both North and South America. Bates says that they feel a responsibility to tell stories about kindness, empathy and compassion. 'That there are consequences to actions. That you have responsibilities within a family or community unit. They're inherent in all of the stories that we do.' They also decided early on that continuity of work was crucial. 'We're not project-by-project; we are a pipeline,' Souvlis says. 'Our staff are the most important people that are ever going to come through our building.' They have nurtured directors including Murray, Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó. Cussó now co-runs Cosmic Dino, the studio tasked with production on the Bluey movie for Ludo, the BBC and Disney. Bates points out that the first four animated movies to be directed by women in Australia are all theirs – and all three of the filmmakers were pregnant during production. 'Being able to offer the opportunity for women to work in the industry in the way that men take for granted is really important to us.' Nor is it insignificant that their first six movies all have female protagonists. Several hissworthy villains are women too, ranging from Judith Lucy's scheming PR-agent koala in Combat Wombat to Celeste Barber's greedy archeologist in The Lost Tiger. Launching a movie business during COVID followed by a crisis in the streaming business has made them resilient, Souvlis says. 'We didn't have a lot of luck on our side when we started out, and that has made us better business people.' Loading Crucial to their success has been support from Screen Queensland through the Screen Finance Fund and the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Incentive. Its chief creative officer, Dr Belinda Burns, says companies such as Like a Photon Creative are putting Queensland on the map for animation. 'Nadine and Kristen have built a dynamic production company with a unique slate of characters and films, while also amplifying diverse voices,' she says. Any parent who has despaired at the hold that YouTube Kids has on young viewers should rejoice that children's screen entertainment still has passionate advocates. Yet it's a rapidly shrinking genre, internationally and locally. 'There are no buyers in Australia, really, because we don't have any quotas,' Souvlis laments. Nevertheless, the Photons are poised for greater success. Their next film, Pout-Pout Fish: The Movie, is in the can. Based on a New York Times best-selling picture book, and nearly double the budget of any previous LAPC film, its voice cast includes Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris, Jordin Sparks and Miranda Otto. It's being made in collaboration with another female-owned production house, New York-based MIMO Studios. So is another film based on a major children's book, Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort, currently in production for a 2026 release under director Allison Brownmore. Just like Daisy Quokka, creative people in Brisbane are used to being underestimated and overlooked. But Bates believes it's precisely this that has given them the drive to succeed. 'It's because we are underdogs, right? Because we aren't having opportunities handed to us,' she says. 'We have been called 'regional filmmakers' before,' Souvlis laughs. 'People come here and go, 'Oh! There's a city here!''
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
The screen queens building Brisbane's answer to Pixar
Five of the films take place in the same cinematic universe. 'Sanctuary City' is a seaside utopia inhabited by animals from every continent, but dominated by Australian ones, voiced by the likes of Deborah Mailman, Sam Neill, Angourie Rice, Thomas Weatherall and David Wenham. 'What's so impressive about their work is that they are championing Australian talent,' says Australian Cinémathèque associate curator Rosie Hays, who has programmed the Like A Photon Creative back catalogue for a Saturday screening series at GOMA. 'They're Brisbane-based. They're doing all of the things that many in the film industry say are not possible. I love that they're women-led, and I love that they just get on with making great stories.' On a cold Wednesday morning in a nondescript office block in West End, Bates and Souvlis are getting on with the storymaking business. Both graduates of the Bachelor of Creative Industries at QUT, the two met while working on children's TV at Channel 10 on Mount Coot-tha and decided to start out on their own. 'The industry was changing. YouTube Kids was just coming about, so I was looking at the media landscape for kids and thinking that we had something to offer,' Souvlis says. 'We were really dedicated and passionate about quality children's content that had kindness and representation at its heart.' Despite having experience in live action only they quickly became the first female Australians to be commissioned to make an animation for Sesame Street (titled 1 to 10 Hoedown). At the same time Disney commissioned them to make a 26-episode preschool series, Balloon Barnyard, about two balloon donkeys who solve problems and mysteries. The third string to their bow was a reading app for children called Kindergo, which rose to be the number one kids' app in over 30 countries. That's when Universal Pictures came knocking. 'Universal said, 'would you be interested in doing theatrical releases in Australia for Australian audiences? Can you create us a movie?'' Bates, a former teacher and children's book publisher, recalls. 'And we said, 'what if we created you a Marvel-esque universe whereby we had six to 10 films, and all of those stories wove into each other. Wouldn't that be better?' And they said, 'yeah, actually that would be better.'' The first cab off the rank in was The Wishmas Tree, both a cautionary environmental tale and a smart dive into the yuletide film market. Despite an unlikeable protagonist and a curtailed cinema release due to COVID, it got them off to a strong start. The film that followed, superhero story Combat Wombat starring Mailman, taught them a major lesson in what makes a character relatable. 'A 40-year-old, reluctant female superhero – you couldn't possibly tell where that idea came from,' Souvlis laughs. 'In the beginning, I was like, 'kids won't relate to this',' Bates says. 'But you find the heart of that hero. I mean, look at [2009 Pixar film] Up: you've got your older character and your younger character, and you feel just as strongly for the old character.' Occupying a pleasing middle ground between Hollywood and Studio Ghibli, the Sanctuary City movies are both earthily comedic ('You've gotta make 'em laugh,' Bates says) and emotionally affecting. Amid the knockabout action, Daisy Quokka portrays a child finding her own path and a parent reconciling with his estranged daughter. The Lost Tiger tackles First Nations identity in the story of a thylacine adopted by kangaroos as a baby who reconnects with his mob. Then there's The Sloth Lane – an anti-fast food quasi-zombie movie that is also a heartfelt celebration of family. With its cast including Latino and American actors, the 2024 film played on 1000 screens in both North and South America. Bates says that they feel a responsibility to tell stories about kindness, empathy and compassion. 'That there are consequences to actions. That you have responsibilities within a family or community unit. They're inherent in all of the stories that we do.' They also decided early on that continuity of work was crucial. 'We're not project-by-project; we are a pipeline,' Souvlis says. 'Our staff are the most important people that are ever going to come through our building.' They have nurtured directors including Murray, Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó. Cussó now co-runs Cosmic Dino, the studio tasked with production on the Bluey movie for Ludo, the BBC and Disney. Bates points out that the first four animated movies to be directed by women in Australia are all theirs – and all three of the filmmakers were pregnant during production. 'Being able to offer the opportunity for women to work in the industry in the way that men take for granted is really important to us.' Nor is it insignificant that their first six movies all have female protagonists. Several hissworthy villains are women too, ranging from Judith Lucy's scheming PR-agent koala in Combat Wombat to Celeste Barber's greedy archeologist in The Lost Tiger. Launching a movie business during COVID followed by a crisis in the streaming business has made them resilient, Souvlis says. 'We didn't have a lot of luck on our side when we started out, and that has made us better business people.' Loading Crucial to their success has been support from Screen Queensland through the Screen Finance Fund and the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Incentive. Its chief creative officer, Dr Belinda Burns, says companies such as Like a Photon Creative are putting Queensland on the map for animation. 'Nadine and Kristen have built a dynamic production company with a unique slate of characters and films, while also amplifying diverse voices,' she says. Any parent who has despaired at the hold that YouTube Kids has on young viewers should rejoice that children's screen entertainment still has passionate advocates. Yet it's a rapidly shrinking genre, internationally and locally. 'There are no buyers in Australia, really, because we don't have any quotas,' Souvlis laments. Nevertheless, the Photons are poised for greater success. Their next film, Pout-Pout Fish: The Movie, is in the can. Based on a New York Times best-selling picture book, and nearly double the budget of any previous LAPC film, its voice cast includes Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris, Jordin Sparks and Miranda Otto. It's being made in collaboration with another female-owned production house, New York-based MIMO Studios. So is another film based on a major children's book, Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort, currently in production for a 2026 release under director Allison Brownmore. Just like Daisy Quokka, creative people in Brisbane are used to being underestimated and overlooked. But Bates believes it's precisely this that has given them the drive to succeed. 'It's because we are underdogs, right? Because we aren't having opportunities handed to us,' she says. 'We have been called 'regional filmmakers' before,' Souvlis laughs. 'People come here and go, 'Oh! There's a city here!''
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Wayne Carey roasted by ex-fiancee Kate Neilson in mocking video reenacting alleged toilet tryst
Wayne Carey's ex-fiancee Kate Neilson has mocked the controversial AFL champion with a reenactment of the viral video that he denies was the aftermath of a toilet tryst. In the video that began circulating last week, Carey was filmed putting his phone to ear as he emerged from the restrooms of a Melbourne bar just moments after a woman walked out. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Wayne Carey mocked by ex-fiancee in wake of viral video. Both Carey and the woman in the video, marketing executive Kate Aston, have slammed the people behind the camera and the sexual presumptions they triggered — suggestions the pair have both emphatically denied to be true. But that hasn't stopped Neilson, who had a rocky four-year relationship with Carey during the late 2000s, from poking fun at the man she was once engaged to marry. The Australian actress and model posted a video of herself looking deliberately sheepish as she came out of a toilet, moments before her partner emerges from the same door and pretends to take a phone call. The video was posted with a duck emoji in the bottom right corner. One of Carey's nicknames is 'Duck'. It is also scored by the audio of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's reaction to the viral cheating scandal that his band inadvertently uncovered earlier this week. Aston says her life has been suddenly turned 'upside down' and her 'suffering over recent days has been colossal'. Melbourne marketing executive Kate Astin is taking legal action after being filmed leaving a bathroom, sparking a scandal involving former AFL player Wayne Carey. She has called the video a 'deliberate act of bullying' and says she will now take legal action against the people who filmed it and made it public. In the video, an unseen woman can be heard saying 'she looks embarrassed' before someone else says 'what's he doing in there?'. The relationship between Carey and Neilson is most infamous for an incident in the US in 2007 when Neilson suffered a bleeding lip after it was allegedly hit with glass. Last November, she expressed her public disgust after Carey downplayed both the incident and their relationship. Carey said on a podcast last year that it was 'an incident with a girl that I was seeing on and off, I wouldn't call her a girlfriend'. 'Wayne's story about the glassing in Miami has again changed from when he did the Andrew Denton story (in 2008) saying he didn't mean to break the glass on my face, but now he is saying he threw the glass on the ground,'' Neilson fired back with last November. 'He was locked up in jail for a reason. Not because he poured wine on my face. I was bleeding profusely and the FBI took photos, which I have. 'So, to say I was hardly a girlfriend is insulting when I lived with him for years and he flew to Tasmania and met my family, wrote about my dad in his autobiography and I was engaged to him. 'I'm extremely insulted by the downplay of all of this.' Carey has four children, two of which he shares with his current partner, Jessica Paulke. Wayne Carey says he will take legal action against the people who filmed him in this video.
