FILM INDUSTRY – AUSTRALIA

Netflix, Apple and Stan could be required to boost Australian content

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Original article by Anne Davies
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 11-Jun-20

Expanding local content rules to include subscription video-on-demand services is among the options canvassed in a report that was released by the Australian Communications & Media Authority and Screen Australia prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Although local player Stan has invested in local content, SVOD providers are currently under no obligation to do so. An alternative to directly investing in the production of local content may be for streaming services to contribute to a fund that would support local production.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, SCREEN AUSTRALIA, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Federal Court orders fresh batch of pirate sites blocked

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 18-Jun-19

Village Roadshow CEO Graham Burke has described a Federal Court ruling that 76 copyright infringing websites be blocked by telcos as a victory for both Village Roadshow and the broader Australian film community. Site-blocking laws aimed at stamping out copyright piracy were passed in 2015, and Burke notes that almost 1,000 pirate websites and domains have now been blocked. He also notes Australians are now backing the push against piracy, with research indicating that three out of four people view it as theft.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, VOCUS GROUP LIMITED – ASX VOC

Village halts plans for more Topgolf centres

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 17-Jan-19

Village Roadshow is believed to have put the rollout of its Topgolf venture on hold. Village Roadshow opened the first of eight propose Topgolf venues in mid-2018, but the company is said to have halted the rollout until the performance of the Gold Coast venue can be ascertained. Meanwhile, Village Roadshow’s deputy chairman John Kirby is pushing for asset sales and the removal of executive chairman Robert Kirby and CEO Graham Burke.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, TOPGOLF, WET `N’ WILD WATER PARK, K CAPITAL PTY LTD, ARNOLD BLOCH LEIBLER

Film, TV aim to build on record year

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Oct-18

Australia’s film and TV industry spend a record $718m on local productions in 2017-18, which is seven per cent higher than previously. Spending on feature films rose from $287m to $321m, although spending on TV dramas fell from $321m to $295m. However, Screen Australia’s COO Michael Brealey notes that expenditure on drama remained above its five-year average. Local film and TV production is forecast to remain strong in 2018-19, while Screen Australia expects the federal government’s location incentive program to boost the number of international productions.

CORPORATES
SCREEN AUSTRALIA, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Village eyes rebound as salaries, discounts cut

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Original article by Jemima Whyte
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 11-Jul-18

Village Roadshow will use the proceeds of a $51m right issue to reduce its debt. The new shares will be offered at $1.65 apiece, which represents a discount of 24 per cent to the stock’s most recent trading price. The theme parks and cinemas group has also advised that it will cease offering discounted tickets via resellers, with co-CEO Graham Burke noting that the majority of consumers now buy tickets directly from Village Roadshow. The company will reduce its joint CEOs’ salaries and its directors’ fees as part of a strategy to cut costs.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, WARNER BROS MOVIE WORLD ENTERPRISES, SEAWORLD, WET `N’ WILD WATER PARK, TOPGOLF, VILLAGE ROADSHOW CORPORATION LIMITED, ARDENT LEISURE GROUP – ASX AAD, DREAMWORLD, GROUPON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Village Roadshow to target debt and cinemas

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 10-Jul-18

Shares in Village Roadshow went into a trading halt on 9 July, pending an announcement on a possible capital raising. There is speculation that the cinemas, theme parks and film group will seek to raise about $50m. Village Roadshow has significantly reduced its debt in the last year, while it recently divested the Wet’n’Wild Water Park in Sydney. The new Topgolf business is one of its priorities looking forward.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, WET `N’ WILD WATER PARK, TOPGOLF, PARQUES REUNIDOS, ORANGE SKY GOLDEN HARVEST ENTERTAINMENT (HOLDINGS) LIMITED, WARNER BROS MOVIE WORLD ENTERPRISES, LGIASUPER, ARDENT LEISURE GROUP – ASX AAD, DREAMWORLD, LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MINTER ELLISON

Producers cut Hollywood deal

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Jan-18

Australian film and TV production company See-Saw Films has secured a production deal with New Regency. The "first look" deal with the Hollywood studio will allow See-Saw to make films with much bigger budgets than at present, and enable its films to reach a larger audience worldwide. See-Saw was among the major winners at the recent Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts awards, for productions such as "Lion" and "Top of The Lake: China Girl".

CORPORATES
SEE-SAW FILMS PTY LTD, NEW REGENCY PICTURES, AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF CINEMA AND TELEVISION ARTS, REGENCY ENTERPRISES, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Village to sue hundreds of Aussies for piracy

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Original article by John Davidson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 21-Aug-17

Village Roadshow intends to pursue legal action against Australians who download illegal copies of films and TV shows. Co-CEO Graham Burke says the film producer will only seek to recover the loss of revenue as a result of the piracy, as well as costs, rather than the huge damages payouts that had been initially been awarded for copyright violation in the US. The Federal Court recently ruled that local ISPs must block access to an additional 42 websites that provide access to pirated content.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, CREATIVE CONTENT AUSTRALIA, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, IPRIMUS

Foxtel, Village’s landmark win to block pirates

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Original article by Jake Mitchell, David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 16-Dec-16

The Federal Court of Australia has ruled that ISP must block access to five illegal file-sharing websites within 15 days. Foxtel and Village Roadshow had launched separate legal proceedings in a bid to combat the pirating of films and TV shows. Village Roadshow’s joint CEO Graham Burke has welcomed the judgment, arguing that the local film and TV production industry would collapse if action is not taken against such websites. Foxtel and Village Roadshow will have to pay the ISPs’ costs for blocking the infringing sites.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, IINET LIMITED, M2 GROUP LIMITED, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, WARNER BROS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, ASHURST AUSTRALIA

Pirates in the line of fire as Village boss goes on warpath

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 10-Oct-16

Village Roadshow MD Graham Burke has vowed to crack down on people who download illegal copies of movies. Burke will address the issue in a speech at the annual Australian International Movie Convention, in which he will highlight the impact of piracy on the local film industry. Burke notes that although the advent of subscription video-on-demand services has reduced the level of piracy among Australian adults, there has been big growth in piracy among the 12-17 age group.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD