045: February 2026 News Round-Up: Matchbox Closure, AACTA Festival Wrap-Up & More...

Loani Arman sits down with Mandy Walker AM ACS ASC, the Oscar nominated cinematographer behind Elvis, Hidden Figures, Mulan and Tracks, and the first woman to lead the American Society of Cinematographers in its 106 year history. Mandy talks about breaking into camera departments when few women were there, the mentors who backed her, and why wants to open doors for other women in camera. --- Listen to hear Mandy discuss: The mentors who championed her in her early career How she builds collaborative sets between departments The story-led way she prepares for a shoot, while being ready to pivot when things change on the day How she approached scenes in Elvis to allow the actors space to perform Why she isn't scared of AI, and what remains fundamentally human about cinematography

Kirsty Stark sits down with the team behind Leviticus: Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella, Producer Sam Jennings (Causeway Films), and Distributor Marc Wooldridge (Maslow Entertainment) for Part 2 of a two-part conversation about what it takes to make a million dollars at the Australian box office. If you missed Part 1, head back to last week's episode, #77. The queer horror feature reached almost 1.5 million dollars domestically, and in this conversation the three share what happens on the ground when you make a sale at Sundance, the strategy behind opening weekend, and how to turn audience members into fans. --- Listen to hear Adrian, Marc and Sam discuss: What actually happens in the 48 hours after a Sundance screening How to choose the right partner when you have multiple offers on the table Why going day and date with the US gave Leviticus the advantages of a global release The accidental in-season Q&A strategy that gave the film's theatrical run a boost What number you need to hit on opening weekend to reach a million dollars How involving and empowering their audience helped turn viewers into passionate advocates

Kirsty Stark sits down with the team behind Leviticus: Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella, Producer Sam Jennings (Causeway Films), and Distributor Marc Wooldridge (Maslow Entertainment) for Part 1 of a two-part conversation about what it takes to make a million dollars at the Australian box office. The queer horror feature reached almost 1.5 million dollars domestically, and in this conversation the three share how they got there, from an idea developed through VicScreen’s Originate program to their breakout Sundance premiere. Come back next week for Part 2, where they’ll discuss what happens on the ground when you make a sale at Sundance, the strategy behind opening weekend, and how to turn audience members into fans. --- Listen to hear Adrian, Sam and Marc discuss: Why horror is intrinsically theatrical and how they positioned Leviticus for both queer and broad horror audiences. Causeway Films’ financing strategy for the film, which allowed them to build a theatrical model that wasn’t centred on international pre-sales. What Maslow looks for in a script, concept and pathway to market before saying yes to distribution. The casting and packaging process and what actually mattered when putting the project together. Why they kept news about the film quiet through production and launched it as a breakout festival film. How they planned their Sundance premiere, including pre-screenings, PR and festival strategy. --- If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.

Loani and Robbie cover all of your screen industry news from September, digging into the Screen Queensland funding cuts, 46 production jobs going at the ABC, and what it means to lose an internal champion on a project. They discuss the reboot-heavy upfronts, the reversal on the ABC Indigenous department, and the new Shared Ground initiative. Plus the Emmys, the Tilly Norwood “interview”, the cancelled Clayton Jacobson ACS workshop, upcoming conference and festival appearances for the team, and what they’ve been watching.

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