Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham, B&T’s bon vivant, editorial consultant and MFA Hall of Famer, recently donned his film critic hat for the 77th Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC), held in the Gold Coast. In this second article with Val Morgan, he chats with Alison Lawton, marketing director at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marc Wooldridge, founder and managing director, Maslow Entertainment.
Lawton and Wooldridge shared their perspectives on the Australian film industry and which films they were most proud to present.
B&T: What’s been your highlight of the Convention so far?
Alison Lawton: I’ve most enjoyed seeing the fantastic content presentations from the Australian theatrical distributors, both major and independent, and comparing reactions & notes with colleagues in the industry.
It’s great to get a birds-eye view of the films coming down the pipeline which will shape the pop-culture landscape of the year ahead.
Marc Wooldridge: Catching up with my team, seeing long term friends within the industry and the promise that 2025 will have a much more consistent and a high-quality line up of movies.
B&T: How many AIMCs have you attended & what do you look forward to most?
AL: This is my 15th AIMC – they rack up quickly!
Every year I look forward to presenting the Sony film slate and hearing the valuable reactions and insight from our trade and industry.
I also love the opportunity to see great movies early.
MW: My first was in 2006. And the best bit is always about catching up with people and getting a special preview of what’s coming up in the year ahead.
B&T: What is the film you are proud to present/preview or see?
MW: We’re really proud of our entire line-up, with THE CORRESPONDENT our most ambitious to date. It stars Richard Roxburgh as Peter Greste, the Australian journalist who was arrested in Cairo in 2013. We launch on Boxing Day and the response after our screening was simply excellent. It’s undoubtably a quality Australian film and we’re confident it will resonate with a lot of people over the Summer.
AL: As a child of the ‘80s it was a thrill to present our new Karate Kid film, Karate Kid: Legends. It promises to be a true cultural event for both fans of the originals and for a whole new generation.
Presenting a brand as iconic as Karate Kid, which was a big part of my childhood, is a pinch-me moment.
B&T: What are your predictions for next year, with the product you’ve seen will cinema continue to thrive?
MW: 2024 most definitely suffered from the Studio strikes but nonetheless, the success of a number of movies continues to demonstrate that cinema going is still top of mind for a lot of people and next year will be much, much better based on all the line-ups shared at AIMC.
AL: Five of the Top Ten films ever released in Australia have been released in the last three years alone, as movies released at the cinema (and their marketing) command global social conversations and become must-see events.
As we’ve seen with the recent success of films in the last year, including our very own Anyone But You and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, it’s clear that consumers are increasingly seeking a social and shared experience at the cinema.
As this consumer behaviour becomes clear in the post-Covid environment, films that can command this social currency will continue to be greenlit.
Film marketers need to ensure that our marketing campaigns make seeing our film at the cinema an urgent social & cultural imperative for their intended audience, as was done so successfully with the aforementioned titles.
With several big titles on the horizon, cinema and theatrical moviegoing will continue to thrive because it’s a vital social & communal experience for Australians and films are being made and marketed to ensure that they meet this needs state.
B&T: Can you share your top 3 takeaways from the Convention?
AL: Cinema & Moviegoing is an entrenched social and connection experience for Australians.
Australian cinemas are pioneering and world-class in their offerings for consumers, who are increasingly seeking an experience at the cinema.
The future looks bright!
MW: The studios are back. The indies have some really interesting movies. And there’s some promising local movies to come too. All very, very good news.
