Leading New Zealand film executive Jasmine McSweeney has appointed Australian production, distribution and streaming platform Umbrella Entertainment as its first New Zealand-based sales and acquisitions role as part of the company’s ambitious expansion plans. Join the company as a person.
Umbrella released the local horror title Talk to Me, a co-release with Maslow Entertainment, in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, which was a hit.
Ms McSweeney spent 10 years as head of marketing at the New Zealand Film Commission, where she oversaw the launch of its digitization program and transactional video-on-demand platform. She will begin her new role on February 5th.
Umbrella general manager Ali Harrison told Screen the company aims to double its acquisitions in 2024, adding 10 Australian and New Zealand films and five international films to its slate. . This will be driven by McSweeney and her Australian counterpart Nick Hayes, who joined in early 2023.
The goal is to shoot two films in 2024, produced by producer Julie Ryan and Sanctuary Pictures, the umbrella company formed last year. It’s likely to be either a romantic comedy, for which no further information is available, or a drag queen Martini Mom. A comedy directed by John Sheedy from a script written by Christopher Gist, or a thriller centered around a nefarious chef directed by Michael Kratochville, who co-wrote the screenplay with Maria Collins, or 33AD.
Six more films are in various stages of development.
Recently acquired in New Zealand, I, Object, a family film combining live-action and animation, is currently in production. Andrew Niccol, the Oscar-nominated author of The Truman Show, is directing the film, and The Exchange is handling international sales.
The Australian thriller We Bury The Dead, directed by Zack Hilditch and starring Daisy Ridley, will begin filming in February. The distributor is Neon.
“We are very confident in the Australian and New Zealand (theatrical) market,” Mr Harrison said.
“Audience habits are changing and there must be a really good reason for someone to go to the theater now. They used to release movies in theaters, but now they don’t.”
Harrison said Umbrella’s advertiser-backed VOD service Brollie, launched in November, will have 100,000 confirmed account holders by mid-2024 and will be available for free worldwide by the end of the year. It was announced that it was planned. Umbrella recently acquired world rights to the entire catalog of South Australian Film Corporation and Network Nine.
Part of Mr McSweeney’s role will be to acquire more New Zealand library content for VOD services. Harrison hopes the service will help attract talent by providing an avenue for early work.
Umbrella was founded in 2001 by Ali’s father, Jeff Harrison, who continues to serve as managing director. Genre films are part of the company’s history, and its DVD and Blu-ray business is thriving. “People like to get scared together,” Harrison suggested.
The company will continue to lean towards horror, thrillers and action in its international acquisition space, having recently acquired Terrifier 3 from The Coven after the successful release of Terrifier 2 in 2023. Another recent film that has received international attention is the science fiction film Divinity from Utopia.
