Aquarius Films Explained

Aquarius Films
Type:Private
Hq Location:Sydney
Num Locations:1
Num Locations Year:2008
Area Served:Worldwide
Industry:Entertainment
Location Country:Australia

Aquarius Films is an independent Australian film and TV production company based in Sydney, founded in 2008 by producers Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford. TV credits include Love Me, The Unusual Suspects, The Other Guy and Savage River Film credits include Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated Lion[1] starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, produced by Aquarius in association with See-Saw Films and the psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome starring Teresa Palmer and Directed by Cate Shortland which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, Dirt Music, directed by Gregor Jordan and starring Garrett Hedlund, Kelly Macdonald and David Wenham and Wish You Were Here, starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival and won two Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, including Best Screenplay, and five Film Critics Circle Awards, including Best Film.[2]

Romantic drama series Love Me starring Hugo Weaving,[3] by Aquarius for Warner Bros. Australia and Foxtel's BINGE, premiered in the USA on Hulu in April 2021, and premiered on BINGE in December 2021. Mini-series The Unusual Suspects starring Miranda Otto and Aina Dumlao is streaming on Hulu and premiered on SBS in June 2021 and their 10 x 30’ YA series for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Born To Spy, premiered in December 2021. Additional television credits include The Other Guy[4] Seasons 1 & 2, a 6 x 30’ comedy-drama, for Stan and Hulu starring Matt Okine, Valene Kane and Harriet Dyer and The Unlisted,[5] a 15 x 30’ YA sci-fi thriller for Netflix and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Aquarius Film's most recent production Savage River,[6] a 6 x 1’ crime drama series directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and starring Katherine Langford premiered on 4 September 2022 for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[7]

Aquarius Films received the 2018 NSW Creative Laureate and the 2018 SPA Screen Business Export of the Year Award. In 2022 Aquarius was nominated for two SPA awards; Screen Business Export of the Year and Telemovie or Mini-series Production of the Year for their production The Unusual Suspects.[8]

Productions

Film

Year Film Director WriterNotes
2012Wish You Were Here (2012 film)Kieran Darcy-SmithKieran Darcy-Smith & Felicity Price
2016Lion[9] Garth DavisLuke Davies
2017Berlin Syndrome[10] Cate ShortlandShaun GrantCate Shortland
2019Dirt MusicGregor JordanJack Thorne

Television

Year Show Writer Director Notes
2019 The Unlisted[11] 15 x 30'Justine Flynn, Lucy Gaffy, Rhys Graham, Rebecca O’Brien, Neil Sharma, Nicholas VersoJane Allen, Tristram Baumber, Nicholas Brown, Rhys Graham, Mithila Gupta, Chris Kunz, Timothy Lee, Alice McCredie-Dando, Natasha Somasundaram, Greg Water.
2017- 2019The Other Guy[17] 12 x 30' Seasons 1 & 2Kacie Anning, Gracie OttoKacie Anning, Tristram Baumber, Becky Lucas, Matt Okine
  • Nominated – Logie Award Most Outstanding Drama Series
  • Nominated – Logie Award Most Popular Drama Program
  • Nominated – AACTA Best Comedy Series
  • Nominated – AACTA Best New Talent
2021Born to Spy[18] 10 x 30' Created by Justine Flynn, written by Tiffany Zehnal, Tristram Baumber, Michelle Lim Davidson, Melissa Lee Speyer, Undi Lee, David D.S. Park, Sophia Chung, Alice McCredie-Dando, Hyun Lee, Justine FlynnRetro Rexius, Justine Flynn, Darlene Johnson, Chase Lee, Chug-Hyun Lee, Neil Sharma
  • Produced in Association with Buster Productions
2021The Unusual Suspects[19] 4 x 60'Roger Monk,Vonne Patiag,Jessica RedenbackNatalie Bailey, Melvin J Montalban
2021Love Me[20] 6 x 45'Based on Swedish Series Alska Mig Created by Josaphine BornebuschBlake Ayshford, Alison Bell, Leon Ford, Adele VukoEmma Freeman
2022Savage River[21] 6 x 60'Giula Sandler,Franz Docherty,Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford, Belinda Bradley, Jocelyn Moorhouse

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lion Sweeps Australia's Academy Awards - Twelve Wins . Hollywood Reporter. 6 December 2017 .
  2. Web site: AACTA Awards 2013 Overview. www.aacta.org.
  3. Web site: Hugo Weaving fronts Binge Drama Love Me . If.com. 16 August 2021 .
  4. Web site: The Screen Guide - The Other Guy Series . Screen Australia.
  5. Web site: The Unlisted TV Adaption wins International Youth Jury Prize . Lora Fountain Agency. 15 June 2020 .
  6. Web site: More Than a Murder Mystery, Savage River . The Conversation . 2 September 2022 . 2 September 2022.
  7. Web site: First Look - ABC Confirms Premiere date for Gripping Drama Savage River . TV Blackbox.
  8. Web site: Buckle up for 'The Unusual Suspects', an exciting heist series from the makers of 'Lion' . SBS.com.au.
  9. Web site: Lion Nominations and Awards . Los Angeles Times.
  10. Web site: Berlin Syndrome - Metascore . Metacritic.
  11. Web site: The Screen Guide - The Unlisted . Screen Australia.
  12. Web site: Prix Jeunesse International 202 Prize Winners Announced . Prix Jeunesse. 11 June 2020 .
  13. Web site: Bluey First Day, The Unlisted, Play School win Kidscreen Awards . TV Tonight. 10 February 2021 .
  14. Web site: ASSG Awards 2020 Winners . ASSG.org.
  15. Web site: AACTA Awards Winners and Nominees 2019 . AACTA.org.
  16. Web site: Nominees 2020 ADG Awards Announced . Filmink.com.au. 14 July 2020 .
  17. Web site: Matt Okine's Stan Original Series Other Guy Renewed for Second Season . Filmink.com.au. 23 January 2019 .
  18. Web site: Born to Spy (2021) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia. www.screenaustralia.gov.au.
  19. Web site: Airdate - The Unusual Suspects . TV Tonight. 29 April 2021 .
  20. Web site: From Heartbreak Hotel to Heartbreak High: All of the 2022 AACTA winners . Harper's Bazaar. 7 December 2022 .
  21. Web site: AACTA Industry Awards Winners . Variety. 5 December 2022 .
  22. Web site: Logie Awards 2023: Full List of Nominees Revealed . 19 June 2023 .
  23. Web site: SPA Awards . IF.com. 5 May 2023 .
  24. Web site: AACTA Industry Awards Best Original Score TV . Youtube AACTA.
  25. Web site: C21 Drama Awards - Finalists announced . c21.