Canal+ group production and distribution company, Studiocanal, has set up Australian production arm, Cultivator Films Australia, kicking off with feature film co-production, “Kangaroo”. 

The film, announced in May last year, is Studiocanal’s first major production in Australia. 

Cultivator Films is led by Studiocanal Australia and New Zealand CEO, Elizabeth Trotman. 

The film has significant production investment from Screen Australia, Screen Territory and Screen New South Wales, and will be filmed in Northern Territory and New South Wales. 

The total budget for “Kangaroo” has not been made public. 

Part of the incentive is AUS$1.2 million/US$790,000 funding from the Northern Territory Government via Screen Territory’s Production Attraction Incentive Program (PAIP).  

The NSW Government is supporting “Kangaroo” through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund. 

The “Kangaroo” screenplay is written by Harry Cripps (“Back to the Outback”)  and directed by Kate Woods (“The Lincoln Lawyer”, “The Umbrella Academy”) with Eastern Arrernte emerging director, Samantha Laughton, as a director’s attachment.

“Kangaroo” will be co-produced by Alice Springs-based Brindle Films (“MaveriX”) in partnership with Sydney-based Bunya Productions, which was behind “Mystery Road”, “Sweet Country”, “True Colours” and “High Ground”. 

Slated to commence production in Alice Springs in the first half of 2024, “Kangaroo” is a Northern Territory-inspired story based on Chris Barnes, aka “Brolga”, who is the founder of the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs. 

At a Northern Territory government press conference today, the organisation pointed out a three-year production boom in the territory. 

Projects include Netflix’s “Desert King”, Stan’s “Thou Shalt Not Steal” and Amazon Prime’s “Lost Flowers of Alice Hart”. 

Screen NSW head, Kyas Hepworth, said “Kangaroo” was set to deliver an economic boost to NSW and employ 255 local cast, production and post-production crew. 

Studiocanal will release the film theatrically in Australia and New Zealand and is the distributor for the international market.