PRESS
Videoland wins Best Comedy at Series Mania
FILM INK - "Videoland, from newcomer Pikelet Pictures, has taken out the top prize of ‘Best Series’ for the Comedy Competition at this year’s Series Mania – the world’s most highly regarded television festival, which was attended by a record breaking 98,000 guests in France last week."
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Amongst the winners were Emma Freeman (Fake), Bonnie Moir (Exposure), Helena Brooks (Population: 11) and Jessica Smith (Videoland)
SBS, NITV, and Screen Australia have revealed the shortlist for this year’s Digital Originals initiative, designed to develop short-form drama from screen creatives historically under-represented in the sector.
Scripted Aussie titles Last King of the Cross, Windcatcher, The Disposables, and Videoland all nominated in the UK.
Global streamer Netflix has acquired Videoland, the first series from emerging Australian production company Pikelet Pictures, for its viewers in Australia and New Zealand.
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has announced the 12 producers that will take part in its 2024 Ones To Watch initiative.
Videoland director Jessica Smith and producer Scarlett Koehne reflect on queer representation and 90s nostalgia in the Series Mania Comedy Competition-winning series.
"I was just so desperate for any kind of representation that I didn't even mind when they were evil or bad or represented terribly. I just needed to see them."
Fresh off its Best Series (Comedy) win at Series Mania, the local filmmaker behind the nostalgia-tinged web series Videoland, is most excited about it screening at Queer Screen Film Fest.
Wins for ‘House of Gods’, ‘Apples Never Fall’ at Series Mania
25 March 2024
INSIDE FILM MAGAZINE - "House of Gods‘ Kamel El Basha and Apples Never Fall‘s Annette Bening have topped the actor categories in the international competition of the Series Mania Festival in France while Videoland was awarded Best Series for the Comedy Competition."
Aussies win big at Series Mania
24 March 2024
TV TONIGHT - "Australian-based titles have won multiple awards at the prestigious Series Mania Festival in Lille, France (...) Melbourne-based production company, Pikelet Pictures won the Comedy series award for their debut series Videoland."
'House of Gods', 'Videoland', 'After the Party', 'Apples Never Fall' selected for Series Mania
8 February 2024
INSIDE FILM MAGAZINE - "Videoland, from Melbourne production company Pikelet Pictures; the Lingo Pictures-produced NZ series After the Party, and the Queensland-shot Apples Never Fall have been selected for this year’s Series Mania in France."
Aussie shows selected for Series Mania
8 February 2024
TV TONIGHT - "House of Gods, Apples Never Fall in main competition plus newcomer Videoland into the Comedy competition in France."
Videoland in competition at Series Mania
8 February 2024
FILM INK - "Videoland has been selected for this year’s Series Mania in France and will screen as part of the Comedy Competition. It is the first series from Melbourne-based production company, Pikelet Pictures, and will be Videoland’s world premiere."
Completion Fund recipients announced
29 January 2024
QUEERSCREEN MEDIA RELEASE - "Filmmaker Jessica Smith said, 'We are thrilled to have been awarded completion funding from Queer Screen, an institution that is not only dedicated to celebrating queer storytelling, but one that actually puts their money where their mouth is and year after year provides financial assistance to the filmmakers trying to tell those stories.'"
One Person Protest and Videoland receive Queer Screen's Completion Funding
29 January 2024
CINEMA AUSTRALIA - “In our tenth round of the Queer Screen Completion Fund, we experienced arguably our most competitive selection process yet. The jury faced a challenging deliberation as numerous projects were considered. Ultimately, they awarded two world-class projects that couldn’t be more different but are of equal relevance and importance" - Lisa Rose, Queer Screen Festival Director.
SPA reveals Pitch on Demand shortlist
4 December 2023
INSIDE FILM MAGAZINE - "SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said this year’s response demonstrated the 'exceptional talent and storytelling capabilities within the Australian screen production community'."
Screen Australia announces $2.2 million for 11 online projects
3 February 2023
INSIDE FILM MAGAZINE - “It’s great to see so many newer voices and talents represented in these teams, demonstrating the opportunities for emerging Australian talent that Screen Australia is providing.”
Screen Australia announces $2.2 million for 11 online projects
3 February 2023
SCREEN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE - "Screen Australia has announced 11 projects that will share in $2.2 million of online production funding."