THE LAST IMPRESARIO

"The most famous person you've never heard of.."

[thelastimpresario]

OLIVIER AWARDS - MICHAEL WHITE SPECIAL AWARD!

April 2014

In February Michael was seriously ill in hospital in LA suffering from pneumonia. While he was there he received news that he was being honoured with a Special Award for his life’s achievement at the British theatre’s Olivier Awards in London on Sunday 13 April. Once again he made an amazing recovery, working hard on his rehab, and we are so happy that he managed to get on a plane back to London for this auspicious occasion. Michael is so deserving of this Award that has in our opinion been a long time coming! We like to think that the screening of The Last Impresario at the London Film Festival last October might have jolted a few memories about the enormous contribution Michael made to British theatre. The Olivier was presented to him by actor/comedian Nigel Planer and his very good friend, Kate Moss. It was a hugely emotional time for many of his family and friends who were there to celebrate this achievement and with three of Michael’s children, Joshua, Liberty and Sasha on stage with him to speak on his behalf.  And we understand there was a great after-party celebration in true MW style. 

[thelastimpresario]

SCREEN AUSTRALIA FUNDING

March 2014 On Friday 28 March Screen Australia announced that The Last Impresario was one of five new feature projects to receive funding. We are so happy with this news and so grateful because the Screen Australia funding will enable us to complete some important post-production work that was rushed to be ready for the London Film Festival. The funding will also pay for archive material which forms a considerable part of our budget. We are also proud to be in the same line-up as Neil Armfield, Shane Abess and the debut features of Garth Davies and Damon Gameau.

[thelastimpresario]

ADELAIDE DOCWEEK OPENING NIGHT

March 2014

The Last Impresario has been invited to open the 2014 DocWeek Festival. The opening night audience is full of industry heavyweights and documentary filmmakers and there is a great reaction. This is so exciting and so humbling.  Greta Scacchi has flown in to support the film and we do some radio and television interviews and our story and photograph make the front page of the Adelaide Advertiser! I am on a panel for a discussion of “The Art of Perseverance”. Yes I think I have quite a lot of experience of this. Also on the panel is two time Academy Award nominee Marshall Curry and Jakeb Anvhu whose film wins Best Film at the Awards Night. The Chalky team were well represented with producer Nicole O’Donohue, Julia Overton and archivist Lisa Savage so a few late nights were spent at the Garden of Unearthly Delights. 

[thelastimpresario]

UMBRELLA ENTERTAINMENT - AUSTRALIAN SALES DEAL

5 February 2014

We are just as excited about our Australian sales deal with Umbrella Entertainment, a 100% owned and operated distributor that specialises in theatrical release, home entertainment, TV and video on demand through digital delivery. Umbrella has a catalogue of over 1500 titles and one of the largest collections of restored Australian films.  Umbrella is committed to a theatrical release for The Last Impresario and we look forward to working together on a successful marketing campaign. 

[thelastimpresario]

DOGWOOF INTERNATIONAL SALES DEAL

5 February 2014

We are very excited that an international sales deal has been closed with Dogwoof, the UK’s and one of the world’s leading documentary distributors. Dogwoof have enjoyed incredible success since their founding in 2004 and have released a huge range of award winning and highly popular documentary films including Bill Cunningham New York, Blackfish and this year’s extraordinary The Act of Killing. They have a reputation for working closely with their filmmakers throughout the release process as well as building audiences and profiles to create the best unique release for each film. The Last Impresario will make its market debut at Berlin’s EFM 2014 and a UK theatrical release is set for late 2014.“We are always looking for inspirational stories about extraordinary individuals, films such as Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present or most recently Mike Myers' Supermensch. The Last Impresario is a perfect addition to our slate,” said Vesna Cudic, Head of TV Sales and Acquisitions. We are so excited that Dogwoof share our vision for The Last Impresario.

[thelastimpresario]

10th GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL

February 2014

We are honoured to have our film screen twice at the Glasgow Film Festival, the city where Michael was born and grew up. We had hoped that Michael would have been able to attend but unfortunately he is in LA and has not been well. 

[thelastimpresario]

G'DAY LA

January 2014

January is the month to celebrate G’Day LA – Aussies in Los Angeles. Qantas kicked it off in Beverly Hills with a Spirit of Australia party featuring an exclusive performance by Kylie Minogue. It seemed like everyone was there as there are so many Australian working in Hollywood including my sister Miranda and my SOYA mentor, Robert Luketic, director of Legally Blonde amongst many other films. My date was The Last Impresario himself – Michael White - who is looking fantastic.  It was the week before his 78th birthday but he looked 10 years younger! And it was great to catch up with some of my Aussie mates like Jacki Weaver and Nash Edgerton.

[thelastimpresario]

10th DUBAI FILM FESTIVAL

December 2013

Producer Nicole O’Donohue and I are fortunate to be invited to Dubai for their festival screening of The Last Impresario. Richard Coram, one of our Associate Producers, actually lives in Dubai and is a fabulous host. The opening night party was celebrated with fireworks at the 7 (!!) star Hotel Mina A’Salam. . We took advantage of the fabulous hospitality of our festival hosts and enjoyed a desert safari tour including camel rides. We saw a few festival films including The Railway Man with Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth, and did quite a bit of press and radio for our film’s screening. 

[thelastimpresario]

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL - SECOND SCREENING

October 2013 It’s the day of our second screening which sold out weeks ago and we are fielding calls for tickets. Michael White calls to ask if he should come to the film again – YES!!!! He arrives at the May Fair with 5 more albums of photographs that he has discovered somewhere in the many places he stores his archive – when will it ever stop! Beautiful photos of a young handsome man with the most amazing life ahead of him! I will edit some of them into the film when I get back to Sydney. We go down to the BFI Cinema Southbank – the sun is setting and the London Eye is beautifully lit. It’s great to meet up with a few cast members who couldn’t make it to Sunday’s screening including Harry Fane of Obsidian and Michael Morris of Art Angel, and Richard Hartley from The Rocky Horror Show. After another Q&A we have a crew dinner and drinks and then catch the tube back to Blue Monopoly at the May Fair. Life is good but I also feel a little sad that this part of the journey is over – there will never be another “world premiere” screening. But hopefully there will be many, many more screenings in festivals and cinemas around the world for Chalky to attend – and more audiences will enjoy the incredible story of Michael White, The Last Impresario.

[thelastimpresario]

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS

October 2013 It’s the morning after our opening. I wake up in my room at the fabulous May Fair Hotel and, after weeks of frenetic activity, I don’t know what to do with myself. I decide to indulge in a fabulous buffet breakfast when Jessica Carrera calls me. OMG! Read the Hollywood Reporter! “The kind of glitzy, gossipy, celebrity-jammed story that grabs you from the first frame … the high-voltage cast alone should ensure further festival play and keen interest from buyers.” Jess has worked tirelessly sending off press releases and getting the word out through social media – and there is an influx of positive reviews coming through. I hadn’t even thought about being reviewed!!! I can’t believe it … I believe there are tears in my eyes! Frantic work begins again – this is a great thumbs up for the film, but now we have to sell it! My May Fair room becomes a production office with Nicole and Jess starting our marketing and sales campaign. I’ve been invited to the Filmmakers Afternoon Tea at the BFI which is an inspiring opportunity to catch up with some of the other directors in town for the Festival.

[thelastimpresario]

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL - AFTER PARTY - ARTS CLUB

October 2013 The iconic and very exclusive members-only Arts Club in Mayfair has offered to host our after-party with Dom Perignon champagne and exotic canapés. Chalky was famous for his parties – and thanks to the Arts Club’s generosity this is a great one! Despite the rain EVERYONE made the trip from the cinema and Michael was the centre of attention. We are delighted that celebrity photographer Richard Young agrees to lend his talents and family and friends write tributes to Michael on one of the beautiful limited edition posters. After the after party we have dinner at the secret Soho restaurant Bodega Negra and order lobster and champagne – there is no other way to celebrate!! At midnight I am so tired I catch a cab back to the hotel, then realise I have no money! The driver says he loves my dress so much I can ride for free. A perfect end to the night!! 

[thelastimpresario]

BFI 56th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL - WORLD PREMIERE

October 2013

Arrive in London with Nicole, Executive Producer Mel Flanagan and Associate Producer and film publicist Jessica Carrera. We have five days in London to get everything organised for our opening – and the after party! MW gives me his contact list on a floppy disc! What do I do with this? We are frantically busy – it seems like everyone wants a ticket so that is exciting. I move into the Mayfair Hotel  – yes that’s the most expensive piece of real estate on the Monopoly board and it does not disappoint! And MatchesFashion has given me a Stella McCartney dress and coat for the red carpet! The Big Day arrives and it is RAINING. We get an email from Kate Moss, one of our iconic cast members, to say that she and Jamie are out of London and won’t be able to get back in time for the screening. Panic sets in as I start to think that nobody is going to come out in this weather. But they do! It is a fantastic opening with Michael (looking very dapper but as nervous as I am) surrounded by family and friends and celebrities including Alfonso Cuaron, director of Gravity; the cream of British actors Jeremy Irons, Sinead Cusack, Rupert Everett and Greta Scacchi and Leila George; comedians Bill Oddie and Nigel Planer; models Penelope Tree and Leah Woods; and a great Aussie contingent including Joel and Nash Edgerton and Elizabeth Debicki. Then it is over and people are coming up to Michael and me with tears in their eyes. And Michael tells me it is “Brilliant!” That’s all I need to know – I made it for him and all I really hoped for was his approval.

[thelastimpresario]

PARIS

September 2013

I always wanted a great piece of artwork for the film poster. Michael himself had engaged many great designers for his shows over the years and so I approach an old friend Patrice Forest of Idem Editions Gallery in Paris who speaks to artist Jean Claude Alberola on my behalf. They agree to design and print a limited edition screenprinted poster on the same presses that were used by some of the world’s greatest artists (including these days David Lynch when he is in Paris.) They send through the artwork and I love it! Patrice offers to print them and deliver them to London in time for the Festival. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this magnanimous gesture.

[thelastimpresario]

SYDNEY POST PRODUCTION

August – October 2013 When I decided to fly to LA to show Michael the rough cut of The Last Impresario we also sent it to the London Film Festival. It was little more than an assembly with temp music and sound and a wish list of archive material so our hopes weren’t high. So imagine my elation when I touch down in Sydney, turn my phone back on and receive an invitation to the London Film Festival – a world premiere in Michael’s hometown! I barely have time to take in the emotion of it all before I realise that we have less than 10 weeks to complete the film for its first screening, including licensing hundreds of pieces of archive! Deep breaths! But archivist extraordinaire Lisa Savage is up for the challenge and with the support of Craig Deeker at Gingerbread Man post-production house, Lawrence Horne on sound, composer Michael Yezerski, Andrew Kokato sourcing music, and Carly Vickers creating titles, Nicole and I are more than up to the task.

[thelastimpresario]

LOS ANGELES

July 2013

We’ve had some delays finishing the doco as editor Karen Johnson has been contracted to another documentary film that has gone over. However we’ve now got a rough cut of Chalky – now called The Last Impresario and I make an impulsive decision to fly to LA to show Michael. I made this film for Michael - to celebrate his life and his legacy - and it is so important to me that he likes it. I have a nervous flight to LA and drive to Ojai (where he escapes the London winter) to show him. And he loves it! The only things he asks for is that the film is dedicated to Dr Mehran Khorsandi, the heart specialist who saved his life. Now back home to Sydney to finish the film! Inspired!!

[thelastimpresario]

ADELAIDE DOC WEEK

March 2013

The Australian International Documentary Conference celebrates the best documentary films from around the world and provides a forum and marketplace for filmmakers to network and pitch their projects. Producer of Chalky Nicole O’Donohue and I immersed ourselves in the week’s activities and had some great meetings for our film. We also enjoyed some of the Comedy Fringe Festival and Adelaide Festival events, played scrabble with documentary luminaries and discovered that it is perfectly acceptable behaviour to wear a “onesie” to the Adelaide casino.

[thelastimpresario]

LOS ANGELES

November 2012

It must be fate!  I stay with Leila George in New York who then decides to fly with me to LA. We stay with her Dad, Vincent D’Onofrio at a hotel in Bel Air. Fate strikes at the hotel desk when I recognise Lou Adler who produced the US film and theatre production of Rocky Horror Show with Michael White. He agrees on the spot to an interview so it’s off to Malibu.  Interesting times!  The Michael White story is almost complete.