Essential Media and Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Essential Media & Entertainment is an Australian production company with its head offices in Sydney. It also maintains offices in Los Angeles and Toronto.
Formed in 2006, the company has produced a diverse slate of factual and drama productions for broadcasters around the globe, including Arte France, ABC Australia, BBC
, CBC
, Discovery Channel
, France 5
, History Channel, National Geographic Channel
, PBS, RTE
, SBS Australia, Sundance Channel and many others.
Essential is represented in the USA by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Prior to establishing Essential, Chris Hilton was the managing director and founding partner of Hilton Cordell Productions, which he ran for seven years. Chris is also an award winning writer/director whose programs have won both Walkely Awards and Logie Awards. Chris began his career in media by establishing his own company in 1991, Aspire Films. Prior to that, Chris studied communications at the University of Technology, Sydney
and has an honours degree from the University of Sydney
. His credits include: Solo, Miracle on Everest, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce, The American Ruling Class
, Dying to Leave, Shadow Play, Doping to Win, The Irish Empire, The Colony, Ten Pound Poms and A Traveler's Guide to the Planets.
Ian Collie- Producer/Partner/Head of Drama
A qualified solicitor, co-founder Ian Collie is a former executive director of the Arts Law Centre of Australia and the Australian Directors Guild. Ian and Chris began collaborating at Hilton Cordell Productions in 1997. Ian is a highly experienced drama and factual television producer. His credits include the drama series Rake, telemovies Stepfather of the Brideand Hell Has Harbour Views, and various drama-documentaries and the factual series including Whatever! The Science of Teens, The Making of Modern Australia, Rogue Nation, The Catalpa Rescue, A Case for the Coroner, Art House, The Shadow of Mary Poppins and The Original Mermaid.
Sonja Armstrong - Partner/Producer
Sonja Armstrong began her career in corporate banking, rising to the position of business affairs and finance manager at a leading London film distribution company. She was also a development executive at the Australian Film Commission before establishing her first production company 12 years ago. Her credits include The Floating Brothel, Gourmet Farmer, Lush House, Is Your House Killing You? Heat in the Kitchen, Neil Perry: High Steaks, Helen's War: Portrait of a Dissident and The Fortune Teller.
Carmel Travers - Partner/Head of Children's Content/Director of Business Development
Carmel has been writing, producing and directing television shows for more than three decades. She's also founded and ran production companies including Beyond International
, Energee Entertainment and Purple Pictures.
Film and Television productions written and produced by Carmel include Beyond 2000, Climate in Crisis, Wicked, Crocadoo, Gloria's House, Red Flag Over Tibet, Refugee Like Me, Truth, Lies and Intelligence and the feature film The Magic Pudding
.
A former General Manager of News and Current Affairs at Network Ten
, Carmel's been a Director of a number of private and public corporations and has held several government board positions.
1 x 50' for ABC/Arte France/Smithsonian Channel with Screen Australia/Screen NSW
In a remote river system in Brazil's Amazon Basin live the last 360 members of the Pirahã tribe. To western eyes, they are some of the most remarkable humans on Earth.
Seduction in the City (2011)
2 x 60' an Essential/Telfrance co production for Arte/France/SBS/WNET New York with Screen Australia/Screen NSW
The fascinating story of how the department store was the greatest invention to come out of the industrial revolution.
A Traveler's Guide to the Planets (2010)
6 x 50' for ABC/National Geographic Channel
A travel guide to the very alien planets of our Solar System. Also known as Voyage to the Planets, narrated by Richard Roxburgh.
Miracles (2010)
3 x 55' for ABC/France 5 with Screen Australia
Three epic tales of survival against the elements, against time and against death.
The Pharoah Who Conquered the Sea (2010)
1 x 59' for BBC/PBS/NITK/Arte France with CNC
The Making of Modern Australia (2010)
4 x 60' for ABC with Screen Australia
A landmark social history series that tells the big stories of post-war Australia through the eyes and the personal archives of those who lived it - the people of Australia themselves.
Gourmet Farmer (2010)
10 x 25' for SBS
Australia's toughest food critic, Matthew Evans, has left his job as editor of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide to pursue a culinary and personal sea change in Tasmania.
Whatever! The Science of Teens (2009)
5 x 30' for ABC with Screen Australia
Generations of parents have wondered why their children turn into obnoxious, argumentative, angst-ridden, reckless, lazy and rebellious monsters. Whatever! The Science of Teens has the answers.
Lush House (2009)
10 x 30' for Lifestyle Channel
Shannon Lush, Australia's sensational 'Queen of Clean', brings her incredible knowledge, unrivalled skills and eco friendly cleaning techniques to the small screen.
Solo (2008)
1 x 52' for ABC/BBC/National Geographic Channel US
On January 11, 2007, Andrew McAuley set out on his quest to become the first person to kayak from Australia to New Zealand across 1600 km (994.2 mi) of one of the wildest and loneliest stretches of water on Earth. He lost his life only one day from completely his journey. AFI Award for Most Outstanding Documentary, 2009 (under 60 minutes).
Connected: The Power of Six Degrees (2008)
1 x 54' am Essential Media production in association with Real Pictures for ABC/BBC/Science Channel/Discovery Canada with Screen NSW
Based on the idea that anyone on the planet can be connected in just a few steps of association, 'six degrees of separation' was supposedly an urban myth. Through the films we discover that it's at the heart of a major scientific breakthrough. Also known as Six Degrees of Separation (on BBC).
Rodney’s Robot Revolution (2008)
1 x 53’ for ABC/Arte France/CBC with FFC
A cutting-edge science program exploring Artificial Intelligence with one of the world’s greatest minds, Professor Rodney Brooks, as he races to create the first affordable personal robot.
The Hobbit Enigma (2008)
1 x 52’ an Essential Media production in association with Real Pictures for ABC/Arte France/CBC/WGBH NOVA with FFC
Examines one of the greatest controversies in science today: just what did scientists really find when they uncovered the tiny, human-like skeleton of a strange creature on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003?
Rogue Nation (2008)
2 x 55’ for ABC with Screen Australia
A docudrama about the rapid transformation of the colony of New South Wales from a prison dumping ground to a prosperous colonial society.
Miracle on Everest (2008)
1 x 55’ for ABC/France 5/National Geographic Channel US
In a season of death on Mount Everest, the story of Lincoln Hall’s resurrection captivated the planet. His simple story of survival, thanks to the kindness of a stranger touched the hearts of a world hungry for heroes.
Never Say Die Matildas (2008)
1 x 52’ for SBS with FFC
Follows the Australian Women’s Football Team during a rollercoaster year in which, against all odds, they became one of the nation’s most successful sporting teams.
Indonesia: A Reporter’s Journey (2008)
3 x 50’ for SBS with FFC
Former Indonesian correspondent and veteran commentator, Mike Carlton, returns to Indonesia to reconnect with his friends and explore Australia’s complex relationship with its northern neighbour.
The Choir (2007)
1 x 88’ a co-prodction with National Geographic Films
Filmed over five years, The Choir is about the music that unites Jabulani Shabangu and a group of fellow inmates who are battling to survive in South Africa’s biggest prison.
Songlines to the Seine (2007)
2 x 50’ An Essential/Tetra Media co-production for ABC/Arte France with CNC/FFC
A two-part special to coincide with the opening of the world’s first museum of indigenous art in Paris
Policing the Pacific (2007)
4 x 26’ for SBS with Film Australia
Tells the stories of cops pulled from their familiar surroundings and comfortable jobs to police what the often lawless Solomon Islands.
The Catalpa Rescue (2007)
1 x 55’ Essential/Crossing The Line Films co-production – for ABC/RTE/WNETNew York with BCI/FFC
The extraordinary story of the daring rescue of six Irish rebels from a notoriously brutal penal colony in Fremantle, West Australia in 1876.
Is Your House Killing You? (2007)
7 x 30’ Essential Media production in association with Tallstoreez for SBS with SAFC
A groundbreaking, on the pulse, scientific makeover program about detoxifying your home.
Ten Pound Poms (2007)
1 x 52’ for ABC/BBC/History Channel UK with FFC
A social history documentary that traces the stories of the Ten Pound Poms, the mass migration program that saw more than one million Britons emigrate to Australia in the post-war era
In the Line of Fire (2007)
4 x 25’ Essential Media in association with Firelight for Nine Network
A series that enters the inspiring, adrenaline-charged world of fire fighters as they battle deadly blazes to save homes and lives. Narrated by Jack Thompson.
Neil Perry’s High Steaks (2006)
3 x 25’ for Lifestyle Channel with FFC
Follows Australia’s most successful chef as he is about to raise the stakes to launch his biggest restaurant ever in the heart of Melbourne.
Johnny Warren’s Football Mission (2006)
1 x 52’ for SBS
A feature documentary that charts the life of soccer legend, Johnny Warren to coincide with the 2006 World Cup. Narrated by Anthony LaPaglia.
The Floating Brothel (2006)
1 x 55’ for ABC/BBC/ WNET New York with Film Australia and NSWFTO
Three women uncover the rags-to-respectability tale of their ancestors - the feisty convicts who became the unlikely founding mothers of modern Australia.
Heat in the Kitchen (2005)
5 x 25’ for SBS/UKTV Food/Lifestyle Channel with FFC
In a city seduced by celebrity, style and stellar chefs, an anxious game is played out between restaurants and food critics.
8 x 55’ for ABC with Screen Australia
Criminal barrister, Cleaver Greene, is reckless, brilliant, self destructive, funny and bloody minded – and that’s just his private life. Professionally he is driven to win the unwinnable and defend the indefensible. Starring Richard Roxburgh.
Jack Irish (In Production 2011)
5 x 90’ for ABC with Screen Australia and ZDF Enterprises
A phone call from former client, Danny McKillop, doesn’t ring any bells for private investigator and failed lawyer, Jack Irish. But when Danny turns up dead, Jack has to take a walk back into the dark and dangerous past. Based on the novels by Peter Temple.
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce (2008)
1 x 58’ for ABC/BBC NI/RTE with Screen Australia/Screen Tasmania
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce follows the final days of Irish convict Alexander Pearce’s life as he awaits execution.
Scorched (2008)
1 x 90’ A Goalpost Pictures/Essential Media & Entertainment Production in association with Firelight Projects for Nine Network with Screen Australia /NSWFTO
Set in the near future, Scorched tells the story of what could happen if Sydney is besieged by bushfires, but has insufficient water to fight them. International Digital Emmy Award for Best Fiction, 2009.
8 x 26’ - Nine Network
Follow leading forensic and coronial investigators as they attempt to solve unexplained, mysterious or suspicious deaths.
The Colony (2004)
6 x 55’ for SBS/ History Channel (UK)/ RTE with FFC
Australia’s first ‘living history’ series that explores the gripping story of the first settlers’ brutal and often bloody conflicts.
Dying to Leave (2004)
2 x 52’ for SBS/WNET New York with FFC
Explores the worldwide boom in illicit migration and human trafficking. Logie Award for Most Outstanding Documentary, 2004. Walkely Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2004
Art House (2004)
4 x 30’ for SBS with FFC
A series that goes behind the closed doors of the Australian art auction world to meet the key players in the ferociously competitive art scene.
The Shadow of Mary Poppins (2002)
1 x 55’ for ABC/AVRO Holland/CBC Newsworld/ RTE with FFC/NSWFTO
Tue true story of the Australian creator of Mary Poppins, Pamela Travers, and her remarkable but troubled life.
Shadow Play (2001)
1 x 80’ Hilton Cordell/Vagabond Films co-production for Arte France/BBC /SBS/ WNET New York with FFC and Soros Documentary Fund
A full and frank account the slaughter of more than 500,000 people in Indonesia, and the period of history that triggered it; as Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno was swept from power.
DIY Law (2001)
4 x 30’ for ABC with FFC
An observational series that follows a number of self-litigants on their journey through the labyrinthine judicial system.
Drama School (2001)
9 x 30’ for Seven Network/TV3 with FFC
A series on life inside Australia’s most famous acting school - where what happens off stage is often more dramatic than what happens on it. Introduced by NIDA’s most famous graduate, Mel Gibson.
Bondi (1999)
6 x 30’ A Hilton Cordell/Century Films co-production for- ABC/Channel Four/TVNZ
A documentary soap opera about one of the best-known stretches of sand in the world – Bondi Beach.
3 x 60’ for ABC with FFC/AFC
A series on the history of the international opium trade and drug control policy.
Advertising Missionaries (1996)
1 x 52’ for ABC/ /France 3/ SRC/with CNC/FFC
Follows the quest of multinational companies as they use performance as a means to reach new consumers in the PNG highlands.
The Last Husky (1993)
1 x 54’ Aspire/Aurora co-production – for ABC/National Geographic Television with FFC
Husky dog teams have served on the Mawson Base in the Antarctic for fifty years. This documentary records the last dogs to be used there and the journey to their new home in Minnesota, USA.
The Ice Capped Jungle (1993)
1 x 52’ for Seven Network with FFC
The documentary covers a hiking trip to the mountains in a remote area of Irian Jaya. The party consists of expedition leader Lincoln Hall, a mountain climber, a biologist, two filmmakers and 70 indigenous carriers.
Formed in 2006, the company has produced a diverse slate of factual and drama productions for broadcasters around the globe, including Arte France, ABC Australia, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, France 5
France 5
France 5 is a public television network in France, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir...
, History Channel, National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
, PBS, RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
, SBS Australia, Sundance Channel and many others.
Essential is represented in the USA by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Directors
Chris Hilton- CEO/Executive Producer/Head of FactualPrior to establishing Essential, Chris Hilton was the managing director and founding partner of Hilton Cordell Productions, which he ran for seven years. Chris is also an award winning writer/director whose programs have won both Walkely Awards and Logie Awards. Chris began his career in media by establishing his own company in 1991, Aspire Films. Prior to that, Chris studied communications at the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
and has an honours degree from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. His credits include: Solo, Miracle on Everest, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce, The American Ruling Class
The American Ruling Class
The American Ruling Class is a dramatic documentary film written by Lewis H. Lapham and directed by John Kirby that "explores our country’s most taboo topic: class, power and privilege in our nominally democratic republic." It seeks to answer the question, "Does America have a ruling class?" Its...
, Dying to Leave, Shadow Play, Doping to Win, The Irish Empire, The Colony, Ten Pound Poms and A Traveler's Guide to the Planets.
Ian Collie- Producer/Partner/Head of Drama
A qualified solicitor, co-founder Ian Collie is a former executive director of the Arts Law Centre of Australia and the Australian Directors Guild. Ian and Chris began collaborating at Hilton Cordell Productions in 1997. Ian is a highly experienced drama and factual television producer. His credits include the drama series Rake, telemovies Stepfather of the Brideand Hell Has Harbour Views, and various drama-documentaries and the factual series including Whatever! The Science of Teens, The Making of Modern Australia, Rogue Nation, The Catalpa Rescue, A Case for the Coroner, Art House, The Shadow of Mary Poppins and The Original Mermaid.
Sonja Armstrong - Partner/Producer
Sonja Armstrong began her career in corporate banking, rising to the position of business affairs and finance manager at a leading London film distribution company. She was also a development executive at the Australian Film Commission before establishing her first production company 12 years ago. Her credits include The Floating Brothel, Gourmet Farmer, Lush House, Is Your House Killing You? Heat in the Kitchen, Neil Perry: High Steaks, Helen's War: Portrait of a Dissident and The Fortune Teller.
Carmel Travers - Partner/Head of Children's Content/Director of Business Development
Carmel has been writing, producing and directing television shows for more than three decades. She's also founded and ran production companies including Beyond International
Beyond Television Productions
Beyond Television Productions is a subsidiary of the Australian company Beyond International. The company is involved in the creation and international exploitation of television, feature films and ancillary products. The company has an extensive television program catalog of over 5000 hours...
, Energee Entertainment and Purple Pictures.
Film and Television productions written and produced by Carmel include Beyond 2000, Climate in Crisis, Wicked, Crocadoo, Gloria's House, Red Flag Over Tibet, Refugee Like Me, Truth, Lies and Intelligence and the feature film The Magic Pudding
The Magic Pudding
The Magic Pudding: Being The Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and his friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff is an Australian children's book written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay. It is a comic fantasy, and a classic of Australian children's literature....
.
A former General Manager of News and Current Affairs at Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, Carmel's been a Director of a number of private and public corporations and has held several government board positions.
Factual
The Grammer of Happiness (2011)1 x 50' for ABC/Arte France/Smithsonian Channel with Screen Australia/Screen NSW
In a remote river system in Brazil's Amazon Basin live the last 360 members of the Pirahã tribe. To western eyes, they are some of the most remarkable humans on Earth.
Seduction in the City (2011)
2 x 60' an Essential/Telfrance co production for Arte/France/SBS/WNET New York with Screen Australia/Screen NSW
The fascinating story of how the department store was the greatest invention to come out of the industrial revolution.
A Traveler's Guide to the Planets (2010)
6 x 50' for ABC/National Geographic Channel
A travel guide to the very alien planets of our Solar System. Also known as Voyage to the Planets, narrated by Richard Roxburgh.
Miracles (2010)
3 x 55' for ABC/France 5 with Screen Australia
Three epic tales of survival against the elements, against time and against death.
The Pharoah Who Conquered the Sea (2010)
1 x 59' for BBC/PBS/NITK/Arte France with CNC
The Making of Modern Australia (2010)
4 x 60' for ABC with Screen Australia
A landmark social history series that tells the big stories of post-war Australia through the eyes and the personal archives of those who lived it - the people of Australia themselves.
Gourmet Farmer (2010)
10 x 25' for SBS
Australia's toughest food critic, Matthew Evans, has left his job as editor of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide to pursue a culinary and personal sea change in Tasmania.
Whatever! The Science of Teens (2009)
5 x 30' for ABC with Screen Australia
Generations of parents have wondered why their children turn into obnoxious, argumentative, angst-ridden, reckless, lazy and rebellious monsters. Whatever! The Science of Teens has the answers.
Lush House (2009)
10 x 30' for Lifestyle Channel
Shannon Lush, Australia's sensational 'Queen of Clean', brings her incredible knowledge, unrivalled skills and eco friendly cleaning techniques to the small screen.
Solo (2008)
1 x 52' for ABC/BBC/National Geographic Channel US
On January 11, 2007, Andrew McAuley set out on his quest to become the first person to kayak from Australia to New Zealand across 1600 km (994.2 mi) of one of the wildest and loneliest stretches of water on Earth. He lost his life only one day from completely his journey. AFI Award for Most Outstanding Documentary, 2009 (under 60 minutes).
Connected: The Power of Six Degrees (2008)
1 x 54' am Essential Media production in association with Real Pictures for ABC/BBC/Science Channel/Discovery Canada with Screen NSW
Based on the idea that anyone on the planet can be connected in just a few steps of association, 'six degrees of separation' was supposedly an urban myth. Through the films we discover that it's at the heart of a major scientific breakthrough. Also known as Six Degrees of Separation (on BBC).
Rodney’s Robot Revolution (2008)
1 x 53’ for ABC/Arte France/CBC with FFC
A cutting-edge science program exploring Artificial Intelligence with one of the world’s greatest minds, Professor Rodney Brooks, as he races to create the first affordable personal robot.
The Hobbit Enigma (2008)
1 x 52’ an Essential Media production in association with Real Pictures for ABC/Arte France/CBC/WGBH NOVA with FFC
Examines one of the greatest controversies in science today: just what did scientists really find when they uncovered the tiny, human-like skeleton of a strange creature on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003?
Rogue Nation (2008)
2 x 55’ for ABC with Screen Australia
A docudrama about the rapid transformation of the colony of New South Wales from a prison dumping ground to a prosperous colonial society.
Miracle on Everest (2008)
1 x 55’ for ABC/France 5/National Geographic Channel US
In a season of death on Mount Everest, the story of Lincoln Hall’s resurrection captivated the planet. His simple story of survival, thanks to the kindness of a stranger touched the hearts of a world hungry for heroes.
Never Say Die Matildas (2008)
1 x 52’ for SBS with FFC
Follows the Australian Women’s Football Team during a rollercoaster year in which, against all odds, they became one of the nation’s most successful sporting teams.
Indonesia: A Reporter’s Journey (2008)
3 x 50’ for SBS with FFC
Former Indonesian correspondent and veteran commentator, Mike Carlton, returns to Indonesia to reconnect with his friends and explore Australia’s complex relationship with its northern neighbour.
The Choir (2007)
1 x 88’ a co-prodction with National Geographic Films
Filmed over five years, The Choir is about the music that unites Jabulani Shabangu and a group of fellow inmates who are battling to survive in South Africa’s biggest prison.
Songlines to the Seine (2007)
2 x 50’ An Essential/Tetra Media co-production for ABC/Arte France with CNC/FFC
A two-part special to coincide with the opening of the world’s first museum of indigenous art in Paris
Policing the Pacific (2007)
4 x 26’ for SBS with Film Australia
Tells the stories of cops pulled from their familiar surroundings and comfortable jobs to police what the often lawless Solomon Islands.
The Catalpa Rescue (2007)
1 x 55’ Essential/Crossing The Line Films co-production – for ABC/RTE/WNETNew York with BCI/FFC
The extraordinary story of the daring rescue of six Irish rebels from a notoriously brutal penal colony in Fremantle, West Australia in 1876.
Is Your House Killing You? (2007)
7 x 30’ Essential Media production in association with Tallstoreez for SBS with SAFC
A groundbreaking, on the pulse, scientific makeover program about detoxifying your home.
Ten Pound Poms (2007)
1 x 52’ for ABC/BBC/History Channel UK with FFC
A social history documentary that traces the stories of the Ten Pound Poms, the mass migration program that saw more than one million Britons emigrate to Australia in the post-war era
In the Line of Fire (2007)
4 x 25’ Essential Media in association with Firelight for Nine Network
A series that enters the inspiring, adrenaline-charged world of fire fighters as they battle deadly blazes to save homes and lives. Narrated by Jack Thompson.
Neil Perry’s High Steaks (2006)
3 x 25’ for Lifestyle Channel with FFC
Follows Australia’s most successful chef as he is about to raise the stakes to launch his biggest restaurant ever in the heart of Melbourne.
Johnny Warren’s Football Mission (2006)
1 x 52’ for SBS
A feature documentary that charts the life of soccer legend, Johnny Warren to coincide with the 2006 World Cup. Narrated by Anthony LaPaglia.
The Floating Brothel (2006)
1 x 55’ for ABC/BBC/ WNET New York with Film Australia and NSWFTO
Three women uncover the rags-to-respectability tale of their ancestors - the feisty convicts who became the unlikely founding mothers of modern Australia.
Heat in the Kitchen (2005)
5 x 25’ for SBS/UKTV Food/Lifestyle Channel with FFC
In a city seduced by celebrity, style and stellar chefs, an anxious game is played out between restaurants and food critics.
Television Drama
Rake (2010)Rake (TV series)
Rake is an Australian television series, produced by Essential Media and Entertainment, that first aired on ABC1 in 2010. It stars Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive barrister, a rake...
8 x 55’ for ABC with Screen Australia
Criminal barrister, Cleaver Greene, is reckless, brilliant, self destructive, funny and bloody minded – and that’s just his private life. Professionally he is driven to win the unwinnable and defend the indefensible. Starring Richard Roxburgh.
Jack Irish (In Production 2011)
5 x 90’ for ABC with Screen Australia and ZDF Enterprises
A phone call from former client, Danny McKillop, doesn’t ring any bells for private investigator and failed lawyer, Jack Irish. But when Danny turns up dead, Jack has to take a walk back into the dark and dangerous past. Based on the novels by Peter Temple.
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce (2008)
1 x 58’ for ABC/BBC NI/RTE with Screen Australia/Screen Tasmania
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce follows the final days of Irish convict Alexander Pearce’s life as he awaits execution.
Scorched (2008)
1 x 90’ A Goalpost Pictures/Essential Media & Entertainment Production in association with Firelight Projects for Nine Network with Screen Australia /NSWFTO
Set in the near future, Scorched tells the story of what could happen if Sydney is besieged by bushfires, but has insufficient water to fight them. International Digital Emmy Award for Best Fiction, 2009.
Factual programs produced as Hilton-Cordell Productions
Suspicious Minds (2006)8 x 26’ - Nine Network
Follow leading forensic and coronial investigators as they attempt to solve unexplained, mysterious or suspicious deaths.
The Colony (2004)
6 x 55’ for SBS/ History Channel (UK)/ RTE with FFC
Australia’s first ‘living history’ series that explores the gripping story of the first settlers’ brutal and often bloody conflicts.
Dying to Leave (2004)
2 x 52’ for SBS/WNET New York with FFC
Explores the worldwide boom in illicit migration and human trafficking. Logie Award for Most Outstanding Documentary, 2004. Walkely Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2004
Art House (2004)
4 x 30’ for SBS with FFC
A series that goes behind the closed doors of the Australian art auction world to meet the key players in the ferociously competitive art scene.
The Shadow of Mary Poppins (2002)
1 x 55’ for ABC/AVRO Holland/CBC Newsworld/ RTE with FFC/NSWFTO
Tue true story of the Australian creator of Mary Poppins, Pamela Travers, and her remarkable but troubled life.
Shadow Play (2001)
1 x 80’ Hilton Cordell/Vagabond Films co-production for Arte France/BBC /SBS/ WNET New York with FFC and Soros Documentary Fund
A full and frank account the slaughter of more than 500,000 people in Indonesia, and the period of history that triggered it; as Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno was swept from power.
DIY Law (2001)
4 x 30’ for ABC with FFC
An observational series that follows a number of self-litigants on their journey through the labyrinthine judicial system.
Drama School (2001)
9 x 30’ for Seven Network/TV3 with FFC
A series on life inside Australia’s most famous acting school - where what happens off stage is often more dramatic than what happens on it. Introduced by NIDA’s most famous graduate, Mel Gibson.
Bondi (1999)
6 x 30’ A Hilton Cordell/Century Films co-production for- ABC/Channel Four/TVNZ
A documentary soap opera about one of the best-known stretches of sand in the world – Bondi Beach.
Factual programs produced as Aspire Films
Dealing with the Demon (1996)3 x 60’ for ABC with FFC/AFC
A series on the history of the international opium trade and drug control policy.
Advertising Missionaries (1996)
1 x 52’ for ABC/ /France 3/ SRC/with CNC/FFC
Follows the quest of multinational companies as they use performance as a means to reach new consumers in the PNG highlands.
The Last Husky (1993)
1 x 54’ Aspire/Aurora co-production – for ABC/National Geographic Television with FFC
Husky dog teams have served on the Mawson Base in the Antarctic for fifty years. This documentary records the last dogs to be used there and the journey to their new home in Minnesota, USA.
The Ice Capped Jungle (1993)
1 x 52’ for Seven Network with FFC
The documentary covers a hiking trip to the mountains in a remote area of Irian Jaya. The party consists of expedition leader Lincoln Hall, a mountain climber, a biologist, two filmmakers and 70 indigenous carriers.
Selected Awards and Nominations
- Golden Gate AwardGolden Gate AwardGolden Gate Award may refer to:* A film award at the San Francisco International Film Festival* An award part of the GLAAD Media Awards...
- San Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries... - Silver Plaques - Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
(x4) - Cine Golden Eagle Award
- UN Media Peace Prizes (x2)
- Selected for Joris Ivens Award Competition at IDFA (x2)
- Human Rights Awards
- Banff Rocky Award Nominations (x4)
- ATOM Awards (x3)
- Best Documentary, Film Critics Circle
- AFIAFIAFI, the three letter acronym, may refer to:*AFI , an American alternative rock band**AFI , an album by AFI released in 2004*Air Force Instruction, documented instructions for members of the United States Air Force...
Best Documentary Award - AFIAFIAFI, the three letter acronym, may refer to:*AFI , an American alternative rock band**AFI , an album by AFI released in 2004*Air Force Instruction, documented instructions for members of the United States Air Force...
Best Documentary Nominations (x3) and numerous craft awards - Logie AwardLogie AwardThe TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for Most Outstanding Doc Series (and other nominations) - Dendy Best Documentary Award and Nominations, Sydney Film FestivalSydney Film FestivalThe Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
- Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism
External links
- http://www.essential-media.com/ Official Website
- http://www.imdb.com/company/co0248513/ IMDB
- http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/travelers-guide-to-the-planets/all/Overview A Traveler's Guide to the Planets
- http://www.abc.net.au/tv/voyage/guidebook.htm Voyage to the Planets
- http://makingaustralia.abc.net.au/service/displayHomePageExperience.kickAction?page=Homepage&as=73526 The Making of Modern Australia
- http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/gourmetfarmer/watchonline/page/i/1/show/gourmetfarmer Gourmet Farmer
- http://www.abc.net.au/tv.documentaries/interactive.whatever/ Whatever! The Science of Teens
- http://lushhouse.com.au/ Lush House
- http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/interactive/futuremakers/ep4/ How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer
- http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/showcases/roguenation/ Rogue Nation
- http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1071227.htm Ten Pound Poms
- http://www.thelastconfession.com/ The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
- http://scorched.tv/ Scorched