Sydney production outfit Jungleboys signs The Sapphires and Redfern Now director Wayne Blair

Acclaimed director of box office hit The Sapphires and tonight’s episode of ABC indigenous drama Redfern Now, Wayne Blair, has signed to Sydney-based production company Jungleboys for commercial representation across the Asia Pacific region.

A film, television and theatre writer/director with a background in performance, Blair’s debut feature The Sapphires – a musical comedy about a passionate all-female Aboriginal singing troop – is the country’s highest grossing Australian box office feature film of 2012.

Since opening at the Cannes Film Festival this year, it’s played at festivals including Telluride, Toronto, Aspen, Zurich and Hamburg. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film closed with a 10-minute standing ovation from the festive audience at its Cannes’ midnight screening.

“These girls light up the screen as much as their music lights up the stage,” said Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company (TWC), which brought the international sales rights to the film. “We’re thrilled to bring the stories and music from these sisters to audiences all over the world.”

Says Negeen Yazdi, senior VP of acquisitions at TWC: “Wayne Blair tells this story in the most charming way by capturing the excitement, heartbreak and joy these girls experienced on their incredible journey. We’ve been passionate about this project since the day we read the script.”

Screening tonight on ABC TV is Blair’s episode of Redfern Now; a landmark television series and the first contemporary indigenous drama series to hit Australian screens. He is currently writing an episode for the second series, which will go into production in 2013.   

“Jungleboys is a company that matches the ethos of how I like to work,” says Blair, who this week won GQ Man of the Year for Creative Force. “They are robust, have an amazing amount of energy and produce international quality work. I feel blessed to be included in their slate of directors and look forward to our future collaboration.”

“It’s incredible to have Wayne on board and the team is really excited about working with such an incredible storyteller,” adds Jungleboys executive producer Jason Burrows.

Redfern Now screens tonight (November 15th) at 8.30pm on ABC TV.