ABOUT

Based in Sydney, Australia, Lion Rock Films specialises in the development and production of high end, entertaining feature films for Australian and international audiences. Principals Warwick Ross and David Roach have built up a strong reputation over twenty years of original writing and innovative production.

PEOPLE

WARWICK ROSS

Born and educated in Hong Kong, Warwick Ross moved to Australia as a teenager. He graduated from Melbourne University with honours in Mechanical Engineering. After attending film school at the University of Southern California he worked on Columbia Pictures, The Blue Lagoon.

Upon his return to Australia he was involved in the production of a number of feature films including the super-hero spoof, The Return of Captain Invincible, starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee.

In 1988 he joined the team of Yahoo Serious, David Roach and Lulu Serious, to produce the comedy, Young Einstein. The film was an instant critical and box office hit and the most successful film ever released by Warner Bros in Australia. It went on to achieve international success attaining number one at the French, German and UK box offices. Young Einstein remains one of the most popular Australian films ever released.

Warwick has since produced two more feature films with the same team, Reckless Kelly, distributed internationally by Warner Bros. and again number one at the Australian box office and Mr Accident released internationally by MGM. The combined Australian theatrical box office of over $25 million makes the production team one of the most successful in Australian history.

His current projects include the WWII drama Escape from Hong Kong once again, collaborating with friend and scriptwriter, David Roach. Warwick is also producing and directing the accompanying documentary of the same name.

Warwick has recently completed a European/Asian based project,Red Obsession, due for release in early 2013. The documentary explores how the fine wines of Bordeaux have become the leitmotif of power, wealth and influence.

Other projects being developed under the Lion Rock films banner include the comedies, The Untitled Bulgarian Project and One Bad Thing.

Apart from heading up Lion Rock Films, Warwick Ross is also a vigneron. His winery, Portsea Estate Wines, is situated on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula on the south coast of Victoria, Australia. His estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have won national and international awards.

DAVID ROACH

A graduate of Australia's National Art School, David Roach is best known as a screenwriter, producer and director. His most recent feature film project as writer & producer is the hit Australian WWI movie, Beneath Hill 60 for Paramount/Transmission. Nominated for 12 Australian Film Institute Awards including best original screenplay, Beneath Hill 60 has been described by Sir Peter Jackson as, “the best World War One movie since Peter Weir’s Gallipoli.” Released in 2010, Beneath Hill 60 received numerous international awards including the prestigious Sloan Foundation Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival in New York and Best Film at the Savannah International Film Festival. It has been sold to all major territories and is due for release in the U.S. in 2011.

David’s current projects include the feature film, Banjo & Matilda, a German/Australian co-production for Lucky Country Productions Australia and QI Developments Berlin. Amongst the projects he is developing for Lion Rock Films is Escape from Hong Kong, a WW2 drama set in Hong Kong and mainland China. He has recently completed the international documentary, Red Obsession, due for release in early 2013. It explores how the fine wines of Bordeaux have become the leitmotif of power, wealth and influence.

Past feature film credits as writer/co-producer include Warner Bros, Young Einstein which he also edited. Young Einstein was Nominated for an AWGIE award for best original screenplay and went on to gross over $100 million internationally. David co-wrote and co-produced Reckless Kelly also for Warner Brothers and Mr. Accident for MGM/UA.

David has a continuing interest in non-fiction film. He wrote and co-produced the critically acclaimed ABC/BBC documentary,Singer, A Dangerous Mind about controversial philosopher Peter Singer. It was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as, “television dynamite”. David also wrote and co-directed Writers on Writing which was nominated for an ATOM award.

When time allows, David Roach runs master classes for screenwriters, novelists and filmmakers. A passionate and inspired teacher, David's innovative workshops often explore the way an understanding of music and the visual arts can give a deeper insight into screen writing and narrative structure.

David has also co-produced several albums including two in Havana featuring the Cuban pianist Ariadna Lopez.

David lives in Wombarra on the coast just south of Sydney, Australia with his wife, journalist, broadcaster and producer, Caroline Baum. Together they head up Two Heads Media.

David is represented by Kate Richter.
HLA MANAGEMENT PTY LTD
ph: (61 2) 9549 3000 fax: (61 2) 9310 4113
www.hlamanagement.com.au

ROBERT COE

Rob is a Sydney based producer. Having a background in finance and law, he joined the team at Lion Rock Films in 2011 as Executive Producer of the feature length documentary, RED OBSESSION.

Rob is also a co-founder of Australian production company Boulevard Film. His current projects include the feature film, BOXER, an Australian production that has been selected for Screen NSW’s Aurora Script Workshop. Other projects being developed under the Boulevard Film banner include the sci-fi drama, GENESIS 6, and the short, LIGHT.

Earlier in his career Rob worked as an Investment Advisor at Minerva Capital Advisors. Prior to joining Minerva, Rob was an analyst with Independent Corporate Advisory Firm BKK Partners Limited in Sydney where he worked for the former Treasurer of Australia, the Honourable Peter Costello MP. He also spent time at Macquarie Capital Advisors, (a subsidiary of Macquarie Group) where he worked in the Equity Capital Markets division. Rob has degrees in Commerce and Law (Hons) from the University of Sydney.