Film body boss denies Nicole Kidman received tax cash for film trip

The boss of the Australian government’s film body has denied claims taxpayers’ money was used to fund Nicole Kidman’s trip to the Toronto International Film Festival last year (Sep13). The Oscar winner attended the Canadian movie event alongside Brit Colin Firth to promote their war film The Railway Man, but a recent error on Screen Australia’s website made it appear that Kidman’s travel expenses had been covered by funds given to the organisation by the public.
Screen Australia Chief executive Graeme Mason has now cleared up the mistake, revealing that the $12,854 (£8,034) travel grant had actually been awarded to the film’s producer, Chris Brown.
Mason tells the Sydney Daily Telegraph, “Ms Kidman has never applied, she has not received (any money) and would never apply for any public money for something like this. She wouldn’t even know these things exist.
“Because you had a couple of international stars and because it was in one of the three most important film festivals in the world, there was an application made to get some of those people (cast and crew) together to do as much work as they could to promote the film.”
Mason also reveals that director Jonathan Teplitzky received a grant to make the journey from Australia.
The movie, about a British soldier captured by Japanese forces during World War II, was shot on location in both the U.K. and Australia.