$9.99 An Australian-Israeli Co-production

One reason some of us aussie expats may condescend to watch the Oscars this year is Hugh Jackman, the Australian star of 3 X-men movies and the romantic epic Australia. Jackman will host this year's Oscar ceremony, a departure from the tradition of US comedians hosting Hollywood’s most important night of the year.
Hugh Jackman is an award-winning musical theatre performer and has hosted Broadway's Tony awards three times. He is considered a consummate entertainer. He has style, elegance and a sense of occasion. Oh yeah! Probably the clincher for those who like a cute butt is that People Magazine named him 2008’s sexiest man alive.
Besides that two Israeli animated feature films are competing against each other and the Disney Studios for an Oscar in the field of animation. You've probably already seen Waltz With Bashir. In recent years the Israel animation industry has grown to the stage where hundreds of graduates are absorbed into the field each year creating advertisements, TV productions and shorts. But two animated features, Waltz with Bashir and $9.99, may be signalling a promotion for the local animation industry to the premier league, of animated feature films. The fact that both these Israeli films are on the shortlist for an Oscar in the field of animation, hopefully is a good sign for the local industry.
But its $9.99 that gives us expats an extra reason to follow the outcome of this year’s Oscars. $9.99 is an Israeli-Australian co production, joining a script based on short stories by Edgar Keret, the direction of Tatia Rosenthal an Israeli resident in the US, and the co production of Israeli producer Amir Harel and Sydney based Emile Sherman. (Sherman’s credits include Rabbit Proof Fence, and Harel’s include Meduzot, Walking On Water and Yossi and Jagger) As announced by Film Finance Corporation Australia ,$9.99 is the first co-production between the Israel and Australia under a recently signed Co-Production Treaty.
The film tells a number of stories going on at the same time in an apartment building, with Australian accents. The script was accepted some 6 years ago to the Sundance Lab and won a prize there, and from there Harel and Sherman were brought into the project with a $3 million budget.

The film's plot revolves around Dave an unemployed, soft-spoken twenty-eight-year-old man who shares an apartment with his father. Dave is desperate to discover the meaning of life, so when he comes across a book that claims to contain this knowledge – “all for the low price of $9.99” – he rather understandably makes the purchase.
Inside the book, Dave finds the answers he is looking for and feels compelled to share his new knowledge with everyone he knows. Given the limited scope of his everyday life, that group is primarily made up of his neighbours: a widower with a cranky guardian angel; a retired, down-on-his-luck magician; a captivating woman who has strong preferences where men are concerned; a newly single man who befriends a group of hard-partying, two-inch-tall students; and a quietly rebellious little boy. Their stories are woven together, examining hope, love and spirituality.
Though the Disney studios are heavily tipped to take most of the prizes in a field where there are only 3 categories instead of the regular 5, I’ll be barracking for our vested interest.