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AUSTRALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2009
The Australian Embassy in Moscow is pleased to announce its 7th annual Australian Film Festival
- 18–22 March, Moscow: Khudozhestvenny cinema (14 Arbatskaya Sq)
- 1–5 April, St. Petersburg: Crystal Palace (Nevsky Prospect, 72)
Australian Film Festival is an annual event by the Australian Embassy in Moscow, supported by Screen Australia. This major effort to raise awareness and appreciation of Australian film and culture is proving to be increasingly popular with Russian audiences. Traditionally, the Festival is hosted by Khudozhestvenny Cinema in the very centre of Moscow. This year, Australian movies will be also screened in St Petersburg, at Crystal Palace.
The 2009 Festival program includes 9 Australian feature films and a selection of shorts. The features introduce various aspects of modern Australian society. In 2009 - the Year of Equal Opportunities supported by the Moscow City Government - some movies on the program will also address social integration issues, including for people with limited abilities. There are also several films for kids and youngsters, such as The Magic Pudding (animated). All the films are screened in English, with Russian translation and – in several cases – subtitles (which is particularly important for viewers with limited hearing). The list of feature films for 2009 Festival is appended below.
We hope that Russian audiences will appreciate the creations of Australian filmmakers. Although our countries are geographically very far away from each other, we still hold the same hopes and fears. The frame of reference may be different, but love, greed, hope, fear, and romance – these are universal themes.
- Tickets are available at Khudozhestvenny cinema in Moscow (tel. booking: +7 495 2910247) and at Crystall Palace in St. Petersburg (+7 812 2722382)
- For media accreditation, additional materials, and film publicity please contact: Ekaterina Kostina, Public Diplomacy/Cultural Affairs Officer, Australian Embassy: +7-495-232-32-54; E-mail: ekaterina.kostina@dfat.gov.au
The Embassy thanks our major sponsor BHP Billiton
without whose generous support this event would not have been possible
We would also like to thank other sponsors:
| | Subtitling for the films: |
List of Titles 2009
Amy
Director: Nadia Tass
Producers: David Parker, Nadia Tass
Writer: David Parker
Cast: Rachel Griffiths, Alana De Roma, Ben Mendelsohn, Nick Barker, Kerry Armstrong, Susie Porter, Torquil Neilson, Jeremy Trigatti, William Zappa, Sullivan Stapleton, Mary Ward.
Synopsis:
A mother brings her daughter, Amy, to the city after she overreacts to a visit from well-meaning welfare officers. Amy is a deaf mute, and, despite soliciting help from all manner of specialists, it is through a young musical neighbour, Robert, that Amy breaks through her silence.
Duration: 100 min Genre: Psychological/Family/music
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: Cinemascope
Selected Awards
1998 Asia Pacific Film Festival (Japan) Special Grand Jury Prize
1999 Cannes Film Festival - Grand Prix Cannes Junior, Forum Cannes, Cannes Film Festival - Prix Education Nationale, Forum Cannes, Giffoni Children's Film Festival - Golden Gryphon, Best Film in 'Free to Fly" Competition
2000 Carrousel Int. du film de Rimouski (Canada) Camerio: Best Feature, Best Actor, and Best Actress
Clubland
Director: Cherie Nowlan
Executive Producers: RB Films
Producer: Rosemary Blight
Writer: Kath Thompson
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Emma Booth, Khan Chittenden, Richard Wilson, Russell Dykstra, Rebecca Gibney, Katie Wall, Phillip Quast, Frankie J Holden
Synopsis:
Life can be tough when you’re 21-years-old, and still a virgin. Just ask Tim. The girl of his dreams has just walked into his life, and things should be looking up, except a few small problems stand between him and the perfect romance: his mum, his dad and the family business… show business. Welcome to CLUBLAND. A family love story that will defy your expectations.
Duration: 105 mins Genre: Comedy Drama
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 1.1:85
Selected Awards
AFI Awards 2007: Nominated: Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress.
Film Critics Circle of Australia 2008: Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role; Best Actress – Supporting Role
Home Song Stories
Director: Tony Ayres
Producers: Michael McMahon and Liz Watts
Writers: Tony Ayres
Cast: Joan Chen, Yuwu Qi, Joel Lok, Irene Chen, Steven Vidler, Kerry Walker
Synopsis:
The story of Rose, a glamorous Shanghai nightclub singer, and her struggle to survive in Australia with her two young children. An epic tale of mothers and sons, mothers and daughters, unrequited love, betrayal and hidden secrets that spans continents and decades.
Duration: 103 min Genre: Drama/Family
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 1.1:85
Selected Awards
2007 8 AFI Awards, 5 IF Awards.
The Magic Pudding
Executive Producer: Gerry Travers
Producer: Gerry Travers & Edward Trost
Director: Karl Zwicky & Robert Smit
Writer: Greg Haddrick & Simon Hopkinson & Harry Cripps
Cast: Animated Voices: John Cleese, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Jack Thompson, Hugo Weaving, John Laws, Toni Collette
Synopsis:
A truly unique animated film about a pudding - or rather puddin' - that talks, enjoys being eaten but never runs out and can turn itself into just about anything pretty much. Oh, and everyone is trying to steal it.
Duration: 76 min Genre: Children's
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating G Screen ratio: 1:1.85 wide screen
Selected Awards:
2001 London Australian Film Festival, Bristol Animation, Taormina International Film Festival,
CINEMAGIC - International Film Festival for Young people
Mullet
Producer: Vincent Sheehan
Director: David Caesar
Writer: David Caesar
Cast: Ben Mendelsohn, Susie Porter, Andrew S Gilbert, Tony Barry, Kris McQuade, Belinda McClory, Peta Brady, Wayne Blair, Steve Le Marquand, Aaron Blabey.
Synopsis:
Life in a small coastal fishing town is turned upside down when Eddie Maloney returns to face everything that he walked out on three years ago. Mullet is a warm, often comic look at love, relationships and the great Australian solution to everything...the barbie..
Duration: 85:30 min Genre: Comedy, Social Realism
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating MA Screen ratio: Cinemascope
Selected Awards:
2002: Shanghai Int. Film Festival (Best Director - David Caesar), 2 x Film Critics Circle of Australia.
2001: Edinburgh International Film Festival, International Film festival Mannheim-Heidelberg,
Pusan International, Aust screen sound guild and AWGIE (Australian writers guild) Award - David Caesar.
Razzle Dazzle
Director: Darren Ashton
Executive Producer: Al Clark
Producer: Jodi Matterson, Andrena Finlay
Writer: Carolyn Wilson, Robin Ince
Cast: Kerry Armstrong, Ben Miller, Nadine Garner, Denise Roberts, Tara Morice, Jane Hall, Toni Lamond, Noeline Brown, Barry Crocker
Synopsis:
A fly-on-the-wall mockumentary about the tears, tantrums and tiaras in the world of competitive dance eisteddfods. Amidst petty politics and creative controversy, Razzle Dazzle delves into the lives of three stage mothers and their relationships with the dance school, each other and their children.
Duration: 95 min Genre: Comedy
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: PG Screen Ratio: 1.85:1
Siam Sunset
Director: John Polson
Executive Producers: Peter Beilby, Andrew Knight
Producer: Al Clark
Writer: Max Dann, Andrew Knight
Cast: Linus Roache, Danielle Cormack, Ian Bliss, Roy Billing, Alan Brough, Rebecca Hobbs
Synopsis:
Perry’s perfect life creating colours for an English paint company has become one of constant misfortune. In desperation, he travels to one of the most desolate parts of Australia, where he hopes to find a special colour called Siam Sunset that will somehow bring about his salvation from the natural disasters, which mysteriously torment him.
Duration: 88 min Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Romance
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: Cinemascope
Selected Awards
1999: Cannes International Film Festival – Rail d’Or Award, Critics Week, Puchon International Film Festival - Best of Puchon, Montreal World Film Festival, Edinburgh Int. Film Festival, Hof Film Festival.
2000:Oporto Int. Film Festival Best film, best Actress, Best Screenplay, Singapore International Film Festival.
Ten Canoes
Director: Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr
Executive Producers: Sue Murray, Domenico Procacci, Bryce Menzies
Producers: Rolf de Heer, Julie Ryan
Writer: Rolf de Heer
Cast: Crusoe Kurddal, Jamie Gulpilil, Richard Birrinbirrin, Peter Mingylulu, Frances Djulibing
Synopsis:
It is the distant past, tribal times. Dayindi (played by Jamie Gulpilil, son of the great David Gulpilil) covets one of the wives of his older brother. To teach him the proper way, he is told a story from the mythical past, a story of wrong love, kidnapping, sorcery, bungling mayhem and revenge gone wrong. In English storytelling (by David Gulpilil) and subtitled Ganalbingu language, this is a film unlike any you have ever seen.
Duration: 90 min Genre: Drama
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 2.35:1
Selected Awards
2006 AFI Award, If AWard
Storm Boy (1976)
Director: Henri Safran
Producers Matthew Carroll
Writer: Sonia Borg (screenplay)
Cast: Greg Rowe (Storm Boy), Peter Cummins (Hideaway Tom), David Gulpilil (Fingerbone Bill), Judy Dick (Miss Walker)
Synopsis
A 10-year-old boy (Greg Rowe), living with his father in the wild Coorong wetlands of South Australia, rescues a baby pelican orphaned by hunters. With the help of an Aboriginal man, Fingerbone Bill (David Gulpilil), the boy and the bird become inseparable, until the outside world encroaches.
Curator's notes
Storm Boy, based on a novel by Colin Thiele, is one of the most cherished of Australian classic films. It has a deep emotional clarity that appeals to children and adults alike, making it timeless. The landscape of the Coorong wetlands, bleak and beautiful and windswept, becomes a refuge for the broken, the loveless and the outcast - an alternate Garden of Eden, in which a different version of Australia might seem possible - a kind of hermit's utopia.
The film is clearly about much more than the boy's love of the pelican, which he calls Mr Percival. It touches on race relations, ecology, the breakdown of families, white and black law and questions of prior ownership, but the themes are seamlessly woven into the story. Much of the power comes from the elemental beauty of Geoff Burton's camerawork (his work on Sunday Too Far Away, with a different colour palette, has a similar expressiveness), and from director Henri Safran's sensitive handling of the performances. The film was made for $260,000 and was a success at the box office, both in Australia and overseas, where it sold to more than 100 countries.
Paul Byrnes, curator australianscreen online
Duration: 87 min Genre: Drama
Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: G Screen Ratio: Wide screen 1:1.85
Optical Soundtrack mono, remastered to Dolby® Digital
Selected Awards
1997 AFI Award and Jury Prize Best Film - Matt Caroll
1997 AFI Award Nominated Best Costume Design- Helen Evans
1997 AFI Award Nominated Best Production Design - David Copping
1997 AFI Award Nominated Best Sound - Bob Cogger
1997 AFI Award Nominated Best Actor in a Lead Role - David Gulpilil
1997 AFI Award Nominated Best Director - Henri Safran
1997 AFI Award Nominated Best Screenplay (original or adapted) Sonia Borg
1998 Australian Cinematographers Society Award Best Cinematographer Geoff Burton