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World Film Festivals - by SimonC

More Competition Selections (OZ)

June 3rd 2009 04:00
Two world premieres for AFTRS graduates Robert Connolly and Rachel Perkins

The Melbourne International Film Festival has announced two highly anticipated premieres; Robert Connolly’s Balibo to open the festival and Rachel Perkins’ Bran Nue Dae to close.

Balibo, the political thriller by Robert Connolly about five Australian journalists who were killed in East Timor will have its world premiere at MIFF on July 24. Already generating lots of interest and positive word of mouth buzz - the film is based on 'Cover-Up', by Jill Jolliffe, an Australian journalist who met the men before they were killed.


Filming began on 30 June 2008, with Anthony LaPaglia playing the part of Roger East, another Australian journalist, who went to investigate the deaths of the Balibo Five, only to be killed the day after the Indonesian invasion and Oscar Isaac as José Ramos Horta, now the country's President. Filming in Dili began on 31 July 2008, with United Nations police closing off roads, to allow the scenes to be filmed.

The five journalists are played by Damon Gameau as Greg Shackleton, Gyton Grantley as Gary Cunningham, Nathan Phillips as Malcolm Rennie, Mark Winter as Tony Stewart and Thomas Wright as Brian Peters.
Greg Shackleton for channel 7 3 days before his death


The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks who were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor (then Portuguese Timor) who were killed on 16 October 1975 by Indonesian troops mounting incursions, prior to the Indonesian invasion on 7 December that year(1).


1991 documentary poster
Rachel Perkins’ latest project Bran Nue Dae, based on the 1990s stage musical of the same name, has been nominated as the closing film set for August 8.

Bran Nue Dae stars Geoffrey Rush, Ernie Dingo, Deborah Mailman, Missy Higgins and Jessica Mauboy and tells the story of a young Aboriginal boy Willie, growing up in Broome in the 1960s.

In the Summer of 1965 a young man is filled with the life of the idyllic old pearling port Broome - fishing, hanging out with his mates and his girl. However his mother returns him to the religious mission for further schooling. After being punished for an act of youthful rebellion, he runs away from the mission on a journey that ultimately leads him back home.



Rebecca Parker an AFTRS directing graduate (2006) has been awarded the 2009 EU Travelling Scholarship – a prize offered each year by the EU - in conjunction with one of its member states - for travel, accommodation and participation in the full program of a major film festival being held in the partner country. Rebecca will jet off to Brussels later this month for
the Brussels International Film Festival, which focuses on first or second features by up-and-coming European directors.

Two more AFTRS shorts have been accepted into the Palm Springs International Shortfest in the United States set to take place later this month;

Invasion directed by recent graduate Jessica Redenbach and The Art of Darts & Dying directed and produced by 2008 graduates Hugh Sullivan and Cecilia Ritchie will join already selected AFTRS shorts Cupid and four.

Kelly Schilling who graduated in 2002 with a Masters in Screenwriting has just picked up the Best Achievement in Screenplay at the recent St Kilda film festival for Kind of Man.
Kelly was also recently awarded a 2009 SA Screen Award for the screenplay.


Sources:1 Kennedy, Les (2005-10-17) SMH
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