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Our 7 Australian films, synopses, showing schedules and additional info.
16th February, 2009
Overseas Trip to Success for Seven Australian Film Makers Kick-Started by Australian Government Grant
2nd February, 2009
Seven Australian films chosen for South By Southwest from 60 submitted
See latest info, schedules & film synopses for: -
The Square,
Three Blind Mice, The Horseman, Children Of The Eclipse, Lake Mungo, Intangible Asset Number 82, Rats & Cats.
Australia has a long tradition of great films and talented film makers with the added benefit our language is English-though we still sometimes get asked for subtitles for film festivals!
As a small nation, we have the a history of Federal and state government support for our film business and exports as an extension of our diverse cultures to the audiences of the world. This year, the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade made a one off grant for the Embassy Roadshow program through the peak film body Screen Australia which facilitated the presence of Australian film makers, a major Trade Fair stand as their base plus a media and promotion campaign.
SxSW has long appreciated Australian & New Zealand films, having offered sidebar events to spotlight our 'Discoveries From Down Under' over the years which this year had 60 submissions. The seven chosen are compelling views from riveting documentaries to action packed and thrilling features.
This first stand and expanding film presence follows seven years of growth and government/industry investment which saw the AustralAsian music representation grow from five bands and 20 delegates in 2002 to over 70 invited in 2009 with a projected 200+ attendees. This stand adds to the SoundsAustralia six year stand presence and NZ Music Industry Commission five year stand.
We hope you will discover not only the rich palette of films that these creators have brought to show but also the wealth of film talent, services, resources, locations and a market on its own.
Click on image to download PDF (836KB).
The Square
Director: Nash Edgerton
Cast: David Roberts, Claire Van Der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Peter Phelps, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Brendan Donoghue, Damon Herriman, Hanna Mangan-Lawrence, Lucy Bell and Bill Hunter
Runtime: 105:00 minutes Narrative Feature World Premiere
screening in: Spotlight Premieres
Screening Times
7:00 PM, Friday March 13th - Alamo Lamar 1
everything subject to change
Synopsis:
Escaping the monotony of a loveless marriage in a bleak small town, Raymond Yale becomes entangled in an affair with the beautiful and troubled Carla. He goes along with Carla's plan to take her lowlife husband's cash from his latest crime and escape their mundane world, but things go horribly wrong. And that's just the beginning. In an escalating spiral of blackmail, kickbacks, cover-ups, arson and murder, they find themselves in a nightmare of unforeseen events stemming from their simple plan..
Director's Bio:
Nash Edgerton has directed award-winning short films and music videos for some of Australia's most popular musicians. Starting as a stunt performer, he has over 100 film and television credits, including THE MATRIX TRILOGY, STAR WARS II & III, THIN RED LINE and SUPERMAN RETURNS. Prior to THE SQUARE, Nash edited and produced the acclaimed feature film THE MAGICIAN.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F16598#
Three Blind Mice
Director: Matthew Newton
Cast: Ewen Leslie, Toby Schmitz, Matthew Newton, Tina Bursill, Brendan Cowell
Runtime: 94:00 minutes
Narrative Feature
screening in: Spotlight Premieres
Screening Times
5:00 PM, Sunday March 15th - Alamo Lamar 3
8:00 PM, Tuesday March 17th - Alamo Lamar 3
3:00 PM, Friday March 20th - Alamo Ritz 2
everything subject to change
www.ifc.com
Synopsis:
Three young Navy officers hit Sydney for one last testosterone-packed night on land before being shipped over to the Gulf to fight. Sam has been mistreated at sea and is going AWOL, Dean has a fiance and the future in-laws to meet, and Harry just loves playing cards. Throughout the night the boys lose each other, find themselves, and along the way discover courage, friendship and redemption.
Director's Bio:
Matthew Newton's directorial debut, the underground feature 'Right Here Right Now', won Best Film at the Rebelfest International Film Festival in 2006 and his second feature 'Three Blind Mice' (which he also wrote) won the prestigious FIPRESCI Critic's Award at the London Film Festival in 2008.
Sales Agent: Odin's Eye Entertainment, Production: Dirty Rat Films
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F16546#
The Horseman
Director: Steven Kastrissios
Cast: Peter Marshall, Caroline Marohasy, Brad McMurray, Jack Henry, Christopher Sommers, Steven Tandy, Bryan Probets, Chris Betts
Runtime: 94:00 minutes Narrative Feature U.S. Premiere
screening in: SXSW Presents: Fantastic Fest @ Midnight
Screening Times
11:59 PM, Sunday March 15th - Alamo Lamar 1
11:30 PM, Tuesday March 17th - Alamo Lamar 2
everything subject to change
www.thehorsemanfilm.com
Synopsis:
An action-packed, multi-award winning Australian thriller that features a range of powerhouse performances in an unflinching study of grief & retribution. Explore the dark fantasies we all dream up as Christian (Peter Marshall) grieves over the suspicious death of his teenage daughter. As he travels through rural Queensland to investigate, he picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), an awkward young runaway and an unlikely bond develops. But as the crime is pieced together, an ugly truth is revealed and Christian spirals down a dangerous path.
Director's Bio:
Born 1982 in Brisbane, Australia, Steven Kastrissios caught the filmmaking bug at the age of fourteen. Since then he has spent most of his free time making short films in almost every genre, often fulfilling most of the key roles.
At eighteen, Kastrissios began work on his most audacious short film, The Park. With a budget of only $600, a running time of 50 minutes and several elaborate action sequences, the film went on to win several awards and furthered his confidence in low budget filmmaking.
Over the next few years, Kastrissios would develop a range of films whilst filling out various jobs in and out of filmmaking. In 2005 he wrote The Horseman and made an award-winning short film adapted from the feature screenplay. Based on its strengths he began recruiting a young and hungry team for the feature length production with a proud local cast & crew.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F15800
Children of the Eclipse
Director: Zane Lovitt
Runtime: 15:30 minutes Documentary Short
screening in: SXGlobal Shorts
Screening Times
4:00 PM, Sunday March 15th - Hideout
4:00 PM, Tuesday March 17th - Hideout
everything subject to change
Synopsis:
In February 2008, hundreds of children and their families converge on Queens Hospital in Jessore. They come from all over Bangladesh, but these children have one thing in common -- they each suffer from disfiguring cleft lips and palates. For the duration of a five day 'camp,' local plastic surgeons operate on the children in an effort to mend their lips and speech habits. But Bangladeshis are not accustomed to hospitals -- the pressure can be too much for the waiting parents.
Director's Bio:
Zane Lovitt is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television. He holds a Masters Degree in Screenwriting and has worked as a filmmaker for more than ten years. His work has appeared on SBS TV, Discovery Channel Asia and been screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F14639
Lake Mungo
Director: Joel Anderson
Cast: David Pledger, Rosie Traynor, Martin Sharpe, Steve Jodrell, Talia Zucker
Runtime: 87 minutes Narrative Feature
U.S. Premiere
screening in: Midnighters
Screening Times
11:30 PM, Friday March 13th - Alamo Ritz 2
11:00 PM, Wednesday March 18th - Alamo Ritz 2
11:00 PM, Saturday March 21st - Alamo Ritz 2
everything subject to change
www.runningwitharnold.com
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer drowns while swimming in the local dam. When her body is recovered and a verdict of accidental death returned, her grieving family buries her. The family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events centered in and around their home. Profoundly unsettled, the Palmers seek the help of psychic and parapsychologist. He discovers that Alice led a secret, double life. A series of clues lead the family to Lake Mungo where Alice's secret past emerges. Lake Mungo is a mystery, a thriller and a ghost story weaved into a 'documentary' that illustrates how the dead can forever haunt the living.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F16628
Intangible Asset Number 82
Director: Emma Franz Runtime: 90:00 minutes
Documentary Feature
North American Premiere
screening in: 24 Beats Per Second
Screening Times
9:30 PM, Saturday March 14th - Alamo Lamar 3
8:30 PM, Tuesday March 17th - Alamo Lamar 2
9:00 PM, Saturday March 21st - Austin Convention Ctr
everything subject to change
www.IntangibleAsset82.com
Synopsis:
When Australian drummer Simon Barker hears a rare recording of Korean shaman Kim Seok-Chul - a grand master in his seventies playing with immense energy and complex technique he knows immediately he must find and learn from the enigmatic shaman officially recognized as South Korea's 82nd Intangible Asset.Undeterred by years of setbacks and obstacles, and with the elusive Kim Seok-Chul now in his eighties, Simon returns to Korea for a seventeenth time. The journey becomes a rite of passage, as meaningful encounters with engaging and exotic characters prepare Simon for a fortuitous meeting with the shaman.Personal transformations result, and Simon and the artists who have become immersed in his search move naturally to collaboration, a testimony to the universal language of music.
Director's Bio:
Years of professional singing has taken EMMA FRANZ to 33 different countries. She has composed and produced three albums, directed and fronted bands, performed over fifty television features, and in 1998, was a finalist in the Australian Jazz Awards. Intangible Asset Number 82 is Emma's directorial debut.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F14540
Rats & Cats
Director: Tony Rogers
Cast: Jason Gann, Adam Zwar, Paul Denny, Anya Beyersdorf
Narrative Feature
screening in: Emerging Visions
Screening Times
1:00 PM, Monday March 16th - Alamo Ritz 1
6:00 PM, Thursday March 19th - Alamo Lamar 3
everything subject to change
www.odinseyeent.com
Synopsis:
Darren McWarren was an Australian TV legend but fell from grace after an indiscretion with a young co-star. Now living in a backwater town his life is put under the microscope by a tabloid journalist researching a 'where are they now' piece.
Director's Bio:
Tony Rogers is an Award winning director of not only short film and features. He has won international awards and recognition for his commercial directing including work for HBA, VB and Just Jeans.
Most recently he has completed the soon to be released feature film RATS AND CATS which screened to packed houses at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Due for release in mid 2008.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/schedule/?a=show&s=F14749
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Supported by the Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Discoveries From Down Under acknowledges the financial assistance of Screen Australia.