Australasian feature films by release date
index 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
2000s Films
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2000
After the Rain (Mark Lamprell, 2000) wr. Jerome Ehlers; Paulina Porizkova, Robert Taylor, Rupert Cox, Alexandra Davies; crime
Angst (Daniel Nettheim, 2000) wr. Anthony O'Connor; Sam Lewis, Jessica Napier, Justin Smith, Abi Tucker, Luke Lennox, Lara Cox; aspiring horror movie writer searches for love in a world of heartache, desperation and fluffy toys; comedy
Better Than Sex (Jonathan Teplitzky, 2000) wr. Jonathan Teplitzky; Susie Porter, David Wenham; comedy/romance; after a one-night stand a couple is faced with the terrifying possibility of what they really want; Toronto 2000, 85 min.
Beware of Greeks Bearing Guns (John Tatoulis, 2000) FFC; romantic revenge comedy
Bootmen (Dein Perry, 2000) aka Tap Dogs; wr. Steve Worland, prod. Hilary Linstead; Adam Garcia, Sophie Lee, Sam Worthington, Susie Porter, Anthony Hayes
Chopper (Andrew Dominik, 2000) Eric Bana, Vince Colosimo (Neville Bartos), Simon Lyndon, David Field; screened Toronto 2000; 94 min.
City Loop (Belinda Chayko, 2000) aka Bored Olives, wr. Stephen Davis; Sullivan Stapleton, Ryan Johnson, Kellie Jones, Brendan Cowell, Hayley McElhinney, Megan Dorman, Jessica Napier; teen angst drama; Toronto 2000; broadcast free to air c. 2002/3; 78 min.
Cut (Kimble Rendall, 2000) prod. Martin Fabinyi, Bill Bennett, Jennifer Bennett, wr. Dave Warner, exec. prod. Michael Gudinski, Mushroom Pictures and Beyond Films; released 25 February 2000, thriller, horror; Kylie Minogue, Tiriel Mora, Jessica Napier, Sarah Kants, Molly Ringwald, Simon Bossell, Stephen Curry
Death in the Afternoon (Sarah Ducker, in production 2000) wr. Sarah Ducker, prod. Jan Chapman and Leisl Hillhouse, finance AFC, prod. Prospero Pictures; experimental feature film about the disintegration of the artist Brett Whiteley and the personal shipwrecking of creative spirit
Dish, The (Rob Sitch, 2000) comedy; Sam Neill (Cliff Buxton), Kevin Harrington, Tom Long, Patrick Warburton [as seen on Seinfeld], Genevieve Mooy, Tayler Kane, Roy Billing, Bille Brown, Andrew S. Gilbert, Lenka Kripac, Matthew Moore, Eliza Szonert, John McMartin, Carl Snell; Toronto 2000; Working Dog Productions; Evan Williams review Weekend Australian Review 21-22 October 2000: 21 - 'Dish lacks real bite'
Dogwoman: A Grrrl's Best Friend (David Cameron, 2000) telemovie; Magda Szubanski, Tara Morice, Raj Ryan; mystery comedy
Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking (Rowan Woods, 2000) telemovie; Magda Szubanski, Tara Morice, Raj Ryan; mystery comedy
Exposure (David Blyth, 2000) thriller/romance; NZ
Finder, The (Frank Shields, 2000) prod. Phillip Avalon; Simon Westaway, Paul Mercurio, Anja Coleby, Rowena Wallace, Gerard McGuire, Barry Langrishe
Goddess Of 1967, The (Clara Law, 2000) dp Dion Beebe; Rose Byrne, Rikiya Jurokawa, Nicholas Hope, Elise McCredie; the story of a Japanese man who comes to Australia to buy his dream car was filmed in Sydney, Lightning Ridge and Tokyo; screened Toronto 2000
Hopeless (Stephen Hickey, 2000) comedy; NZ
Irrefutable Truth About Demons, The (Glenn Standring, 2000) fantasy horror thriller; NZ
Innocence (Paul Cox, 2000) wr. Paul Cox; Charles Tingwell, Julia Blake, Terry Norris, Robert Menzies, Marita Dusseldorp, Chris Hayward; screened Toronto 2000
Jubilee (Michael Hurst, 2000) comedy; NZ
Looking for Alibrandi (Kate Woods, 2000) Pia Miranda, Anthony LaPaglia, Greta Scacchi, Kick Gurry, Matt Newton; Pia Miranda is looking for father Anthony LaPaglia, 103 min.
Love of Lionel's Life (John Ruane, 2000) telemovie; wr. Tony Cavanaugh, Des Power, prod. Simone North, Tony Cavanaugh Production Company, Liberty Films International, Beyond Distribution, Simone North, Network Ten; Matt Day (Lionel), Nadine Garner (Lena), Alex Dimitriades (Steve), Steven Vidler (Robbie), Graeme Blundell (Stan), Carol Burns (Mavis); Lionel from outback Gundeeba in Qld searches beyond his cool life for love; he finds a girl in an international video magazine, they meet and romance blossoms, but, when she moves to Gundeeba, jealous and violent elements bring shame on the town
Mallboy (Vince Giarrusso, 2000) Kane McNay, Nell Feeney; 81 min. broadcast 0015 18 Dec 2004 SBS
Marriage Acts (Rob Marchant, 2000) wr. Anne Brooksbank, prod. Gary Reilly for Beyond/Gary Reilly Broadcaster/ABC; telemovie about Judge David McKinnon, whose life is threatened by a series of bomb attacks
Masked Avenger Versus Ultra-Villain in the Lair of the Naked Bikini (Mark Savage, 2000) aka The Masturbating Gunman
Moloch (Ernest Clark, 2000) completed but not released?
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (Paul Cox, 1999) wr. John Briley, dp Nino Martinetti; Peter O'Toole, David Wenham, Derek Jacobi, Leo McKern, Kris Kristofferson, Sam Neill, Tom Wilkinson, Aden Young; set and shot on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, in a former leper colony, Australian national release 20 June 2002, 123 min.
The Monkey's Mask (Samantha Lang, 2000) wr. Anne Kennedy from novel in verse by Dorothy Porter, prod. Robert Connolly, dp Garry Phillips; Kelly McGillis (Dr Diana Maitland), Susie Porter (Jill Fitzpatrick), Abbie Cornish (Mickey), Marton Csokas (Nick), Deborah Mailman; novel Dorothy Porter; lesbian private detective dives head first into murder, manipulation and the consuming power of sex; Toronto 2000; 93 min.
Mr Accident (Yahoo Serious, 2000) Deb Verhoeven, "History of cheap guffaws (hehehe)", Cinema Papers, 134, August/September 2000: 30-33
My Mother Frank (Mark Lamprell, 2000) wr. Mark Lamprell; Sinead Cusack, Rose Byrne; prods Phaedon Vass, Susan Vass & John Winter for Intrepid Films; finance: FFC; distribution: Beyond; 51 year-old Frances has created a safe and secure, if somewhat bizarre world for herself, and it's boring her to death, so she enrols at the same university as her son: a film about how life seems to offer you two options: change or die; review by Bec Smith in if MAG, August 2000: 17
Narcosys (Mark Bakaitis, 2000) wr. Adam Breasley; scifi
Old Man Who Read Love Stories, The (Rolf de Heer, 2000) Richard Dreyfuss, Timothy Spall, Hugo Weaving; shot in French Guiana, South America; Australian release March 2004 Melbourne; Ali Sharp, "The old man and the jungle: an interview with Rolf de Heer", Metro, 140, 2004: 32-35; might be 2001; brief review of DVD release: Matthew Goodwin, Empire, 43, October 2004: 102
On the Beach (Russell Mulcahy, 2000) telemovie screenplay wr. John Paxton (1959) from novel by Nevil Shute, teleplay (2000) wr. David Williamson, Bill Kerby, dp Martin McGrath; Armand Assante, Bryan Brown, Rachel Ward, Grant Bowler, Jacqueline McKenzie, Steve Bastoni; apocalyptic scifi drama
Pearls Before Swine (Richard Wolstencroft, 2000) Wolstencroft was director of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival
Pitch Black (David N. Twohy, 2000) wr. Jim & Ken Wheat; prod. Tom Engelman; Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, John Moore, Simon Burke; horror, 150 min.
Price of Milk, The (Harry Sinclair, 2000) comedy drama; NZ
Risk (Alan White, 2000) wr. John Armstrong, prod. Marian Macgowan; drama; Bryan Brown, Claudia Karvan, Tom Long; enduring Aussie icon Bryan Brown is a middle-aged larrikin rorter of the (insurance) system who passes on his criminal wisdom to young apprentice Tom Long
Russian Doll (Stavros Kazantzidis, 2000) romantic comedy, David Wenham, Hugo Weaving, Natalia Novikova, Sacha Horler; 90 min.
Sample People (Clinton Smith, 2000) wr. Peter Buckmaster, prod. Emile Sherman, Barton Smith; Kylie Minogue, Ben Mendelsohn, Simon Lyndon, David Field, Paula Arundell, Joel Edgerton, Nathalie Roy, Nathan Page, Justin Rosniak, Matthew Wilkinson, Gandhi MacIntyre
Scratch (Michael Ralph, 2000) comic thriller
Selkie (Donald Crombie, 2000) Shimon Moore, Chelsea Bruland, Mariana Rego; coming-of-age
SNAK: Sensitive New Age Killer (Mark Savage, 2000) wr. Mark Savage; 84 min.
Summer of Love (Wayne Groom, 2000) wr. Wayne Groom; Natalie Lang, Scott Corfield, Ryan Someone, Bree Maddox; after her father dies, a woman retreats to the coast with her boyfriend, only to lust after another man
Stygian (James Wan, Shannon Young, 2000) horror action fantasy
Tremors (Ron Underwood, 1989) see: Jonathan Rayner 2000: 33
Virtual Nightmare (Michael Pattinson, 2000) telemovie, wr. Dan Mazur, David Tausik; Michael Huhney, Tasma Walton, Todd MacDonald; scifi
Waiting at the Royal (Glenda Hambly, 2000) Catherine McClements, Noni Hazlehurst, Josephine Byrnes, Jo Kennedy, Glynis Angel, Ramon Tikaram
Walk The Talk (Shirley Barrett, 2000) wr. Shirley Barrett; comedy; Nicki Bennett, Salvatore Coco, Sacha Horler; Nicki Bennett, a real-life singer, plays a singer who is managed by Salvatore Coco's character; Shirley Barrett's second feature started filming in Queensland on 1 November 1999; the story is based on events surrounding Gold Coast model Fairlie Arrow
Wild Blue (Dale G. Bradley, 2000) family melodrama; NZ
Wog Boy, The (Aleksi Vellis, 2000) Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo; released 24 February; (related to TV show Wogs Out of Work); 88 min.
Wreck, A Tangle, A (John O'Brien, 2000) Rebecca Frith, Anna Lise Phillips, Damian Walshe-Howling, Kate Beahan, Peter Carroll; psycho drama
2001
Bank, The (Robert Connolly, 2001) David Wenham, Anthony LaPaglia; anti-bank thriller; AFI 2001: screenplay
Breaking Point (Ben Warner, 2001) drama; 70 min.
Charlotte Gray (Gillian Armstrong, 2001) wr. Jeremy Brock from novel by Sebastian Faulks, dp Dion Beebe; Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon, Rupert Penry-Jones; Cate Blanchett as a British agent in occupied France
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (Simon Wincer, 2001) Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, David Ngoombujarra (Arthur)
Crooked Earth (Sam Pillsbury, 2001) wr. Greg McGee, Waihoroi Shortland, prod. Robin Scholes, dp David Gribble; Temuera Morrison, Jaime Passier-Armstrong, Lawrence Makoare, Quinton Hita, Nancy Brunning; drama; NZ
Dalkeith (Leigh Sheehan, 2001) "an old people's home races a greyhound and a whole new world opens up". Lynden Barber, "Let slip the dogs", The Weekend Australian, 31 March-1 April 2001, Outtakes, Arts: R23; Metro, 136: 46-47
Dogwoman: The Legend of Dogwoman (Paul Moloney, 2001) telemovie, wr. Andrew Bovell; Magda Szubanski, Tara Morice, Raj Ryan, Alison Whyte
Elixir (Colm O'Murchu, 2001) Rhett Giles, Tiriel Mora, Henri Szeps; adcom story
Enemies Closer (Steven Aldridge, 2001) Ryan Moloney, Kristy Wright, Jason Crewes; thriller; 90 min.
Getting the Dirt on Trish (Suzanne Brown, 2001) aka Dirty Laundry; wr. prod. Suzanne Brown
He Died with a Felafel in his Hand (Richard Lowenstein, 2001) wr. Richard Lowenstein, prods Domenico Procacci & Andrew McPhail; production company: Notorious; known finance: AFC; Noah Taylor; a seemingly unresolvable love triangle between three people chasing each other through share-accommodation hell in an ongoing unrequited daisy-chain of desire; 103 min.; broadcast 2200 18 December 2004 Ch9
Hostage to Fate (Angelo Salamanca, 2001) crime
Her Majesty (Mark Mark J. Gordon, 2001) Sally Andrews; NZ
Jet Set (Jonathan Ogilvie, 2001) Sam Atwell, Jane Borghesi, Beth Champion, Maya Stange; passengers in a departure lounge; 73 min.
Kids World (Dale G. Bradley, 2001) childrens; NZ
Killbillies, The (Duke Hendrix, 2001) co-writer, actor Duke Hendrix, co-writer, actor Leon Fish, co-writer, co-producer Ringo Ray, co-editor, actor Sven Jonnsen; "The Killbillies: see hillbillies, hear cussin', see un-natural lovin', hear surf guitar, see zombies, learn cookin'"; Metro 135: 220-224
Lantana (Ray Lawrence, 2001) wr. Andrew Bovell (play and screenplay), prod. Jan Chapman, dp Mandy Walker; Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey, Kerry Armstrong, Rachael Blake, Vince Colosimo, Russell Dykstra, Daniella Farinacci, Peter Phelps, Leah Purcell, Glenn Robbins, 115 min.; AFI 2001: best picture, direction, actor, actress ...
Let's Get Skase (Matthew George, 2001) co-wr. Matthew George, co-wr. Lachy Hulme; Lachy Hulme, Craig McLachlan, Alex Dimitriades, Bill Kerr; WA; 97 min.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson, 2001) dp Andrew Lesnie, adaptation of Tolkein's book; Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto; NZ
Low-Fat Elephants (Phillip Marzella, 2001) romcom; 90 min.
Magik + Rose (Vanessa Alexander, 2001) drama; NZ
Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001) ed. Jill Bilcock; Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, John Leguizamo; 122 min.; AFI 2001: editing ...
Mullet (David Caesar, 2001) wr. David Caesar; Ben Mendelsohn, Susie Porter, Andrew S. Gilbert, Belinda McClory, Tony Barry, Kris McQuade, Peta Brady, Wayne Blair, Paul Kelman, Steve Le Marquand, Aaron Blabey, Jim Webb, Nash Edgerton, Bryan Brown (publican's voice); 89 min.
Neophytes and Neon Lights (Shane T. Hall, 2001) comedy
No-one Can Hear You (John Laing, 2001) thriller; NZ
One Night the Moon (Rachel Perkins, 2001) wr. Rachel Perkins, John Romeril; tragic music-drama adapted from true story about a blacktracker called in to find a missing girl, starring Perth's own Kelton Pell; Paul Kelly, Kaarin Fairfax and their daughter Memphis Kelly are cast as the screen family; music by Mairead Hannan, Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody (premiere, Sydney Opera House June 2001—released shortly afterwards)
Ozzie (William Tannen, 2001) aka The Koala Wonder from Down Under; family
Rabbit-Proof Fence (Phillip Noyce, 2001) wr. Christine Olsen, based on book by Doris Pilkington Garimara, dp Christopher Doyle; Everlyn Sampi, Kenneth Branagh, David Gulpilil, Tianna Sainsbury, Ningali Lawford, Laura Monaghan, Deborah Mailman, Jason Clarke, Myarn Lawford, Roy Billing, Anthony Hayes (Reg), Garry McDonald, David Ngoombujarra (kangaroo hunter); Molly Kelly and Daisy Kadibil appear briefly at the end; based on true story about Aboriginal children escaping custody in the 1930s; shot in SA (partly in WA: the scenery without people), but set in WA; Best Film, Best Sound, Best Original Score AFI Awards 7 November 2002: Peter Gabriel; 94 min.
Serenades (Mojgan Khadem, 2001) child result of Afghan father winning night with Aboriginal woman; cultural clash; see Collins & Davies 2004: 88-89
Silent Partner (Alkinos Tsilimidos, 2001) David Field (Bill) and Syd Brisbane (John); two drunks get the chance of a lifetime to race their own greyhound [while] unbeknown to them they are being set up for a big sting; Lynden Barber, "Let slip the dogs", The Weekend Australian, 31 March-1 April 2001, Outtakes, Arts: R23; 116 min.
Snakeskin (Gillian Ashurst, 2001) thriller/adventure; NZ
Southern Cross (Mark DeFriest, 2001) wr. Ron Elliott, story Paul Barron, prod. Paul D. Barron, remake of A Waltz Through the Hills (Frank Arnold, 1988) from the novel by Gerry Glaskin; Heath Bergersen, Bill Kerr, Michael Loney, Geoff Kelso; two Vietnamese children escape from an institution for refugees, and make their way to Perth
Spagnola, La (Steve Jacobs, 2001) wr. prod. Anna Maria Monticelli; Lola Marcelli, Alice Ansara, Lourdes Bartolome, Alex Dimitriades; AFI 2001: Best Original Music Score: Cezary Skubiszewski
Stickmen (Hamish Rothwell, 2001) drama
Spudmonkey (Stuart McBratney, 2001)
Subterano (Mort S. Seben, 2001) Alex Dimitriades, Tasma Walton, Alison Whyte, Chris Haywood
Tempe Tip (Michael Ralph, 2001) Jason Donovan, Gary Sweet, Gary Day, Helen Dallimore, Simon Westaway; comedy
Tempted (Bill Bennett, 2001) wr. Bill Bennett; Saffron Burrows, Burt Reynolds, Mike Starr; set New Orleans; thriller
Waiting Place, The (Cristobal Araus Lobos, 2001) thriller drama; NZ
When Strangers Appear (Scott Reynolds, 2001) aka Highway Psychos, The Shearer's Breakfast (working title); action drama; Radha Mitchell, Josh Lucas, Barry Watson; mystery thriller; filmed in NZ
Yolngu Boy (Stephen Johnson, 2001) Sean Mununggur, John Sebastian Pilakui, Nathan Daniels; Aust. dist. Palace; 88 min.; see Leonie Rutherford, "Negotiating masculinity: Yolngu Boy", Metro, 140, 2004: 62-69; see Collins & Davies 2004: 88-91
2002
Australian Rules (Paul Goldman, 2002) wr. Phillip Gwynne (novel Deadly, Unna?), Paul Goldman, dp Mandy Walker; Nathan Phillips, Lisa Flanagan, Simon Westaway, Luke Carroll, Kevin Harrington, Martin Vaughan, Liz Black; national release 29 August; Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source AFI Awards 7 November 2002; 98 min.
Beneath Clouds (Ivan Sen, 2002) wr. Ivan Sen, prod. Teresa-Jayne Hanlon, dp Allan Collins; Damian Pitt (Vaughn), Dannielle Hall (Lena), 95 min.; 52nd Berlinale - Berlin Film Festival 2002: Premiere First Film Award, Piper Heidsieck award for Best New Talent - Dannielle Hall; Perth Premiere: 9 May 2002, with Ivan Sen in attendance; Best Director AFI Awards 7 November 2002; Best Cinematography AFI Awards 7 November 2002: Allan Collins; national release 23 May 2002
Black and White (Craig Lahiff, 2002) wr. Louis Nowra; Robert Carlyle, Charles Dance, Kerry Fox, Colin Friels, Ben Mendelsohn, David Ngoombujarra; premiere Sydney Film Festival 7 June 2002
Blurred (Evan Clarry, 2002) wr. Stephen Davis, Kier Shorey, prod. Christopher Fitchett, Chris Brown, dp Phil Cross; claimed as the first feature film made entirely in Queensland since 1949 (since Sons of Matthew, Charles Chauvel); Jamie Croft, Jessica Gower, Gyton Grantley, Matthew Newton; "sex, drugs and trashed apartments are just part of the schoolies story..."; released 31 October 2002
Crackerjack (Paul Moloney, 2002) Mick Molloy, Judith Lucy, Bill Hunter, John Clarke, Samuel Johnson; 89 min.; Metro, 135: 16-20, 22-26; one of a few Oz films featuring the sport of lawn bowls
Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, The (John Stainton, 2002)
Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky, The (Paul Cox, 2002)
Dirty Deeds (David Caesar, 2002) wr. David Caesar, dp Geoffrey Hall; Bryan Brown, John Goodman, Toni Collette, Sam Neill, Sam Worthington, Felix Williamson, Kestie Morassi, 98 min., national release 18 July; Best Production Design AFI Awards 7 November 2002: Chris Kennedy; Best Costume Design AFI Awards 7 November 2002: Tess Schofield; Brian McFarlane, "Dirty deeds and good clean fun: some recent Australian caper movies", Metro, 140, 2004: 48-52; John Goodman, American star, is the mafioso who comes to Sydney to take over the pokies
Eloise (Brenden Dannaher, 2002) Melanie Holt, Mark Jensen, PJ Parker; dramarom
Finding Joy (Billie Dean, 2002) wr. Billie Dean, prod. Andrew Einspurch; Billie Dean, Janet Watson Kruse, Andrew Einspruch; comedy (with music); set against the backdrop of the folk music scene in an arty country town, the film celebrates universal themes of friendship, low self-esteem, love relationships, and the joy of dogs; premiere 27 September 2002, Brisbane, Ausfest 2002; general release 9 October 2003; screened digitally on DV: "looks to be the first widely released, digitally screened film in Australia" (findingjoy.com)
Fishnet (Mark Savage, 2002) wr. Frank Kramer; Helen Hopkins, Hadrian Jonathan, Susanne Hausschmid, Colin Savage, Susie Savage, Mark Savage (corpse); straight to video
Garage Days (Alex Proyas, 2002) wr. Alex Proyas, Dave Warner, Michael Udesky; Kick Gurry, Pia Miranda, Maya Stange, Chris Sadrinna, Russell Dykstra, Marton Csokas, Andy Anderson, Tiriel Mora, Yvette Duncan; Priscella Engall, 'Alex Proyas lifts the shades', Metro, 135: 50-54
Ghost Ship (Steve Beck, 2002) horror
Guardian (Ben Warner, 2002) Andrew Cienciala, Katherine Marie Hunter, Charlotte Hogan; scifi horror; 92 min.
Guru Wayne (Letitia McQuade, 2002) comedy
Hard Word, The (Scott Roberts, 2002) wr. Scott Roberts, prod. Al Clark, dp Brian Breheny; Guy Pearce, Rachel Griffiths, Robert Taylor, Damien Richardson, Joel Edgerton, Rhondda Findleton, Kate Atkinson, Vince Colosimo, Kym Gyngell, Paul Sonkkila; three brothers rob banks although in jail; national release 5 May 2002; 103 min.
Hostages, The (Catherine Millar, 2002) TV, wr. Peter Yeldham; Sophie Lee
Kabbarli (Andrew G. Taylor, 2002) wr. Andrew G. Taylor; docu-drama about Daisy Bates
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson, 2002) dp Andrew Lesnie; Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto; NZ
Man Who Sued God, The (Mark Joffe, 2002) wr. Don Watson, dp Peter James; Billy Connolly, Judy Davis, Colin Friels, Bille Brown, Wendy Hughes, Emily Browning, 98 min.
Merchant of Fairness, The (Shane Luther, 2002) 91 min.
Nugget, The (Bill Bennett, 2002) Eric Bana, Stephen Curry, Dave O'Neil, Belinda Emmett, Peter Moon, Vince Colosimo, Max Cullen, Jane Hall; comedy, set in Mudgee NSW; released 17 October 2002, released on DVD 5 March 2003; 97 min.
Radio Samurai (Nick Levy, 2002) DVD; comedy
Real Thing, The (Stephen Amis, 2002) wr. Stephen Amis, Adam Browne, Ross Buchanan; Kate Fischer, Ross Buchanan, John Arnold; romance
Reign in Darkness (David W. Allen, Kel Dolen, 2002) vampire
Road from Coorain (Brendon Marr, 2002) TV movie, prod. Penny Chapman
Scooby-Doo (Raja Gosnell, 2002) American offshore production shot in Qld
Searching for Mr Right.Com (Samantha Pierce, 2002) romcom
Signs of Life (Adam McInnes, 2002) psych thriller
Something about AJ (Adam Todd, 2002) drama
Swimming Upstream (Russell Mulcahy, 2002) wr. Anthony Fingleton, dp Martin McGrath; Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Jesse Spencer, Tim Draxl, Mitchell Dellevergin, 115 min., first screened 31 October 2002; national release in Australia 27 February 2003; written by Anthony Fingleton, it is his own story of growing up in Brisbane in the 1950s; it is Mulcahy's first Australian film since Razorback (1984); Metro, 136: 26-29; US release 3 February 2005
Teesh and Trude (Melanie Rodriga, 2002) Susie Porter, Linda Cropper, Peter Phelps; world premiere Brisbane Film Festival 13 July 2002, then Melbourne Film Festival later the same month; national season began Perth Thursday 6 March 2003
Till Human Voices Wake Us (Michael Petroni, 2002) wr. Michael Petroni, dp Roger Lanser; Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham-Carter, Lindley Joyner, Frank Gallacher, Brooke Harman, 97 min., national release 12 September 2002
To Become One (Neil Johnson, 2002) slasher
Tongan Ninja (Jason Stutter, 2002) action comedy musical; NZ
Toy Love (Harry Sinclair, 2002) romcom; NZ
Tracker, The (Rolf de Heer, 2002) wr. Rolf de Heer, dp Ian Jones; David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet, Damon Gameau, Grant Page; national release 8 August. David Gulpilil won Best Actor AFI Awards 7 November 2002; songs performed by Archie Roach; 98 min.
Vector File, The (Eliot Christopher, 2002) telemovie; NZ/Germany copro; adventure drama
Walking on Water (Tony Ayres, 2002) wr. Roger Monk, prod. Liz Watts, Robert Humphries, cinematographer; Vince Colosimo, Maria Theodorakis, Nathaniel Dean, Judy Farr, Nicholas Bishop, David Bonney, Daniel Roberts, Anna Lise Phillips; Gavin dies of AIDS and his friends and family have to cope with the manner of his death; premiered Adelaide Film Festival 2002; Roger Monk won Best Original Screenplay AFI Awards 7 November 2002; Maria Theodorakis won Best Actress in a Leading Role AFI Awards 7 November 2002; Reva Childs won Best Editing AFI Awards 7 November 2002; 90 min.
Willfull (Rebel Penfold-Russell, 2002) wr. Harry Cripps, dp Steve Arnold, Anna Lise Phillips; Charles "Bud" Tingwell, Anne Looby, Ellesha Dobbs; national release 29 August 2002; 94 min.
2003
Alexandra's Project (Rolf de Heer, 2003) Helen Buday, Gary Sweet; wife hatches an unconventional form of revenge against her husband; Metro, 136: 20-25
Bad Eggs (Tony Martin, 2003) wr. Tony Martin; Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Bill Hunter, Robyn Nevin, Judith Lucy, Alan Brough, Steven Vidler; 98 min.; released 24 July 2003; short review IF July 2003: 66
Blackjack (2003) telemovie, Jigsaw Entertainment; Colin Friels, Marta Dusseldorp; franchise series; screened Ten
Bullet in the Arse, A (David Richardson, Paul Moder, Robin Brennan, 2003); premiere 11 July 2003 Melbourne Underground Film Festival; violent action; 81 min.
Carlton + Godard = Cinema (Nigel Buesst, 2003) doco compilation film with long excerpts from films made in Melbourne 1950s-70s
Cold Summer, A (Paul Middleditch, 2003) NZ; Teo Gebert, Olivia Pigeot, Susan Prior; Rottderdam FF 2003; IF Mag, June 2003: 28-29
Cracking On (John Meagher, 2003) wr. John Meagher, Centaur Enterprises, prod. John Meagher, Margaret Wentworth, dp Ray Henman; Colleen Cook, Peta Johnson, John Meagher, Matthew Mariconte; couple decide on open marriage
Crazy Richard (Katrina Mathers & Dean Francis, 2003) 64 min., video; Richard Viede, Katrina Mathers & Dominic McDonald, Bonnie Smith; "Another child star who fucked up"; mockumentary, satirical comedy in look at the contemporary star-making machine
Cruel World, The (Michael Henry, 2003) Olivia Wearne, Beau Skowron, Vincent Taylor; dogme film (?); drama, 83 min.
Cubby House (Murray Fahey, 2001) aka Cubbyhouse; Joshua Leonard, Belinda McClory, Jerome Ehlers, Craig McLachlan, Lauren Hewett; horror; rental video 26 February 2003
Cupid's Prey (Dale G. Bradley, 2003) NZ/US copro
Danny Deckchair (Jeff Balsmeyer, 2003) wr. Jeff Balsmeyer; Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto; cement truck driver gets new life when he floats off from a bbq on a chair carried by helium-filled balloons; "Strained and uncertain, despite some appealing characters, including Miranda Otto [sic]." Evan Williams, Oz, 30 July 2003: 13
Darkness Falls (Jonathan Liebesman, 2003) teen horror
Max's Dreaming (Sandra Sciberras, 2003) aka Deeper Than Blue, wr. Sandra Sciberras, prod. Kate Whitbread, dp Greg Paris; Colin Friels, Genevieve Picot, Bruce Myles, Robert Taylor, Gabriel Strangio; a young boy is rushed to hospital unconscious; when he wakes, he can't remember anything - not his name nor how he got there; moving story, full of hope and compassion, from first-time Australia writer-director Sandra Sciberras
Fat Pizza (Paul Fenech, 2003) wr. Paul Fenech; Johnny Boxer, Paul Nakad, Jabba; gross-out comedy
Finished People, The (Khoa Do, 2003) mockumentary; homeless in Cabramatta; brief review of DVD release: Richard Luck, Empire, 42, September 2004: 102
Floodhouse (Miro Bilbrough, 2003) TV movie, free-to-air SBS 2030 31 October 2003; story of a girl growing up in a rundown bushland home
Gettin' Square (Jonathan Teplitzky, 2003) wr. Chris Nyst, dp Garry Phillips, prod. Martin Fabinyi, Tim White, Trish Lake; Sam Worthington (Wirth), David Wenham (Spit), Freya Stafford (Annie), Gary Sweet (Chicka), Timothy Spall (Dabba); a bunch of crims trying to go straight; Teplitzky did a Q&A at Luna Leederville 1845 3 Friday October 2003; national release 9 October 2003; Macquarie Nine Film TV Investment & Working Title Films, FFC, Mushroom Pictures & WTA Production, Freshwater Pictures; soundtrack features Machine Gun Fellatio, Groove Armada, The Vines, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Faithless
Gupta vs Gordon (Jitendra Pal, 2003) comedy drama; NZ
Honourable Wally Norman, The (Ted Emery, 2003) wr. Andrew Jones, Rick Kalowski, prod. Emile Sherman, Jonathan Shteinman; Kevin Harrington, Shaun Micallef, Alan Cassell; satirical comedy
Horseplay (Stavros Kazantzidis, 2003) co-wr. Stavros Kazantzidis, prod. Allanah Zitserman (Kazantzidis's partner), Mushroom Pictures; Marcus Graham, Abbie Cornish, Jason Donovan, Alyssa McClelland, Natalie Mendoza, Damien Richardson; crime caper comedy set around the Melbourne Cup; failed financially: took only $141000 (Australian, 7 July 2004)
Iced Lolly (Stephan Kern, Seumas Next, 2003) crime
Inside Story, The (Rob Sutherland, 2003) supernatural thriller; withdrawn from AFI competition 2002; premiere at the TriBeCa Festival, New York, May 2003; winner of the Australian Writers Guild Award 2001
Japanese Story (Sue Brooks, 2003) wr. Alison Tilson, prod. Sue Maslin, ed. Jill Bilcock; Gecko Films; Toni Collette as Sandy Edwards, Gotaro Tsunashima as Tachibana Hiromitsu; set and shot in Perth and the Pilbara; screened at Cannes in the section of the Festival called Un Certain Regard; won Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography AFIs 2003; well-connected Japanese executive comes to Western Australian to inspect iron-ore mining and is driven in the bush by a geologist (Collette)
Kangaroo Jack (David McNally, 2003) Jerry O'Connell, Estella Warren, David Ngoombujarra; comedy
Kombi Nation (Grant Lahood, 2003) comedy; NZ
Lennie Cahill Shoots Through (Paul Oliver, 2003) wr. Paul Oliver; Tony Barry, Diana Glenn, Chris Haywood, Steven Vidler, Gary Waddell; crime
Liquid Bridge (Phillip Avalon, 2003) Ryan Kwanten, Simone Kessell, Jarrod Dean, Jeremy Sims, Tony Bonner, Carmen Duncan, Nathaniel Lees, Lani John Tupu, Boris Brkic, Robert Bruning
Locals, The (Greg Page, 2003) horror thriller; NZ
Long Lunch, The (Antony Redman, 2003) Jeanette Cronin, Ian Bliss, Vincent Gil, Alex Menglet; comedy
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003) dp Andrew Lesnie; Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto; NZ
Magnificent Deed (Shahrzad Davarkhah, 2003) family comedy; completed but not released
Mermaids (Ian Barry, 2003) telemovie; wr. Daniel Cerone; Nikita Ager, Erika Haynatz, Sarah Laine
Nancy Nancy (Timothy Spanos, 2003) Tim Burns; black comedy musical shot Coronet Bay Vic
Ned (Abe Forsythe, 2003) Abe Forsythe as Ned, Jason Donovan; spoof, grossout comedy; [Abe Forsythe is the son of actor Drew Forsythe]
Ned Kelly (Gregor Jordan, 2003) Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Naomi Watts; 105 min.; William D. Routt, 'Red Ned', Metro, 136: 10-17.
Night We Called It a Day, The (Paul Goldman, 2003) wr. Peter Clifton, Michael Thomas, prod. Peter Clifton, Nik Powell, Emile Sherman; Joel Edgerton, Rose Byrne, Dennis Hopper, Melanie Griffith, Portia de Rossi; Frank Sinatra's season in Australia
One Perfect Day (Paul Currie, 2003) wr. Chip Richards, dp Gary Ravenscroft; Dan Spielman, Leeanna Walsman, Andrew Howard, Nathan Phillips, Abbie Cornish, Rory Williamson, Kerry Armstrong; drama
Pact, The (Strath Hamilton, 2003) wr. Hugh Hamilton O'Brien, prod. Phillip Avalon, dp Martin McGrath, ed. David Stiven, sound Stephen Smith; Sigrid Thornton, Robert Mammone, Peter O'Brien, Basia A'Hern, Grant Dodwell, Saskia Burmeister, Jamie Crofts
Paradise Found (Mario Andreacchio, 2003) wr. Mario Andreacchio, John Goldsmith; Kiefer Sutherland, Nastassja Kinski, Alun Armstrong, Thomas Heinze, Chris Haywood, Nicholas Hope, Marco Andreacchio; biopic of Paul Gauguin; Aust/UK/Fr/Ger copro
Peaches (Craig Monahan, 2003) wr. Sue Smith, dp Ernie Clark; Emma Lung (Steph), Hugo Weaving (Alan), Jacqueline McKenzie, Matthew Le Nevez, Tyson Contor; budget AUD $5.5mill; set in peach cannery, two time frames, 1980s and present, three intertwined love stories + econ rationalism, declining power of unionism; centres on Steph (Emma Lung) and her discoveries about late mother from diary; Alan is former union rep, now foreman; world premiere Montreal FF, 28 August 2004; 108 min.; FFC budget $3.060,062, box office $280,462
Perfect Strangers (Gaylene Preston, 2003) wr. Gaylene Preston, dp Alun Bollinger; Sam Neill, Rachael Blake, Joel Tobeck; prod. Huntaway Films (Sam Neill, John Clarke, Jay Cassells); NZ
Picture This (John Fisk, 2003) comedy
Prisoner Queen (Timothy Spanos, 2003) wr. Timothy Spanos from his novel Mirror Balls and Prisoner Queens
Rage in Placid Lake, The (Tony McNamara, 2003) wr. Tony McNamara, play The Cafe Latte Kid Tony McNamara, prod. Marian Macgowan; Ben Lee, Garry McDonald, Rose Byrne, Miranda Richardson; released 28 August 2003
Rain (Christine Jeffs, 2003) NZ, Sarah Peirse (Kate), Marton Csokas (Cady), Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki (Janey), Alistair Browning (Ed), Aaron Murphy (Jim); Metro, 136: 78-80; 82-85; 'Endurance' is 'holding on ... it's holding on, and now it's my turn.' 'So then we just went on.'
Semi-Detached (Tony Ayres, project 2003) wr. Tony Ayres, prod. Liz Watts & Michael McMahon, Porchlight Film; apparently not completed
Strange Bedfellows (Dean Murphy, 2003) Paul Hogan, Michael Caton pretend to be gay to exploit tax laws; brief review of DVD release: Matt Coyte, Empire, 43, October 2004: 9; see also Metro 141
Take Away (Marc Gracie, 2003) wr. Dave O'Neil, Mark O'Toole; Vince Colosimo, Stephen Curry, Rose Byrne; released August 2003; released on DVD December 2003
Thirteenth House, The (Shane McNeil, 2003) Smoking Gun Productions; mystery, psychological thriller; completed 2003, but may not have gained release; 58 min.
Thunderstruck (Darren Ashton, 2003) dop Geoffrey Hall, ed. Martin Connor; Roy Billing, Stephen Curry, Damon Gameau, Jason Gann, Ryan Johnson, Kestie Morassi, Callan Mulvey, Sam Worthington; AC/DC fans want to bury friend's ashes next to Bon Jovi; shot in Perth and Adelaide; brief review of DVD release: Annie Sebel, Empire, 45, December 2004: 97 (2/5 stars)
Trail of Passion (Mark Savage, 2003) sexploitation
Travelling Light (Kathryn Millard, 2003) wr. Kathryn Millard, prod. Helen Bowden, dp Tristan Milani; Pia Miranda, Sacha Horler; a warmly told story of finding your place in the world - a tricky task in stuffy suburban Adelaide circa 1971
Turner Affair, The (Geoff Cox, 2003) telemovie; drama
Undead (Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig, 2003) wr. Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig, screened MIFF July 2003, released September 2003
Visitors (Richard Franklin, 2003) wr. Everett De Roche; Radha Mitchell, Susannah York, Ray Barrett
Wannabes, The (Nick Giannopoulos, 2003) wr. Chris Anastassiades, Ray Boseley, Nick Giannopoulos, prod. Tom Burstall, Nick Giannopoulos, dp Dan Burstall; Nick Giannopoulos, Russell Dykstra, Isla Fisher; comedy; premiere at the TriBeCa Festival, New York, May 2003
Watermark (Georgina Willis & Kerry Rock, 2003) traces the unravelling of a middle-aged man's relationships with two women and is inspired by the theme of fate in Greek tragedy; invited to screen in the Director's Fortnight at Cannes 2003
Whale Rider (Niki Caro, 2003) NZ
Woodenhead (Florian Habicht, 2003) fantasy; NZ
Yakka Oy (Bradley Diebert, 2003) Miroslav Cacija, Warren Coulton, Emma Boroughs; martial arts; shot Canberra
You Can't Stop the Murders (Anthony Mir, 2003) prod. Anastasia Sideris; Gary Eck, Akmal Saleh, Anthony Mir, Richard Carter, Kirstie Hutton, Garry Who, Rob Carlton, Steve Rogers; simple, nonsensical Australian comedy which originally took form as a two-minute sketch comedy for television: "like a series of comedy sketches "; Metro, 136: 30-34
2004
Bondi Tsunami (Rachael Lucas, 2004) Keita Abe, Taki Abe, Miki Sasaki, Nobuhisa Ikeda
Brush Off, The (Sam Neill, 2004) telemovie, wr. John Clarke, novel by Shane Maloney; prod. Huntaway Films (Sam Neill, John Clarke, Jay Cassells) in assoc. with Ruby Entertainment (Mark Ruse and Stephen Luby); second in "Murray Whelan" series; John Clarke, David Wenham (Murray Whelan), Steve Bisley, Mick Molloy; broadcast Seven August 2004
Crop, The (Scott Patterson, 2004) nightclub owner in early 1980s ends up at odds with marijuana when his clientele choose to smoke in his carpark rather than buy his booze; Australian release 19 August 2004; brief review: Oscar Hillerstrom, Empire, 42, September 2004: 26
Darklovestory (Jon Hewitt, 2004) aka Grim (working title), Dark Love Story; wr. Jon Hewitt, Belinda McClory; Belinda McClory, Aaron Pedersen, Chris Baz, Anthony Phelan; set King's Cross (KX); 92 min.
Deck Dogz (Steve Pasvolsky, 2004) prod. Jennifer & Bill Bennett; teen skateboarding film; three boys go to meet hero Tony Hawk; Sean Kennedy, Ho Thi Lu; general release 6 January 2005; budget $4m, P&A $1m; niche target market segment 10-16 yo boys; FFC budget $2,611,539, box office $286,708
Dhakiyarr vs The King (Tom Murray & Alan Collins, 2004) doco; Sydney Film Festival 2004; Sundance Jan 2005
Dope (James Harkness, 2004) aka Shot of Love; wr. James Harkness; Miranda Bien-Lim, Alison Bramich, Maris J. Caune; drama, heroin
Flatmates Wanted (Gary Davis, 2004) NZ
Fracture (Larry Parr, 2004) family melodrama; NZ
Futile Attraction (Mark Prebble, 2004) romcom; NZ
Garth Method, The (Gregory Pakis, 2004) wr. Gregory Pakis; Gregory Pakis, Katrina Baylis, Scott Terrill; comedy about an actor
Get Rich Quick (Samuel Genocchio, 2004) crime
Go Big (Tony Tilse, 2004) telemovie; Justine Clarke, Tom Long, Alex Dimitriades, Leon Ford, Kimberley Joseph, Sacha Horler, Geoff Morrell, Tony Barry, Judi Farr; broadcast 14 March 2004
Grange (Catriona McKenzie, 2004) TV; John Bluthal
Hello (Jonathan Nix, 2004) animation; received major award at the world's largest animation festival in Annecy, 7-12 June 2004
Human Touch (Paul Cox, 2004) prod. Mark Patterson, wr. Paul Cox, dp Ian Jones; Aaron Blabey, Jacqueline McKenzie, Chris Haywood, Rebcca Frith; beautiful young woman in an unhappy marriage decides to model nude for an aging, blind, impotent artist (Chris Haywood); with his encouragement, she embarks on an affair with his young wife, while Haywood "watches" them with his hands so that he can then translate their experiences into art; premiere Melbourne Film Festival July 2004; Toronto FF September 2004; FFC budget $2,118,882, box office $24,924; Aust release 14 April 2005; released in Australia by Magna Pacific to DVD rental 8 March 2006; 101 min.
Illustrated Family Doctor, The (Kriv Stenders, 2004) prod. Catherine Kerr, wr. Kriv Stenders, David Snell, novel David Snell; Samuel Johnson (Gary Kelp), Jessica Napier, Kestie Morassi, Colin Friels, Brian Meegan, Paul Sonkkila, Sacha Horler (Gary's sister); dark comedy about illness; Gary's job is condensing books; Valhalla, Glebe 23 Feb 2005, opens nationally 3 March 2005; FFC budget $2,425,002, box office $42,885; 101 min.
In My Father's Den (Brad McGann, 2004) NZ, Premiere Sydney Film Festival 11 June 2004, wr. Brad McGann, mystery-thriller, loosely based on whodunnit novel by Maurice Gee, Matthew MacFadyen, Emily Barclay, Miranda Otto, NZ$7.3mill/AUD$6.3mill budget; MacFadyen's hotshot photojournalist character becomes a suspect in the disappearance of Celia (ingenue Barclay), daughter of former lover; opened Sydney FF 2004; best new director Seattle IFF 2005; Australian release 28 October 2004
Jessica (Peter Andrikidis, 2004) TV; Sam Neill, Leeanna Walsman, Lisa Harrow; 196 min.
Josh Jarman (Pip Mushin, 2004) prod. Eva Orner, dp James Grant, Melbourne; Marcus Graham, Damien Richardson, Daniella Farinacci; premiere Melbourne Film Festival June 2004; Australian release 10 November 2005
Loot (telemovie, 2004) Jason Donovan, Anita Hegh, screened June 2004 ABCTV; franchise series
Lost Things (Martin Murphy, 2004) wr. Stephen Sewell; Leon Ford (Garry), Charlie Garber (Brad), Lenka Kripac (Emily), Alex Vaughan (Tracey), Steve Le Marquand (Zippo); four teenagers stranded on spooky beach; horror; brief review: Oscar Hillerstrom, Empire, 45, December 2004: 32 (3/5 stars) see also: 38; Stratton review: http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1237117.htm; 84 min.
Love's Brother (Jan Sardi, 2004) wr. Jan Sardi; Giovanni Ribisi, Adam Garcia, Amelia Warner; Brian McFarlane, 'Brotherly love and Love's Brother', Metro, 140, 2004: 22-25; brief review of DVD release: MA, Empire, 42, September 2004: 104
Man's Gotta Do, A (Chris Kennedy, 2004) prod. John Winter, Chris Kennedy; John Howard, Alyssa McClelland, Glyton Grantley, Rebecca Frith; quirky comedy; story of local tradesman; Howard plays a bombastic fisherman and part-time stand-over man with family problems; brief review: Michael Adams, Empire, 45, December 2004: 32 (1/5 stars) see also: 43; Australian release 4 November 2004; 93 min.
Man Who Stole My Mother's Face, The (Cathy Henkel, 2003) telemovie; daughter's search for justice for her mother following a traumatic sexual assault
Open Water (Chris Kentis, 2004) based on true story about couple left to die on Great Barrier Reef
Orange Love Story (Tom Cowan, 2004) Anne Adams, Luke Callaghan, Trevor Dawe; romance
Oyster Farmer (Anna Reeves, 2004) prod. Anthony Buckley, Piers Tempest, wr. Anna Reeves, dp Alun Bollinger; Alex O'Lachlan, Kerry Armstrong, David Field, Diana Glenn, Jack Thompson, David Kelly, Jim Norton, Claudia Harrison, Alan Cinis; romantic comedy set in Australia-style frontier country (shot on NSW Central Coast, around Brooklyn) with eighth-generation oyster farmers: Vietnam Vets with shotguns; Toronto FF September 2004; Aust release 30 June 2005; 90 min.
Pear ta ma 'on maf (Vilsoni Hereniko, 2004) aka The Land Has Eyes, prod. Merata Mita; Sapeta Taito, Rena Owen, John Fatiaki
Rapid Fear (Geoff Cox, 2004) thriller
Roll (Martin Wilson, 2004) telemovie, wr. Dave Warner, prod. Angie Smith, dp Torstein Dyrting, music James Ledger; John Batchelor, Mike Frencham, Marcus Graham, Irene Jarzabeck, Toby Malone, Michael Muntz, Renee Newman-Storen, David Ngoombujarra, Damien Robertson, Simon Scott, George Shevtsov, Tasma Walton; young country footballer comes to the big smoke to stay with his cousin, wanting a quiet night; WA
Roy Hollsdotter Live (Matthew Saville, 2004) wr. Matthew Saville, prod. Trevor Blainey; Darren Casey, John Clarke, Luke Elliot, Asher Keddie, Maude Davey; Roy is a would-be comic superstar; dark comedy; brief review of DVD release: EP, Empire, 43, October 2004: 97; 50 min.
Saw (James Wan, 2004) Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Cary Elwes; slasher; world premiere Sundance January; Australian release 2 Dec 2004
Sleep-Paralysis (Nikolaos, 2004) horror
Small Claims (Cherie Nowlan, 2004) TV; Claudia Karvan
Somersault (Cate Shortland, 2004) aka More Than Scarlet (working title); prod. Anthony Anderson, Jan Chapman, dp Robert Humphreys; Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran, Erik Thompson, Anne Louise Lambert; premiere MIFF Wed 21 July 2004; discovery of the difference between sex and love in Jindabyne, an Australian winter ski resort town; standing ovation at Cannes 2004; Toronto FF September 2004; general release 9 Sept 2004; won all 13 awards at the AFIs 29 October 2004; review: Richard Luck, Empire, 43, October 2004: 27; see also: 35; 106 min.
Spooked (Geoff Murphy, 2004) wr. Ian Wishart (book), Geoff Murphy, prod. Geoff Dixon, Mark Hotchin, Merata Mita, Geoff Murphy, Don Reynolds, Eric Watson, dp Rewa Harre; Cliff Curtis, Christopher Hobbs, Andrea Kelland, Ian Mune, John Leigh, Mark Ferguson, Greg Johnson, Kevin J. Wilson, Alison Bruce, Vincent Ward; thriller; NZ
Stiff (John Clarke, 2004) telemovie, wr. John Clarke, novel by Shane Maloney; prod. Huntaway Films (Sam Neill, John Clarke, Jay Cassells) in assoc. with Ruby Entertainment (Mark Ruse and Stephen Luby); first in "Murray Whelan" series; David Wenham (Murray Whelan), Mick Molloy, Sam Neill; broadcast Seven June 2004
Straight to You (Michael Egan, 2004) comedy
Strange James (Riley Reid, 2004) Justin Greenaway, Steve Kennedy; thriller
Sum of Existence (Jon Cohen, 2004) psychological thriller
Three Dollars (Robert Connolly, 2004) prod. John Maynard, Robert Connolly, Elliot Perlman, novel Elliot Perlman; David Wenham, Frances O'Connor, Sarah Wynter, Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik; man finds himself at age 38 with wife, child and three dollars; shot Easter 2003; claimed as first Australian film released in digital format, opening at Picture Show Man Twin Cinema Merimbula and Arcadia Twin Ulladulla, the two cinemas first in regional NSW to install digital projectors (Oz, 25 May 2005: 16; but cf. Finding Joy); FFC budget $3,600,000 box office $1,239,114; 120 min.
Tom White (Alkinos Tsilimidos, 2004) aka Missing Tom, dp Toby Oliver; Colin Friels, Rachael Blake, Bill Hunter, Dan Spielman; premiere Melbourne Film Festival July 2004; tragic/humorous drama; Friels loses job and family and becomes a street-person; www.tomwhite.com.au; Australian release 19 August 2004; review by Michael Adams, Empire, 42, September 2004: 18; see also: 34
Under the Radar (Evan Clarry, 2004) wr. Steve Pratt, prod. Chris Brown, Christopher Fitchett; dp Phil Cross; Nathan Phillips, Steady Eddy, Clayton Watson, Chloe Maxwell, comedy/thriller; shot on Gold Coast; national release 29 July 2004; four travellers caught in the crossfire of rival gangs; surfer Brandon has to do community service among the disabled; they escape together; see AFI Insider Winter 2004 for interview with Clarry
Widower, The (Kevin Lucas, 2004) prod. Aanya Whitehead, wr. Lyndon Terracini, based on poems by Les Murray; poems spoken/sung Lyndon Terracini, music Elena Kats-Chernin; Chris Haywood, Frances Rings, Matt Dyall, Ban Harkin, Tony Barry, Blake Pittman; premiere Melbourne Film Festival June 2004; general release July 2005; 60 min.
2005
Actress, The (Zak Hilditch, 2005) wr. Zak Hilditch, Steve McCall; Caitlin Higgins, Matt Hardie, Laura Henderson; 90 min.
Australian Pie (Garnet Mae, 2005) aka Meat Pie (original title); wr. Peter Furst, Garnet Mae, dp Frank Hammond; Ed Kavalee, Paul He, Aphrodite Vuitton, Joanne Ashton, Xavier Fernandez, Sandy Gutman (Austen Tayshus)
Blacktown (Kriv Stenders, 2005) Tony Ryan, Niki Owen (Nikki), Clayton Jacobson; relationship between black man and white woman; made for $50,000; premiere Sydney FF 17 June 2005; art film
Boogeyman (Stephen Kay, 2005) US/NZ/German copro; horror; Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Lucy Lawless
Dreams for Life (Anna Kannava, 2005) prod. Aanya Whitehead, wr. Anna Kannava; Dai Paterson, Maria Mercedes, Don Halbert; Martin falls in love with Ellen who used to look after him as a baby; Brisbane Film Festival August 2004; Australian release 10 March 2005
Extra, The (Kevin Carlin, 2005) released 21 April 2005; Jimeoin Mckeown, Katherine Slattery, Rhys Muldoon, Shaun Micallef, Helen Dallimore, Bob Franklin, Colin Lane, Raj Ryan; 100 min.; FFC budget $1,461,538, box office $746,568
Feed (Brett Leonard, 2005) prod. Jack Thompson, Honour Bright Productions, conceived by Patrick Thompson, Alex O'Lachlan; Jack Thompson, Alex O'Lachlan, Patrick Thompson, Connor Thompson; thriller about cyber crime and men obsessed with grossly obese women
Fink! (Tim Boyle, 2005) comedy; anally retentive hitmen anguish over lapses in technical perfection; Sam Worthington, Steve Bastoni, Brett Stiller; released 10 October 2005
Great Raid, The (John Dahl, 2005) Village Roadshow invested in this, but it's NOT at all Australasian otherwise
Hating Alison Ashley (Geoff Bennett, 2005) prod. Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman, John Brousek, wr. Christine Madafferi, novel by Robyn Klein, 1984, dp Steve Newman; Delta Goodrem, Saskia Burmeister, Craig McLachlan, Richard Carter, Alexander Cappelli, Jean Kittson, Tracy Mann, Abby Gudgeon (Jedda); teenpic teen comedy; shooting at Docklands 2004; FFC budget $3,648,687, box office $2,078,777; Australian release 17 March 2005; 103 min.
Hell Has Harbour Views (Peter Duncan, 2005) telemovie; wr. Peter Duncan; Matt Day, Lisa McCune, Marta Dusseldorp; broadcast ABC 30 January 2005; telemovie
Hidden (Tim McLachlan, 2005) thriller; NZ
Hidden History of Homosexual Australia, The (Con Anemogianni, 2005) premiere SAFF
Irresistible (Ann Turner, 2006) wr. Ann Turner, prod. Tatiana Kennedy, David Parker; Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, Emily Blunt; woman becomes convinced her husband is being pursued by one of his office colleagues
Jewboy (Tony Krawitz, 2005) wr. Tony Krawitz, prod. Libby Sharpe, Liz Watts, dp Greig Fraser, music Decoder Ring; Ewen Leslie, Naomi Wilson, Saskia Burmeister; set in Sydney's Hassidic community; 52 min.
King Kong (Peter Jackson, 2005) NZ/USA/Germany copro
Laughing Stock (Geoff Davis, 2005) Clint Bizzell, Geoff Davis, Kate Feldman, William McInnes, Charles Tingwell; comedy
Little Fish (Rowan Woods, 2005) prod. Vincent Sheehan, Liz Watts, Porchlight Films, wr. Jacquelin Perske, dp Danny Ruhlmann; Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Martin Henderson, Dustin Nguyen, Joel Tobeck, Noni Hazlehurst, Lisa McCune, Susie Porter; set in Little Saigon outside Sydney; woman tries to escape her past as a heroin addict and set up a business in Sydney's west; to open Melbourne FF 20 July 2005; Australian release 8 September 2005; 114 min.
Look Both Ways (Sarah Watt, 2005) prod. Bridget Ikin, Hibiscus Films, wr. Sarah Watt, dp Ray Argall; Justine Clarke (Meryl), William McInnes (Nick) (McInnes was married to the late Sarah Watt), Anthony Hayes, Andrew S. Gilbert, Andreas Sobik, Lisa Flanagan, Daniela Farinacci, Sacha Horler?; premiere SAFF Feb 2005; mix of animation and live action, set over hot weekend, when six people dealing with unexpected events find their lives intersecting; Australian release 18 August 2005; 100 min.
Luella Miller (Dane Giraud, 2005) action drama; NZ
Magician, The (Scott Ryan, 2005) wr. Scott Ryan, prod. Michele Bennett, Nash Edgerton; Scott Ryan, Massimiliano Andrighetto; other cast and crew from RMIT; Melbourne hit man engages in philosophical discussions with this victims; 85 min.; general Australian release 29 September 2005; shot for $3000; completion finance $500000
Maiden Voyage (Colin Budds, 2005) telemovie; NZ
Man-Thing (Brett Leonard, 2005) Jack Thompson, Matthew Le Nevez, Steve Bastoni; filmed Sydney; horror
Memories of Tomorrow (Amit Tripuraneni, 2005) crime; NZ
Parallels (Ben Warner, 2005) scifi; 74 min.
Proposition, The (John Hillcoat, 2005) wr. Nick Cave, music Nick Cave; shooting Winton Qld October 2004; Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Emily Watson, John Hurt, David Wenham, Tom Budge, David Gulpilil? Leah Purcell, Tom E. Lewis; epic period Western; Australian-British co-production, three brothers charged with brutal crime 1880s; Australian release 6 October 2005; 104 min.
Right Here, Right Now (Matthew Newton, 2005) wr. Matthew Newton, Toby Schmitz, prod. David Gross; Dai Peterson, Matthew Newton, Toby Schmitz, Tim Draxl, Tim Richards, Geoff Morell, Brooke Satchwell, Pia Miranda, Genevieve O'Reilly
River Queen (Vincent Ward, 2005) NZ epic; Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland, Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison, Stephen Rea; Toronto Sept 2005
Scratched (Travis Bain, 2005) drama shot in Qld
Son of the Mask (Lawrence Guterman, 2005) American production filmed in Sydney
Stealth (Rob Cohen, 2005) dp Dean Semler; Josh Lucas; action; shot partly in NSW
Tyrannical Love (Scott Boswell, 2005) romcom; NZ
Warriors of Virtue: The Return to Tao (Michael Vickerman, 2005) sequel to children's adventure; shot in Beijing
Wolf Creek (Greg McLean, 2005) prod. David Lightfoot, wr. Greg McLean, dp Will Gibson; horror, loosely based on Ivan Milat and Peter Falconio stories; John Jarratt, Cassandra Magrath, Nathan Phillips, Kestie Morassi, Andy McPhee; a group of backpackers unwisely accept help from a seemingly friendly local in the Australian outback; John Jarratt is a seemingly harmless man who meets three backpackers in remote Western Australia; shot in Adelaide and Flinders Ranges; world premiere Sundance Jan 2005; Cannes 2005; 98 min.
You and Your Stupid Mate (Marc Gracie, 2005) wr. Mark O'Toole, Dave O'Neil; released 5 May 2005; Nathan Phillips, Angus Sampson, William McInnes, Tayler Kane, Samir Malik, Rachel Hunter, Madeline West; FFC funding $1,038,462, box-office $685,881; 85 min.
Young Detectives On Wheels, The (Roger Donaldson, 2005) family; NZ
2006
2.37 (Murali Thalluri, 2006) aka 2:37; Australian release 17 August 2006
48 Shades (Daniel Lapaine, 2006) aka 48 Shades of Brown, wr. Daniel Lapaine, novel Nick Earls, prod. Rob Marsala; Richard Wilson, Emma Lung, Robin McLeavy: shooting Brisbane August 2005; teen romance; Australian release 31 August 2006
Bet, The (Mark Lee, 2006) 16Jun06 (Sydney Film Festival) 19Aug07 (AFI screening, Sydney)
Black Sheep (Jonathan King, 2006) NZ horror comedy; zombie werewolf sheep
Book of Revelation, The (Ana Kokkinos, 2006) wr. Andrew Bovell, Ana Kokkinos, prod. Al Clark, Wildheart Zizani, FFC funding 2004, novel Rupert Thomson; Tom Long, Anna Torv, Greta Scacchi, Colin Friels, Deborah Mailman; erotic thriller; shooting Melbourne from 8 March 2005; a dancer at the peak of his powers disappears for twelve days, then returns just as mysteriously; Australian release 7 September 2006
Bouncer, The (Derek Hobbs, 2006) John Waters, Nunzio La Bianca; Perth, WA
BoyTown (Kevin Carlin, 2006) wr. Mick Molloy, Richard Molloy; prod. Mick Molloy, Greg Sitch, FFC, Film Victoria funding; Mick Molloy, Glenn Robbins, Wayne Hope, Bob Franklin, Gary Eck, Sally Phillips; Benny G, singer-turned-teacher, wants one more crack at success in the music world; 1980s band reunion
Burke and Wills (Oliver Torr, Matthew Zeremis, 2006) Oliver Torr, Matthew Zeremis; (Sydney Film Festival 2006) Australian release 12Apr07; comedy
Call Me Mum (Margot Nash, 2006) telemovie; Catherine McClements, Vicki Saylor, Lynette Curran; Stolen Generation family melodrama
Candy (Neil Armfield, 2006) wr. Neil Armfield, Luke Davies, adaptation of Luke Davies novel, prod. Margaret Fink, Emile Sherman; Geoffrey Rush, Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish; dark story about a couple's love amid heroin addiction; two lovers embark on a journey of lust, addiction and self-destruction; began principal photography Sydney 17 March 2005; Berlin Film Festival, Feb 2006; Australian release 25 Mary 2006
Caterpillar Wish, The (Sandra Sciberras, 2006) wr. Sandra Sciberras, prod. Kate Whitbread; Victoria Thaine (Emily), Susie Porter (her mother), Robert Mammone, Wendy Hughes, Khan Chittenden; Emily is a young girl trying to uncover the secrets of the past; shot Robe, SA
Elephant Tales (Mario Andreacchio, 2006) Aust/Fr copro; African animals photographed naturally (not animated), with voices added
Footy Legends (Khoa Do, 2006) wr. Anh Do, Khoa Do, Suzanne Do, prod. Megan McMurchy; Claudia Karvan, Anh Do, Emma Lung
Gene-X (Martin Simpson, 2006) wr. Martin Simpson, dp Vincent Monton; Patrick Magee, Ayse Tezel, Peter Astridge; thriller
Happy Feet (Dr George Miller, 2006) Kennedy Miller, Animal Logic; voiced by Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman
Hunt Angels (Alec Morgan, 2006) docudrama; Australian release August 10 2006; little-known episode in Oz cinematic history: true and little known story of Rupert Kathner and Alma Brooks, tenacious pioneers of the Australian film industry; premiere 23 July 2006 Chauvel Theatre; opening film MIFF 26 July 2006
Jindabyne (Ray Lawrence, 2006) wr. Beatrix Christian, Ray Lawrence, based on short story 'So much water so close to home' by Raymond Carver, prod. Catherine Jarman; three men on a fishing trip discover the body of a murdered young Aboriginal woman; shot in Kosciuszko National Park; Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney, Deborra-Lee Furness, Chris Haywood, John Howard, Max Cullen, Leah Purcell; mystery; Australian release 20 July 2006, DVD available 30 November 2006
Kenny (Clayton Jacobson, 2006) wr. Clayton Jacobson, Shane Jacobson; Shane Jacobson, Eve von Bibra, Ronald Jacobson, Chris Davis, Ian Dryden, Jesse Jacobson; Kenny delivers porta-loos; Australian release 17 August 2006
Kokoda (Alister Grierson, 2006) aka The Kokoda Movie/Film, wr. Alister Grierson, John Lonie, prod. Leesa Kahn, Catriona Hughes, dp Jules O'Loughlin; Jack Finsterer, Travis McMahon, Simon Stone, Tom Budge, William McInnes, Shane Bourne; shot Qld; war; in the battle between Australian and Japanese soldiers on the treacherous Kokoda track in WWII, a lost platoon from Australia's 39th battalion help overcome a monumental enemy to protect their nation from invasion; for release Anzac Day 25 April 2006
Last Train to Freo (Jeremy Sims, 2006) wr. Reg Cribb (play) Reg Cribb (screenplay) prod. Sue Taylor, Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff; Steve Le Marquand, Gigi Edgley, Tom Budge, Glenn Hazeldine, Lisa Hensley, Gillian Jones, Reg Cribb; Australian release 14 September 2006; 85 min.
Like Minds (Gregory J. Read, 2006) aka Murderous Intent; wr. Gregory J. Read, Australia/UK co-production, prod. Jonathan Shteinman, Piers Tempest; Toni Collette, Richard Roxburgh; thriller
Macbeth (Geoffrey Wright, 2006) wr. Victoria Hill, Geoffrey Wright, prod. Martin Fabinyi, Mushroom Pictures, shot Melbourne June 2005; Sam Worthington, Victoria Hill, Lachy Hulme, Mick Molloy, Gary Sweet, Steve Bastoni; uses the script of Shakespeare's play; set in Melbourne underworld contemporary ganglands milieu; world premiere Toronto Sept 2006
Modern Love (Alex Frayne, 2006) wr. Nick Matthews; Mark Constable, Victoria Hill, Will Traeger
No. 2 (Toa Fraser, 2006) aka Naming Number Two; wr. Toa Fraser, prod. Tim White, Lydia Livingstone Philippa Campbell, Colonial Encounters & Southern Light Films, finance New Zealand Film Commission, Working Title Films, Miramax Films, NZ On Air, TVNZ; Ruby Dee (Nanna Maria) Tuva Novotny (Danish Maria); inspired by a dream of her childhood back in Fiji, Nanna Maria demands that her grandchildren put on a big feast at which she will name her successor
Opal Dream (Peter Cattaneo, 2006) aka Pobby and Dingan, wr. Peter Cattaneo, Ben Rice, Phil Traill, prod. Lizie Gower, Nick Morris, Emile Sherman, dp Robert Humphreys; Sapphire Boyce (Kellyanne), Vince Colosimo, Jacqueline McKenzie; children's; Australian/UK co-production; Pobby and Dingan are Kellyanne's imaginary friends in Lightning Ridge; Peter Cattaneo's previous film was The Full Monty
Perfect Creature (Glenn Standring, 2006) vampire; NZ
Quiet Night In (Christopher Banks, 2005) comedy; NZ
Rats and Cats (Tony Rogers, shooting May 2005) prod. Jason Byrne, privately funded; Jason Gann, Adam Zwar; small-time journalist tracks down once-famous actor; cautionary tale about celebrity ; budget $1.2m (Oz 25May2005: 16; Oz 2July2005: 4-6)
Rapture of the Deep (Thorsten Schmidt, 2006) aka Himmel über Australien, Au fond de l'océan; WA cast includes Nicola Bartlett, Murray Dowsett, Ingle Knight, Igor Sas; shot partly at Moore River, WA; action-adventure, 186 min.
Sione's Wedding (Chris Graham, 2006) wr. James Griffin, Oscar Kightley; NZ comedy
Solo (Morgan O'Neill, 2006) wr. Morgan O'Neill; Colin Friels
Suburban Mayhem (Paul Goldman, 2006) wr. Alice Bell, prod. Leah Churchill-Brown; Emily Barclay, Michael Dorman (Rusty); Genevieve Lemon, Steve Bastoni; she plans to kill her father; comedy; shooting Newcastle Aug/Sept 2005; Cannes, Toronto 2006; Australian release 26 October 2006
Ten Canoes (Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr, 2006) wr. Rolf de Heer, prod. Rolf de Heer, Julie Ryan; was to be co-directed by Rolf de Heer and David Gulpilil, but the latter pulled out; performed entirely in the Ganalbingu language of Gulpilil's Yolngu people in Arnhem Land, according to the FFC it is "one of the few Australian feature films to rely on English subtitles"; surreal tragi-comedy; released 19Mar06, DVD release 24Jan07
Treasure Island Kids 1: The Battle of Treasure Island (Gavin Scott, 2006) adventure/family; NZ
Treasure Island Kids 1: The Monster of Treasure Island (Gavin Scott, 2006) adventure/family; NZ
Treasure Island Kids 1: The Mystery of Treasure Island (Gavin Scott, 2006) adventure/family; NZ
Unfolding Florence (Gillian Armstrong, 2006) aka A Colourful Life [working title]; Judi Farr, Felicity Price, Hannah Garbo; docudrama about design pioneer Florence Broadhurst
Waimate Conspiracy, The (Stefen Harris, 2006) drama; NZ
Watch Me (Melanie Ansley, 2006) horror
World's Fastest Indian, The (Roger Donaldson, 2006) Invercargill, NZ; Anthony Hopkins; life of Burt Munro who set land speed records on his Indian Scout motorcycle; Australian release 6 April 2006; DVD available 8 November 2006
Year of Wonders (Pip Karmel, FFC provisional funding 2005) novel Geraldine Brooks, prod. Phillip Noyce, Miranda Culley, Jeremy Thomas; Derbyshire village faced with plague 1665; apparently not completed
2007
2 Door Mansion (David Rechtman, 2007) aka Two Door Mansion; Pippa Grandison, Matthew Charleston; the 'mansion' is a car; 75 min.
Acting Out (Danny Merton, 2007) Australian release 5 September 2007; 80 min.
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane (Louise Alston, 2007) Brisbane Festival 2 August 2007; Australian release October 2007
Black Water (David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki, 2007) Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody; horror; crocodile monster
Boxing Day (Kriv Stenders, 2007) wr. Richard Green, Kriv Stenders; Richard Green, Tammy Anderson, Syd Brisbane, Stuart Clark, Catriona Hadden, Misty Sparrow; prison drama; Adelaide Festival February 2007; takes place in real time, shot as a single take
Catalpa Rescue, The (Lisa Harney, 2007) dramatisation of the events in Fremantle WA in 1876; released 25Oct07
Clubland (Cherie Nowlan, 2007) prod. Rosemary Blight; Emma Booth, Brenda Blethyn, Khan Chittenden; coming-of-age story
Corroboree (Ben Hackworth, 2007) wr. Ben Hackworth, Peter Savieri; Conor O'Hanlon, Rebecca Frith, Natasha Herbert, Susan Lyons, Margaret Mills, Ian Scott, Jethro Cave; 95 min.; festival releases
Course, The (Miranda Edmonds, 2007) shot in Perth WA; 81 min.
Corroboree (Ben Hackworth, 2007) Rebecca Frith
Court of Lonely Royals (Rohan Michael Hoole, 2006) surreal thriller
Cross Life (Claire McCarthy, 2007) Imogen Annesley, Mojean Aria, Paul Caesar, Tony Barry, Danielle Rohweder; 2 June 2007 (Dungog Film Festival), 21 June 2007 (Sydney International Film Festival)
December Boys (Rod Hardy, 2007) wr. Marc Rosenberg, based on Michael Noonan's novel of the same name, prod. Richard Becker; Daniel Radcliffe, Paz Vega; tells of four young orphan boys in the 1960s; the close group of friends find themselves vying for a place in the home and family they all long for; family adventure
Death Defying Acts (Gillian Armstrong, 2007) wr. Tony Grisoni, Brian Ward, prod. Chris Curling, Marian Macgowan; Guy Pearce as Harry Houdini, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Timothy Spall, Saoirse Ronan; an Australia/UK co-production drama; Toronto October 2007
Devil Dared Me To, The (Chris Stapp, 2007) action; NZ
Disgrace (Steve Jacobs, 2007) wr. Anna-Maria Monticelli, J.M. Coetzee (novel), prod. Anna-Maria Monticelli (Jacobs' partner), Emile Sherman; John Malkovich; Cape Town professor; ethical complexities
Down by the Riverside (Brad Davison, 2007) NZ
Dr Plonk (Rolf de Heer, 2007) wr. Rolf de Heer; FFC greenlit 2006; starting filming 1 May 2006; Nigel Martin; Adelaide Festival 4 March 2007, Toronto October 2007, general Australian release 27 June 2007; art/comedy
Eagle vs Shark (Taika Waititi, 2007) NZ
Final Winter, The (Brian Andrews, Jane Forrest, 2007) story of the decline of the Rugby League club the Newtown Jets
Five (Amit Tripuraneni, 2007) horror; NZ
Gabriel (Shane Abbess, 2007/8) wr. Shane Abbess and Matt Todd, prod. Shane Abbess, Anna Cridland, Kristy Vernon; Andy Whitfield, Samantha Noble; action flick
Gone (Ringan Ledwidge, 2007) Australian release 19 July 2007
Home Song Stories, The (Tony Ayres, 2007) wr. Tony Ayres, dp Nigel Bluck, prod. design Melinda Doring; Joan Chen, Yuwu Qi, Joel Lok, Steven Vidler, Kerry Walker; Shanghai nightclub singer struggles to survive in Australia with her two children; shot in Melbourne and Macau
Jammed, The (Dee McLachlan, 2007) Emma Lung, Veronica Sywak, Saskia Burmeister; Australia 22 June 2007 (Sydney International Film Festival); women of different national origins trapped in sex slavery
King, The (Matthew Saville, 2007) wr. Kris Mrksa, Jaime Browne; Stephen Curry, Shaun Micallef, Garry McDonald; story of Graham Kennedy
Last Magic Show, The (Andy Conlan, 2007) comedy romance; NZ
Little Deaths (Toby Angwin, Christopher Benz, Melanie Brunt, Ben Chessell, Sian Davies, Fin Edquist, Jarrah Gurrie, Geoff Hitchins, Giula Sandler, James Tehm, 2007) wr. Giula Sandler; casts include Adam Zwar, David Michôd, Magda Szubanski, Peter Moon; ten vignettes dealing with love, lust, sex, intimacy and relationships; anthology film
Lizzi (Stephen Huthnance, 2007) aka Lizzi and Johnny; features a 1968 Mustang GT called Lizzi
Lucky Miles (Michael James Rowland, 2007) Kenneth Moraleda, Rodney Afif, Sri Sacdpreseuth, Don Hany, Sean Mununggurr; Australian release 19 July 2007; refugees landed on remote WA coast by Indonesian crew
Man Who Lost His Head, The (Terry Johnson, 2007) romcom; Martin Clunes; British film mostly shot in NZ; concerned with the return of sacred carvings to NZ
Men Shouldn't Sing (Sarah A. Higginson, Michael Bell, 2007) NZ
Modern Love (Alex Frayne, 2006)
Money Shot (Anna Brownfield, Lance Petrie, 2007) wr. Anna Brownfield, Lance Petrie; Elizabeth Anderson, Fiv Antoniou, James Bridekirk; comedy about making a porno
Noise (Matthew Saville, 2007) wr. Matthew Saville, prod. Trevor Blainey; aftermath of mass murder on suburban train; Australian release 3 May 2007
Plum Role (Zak Hilditch, 2007) wr. Zak Hilditch; Matt Hardie, Laura Henderson, Luke Jago, Adam McGurk; 74 min.
Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance (Darren Ashton, 2007) Australian release 15 March 2007; comedy
Rogue (Greg McLean, 2007) Michael Vartan, Radha Mitchell, Sam Worthington; monster croc
Romulus My Father (Richard Roxburgh, 2007) Raimond Gaita's book, prod. Robert Connolly; Eric Bana; Victoria
September (Peter Carstairs, 2007) wr. Peter Carstairs, Ant Horn, Tropfest backed, prod. Jon Polson, dp Jules O'Loughlin, music Roger Mason; Xavier Samuel, Clarence John Ryan, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Kelton Pell, Alec McConnell, Lisa Flanagan, Mia Wasikowska, Sibylla Budd, Anton Tennett, Paul Gleeson, Tara Morice, Morgan Griffin, Bob Baines, Tom E. Lewis; friendship between two 15-yr-old boys - one white, one black - in wheatbelt late 1960s; shot on location Harden NSW; Australian release 25 October
Son of a Lion (Benjamin Gilmour, 2007) set in Pakistan
Storm Warning (Jamie Blanks, 2007) wr. Everett De Roche; Nadia Farès, Robert Taylor, David Lyons, Mathew Wilkinson, John Brumpton; horror
Streetsweeper (Neil Mansfield, 2007) wr. Neil Mansfield, Marin Mimica; loner who finds poetry in the ordinary; 75 min.
Tan Lines (Ed Aldridge, 2007) gay coming-of-age teen romance; surfing
Tatooist, The (Peter Burger, 2007) horror thriller; NZ
Toll, The (Zak Hilditch, 2007) wr. Steve McCall, Zak Hilditch; Nick Britton, Lee Jankowski, Steve McCall; comedy drama; 90 min.
Unfinished Sky (Peter Duncan, 2007) wr. Peter Duncan; William McInnes, Monic Hendrickx; farmer and illegal Afghani immigrant fall in love; Toronto October 2007
We're Here to Help (Jonothan Cullinane, 2007) drama; NZ
West (Daniel Krige, 2007) Australian release 5 July 2007; Khan Crittenden
When Night Falls (Alex Galvin, 2007) thriller; NZ
2008
$9.99 (Tatia Rosenthal, 2008) wr. Etgar Keret, prod. Amir Harel, Emile Sherman; Josef Ber, Roy Billing, Geoffrey Rush; Israel-Australia co-production; stop-motion animation
Acolytes (Jon Hewitt, 2008) Joel Edgerton, Michael Dorman, Sebastian Gregory, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Joshua Payne, Belinda McClory; crime horror
Among Dead Men (James Richards, 2008) martial arts
Apron Strings (Sima Urale, 2008) Laila Rouass, Scott Wills, Jennifer Ludlam; family melodrama; NZ
Australia (Baz Luhrmann, 2008) wr. Stuart Beattie, dp Mandy Walker; Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman
Belladonna (Annika Glac, 2008) Indiana Avent, Hannes Berger, Anne Cordiner; romance
Bitter & Twisted (Christopher Weekes, 2008) Noni Hazlehurst, Steve Rodgers, Leeanna Walsman; comedy drama '...originally intended as a black comedy loosely inspired by memories of his own youth by Weekes ... but the comedy had seeped out of it. It is a well observed and layered film about a suburban Sydney family coping with grief with an emotionally raw, powerful screenplay.' Andrew L. Urban
Black Balloon, The (Elissa Down, 2008) wr. Elissa Down & co-prod. Jimmy Jack, prod. Tristram Miall, Jimmy Jack; Toni Collette, Gemma Ward, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson; family melodrama; Toni Collette is the pregnant mother of two sons, one of whom is autistic
Cactus (Jasmine Yuen Carrucan, 2008)
Children of Huang Shi, The (Roger Spottiswoode, 2008) Australia-China-Germany co-production; US release 15 March 2008
Dead Country (Andrew Merkelbach, 2008) wr. Anthony Davis, Clifford Hoeft, Kaye Redhead; Mandy Kane, Ted V. Mikels, Janet Tracy Keijser; 75 min.
Dean Spanley (Toa Fraser, 2008) aka My Talks with Dean Spanley; Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown; comedy; NZ
Death Bet (Morten Willoch, 2008) martial arts; Kenny Low; Perth, WA
Em 4 Jay (Alkinos Tsilimidos, 2008) wr. Daniel Keene, Alkinos Tsilimidos; Laura Gordon, Nick Barkla, Chloe Armstrong, Jonathan auf der Heide; heroin-addicted couple
Eternity Man, The (Julien Temple, 2008) wr. Dorothy Porter, Julien Temple; Grant Doyle, Christa Hughes, Lara Mulcahy; story of Arthur Stace, told as an 'opera'
Five Guys Named Moe (Jimmy Jack, 2007/8) not released; 80 min.
Four of a Kind (Fiona Cochrane, 2008) wr. Helen Collins; Peta Brady, Nina Landis, Leverne McDonnell, Robert Tabiah, Louise Siversen; drama thriller
Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger (Cathy Randall, 2008) Danielle Catanzariti, Cassandra Jinman, Talia Monaghan; coming-of-age Jewish comedy
Horseman, The (Steven Kastrissios, 2008)
Jinx Sister (Athina Tsoulis, 2008) Sara Wiseman, Rachel Nash, Jarod Rawiri, William Wallace, Jenni Heka, Rawiri Paratene; drama; NZ
Kissing Paris (Anna Kannava, 2008)
Lake Mungo (Joel Anderson, 2008) wr. Joel Anderson, prod. Georgie Nevile, David Rapsey, dp John Brawley; Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe, Steve Jodrell; horror, mystery; shot in Ararat; teenager drowns inexplicably in country weir; in documentary style
Long Weekend (Jamie Blanks, 2008) wr. Everett De Roche; James Caviezel, Claudia Karvan; was not released theatrically
Men's Group (Michael Joy, 2008) Grant Dodwell, Don Reid, Paul Gleeson; 104 min.
Nim's Island (Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin, 2008) adventure fantasy
Rain of the Children (Vincent Ward, 2008)
Map Reader, The (Harold Brodie, 2008) drama; NZ
Newcastle (Dan Castle, 2008) wr. Dan Castle; youth drama, coming of age, surfing; released 6 November 2008
No Through Road (Sam Barrett, 2008) James Helm, Megan Palinkas, George Shevtsov; WA
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild Untold Story of Ozploitation! (Mark Hartley, 2008) doco compilation with many clips of films from the 1970-80s
Plex, The (Tim Boyle, 2008) comedy
Punishment (Danny Matier, 2008) Nicholas Bishop, Roxane Wilson, Scott McRae; drama thriller
Song Of Good, A (Gregory King, 2008) crime drama; NZ
Show of Hands (Anthony McCarten, 2008) romcom; NZ
Square, The (Nash Edgerton, 2008) David Robert, Clair van der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes; man's life begins to unravel when his mistress brings him a bag of cash; thriller; released 31 July 2008
Taking the Waewae Express (Andrea Bosshard, 2008) drama; NZ
Three Blind Mice (Matthew Newton, 2008) wr. Matthew Newton, ed. Gracie Otto; Toby Schmitz, Matthew Newton, Ewen Leslie, Gracie Otto, Marcus Graham, Alex Dimitriades, Pia Miranda, Barry Otto, Heather Mitchell, Jacki Weaver, Charles Tingwell; Sydney Film Festival, 8 June 2008
Two Fists One Heart (Shawn Seet, 2008) wr. Rai Fazio; Daniel Amalm, Ennio Fantastichini, Jessica Marais, Rai Fazio, Costas Kilias, Paul Pantano, Tim Minchin, Rosemary Lenzo, Ingle Knight; boxing; set in Perth
Tumbler, The (Marc Gracie, 2008) wr. Chris Thompson, prod. Stacey Testro; Gary Sweet, Louise Crawford, Hazem Shammas, Suzannah Bayes-Morton
Under a Red Moon (Leigh Sheehan, 2008) Maria Angelico, Jane Badler
Valentine's Day (Peter Duncan, 2008) telemovie comedy; Rhys Muldoon, Michael Tuahine, Anita Hegh, Freya Stafford, Roy Billing, Terry Norris; football
2009
3 Acts of Murder (Rowan Woods, 2009) Robert Menzies, Luke Ford, Bille Brown, Bill McCluskey, Emma Booth, Nicola Bartlett; telemovie, Arthur Upfield story, set in WA
Accidents Happen (Andrew Lancaster, 2009) Geena Davis, Harrison Gilbertson, Harry Cook; black comedy; Australian release 22 April 2010
Bad Bush (Samuel Genocchio, 2009) Chris Sadrinna, Viva Bianca, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor; thriller
Blind Company (Alkinos Tsilimidos, 2009) Gloria Ajenstat, Nick Barkla, Colin Friels, Sarah Hallam, Samuel Johnson, Frank Magree
Braille (Matthew Chuang, 2009) Nicky Wright, Renny Holder, Zero Murray; action
Bran Nue Dae (Rachel Perkins, 2009) wr. Reg Cribb; Phillip Rocky McKenzie, Geoffrey Rush, Ernie Dingo, Deborah Mailman, Ningali Lawford, Missy Higgins, Tom Budge; musical; Australian release 14 January 2010
Balibo (Robert Connolly, 2009) wr. David Williamson; set East Timor; Anthony LaPaglia, Oscar Isaac, Damon Gameau, Gyton Grantley, Nathan Phillips
Beautiful Kate (Rachel Ward, 2009) Rachel Griffiths, Bryan Brown, Ben Mendelsohn, Sophie Lowe, Maeve Dermody; family melodrama; Australian release 6 August 2009
Bitter Art (Michael Hatch, 2009) Nathan Coenen, Luke Dabic, Vito de Francesco; comedy drama
Blessed (Ana Kokkinos, 2009) wr. Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas, from their play Who's Afraid of the Working Class, prod. Al Clark; Miranda Otto, Frances O'Connor, Deborra-Lee Furness, Sophie Lowe, Tasma Walton; lost children wander the night streets while their mothers await their return home
Boronia Boys (Timothy Spanos, 2009) Elspeth Ballantyne, Michael Burkett, Tim Burns; drama
Boy (Taika Waititi, 2010) James Rolleston, Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu, Taika Waititi; NZ
Boys Are Back, The (Scott Hicks, 2009) aka The Boys Are Back in Town; Emma Booth, Laura Fraser, Clive Owen as widowed sportwriter and single parent; drama, filmed in SA, Hicks's home state
Broken Hill (Dagen Merrill, 2009) Luke Arnold, Alexa Vega, Rhys Wakefield; family drama, music
Bright Star (Jane Campion, 2009) John Keats biopic; Abbie Cornish, Ben Wishaw
Cedar Boys (Serhat Caradee, 2009) wr. Serhat Caradee, dp Peter Holland; Les Chantery, Buddy Dannoun, Rachael Taylor, Martin Henderson, Dan Mor, Bren Foster, Serhat Caradee; Lebanese gangs; Sydney FF 10 June, Aust release 30 July
Charlie & Boots (Dean Murphy, 2009) Paul Hogan, Shane Jacobson, released 3 Sept 2009; father and son travel from Victoria to Cape York to fulfil their lifelong ambition to fish
Closed for Winter (James Bogle, 2009) Natalie Imbruglia, Daniel Frederiksen, Deborah Kennedy; drama; shot in SA; 85 min.
Coffin Rock (Rupert Glasson, 2009) drama/thriller; Lisa Chappell, Robert Taylor, Sam Parsonson
Combination, The (David Field, 2009) wr. George Basha; George Basha, Firass Dirani, Doris Younane, Clare Bowen, Michael Denkha; Lebanese street culture in Sydney
Crush (John V. Soto & Jeff Gerritsen, 2009) wr. John V. Soto: Christopher Egan, Brooke Harman, Emma Lung; story of Julian Meadows, an American exchange student and disgraced Tae Kwon Do champion whose life is transformed into a living hell after being seduced by the mysterious yet beautiful Anna; horror; 82 min.
Daybreakers (Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig, 2009) Australian release 4 February 2010
Director's Cut, The (Paul Komadina, 2009) WA
District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009) US/NZ/Canada/SAfrica copro
Dreamland (Ivan Sen, 2009) prod. David Jowsey; Daniel Roberts; story of UFO hunter set in Nevada; NOT Australian; not Indigenous theme, but Australian Indigenous director's second feature
Family Demons (Ursula Dabrowsky, 2009) wr. Ursula Dabrowsky, prod. Sue Brown, dp Hugh Freytag; Cassandra Kane, Kerry Anne Reid, Alex Rafalowicz, Tommy Darwin; horror
Fragment (Andrew Miles, 2009) wr. Andrew Miles; Wayne Bradley, Bree Robertson, Ian McPhee; horror
Hell of a Ride, A (Warren Ryan, 2009) aka Shadows of the Past; wr. Warren Ryan; Jordanna Allen, David Barry, Justin Colquhoun; rodeo, western
I Am Bish (Dave Bishop, Khrob Edmonds, 2009) wr. Dave Bishop; Tahnee Arlt, Mark Attrill, Dave Bishop; zombies; WA
I'm Not Harry Jenson. (James Napier Robertson, 2009) Gareth Reeves, Jinny Lee Story, Marshall Napier, Ian Mune, James Napier Robertson; mystery thriller [the fullstop is apparently part of the title and 'Jenson' is so spelt] NZ
In Her Skin (Simone North, 2009) aka How to Change in 9 Weeks; wr. Tony Cavanaugh, Simone North; 15-year-old Australian girl goes missing, found to have been murdered by her babysitter
Inanimate Objects (Don Percy, 2009) comedy; Lesley Baker, Josephine Clark, Jim Daly; comedy; 54 min.
Last Confession of Alexander Pearce, The (Michael James Rowland, 2008) based on true story of convict cannibal in Tasmania; cf. Van Diemen's Land
Last Ride (Glendyn Ivin, 2009) wr. Mac Gudgeon, novel by Denise Young, dop Grieg Fraser; Tom Russell, Hugo Weaving; yet another film shot in the Stirling Ranges with the support of the SA Film Corporation; official site
Love the Beast (Eric Bana, 2009)
Loved Ones, The (Sean Byrne, 2009)
Lovely Bones, The (Peter Jackson, 2009) US/UK/NZ copro; drama; partly shot in NZ
Lucky Country (Kriv Stenders, 2009) aka Dark Frontier, Home; wr. Andy Cox; Aden Young, Toby Wallace, Hanna Mangan Lawrence; history drama thriller
Makeover, The (Colm O'Murchu, 2009) romcom; Martin Dingle-Wall, Lara Cox, Jeff Gannon
Mao's Last Dancer (Bruce Beresford, 2009) prod. Jane Scott, wr. Jan Sardi; Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan; biopic: story of dancer Li Cunxin
Mary and Max (Adam Elliott, 2009) claymation
My Year Without Sex (Sarah Watt, 2009) Sacha Horler, Matt Day
Prey (Oscar D'Roccster, 2009) aka The Outback, Dreamtime's Over; wr. John V. Soto, Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman; Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Jesse Johnson, Natalie Walker; horror; 76 min.
Prime Mover (David Caesar, 2009) comic drama; William McInnes, Andrew S. Gilbert, Lynette Curran, Jeanette Cronin, Gyton Grantley, Emily Barclay, Michael Dorman, Anthony Hayes, Ben Mendelsohn
Remembering Nigel (Frank Howson, 2009) Barbara Ady, Steven Berkoff, Lindsay Bick; comedy
Samson and Delilah (Warwick Thornton, 2009) wr. Warwick Thornton, dp Warwick Thornton; Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson; official site; Adelaide FF
Saved (Tony Ayres, 2009) wr. Belinda Chayko; Claudia Karvan, Andy Rodoreda, Osamah Sami, Elise McCredie; telemovie; refugee drama
Savages Crossing (Kevin James Dobson, 2009) prod. Irene Dobson; Chris Haywood, Sacha Horler, John Jarratt
Separation City (Paul Middleditch, 2009) NZ; Joel Edgerton, Danielle Cormack, Rhona Mitra
Stone Bros. (Richard Frankland, 2009) aka Stone Bros; comedy; Luke Carroll, Leon Burchill, Valentio Del Toro, David Page, Peter Phelps
Strength of Water, The (Armagan Ballantyne, 2009) drama; NZ
Subdivision (Sue Brooks, 2009) wr. Ashley Bradnam, Janice Bradnam, Terry McCann, prod. Owen Johnston, Trish Lake, dp John Stokes; Bruce Spence, Gary Sweet, Steve Bisley, Brooke Satchwell, Kris McQuade; comedy
Van Diemen's Land (Jonathan auf der Heide, 2009) Arthur Angel; based on the true story of Alexander Pearce; cannibalism; cf. The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce
Vintner's Luck, The (Niki Caro, 2009) romance drama; France/NZ
Waiting City, The (Claire McCarthy, 2009) Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton; couple adopt a child in India
Garry Gillard | New: 15 December, 2016 | Now: 21 July, 2018