Australian Cinema > types > Fremantle. See also: WA films.
Aussie Park Boyz (Nunzio La Bianca, 2004) climactic scene shot at the corner of High and Cliff Streets
Below (Maziar Lahooti, 2019) wr. Ian Wilding, prod. Veronica Gleeson, Nick Batzias, Kate Neyton; Anthony LaPaglia, Ryan Corr, Morgana O'Reilly, Alison Whyte, Phoenix Raeli, Robert Rabiah, Zenia Starr, Adam T. Perkins, Kenneth Ransom, Lauren Campbell, Maziar Lahooti, Luke Esme; scifi; partly shot in Fremantle Prison; MIFF August
Day of the Panther (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1988)* prod. Damien Parer, wr. Peter West, dop Simon Akkerman, 84 min. Edward John Stazak, John Stanton, Jim Richards, Michael Carmen, Zale Daniel, Paris Jefferson; martial arts master Jason Blade is sent from Hong Kong to Perth [WA] to sort out drug lord Stanton; the first Jason Blade feature is traditional well-staged action fare from Trenchard-Smith; followed by sequel Fists of Blood aka Strike of the Panther (vide infra); some scenes shot in the South Fremantle Power Station
Derelict (Cristian Broadhurst, James Broadhurst, 2017) wr. Cristian Broadhurst, dp Ian Batt, Cristian Broadhurst, ed. Cristian Broadhurst; Tristan Balz, James Broadhurst, Justin Burford, Amy Celisano, Taran Dunn, Christopher Sansoni, Craig Van Waardenburg; shot South Fremantle Power Station, WA
The Great Mint Swindle (Geoff Bennett, 2012) the story of the Mickelberg brothers and a theft of gold from the WA Mint; based on true story; the Subiaco office scenes were shot inside and out of 20 Stack St Fremantle
Home Port (Phil Thomson, 1997) wr. Christine Evans, Phil Thomson; domestic drama; US Navy visit to Fremantle, WA; 110 min.
How to Please a Woman (Renée Webster, 2021) wr. Renée Webster, prod. Tania Chambers, Judi Levine, Feisty Dame & Such Much Films; Sally Phillips, Erik Thomson, Caroline Brazier, Tasma Walton, Hayley McElhinney, Roz Hammond, Cameron Daddo, Alexander England, Ryan Johnson, Josh Thomson, Myles Pollard; Fremantle; comedy
I Met a Girl (Luke Eve, 2020) wr. Glen Dolman; Brenton Thwaites, Joel Jackson, Lily Sullivan, Zahra Newman, Peter Rowsthorn, Anni Finsterer, Anita Hegh, Liam Graham, Saskie Williscroft, Inez Curro, Amy Mathews, Dan Paris, Glen Dolman, Angela Mahlatjie, Anya Kenner; drama; shot partly in the West End of Fremantle
The Joys of the Women (Franco di Chiera, 1993) WA; doco about the choir founded in Fremantle by Kavisha Mazzella AM, Le Gioie delle Donne; the film is distributed by Electric Pictures, 33 Canning Hwy, East Fremantle: I actually went in and bought a copy there, tho they don't usually sell over the counter
Justice (Ron Elliott, 1998) wr. prod. Bob Roget; dop Alex McPhee, music Allan Zavod; Marcus Graham, Kerry Armstrong, Simon Westaway, Jamie Anders, Laura Black, Michael Loney, Dene Irvin, George Shevtsov, Tessa Moncreiff, Rosemarie Lenzo, Andrew S. Gilbert, Kim Fleming, Boris Radmilovic, Igor Sas, Kahren Hampton, Marta Kaczmarek, Andrew Hale, Paul Kristoff, Ewen Leslie, Michele Roget, Paul Roget, Jona Zeschke; West Coast Pictures; shot in Fremantle 1997 including extensive use of the derelict South Fremantle Power Station as a location, begins in Dago Bay in the Harbour, and includes a scene on Monument Hill and one in/near a Pilot Cottage; no theatrical release; may have been available on VHS
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 (daughter of Michael Edgley, son of Eric (Mick) Edgley, theatrical promoters) Tom Budge, Glenn Hazeldine, Lisa Hensley, Gillian Jones, Reg Cribb; Australian release 14 September 2006; 85 min.
Pursuit of Happiness, The (Martha Ansara, 1988) prod. Martha Ansara, wr. Martha Ansara, Laura Black, Alex Gibson; Anna Gare, Laura Black, Peter Hardy, Jack Coleman; set and shot in Fremantle WA; female journo involved in peace movement; low-budget political thriller
Reckoning, The (John V. Soto, 2014) Filmscope Entertainment, prod. Deidre Kitcher; Luke Hemsworth, Jonathan LaPaglia, Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Alex Williams, Igor Sas, Nicola Bartlett, Kazimir Sas, James Hagan; crime; WA; Australian premiere at CinefestOZ 21 August 2014, limited release from 5 September; scene shot on beach south of Fremantle
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
Sororal (Sam Barrett, 2013) aka Dark Sister; Amanda Woodhams, Liam Graham, James Helm, Vito de Francesco, Nicola Bartlett; thriller; Perth WA; Fremantle: the opening scene was shot on Monument Hill
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 Scott's: his marker is in Fremantle Cemetery; shot in Fremantle and Adelaide
Under the Lighthouse Dancing (Graeme Rattigan, 1997) dp Paul Murphy; Jack Thompson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Naomi Watts, Aden Gillett, Ingle Knight; WA
Six friends go to Rottnest (it's in the Fremantle electorate) for the weekend. Two of them (Emma and Harry - Jacquie and Jack) announce that they intend to get married, but have made no plans, nor do they have a licence. Emma also announces that she is very ill, and all she wants is a wedding. The other four friends then try to find a way to make it all happen. The house on Rottnest Island was built for the film. When the shoot was complete it was removed and reconstructed at 4 Durdham Crescent, just up some steps from the Bicton Baths. It's a pleasant film which doesn't make much impression but passes the time with picturesque visuals and romantic music. My friend Ingle Knight, a Fremantle resident, does a brilliant turn in a bit part as the Anglican rector. He has just the one scene, with Jack Thompson, and actually makes Jack look quite ordinary.
Upright, eight part series wr. Leon Ford, Tim Minchin, Chris Taylor, Kate Mulvany; Tim Minchin, Milly Alcock, Heather Mitchell; Foxtel
Upright is the story of two misfits, Lucky and Meg, who are thrown together by chance in the middle of the Australian desert and forge the unlikeliest of bonds in their quest to get a precious upright piano from one side of the country to the other.
The Fremantle connexion is in the last of the eight parts, which looks to me as though the house that is the end of the journey is in John Street Cottesloe – but the final scene is of bathing at ... Bathers Bay. Strongly recommended; great show. Milly Alcock (playing a 13-yr-old girl) almost acts Tim Minchin off the screen.
Where the Two Rivers Meet (Ken Kelso [Fremantle resident], 1999) short, wr. Ken Kelso, prod. Nicky Lukacs, Strike Your Heart Productions, dp Greg Knight, ed. Melanie Rodriga, music Kavisha Mazzella et al.; funding SBS, Screenwest; Kelton Pell (Rory [Willy] Dalton), Geoff Kelso [Ken's younger brother] (Clive Lewis), Stephen Baamba Albert (Pastor Ronny); broadcast on SBS Friday 2 June 2000 as part of Unfinished Business: Reconciling the Nation; and on ABC Channel 2 28 May; drama of two boyhood adversaries brought together by coincidence in adulthood, who seek to reach a mutual understanding about a corrugated iron canoe, among many other things; the two rivers are the Canning and the Swan, and the film was shot near their confluence, at Mt Henry; 26 min. I thought it was in YouTube courtesy of John Reed, but I can't find it atm.
See also: films related to Western Australia.
See also: my website with Fremantle Stuff information.
There's also a Fremantle Films quiz on the fremantlestuff site.
Garry Gillard | New: 3 January, 2010 | Now: 12 April, 2023