Australian Cinema > types > WA. See also WA directors.

Western Australia

Australian feature films shot in or set in or first shown in WA or by WA directors or writers or WA financed

1% (Stephen MacCallum, 2017) aka Outlaws (USA); wr. Matt Nable; Matt Nable, Ryan Corr, Abbey Lee, Josh McConville, Simone Kessell, Aaron Pedersen; bikies; WA

1922 (Zak Hilditch, 2017) wr. Zak Hilditch from novella by Stephen King. prod. Liz Kearney, and many others; Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, Dylan Schmid; an American film post-produced in WA by Siamese

3 Acts of Murder (Rowan Woods, 2009)* telemovie, Arthur Upfield story, set in WA

Accidental Soldier, An (Rachel Ward, 2013) telemovie, prod. Sue Taylor, Kylie du Fresne; Julia Zemiro, Dan Spielman, Malcolm Kennard, Marie Bunel, Bryan Brown; premiere cinefestoz Busselton Aug 2013; broadcast ABC1 15 Sept 2013

Actress, The (Zak Hilditch, 2005)* wr. Zak Hilditch, Steve McCall; Caitlin Higgins, Matt Hardie, Laura Henderson

Against the Grain: More Meat Than Wheat (Tim Burns, 1981) prod. Tim Burns for Nightshift Films, wr. Tim Burns & Michael Callaghan, dop Louis Irving, ed. Peter Bailey, Chris Cordaux, Melissa Woods; Joy Burns, Letham Burns, Mary Burns, Michael Callaghan, Sandy Edwards, George Sutton; young idealist visits WA to visit family; low budget political drama; Eastman colour, 16 mm, 76 min.

Aussie Park Boyz (Nunzio La Bianca, 2004)*

Aussie Park Boyz: The Next Chapter (Nunzio La Bianca, 2011)

Australia (Baz Luhrmann, 2008)* wr. Stuart Beattie; Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman

Bad Girl (Fin Edquist, 2016) wr. Fin Edquist, prod. Steve Kearney, Bruno Charlesworth, Tenille Kennedy; Sara West, Samara Weaving, Felicity Price, Benjamin Winspear; girl attracts men on the internet; shot Perth, Swan Valley, Kalamunda, Serpentine WA

Bassendream (Tim Barretto, 2022) wr. Tim Barretto; Calen Tassone, Trish Zanetti, Neve Havercroft; coming of age; 80 min.

Before Dawn (Jordon Prince-Wright, 2022) wr, Jarrad Russell, dp Daniel Quinn; Levi Miller, Stephen Peacocke, Travis Jeffery, Ed Oxenbould, Tim Franklin, Myles Pollard, WW1 on the Western Front; shot outside Esperance WA

Big Mamma's Boy (Franco di Chiera, 2011)* wr. Frank Lotito; Frank Lotito, Holly Valance, Carmelina di Guglielmo, George Kapiniaris, Costas Kilias, Maria Venuti, Steve Mouzakis, Jim Russell, Pia Miller, Natalie Gauci; comedy

Birthright (Zoe Pepper, tba) wr. Zoe Pepper; Travis Jeffery, Maria Angelico, Linda Cropper, Michael Hurst; dark comedy; WA

Bitter Art (Michael Hatch, 2009) Nathan Coenen, Luke Dabic, Vito de Francesco; Pemberton, WA

Blackfellas (James Ricketson, 1993)* prod. Paul D. Barron et al.; John Moore (Doug), David Ngoombujarra (Floyd), Jaylene Riley (Polly)

Blame (Michael Henry, 2010) Damian de Montemas, Kestie Morassi, Sophie Lowe; Roleystone, WA; drama thriller

Blue Dog (Kriv Stenders, 2016) prod. Nelson Woss, Good Dog Enterprises, wr. Daniel Taplitz, dp Geoffrey Hall, music Cezary Skubiszewski; Bryan Brown, John Jarratt, Levi Miller, Jason Isaacs, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Thomas Cocquerel; boy and dog

Bouncer, The (Derek Hobbs, 2006) John Waters, Nunzio La Bianca; nightclub scenes shot in The Bog, Perth, WA

Boundaries of the Heart (Lex Marinos, 1988) prod. Patric Juillet, wr. Peter Yeldham, music Sharon Calcraft, dp David Sanderson & Geoff Simpson, 99 min.; Wendy Hughes, John Hargreaves, Norman Kaye, Julie Nihill, Max Cullen, Michael Siberry, John Clayton; filmed in Coolgardie WA; stranded in a small WA township, a 40-year-old spinster struggles with her sexual frustrations; Patric Juillet is husband of Hughes, who gets ass. prod. credit; 99 min.

Bran Nue Dae (Rachel Perkins, 2009)*

Breath (Simon Baker, 2017) wr. Gerard Lee, Tim Winton (from his 2008 novel, who narrates), Peter Duncan, Simon Baker, prod. Simon Baker, Jamie Hilton, Mark Johnson, dp Marden Dean, Rick Rifici, dist. Arclight, Palace; Simon Baker, Elizabeth Debicki, Richard Roxburgh, Rachael Blake, Samson Coulter, Ben Spence; surfing; WA

Broken (Damian Fasolo, 2017) wr. prod. dp. ed. Damian Fasolo; Nicholas Starte, Karli Rae Grogan, Shyla Vivian; a father struggles to come to terms with the discovery of his wife's affair; WA; available from youtube

Broken Contract (James Pentecost, 2018) wr. James Pentecost, prod. Hayden Fortescue, Jag Pannu Productions; Christopher Morris, Esther Anderson, Rebecca Caldwell; action comedy; WA

Buck's Party (Steve Jodrell, 1978)* dp Wally Fairweather, Patrick Maher, ed. Geoffrey Hall, Davd Rapsey; Steve Edwards, David Griffiths, Tom Harris, Pauline Hood; short; 38 min.

Bush Christmas (Henri Safran, 1983)* Barron Films; WA funding; Nicole Kidman

Catalpa Rescue, The (Lisa Harney, 2007) dramatisation of the events in Fremantle WA in 1876

Cloudstreet (Matthew Saville, 2011) TV series, novel by Tim Winton, filmed in Perth, WA

Clowning Around (George Whaley, 1992) Barron Films; aka Clowning Sim; Clayton Williamson (Sim, 13), Ernie Dingo; shot in Perth as a feature but shown as a mini-series

Coolbaroo Club, The (Roger Scholes, 1996) wr. co-prod. Steve Kinnane, prod. Penny Robbins, 55 min; award-winning documentary on post-war race relations in Australia; from 1946 to 1960, in East Perth, WA, the Coolbaroo Club was a meeting place and a community focus for the local Aboriginal community; see also Stephen Kinnane's book, Shadow Lines, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 2003 (Premier's Award 2003)

Course, The (Miranda Edmonds, 2007) wr. Khrob Edmonds, Miranda Edmonds; Khrob Edmonds, Trilby Glover, Tom O'Sullivan, Emma Herriman; shot in Perth WA; romcom; 81 min.

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.

Daisy and Simon (Stasch Radwanski Jr., 1989)* prod. Pamela Borain & Paul D. Barron, Barron Films, assisted inter alia by the WA Film Commission, 35 mm., 106 min.; Sean Scully, Jan Adele; comedy based on age difference [cf. Spider and Rose, 1994, dir. Bill Bennett] Perth [WA] accountant gradually falls for an older woman after he helps out on her property; tired and unoriginal drama, also released as Where the Outback Ends [original title]

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

Deadly Love, feature film in pre-production in 2022, wr. prod. Taryne Laffar & Aaron McCann; An Irish farmhand from the remote Aran Islands and an Indigenous Australian primary school teacher from the remote Kimberleys, fall in love over the course of three years of letter exchanges. But, when the pair finally meet in person, they quickly realise that their expectations of each other are well off the mark.

Death Bet (Morten Willoch, 2008)* martial arts; Kenny Low; Perth, WA; Justin, a second-generation immigrant, has just returned home to a port town where illegal immigrants come in search for a new life. Instead they are used as slave labour and sex workers, and are forced to fight with their lives at stake in an underground combat rink. All Justin wants is to live a quiet life with his long lost love Leelu. Unfortunately, the ruthless owner of 'the Cage' wants her as well. Justin is forced to fight to protect her. They forced him to fight. They should have known better.

Decadent and the Depraved, The (Axel August, Jordon Prince-Wright, 2018) wr. Axel August; Michael Muntz, Ben Mortley, Steve Turner; western; WA

Demons (Blake Prosser, 2011) WA; 60 min.

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

Desert Rats (Steve Westh, 2012) Electric Pictures; teledocudrama: North Africa, WW2; 2 x 60 min.

Dingo (Rolf de Heer, 1991)* wr. Marc Rosenberg; dp Denis Lenoir, original music Miles Davis, Michel Legrand; Colin Friels (as a trumpeter), Miles Davis, Helen Buday, Bernadette Lafont; review by Raymond Younis in Murray 1995: 337; filmed around Bungle Bungles and Meekatharra, WA, and in Paris.
This is featured on the NFSA site with curator's notes and three clips.

Director's Cut, The (Paul Komadina, 2009)

Dirt Music (Gregor Jordan, 2020) film rights of Tim Winton's novel were bought by Phillip Noyce in 2002, but it is now to be produced by Finola Dwyer, Amanda Poser, and Angie Fielder; film to be shot in WA set in fictional seaside town of White Point; Layla Tucak, "Noyce to put Music on film", The Australian, 11 May 2002: 3; UK/Aust copro; shot mid-west WA, Kimberley, Dongara, Port Denison; WA Regional Film Fund

Down Under (Harry Southwell, 1927) Anglo-Australian Films, dp Lacey Percival, Cliff Thomas; Harry Southwell (Walter Nobbage) Nancy Mills; 'intended to be"'typically Western Australian" in spirit'

Drift (Ben Nott, Morgan O'Neill, 2013) Sam Worthington, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Myles Pollard, Xavier Samuel; drama, surfing; Australian premiere Caves House Yalingup WA 21 March 2013; shot WA

Down Under (Harry Southwell, 1927) Anglo-Australian Films, dp Lacey Percival, Cliff Thomas; Harry Southwell (Walter Nobbage) Nancy Mills; Perth financing and first screening

Drowner, The, novel by Robert Drewe, pre-production 2011; to be shot in Northern Western Australia and the Goldfields

Edward and Isabella (Adam Morris, 2021) wr. Adam Morris; Daniel Barwick, Renato Fabretti Chloe Hurst; shot Albany

Esoterica (Sam Barrett, 2010) James Helm, Melanie Munt, George Shevtsov; thriller; WA*

Exile and the Kingdom (Frank Rijavek, 1994) documentary; Roebourne WA area; best doco AFIs 1994

Frank and Frank (Adam Morris, 2023) aka The Valley and the Walrus: Ruminations on the Mystery from Soup to Nuts (subtitle); wr. Adam Morris; Myles Pollard, Trevor Jamieson, Rebecca Leafes, Vanessa Stone, Talarah Pedrocchi Roelefs; shot Albany, Mandurah, Bicton

Few Less Men, A (Mark Lamprell, 2017) wr. Dean Craig, prod. Tania Chambers, Laurence Malkin, Share Stallings; Xavier Samuel, Kevin Bishop, Kris Marshall, Shane Jacobson, Ryan Corr, Deborah Mailman, Jeremy Sims, Darren Gilshenan, Lynette Curran, Pamela Shaw, Sacha Horler; comedy; WA

Fists of Blood (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1988)* aka Strike of the Panther; prod. Damien Parer, wr. Peter West, Ranald Allan, dop Simon Akkerman, 84 min. Edward John Stazak, John Stanton, Rowena Wallace, Paris Jefferson, Zale Daniel, Jim Richards. Second Jason Blade feature has our hero on the trail of recently escaped adversary Richards, who has shanghaied Blade's girlfriend; routine chop-socky actioner is a sequel to Day of the Panther

Five Of Hearts, The (E. J. Cole, 1911) aka Buffalo Bill's Love Story, aka A Maiden's Distress; Production Company: Pathe Freres; Cast: E J Cole's Bohemian Dramatic Company; this Western was presented by Empire Pictures at the Town Hall, Perth [WA], on 10 May 1911

Flashpoint (Brian Hannant, 1972) wr. Brian Hannant, prod Gil Brealey; Serge Lazareff (David), Wyn Roberts (Foxy), Jan Kingsbury (Vicky); newcomer to a mining town in north-west Australia where men outnumber women fifty to one, finds that the flashpoint in human conflict is set dangerously low; WA

Foreshadow (Carmelo Musca, 2013) wr. Krisztian Lippert; Justin Burford, Myles Pollard, Andrea Addison, Melanie Lyons, Tawni Bryant, Kyle Morrison, Ben Purser, Nic McRobbie, James Hagan, Sam Davenport, Clara Helms, Hannah Price, Rebecca Caldwell; supernatural thriller; made in Perth, Western Australia; Oz release 8 November; 90 min.

Fortunate Life, A (Marcus Cole, Henri Safran, 1986) Dominic Sweeney, Paul Sonkkila, Maurie Ogden, Leslie Wright, Nikki Coghill, Peter Cummins, Martin Vaughan, Bill Hunter, Willie Fennell, Frank Gallacher, Joy Hruby, John Ewart, Roger Ward, Bill Young, Barrie Barkla, Steve Jodrell, Richard Walley, Bill McCluskey, Ramsay McLean, James Beattie, Martin Flint, Geoffrey Gibbs, Nigel Davenport, Andy King, Marcus Graham, Maggie Wilde West, Sid Plummer, Adrian Mulraney; autobio

Fran (Glenda Hambly, 1985)* Barron Films; Bush Christmas Productions; Noni Hazelhurst loses her children as wards of the state due to her failure as a mother; funded partly by the WA Film Council and shot in Perth

Furnace, The (Roderick Mackay, 2020) wr. Roderick Mackay, dp Mick McDermott; Ahmed Malek, David Wenham, Osaman Sami, Jay Ryan, Trevor Jamieson, Baykali Ganambarr, James Hagan; WA; premiere Venice FF

Gallipoli (Peter Weir, 1981)* entirely shot in SA, but in the last scene the men are said to be from WA

Gateway, The (John V. Soto, 2018) aka Loved You Twice; wr. John V. Soto, Michael White; prod. Deidre Kitcher, Filmscope Entertainment; Jacqueline McKenzie, Hayley McElhinney, Myles Pollard, Shannon Berry, Ben Mortley, Ryan Panizza; scifi; WA; released 3May18

Gift, The (Paul Cox, 1988)* (TV) Nicholas Hatjiandreou, Vicki Serbos, Alexis Anthopoulos, Constantin Laras, Rena Frangloudakis, Peter Felmingham, Margaret Ford, Michael Milsom, Victoria Eagger, Barry Dickins, Ken James, Bill McCluskey; prod. Geoffrey Daniels, Patricia Edgar, Michael Friedman, Tony Llewellyn-Jones; music Tassos Ioannides, dp Nino Gaetano Martinetti; part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations

Golden West, The (George Young, 1911) Production Company: Australian Film Syndicate. Photography: Lacey Percival. 2500 ft. 'A romance of the west Australian [WA] goldfields', featuring 'magnificent scenery' and 'sensational rides', The Golden West was privately screened at the King's Theatre, Sydney, on 27 March 1911.

Gnow or Never (Franco di Chiera, Carmelo Musca, 2009)* doco; WA

Great Gold Swindle, The (John Power, 1984)* wr. David White; John Hargreaves, Steve Jodrell; the story of the Mickelberg brothers and a theft of gold from the WA Mint; based on true story

Great Mint Swindle, The* (Geoff Bennett, 2012) the story of the Mickelberg brothers and a theft of gold from the WA Mint; based on true story; partly shot in Stack Street Fremantle

Great White (Martin Wilson, 2021) wr. Michael Boughen; Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Jason Wilder, Tatjana Marjanovic, Patrick Atchison, Kate Jaggard; shot Redcliffe Peninsula, Queensland, Australia; the director is from WA

Greenfield (Julius Telmer, Jevgeni Jevsikov, 2020) Ethan Thomas, Liam Graham, Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik; drama; WA

H is for Happiness (John Sheedy, 2020) wr. Lisa Hoppe, dp Bonnie Elliott; Miriam Margolyes, Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Daisy Axon; family; shot in Albany showing especially Albany High School

Harlequin (Simon Wincer, 1980)* David Hemmings, Robert Powell, Broderick Crawford; shot in Perth, WA, but nothing to do with the setting

He Ain't Heavy (David Vincent Smith, tba) wr. David Vincent Smith, prod. Jess Parker, No Label Films; Greta Scacchi, Leila George, Sam Corlett; desperate sister kidnaps her beloved brother to save him from addiction; shot Perth; WA

Heretics (Adon Blake, 2022) wr. prod. Adon Blake; Chloe-Jean Vincent, Kilian Roberts, Scott Cathery, Justin Markham, William Wallace Killen, Kiran Wilson; shot Gnangara, Myalup, Harvey, WA

Hidden Light (Aaron Kamp, 2017) wr Aaron Kamp, dp Joel Crane; Troy Coward, Liam Graham, Maggie Meyer, Jag Pannu, Murray Dowsett; drama; premiere Luna Leederville 15 October; WA

Home Port (Phil Thomson, 1997) wr. Christine Evans, Phil Thomson; domestic drama; US Navy visit to Fremantle, WA; 110 min.

Hounds of Love (Ben Young, 2016) wr. Ben Young, prod. Melissa Kelly, dp Michael McDermott, ed. Merlin Eden; Stephen Curry, Emma Booth, Susie Porter, Harrison Gilbertson, Ashleigh Cummings, Damien de Montemas; crime; 9 AACTA nominations

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 Am Bish (Dave Bishop, Khrob Edmonds, 2009) Pia Miranda, Vanessa Pitrau; zombies; WA

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; Fremantle, WA; Netflix

In the Winter Dark (James Bogle, 1998)* prod. Rosemary Blight, wr. Tim Winton (novel), James Bogle & James Rasmussen, dp Martin McGrath; Brenda Blethyn, Ray Barrett, Richard Roxburgh, Miranda Otto

Japanese Story (Sue Brooks, 2003)* Gecko Films; Toni Collette; set in Perth and the Pilbara; screening at Cannes 2003 in the section of the Festival called Un Certain Regard

Jasper Jones (Rachel Perkins, 2017) wr. Shaun Grant from novel by Craig Silvey, prod. David Jowsey, Vincent Sheehan, sound Liam Egan, Trevor Hope, Robert Sullivan, Yulia Akerholt, James Andrews, Les Fiddess, production design Herbert Pinter, costume design Margot Wilson; Hugo Weaving, Matt Nable, Myles Pollard, Dan Wyllie, Levi Miller, Aaron McGrath, Toni Collette, Angourie Rice, Igor Sas; 1965 murder mystery; WA; release 2 March; DVD release 5 July; 6 AACTA nominations

Joys of the Women (Franco di Chiera, 1993)* documentary about women's choir Le Gioie delle Donne, originally directed (the choir, that is) by Kavisha Mazella

Just a Farmer (Simon Lyndon, 2024) Leila Mcdougall, Joel Jackson, Robert Taylor; drama; WA; Fremantle

Justice (Ron Elliott, 1998)* wr. prod. Bob Roget; dop Alex McPhee; Marcus Graham, Kerry Armstrong; West Coast Pictures; shot in Fremantle 1997 including extensive use of the derelict South Fremantle Power Station as a location; no theatrical release

Keane Of Kalgoorlie (John Gavin, 1911) Arthur Wright: 'The authorities would not allow Randwick course to be used for picture purposes, so a "scenic" picture of the running of a race in WA (the Perth Cup, I think) was joined up in the film ...'

Kid from Harvest Road, The (David Vincent Smith, tba) wr. Kim Belowsky & , prod.Tim Duffy; Lee Tiger Halley; to be shot Fremantle WA 2025; biopic of Bon Scott (AC/DC)

Kid Snow (Paul Goldman, tba) wr. John Brumpton, Stephen Cleary, prod. Lizzette Atkins, Megan Wynn, Bruno Charlesworth, Unicorn Films; Billy Howle, Phoebe Tonkin, Tom Bateman, Tasma Walton, Mark Coles Smith, Shaka Cook, Hunter Page-Lochard, Robert Taylor, Nathan Phillips, Jack LaTorre; burn-out tent boxer falls in love with a young stripper, takes her young son under his wing; WA; Goldfields-Esperance region

Kill Me Three Times (Kriv Stenders, 2014) prod. Tania Chambers, Laurence Malkin, Share Stallings, wr. James McFarland, dp Geoffrey Simpson; Simon Pegg, Alice Braga, Sullivan Stapleton, Teresa Palmer, Callan Mulvey, Luke Hemsworth, Bryan Brown; WA; domestic crime in a surfing town

Last Cab to Darwin (Jeremy Sims, 2015) wr. Reg Cribb, Jeremy Sims from play Last Cab to Darwin by Cribb, prod. Greg Duffy; Michael Caton, Jacki Weaver; comedy-drama: taxi driver goes to Darwin for euthanasia; premiere Sydney FF

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.

Let's Get Skase (Matthew George, 2001)* released after the death of Christopher Skase, this film did not appear to do well

Little Sparrows (Camille Chen Yu-Hsiu, 2010)* Nicola Bartlett, James Hagan, Nina Deasley, Melanie Munt, Arielle Gray, Scott Jackson, Nick Candy, Whitney Richards, Nick Gray, Simon Lockwood; drama; 88 min.

Looking for Grace (Sue Brooks, 2015) aka Driving Back from Dubbo; wr. Sue Brooks, prod. Lizzette Atkins, Sue Taylor, Alison Tilson; Richard Roxburgh, Radha Mitchell, Odessa Young, Kenya Pearson, Terry Norris, Julia Blake, Tasma Walton; family melodrama; filmed WA wheatbelt

Love in Limbo (David Elfick, 1993)* wr. John Cundill; Craig Adams, Aden Young, Maya Stange, Samantha Murray, Russell Crowe, Rhondda Findleton; shot in Perth and Kalgoorlie

Lost Thing, The (Shaun Tan, 2010) Tim Minchin; animated short, 15 min. Academy Award 2011; director from WA

Love in Perth (Findo Purwono, 2010) NOT an Australasian film, but shot in Perth WA

Mad Bastards (Brendan Fletcher, 2010)* drama set in remote Kimberley Indigenous communities; Sundance

Mad Bomber in Love (James Bogle, 1991) Craig Pearce, Rachel Szalay, Alan Lovell, Zachery McKay, Alex Morcos, Laura Keneally, Craig McLachlan, Max Cullen, Zoe Carides, Marcus Graham; 86 min.; psychedelic horror-soap, no-budget

Mad Max 2 ([Dr] George Miller, 1981)* aka The Road Warrior; scenes shot in WA at The Pinnacles

Manuscript, The (Debbie Thoy, 2013) wr. prod. Debbie Thoy, dp Brodie Butler; Priscilla-Anne Forder, Matt Zappala, Matt Elverd; comedy adventure; WA; 49 min.

myPastmyPresent (Melanie Rodriga, 2011) shot 2009 at Murdoch University, Perth Western Australia; screened at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, 2011

Naked Wanderer, The (Alan Lindsay, 2019) wr. Callan Durlik; Angus McLaren, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, John Cleese; WA; released 5Sept; dumped by his girlfriend and sponsored by media scoundrel Brian King, desolate Jake walks all-but-naked up Western Australia's coast for charity, in the hope his gesture will win back Jasmine, until he meets mesmerizing backpacker Valerie

Narcissus Factor, The (Robert A. Cocks, 1984) wr. Terry Foster; Bill Kerr, Don Barrett, William Kerr, Barbara Llewellyn, John Ironmonger; comedy

Natural Justice: Heat (Scott Hartford-Davis, 1996) tele-feature; prod. Paul D. Barron, dp Russell Bacon; Claudia Karvan, Steve Bastoni, Sonia Todd, John Moore, Martin Jacobs, Jeremy Sims, Igor Sas, Maurie Ogden, Lynette Narkle; shot and set in York, WA; pre-sold Channel 7; 93 min.

Needle* (John V. Soto, 2010) wr. Anthony Egan, John V. Soto; prod. Deidre Kitcher, dp Stephn F. Windon; Ben Mendelsohn, John Jarratt, Khan Chittenden, Luke Carroll, Michael Loney, James Hagan; horror; 90 min.

Newman Shame, The (Julian Pringle, 1978) prod. Robert Bruning; George Lazenby, Diane Craig, Joan Bruce, Alwyn Kurts, Ken Goodlet, Judy Nunn, Alan Cassell, Barrie Barkla, Edgar Metcalfe, Colin Borgonon, Julia Moody; crime, romance

Nickel Queen (John McCallum, 1971)* prod. Joy Cavill and John McCallum, wr. Joy Cavill, Henry C. James and John McCallum, from story by Anneke and Henry James, dp John Williams, design Bernard Hides, music Sven Libaek, ed.Don Saunders; Ed Devereaux, Peter Gwynne, John Laws, Tom Oliver, Alfred Sandor, Ross Thompson, Doreen Warburton, Googie Withers; colour, 35 mm, 89 min.

No Milk, No Honey, 1997, documentary; British group-settlers; WA

No Through Road (Sam Barrett, 2008)* James Helm, Megan Palinkas, George Shevtsov; WA

Not Suitable for Children (Peter Templeman, 2012) romcom; Ryan Kwanten, Bojana Novakovic, Laura Brent, Alice Parkinson; WA

Olive Tree, The (Edgar Metcalfe, 1975) prod. Elizabeth Backhouse, David Morre, Film Centre Productions, wr. Elizabeth Backhouse, dp Wally Fairweather, ed. David Moore, High Kitson, music Marisa Robles; John Adam, Alan Cassell, Faith Clayton, Jenny McNae, Robert Van Mackelenberg, Leith Taylor; family crisis on WA cattle station

Operation Blizzard (Alexander Meegan, 2017) wr. Alexander Meegan, Peter Meegan; Nicole Crisp, Matthew Nicholas Phillips, Sergio Paez, Rebecca Caldwell; comedy; WA

OtherLife (Ben C. Lucas, 2016) wr. Ben C. Lucas, Kelley Eskridge, Gregory Widen, from novel Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge, prod. Jamie Hilton, See Pictures, Aidan O'Bryan, Janelle Landers, WBMC, Cherry Road Films; Jessica De Gouw, Thomas Cocquerel, TJ Power, Rebecca Caldwell; scifi/fantasy; WA

Pastmaster (Steve Jodrell, not made, 1997) wr. Peter Bibby, short story by Lloyd Davies; Nigel Hawthorne; comedy; apparently not funded

Perished (Aaron McCann, Stefan Androv Radanovich, 2011) short; WA; 15 min.

Pieces (Martin Wilson, tba) prod. Nicole Ferraro, Martin Wilson, Third Storey Productions, wr. Monique Wilson, dp Jim Frater; Monique Wilson, Dalip Sondhi, Allegra Teo, Alex Arco, David Genat, Luke Jai McIntosh, Megan Spinall, Murray Dowsett, Justin Hewitt, Milu Green, Ashanti Suriyam, Jasmine Lucas; Perth, WA

Plugg (Terry Bourke, 1975)* wr. Terry Bourke, prod. Ninki Maslansky for Romac Productions, dp Brian Probyn; Reg Gorman, Cheryl Rixon, Peter Thompson, Norman Yemm; Perth WA; colour; sex comedy; 88 min.

Plum Role (Zak Hilditch, 2007)* wr. Zak Hilditch; Matt Hardie, Laura Henderson, Luke Jago, Adam McGurk; 74 min.

Prey (Oscar D'Roccster, 2009) wr. John V. Soto, Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman; Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Jesse Johnson, Natalie Walker; horror; 76 min.; exteriors shot in WA, where story is set

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

Rabbit-Proof Fence (Phil Noyce, 2001)* Everlyn Sampi, Kenneth Branagh; 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

Rams (Jeremy Sims, tba) wr. Jules Duncan, prod. Janelle Landers, Aidan O'Bryan; Sam Neill, Michael Caton, Miranda Richardson, Asher Keddie, Hayley McElhinney, Wayne Blair, Travis McMahon, Leon Ford, Asher Yasbincek, Will McNeill, Kipan Rothbury, Bevan 'Fudd' Lang; family farming dramedy; Mt Barker WA

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.

Reckoning, The (John V. Soto, 2014) Filmscope Entertainment, prod. Deidre Kitcher; Luke Hemsworth, Jonathan LaPaglia, Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Igor Sas, Nicola Bartlett, Kazimir Sas, James Hagan; crime; WA

Redback (Loren Johnson, 2010) thriller shot in Stoneville WA

Red Dog: True Blue (Kriv Stenders, 2016) wr. Daniel Taplitz, prod. Bryce Menzies, Nelson Woss, Good Dog Enterprises, dp Geoffrey Hall, music Cezary Skubiszewski; Bryan Brown, John Jarratt, Levi Miller, Jason Isaacs, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Thomas Cocquerel, Igor Sas; boy and dog; AACTA nomination for cinematography (Geoffrey Hall)

Red Dog: True Blue (Kriv Stenders, 2016) prod. Nelson Woss, Good Dog Enterprises, wr. Daniel Taplitz, dp Geoffrey Hall, music Cezary Skubiszewski; Bryan Brown, John Jarratt, Levi Miller, Jason Isaacs, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Thomas Cocquerel; boy and dog

Red Rock Run (Cathy Randall, tba) wr. Meg Shields, prod. Miriam Stein; WA

Restare Uniti (Julius Telmer, 2011) short; Frank Fazio; shot Harvey, WA; 14 min.

Right Hand Man, The (Di Drew, 1987) UAA presents a Yarraman Film Production, c 1986 UAA (Australasia) Limited; budget $5.5 million; location: Bathurst, NSW; dist. GUO; opened 21 November 1987. "One of the handful of Australian films made under 10BA for the Perth-based [WA] production company UAA (as distinct from its tax-funded investment in overseas productions) ..." Murray 1995

Roadgames (Richard Franklin, 1981)* the plot concludes in Perth, so some scenes were shot on its outskirts

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

Running on Empty (John Clark, 1982)* wr. Barry Tomblin; Terry Serio, Richard Moir, Deborah Conway, Max Cullen, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Chris Haywood, Grahame Bond. Fox (Richard Moir) is the king of street drag-racing. Mike (Terry Serio) has to beat him, with the help of blind Rebel (Max Cullen). Shot in Sydney and Cobar, NSW, despite being the first feature wholly backed by the Film Corporation of Western Australia, WA

Runt (John Sheedy, tba) wr. Craig Silvey from his novel; Jai Courtney, Joel Jackson, Celeste Barber, Sarah Roberts, Jack Thompson, Matt Day, Deborah Mailman, Lily LaTorre, Tom Budge, Geneviève Lemon, Jack LaTorre, Sam Desmond, Kathryn Schuback; family; Fremantle, WA

Satellite Boy (Catriona McKenzie, 2012) David Gulpilil; WA

Sculptor, The (Christopher Kenworthy, 2009) Dungog FF, 30 May 2009; 103 min.

Second Chance (Peter Andrikidis, 2005) telemovie; wr. Ro Hume, John Misto; Ben Mendelsohn, Jodie Dry, Alyssa McClelland, Tara Morice, Geoff Morrell, Rhys Muldoon; filmed Broome, WA; 88 min.

Severance Pay (Morten Willoch, 2007) horrorcom; Kurtis Wakefield, Nova Tranter-Rooke, Dean McAskil; Perth, WA; 'A winning ticket, A dead winner, A very long night'; shot entirely in a pub in Fremantle from 6am to 6pm over 20 days

Shallows, novel by Tim Winton; pre-production 2011; was to be shot partly in Albany, WA

Shame (Steve Jodrell, 1988)* Barron Films; WA; location Toodyay, WA

Silent City, The (Matt Soutar, 2014) prod. Nate Striker-Knight, dp Ross Metcalf; Laura Collier, Olivia Charlotte, David Partridge; noir; WA

Son of a Gun (Julius Avery, 2014) prod. Timothy White, Janelle Landers, exec. prod. Aaron L. Gilbert, John Collee, Bryce Menzies, Aidan O'Bryan; Ewan McGregor, Alicia Vikander, Brenton Thwaites; gold heist that goes wrong: crime thriller; shot early 2013, WA

Sororal (Sam Barrett, 2013) aka Dark Sister; Amanda Woodhams, Liam Graham, James Helm, Vito de Francesco, Nicola Bartlett; thriller; Perth WA

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 Gerald Glaskin; Heath Bergersen, Bill Kerr, Michael Loney, Geoff Kelso; two Vietnamese children escape from an institution for refugees, and make their way to Perth

Stone Bros. (Richard Frankland, 2009)* aka Stone Bros

Sweet As (Jub Clerc, 2002) wr. Jub Clerc, Steve Rodgers; Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Tasma Walton, Carlos Sanson Jr, Mark Coles Smith, Nraire Pigram, Pedrea Jackson, Mikayla Levy, Andrew Wallace; filmed Port Hedland; released August; 87 min.

Swimming Upstream (Russell Mulcahy, 2002)* some scenes apparently filmed in Perth

Surfer, The (Lorcan Finnegan, tba) wr. Thomas Martin; Nicolas Cage, Justin Rosniak, Alexander Bertrand; WA

Teesh and Trude (Melanie Rodriga, 2002)*

These Final Hours (Zak Hilditch, 2013) wr. Zak Hilditch, prod. Liz Kearney; Jessica De Gouw, Nathan Phillips, Sarah Snook, Daniel Henshall, Lynette Curran; apocalyptic thriller; WA; premiere MIFF 2 August 2013

Three Summers (Ben Elton, 2017) wr. Ben Elton, prod. Sue Taylor, Michael Wrenn, dp Katie Milwright; Rebecca Breeds, Robert Sheehan, Deborah Mailman, Magda Szubanski, Michael Caton, Jacqueline McKenzie, John Waters, Kelton Pell, Kate Box, Caroline Brazier, Peter Rowsthorn; romcom; WA

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 in Fremantle Cemetery, WA; shot there and in Adelaide

Toll, The (Zak Hilditch, 2007) wr. Steve McCall, Zak Hilditch; Nick Britton, Lee Jankowski, Steve McCall; comedy drama; 90 min.

Tracks (John Curran, 2013) prod. Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, wr. Marion Nelson, John Curran, dp Mandy Walker; Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver, Emma Booth; Robyn Davidson's story: she travelled partly through WA, tho the film may not have been shot in WA

Tree, The (Julie Bertucelli, 2010)* wr. Judy Pascoe, prod. Sue Taylor; Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marton Csokas, Arthur Dignam, Penne Hackforth-Jones; Aust-French co-production; Sue Taylor's office, Taylor Media, is in Perth

Tudawali (Steve Jodrell, 1987)* prod. Paul D. Barron, Julia Overton, wr. Alan Seymour, dop. Michael Edols, prod. design Phil Peters, ed. Kerry Regan; Ernie Dingo, Jedda Cole, Peter Fisher, Frank Wilson, Charles Tingwell, Suzanne Peveril, Bill McCluskey, Michelle Torres; WA; made for TV, 91 min. docu-drama about Aboriginal actor, Robert Tudawali (star of Jedda)

Turning, The (Robert Connolly and others, 2013) shorts; collection of short films based on stories by Tim Winton, filmed Perth WA; premiere MIFF 3 August 2013

Twisted Minds (James Pentecost, 2014) wr. Teigan Isobel, Jag Pannu, James Pentecost; John Howard, Kyle Morrison, Jessica Hegarty, Georgia Geyer, Kaitlin Mary Hall, Rebecca Chalon, Jag Pannu

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; boxing; set in Perth

Under My Skin (David O'Donnell, 2020) wr. David O'Donnell; Liv Hewson, Chloe Freeman, Lex Ryan, Bobbi Salvor Menuez, Alex Russell, Alexis Denisof; gender dysphoria (O'Donnell is a graduate of WAAPA, ECU)

Under the Lighthouse Dancing (Graeme Rattigan, 1996)* Jack Thompson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Naomi Watts, Aden Gillett, Ingle Knight, Michael Loney; set on Rottnest Island, off the WA coast near Perth

Unhallowed, The (Casper Jean Rimbaud, 2017) wr. Casper Jean Rimbaud, Destiny West, prod. Rebecca Caldwell, Destiny West @ Fractured Visions, dp Simon Akkerman; Britt Hadlow, Bruce England, Michael Rainone, Rebecca Caldwell; Set in the blistering summer of 1967, five youths discover a bizarre blood cult in rural Western Australia; horror

Waltz Through the Hills, A (Frank Arnold, 1988)* wr. John Goldsmith, novel Gerald Glaskin, prod. Paul D. Barron, Roz Berrystone; Andre Jansen, Ernie Dingo, Tina Kemp, Dan O'Herlihy, Geoffrey Atkins, Maggie Wilde West, Margaret Ford, Geoffrey Gibbs, Robert Faggetter, Pippa Williamson (farmer's wife); AFI Best Actor Ernie Dingo, 1988; Pater Award Best Children's Drama, 1988; made in WA

Wasted on the Young (Ben C. Lucas, 2010)* wr. Ben C. Lucas; Oliver Ackland, Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell; made in WA

Wind (Carroll Ballard, 1993)* America's Cup, lost in the waters off Fremantle WA

Windrider (Vincent Monton, 1986)* Barron Films; Bush Christmas Productions; Perth, WA; budget $2.5mill; dist. Hoyts; 25 December 1986; 35mm.; 92 min. Simon Chilvers, Tom Burlinson, Nicole Kidman, Jill Perryman, Charles Tingwell

Winds of Jarrah (Mark Egerton, 1985)* second feature wholly backed by the Film Corporation of Western Australia; location: Dorrigo, NSW; first film adapted from a Mills & Boon novel - from The House in the Timberwoods, 1959, Joyce Dingwell; set in 1946; originally to be shot in Pemberton

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.

Wonderful Unknowns (tba, tba) prod. James Hoppe, John Finemore, Mason Novick; was to be shot 2017 Broome, Kununurra, El Questro, Emma Gorge, Gibb River Road; US/Aust copro; WA Regional Film Fund

Xrossing, The (Steven J. Mihaljevich, 2020) wr. Carl Maiorana, Steven J. Mihaljevich; Kelton Pell, Luke J. Morgan, Jacob O'Neill; WA

Zombie Brigade (Carmelo Musca, Barrie Pattison, 1988)* prod. Carmelo Musca, dop Alex McPhee, music John Charles & Todd Hunter; John Moore, Khym Lam, Adam Wong, Bob Faggetter, Maggie Wilde-West, Geoff Gibbs; shot in Toodyay, WA; lead actor is indigenous, and another indigenous character, Charlie, provides the turning-point in the plot (cf. Howling 3); 90 min.

In 2017, three films from WA received sixteen (16) nominations for AACTA Awards - the largest number in the history of the awards: Hounds of Love (Ben Young, 2016); Jasper Jones (Rachel Perkins, 2017); Red Dog: True Blue (Kriv Stenders, 2016)

References and Links

See also Wikipedia's list

See also a user's list in the IMDb


Garry Gillard | New: 17 May, 2003 | Now: 7 June, 2024