AUSTRALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2010 The Australian Embassy in Moscow is pleased to announce its 8th annual Australian Film Festival 24–28 March, Moscow - Khudozhestvenny cinema (14 Arbatskaya Sq) 7-11 April, St. Petersburg – Dom Kino (Karavannaya street, 12) The Australian Film Festival is an annual event by the Australian Embassy in Moscow, supported by Screen Australia. This major effort to raise awareness and appreciation of Australian film and culture is proving to be increasingly popular with Russian audiences. Traditionally, the Festival is hosted by Khudozhestvenny Cinema in the very centre of Moscow. This year, the Festival will also screen at Dom Kino in St Petersburg. The 2010 Festival program includes nine Australian feature films, introducing different aspects of Australian society, and illustrating different faces of the Australian geography – suburban Australia, outback Australia, modern Australia, immigrant Australia. All the films are screened in English, with Russian subtitles. The list of feature films for 2010 Festival is appended below. We hope that the dramatic family stories in “The Black Balloon” and “Romulus, My Father” as well as intelligence and humour in “My Mother Frank” will draw in the interest of our Russian audience. Through this important inter-cultural event we aim to introduce the excellence of Australian film making, and to further reduce the distance between our nations. √ Tickets are available at Khudozhestvenny cinema in Moscow (tel. booking: +7-495-691-02-47) and at Dom Kino in St. Petersburg (+7-812-314-83-34) √ For information on the program please see: www.russia.embassy.gov.au/mscw/events.html √ For media accreditation, additional materials, and film publicity please contact: Vahe Gevorgyan, Public Diplomacy/Cultural Affairs Officer, Australian Embassy: +7-495-232-32-74; E-mail: [email protected] The Embassy thanks our major sponsor BHP Billiton without whose generous support this event would not have been possible We would also like to thank other sponsors: KFC Study English in Australia Australian Wine And Russian Translation Company for professional work and years of coperation Australian Film Festival 2010 List of Titles The Black Balloon Director: Elissa Down Producer: Tristram Miall Writer: Elissa Down, Jimmy the Exploder Cast: Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette, Gemma Ward, Eric Thomson Synopsis: When Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) and his family move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant mother (Toni Collette) has to take things easy, his father Simon (Erik Thomson) puts him in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie (Luke Ford). Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie (Gemma Ward), faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie’s unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that causes his pent-up frustrations about his brother to pour out - in a story that is funny, confronting, and ultimately heart-warming. The Black Balloon is a story about fitting in, discovering love and accepting your family. Duration: 97 min Genre: Family/Drama Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 1.1:85 Selected Awards 2008 Winner Crystla Ber – Berlin Film festival 2008 Best Children’s Feature Film – Asia Pacific Awards 2008 Best Film, Best Direction, Best Scrypt, Best Editing, Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Australian Film Institute Awards 2008 Best Australian Film – Australian Film Critics Association 2008 Best Direction in a feature film – Australian Director’s Guild Awards Romulus, My Father subtitles Director: Richard Roxburgh Producers: Robert Connolly, John Maynard Screenplay Nick Drake Based on the book by Raymongd Gaita Cast: Eric Bana, Franka Potente, Marton Csokas, Kodi smith-McPhee, Russell Dykstra, Jacek Koman Synopsis: ROMULUS, MY FATHER is based on Raimond Gaita's critically acclaimed memoir. It tells the story of Romulus, his beautiful wife, Christina, and their struggle in the face of great adversity to bring up their son, Raimond. It is the tale of a boy trying to balance a universe described by his deeply moral father, against the experience of heartbreaking absence and neglect from a depressive mother. It is, ultimately, a story of impossible love that celebrates the unbreakable bond between father and son Duration: 109 min Genre: Drama Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 1.1:85 Selected Awards AFI Awards 2007: Nominated: Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress. Film Critics Circle of Australia 2008: Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role; Best Actress – Supporting Role The Boys subtitles Director: Rowan Woods Producers: Robert Connolly, John Maynard Writers: Stephen Sewell Cast: David Wenham, Toni Collette, Lynette Curran, John Polson, Anna Lise, Jeanette Cronin, Anthony Hayes Synopsis: Brett Sprague returns to his family home after twelve months in jail. |Things have changed while he has been away- his brother Glenn has moved out with his girlfriend, younger brother Stevie’s pregnant girlfriend Nola now lives with the family, and his mother Sandra has taken on a Maori drifter. Re-united with his brothers, Brett uses his first day back to restore order. Duration: 82 min Genre: Thriller/Social realism Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 1.1:85 Selected Awards 1998 4x Australian Film Institute Awards – Best adapted Screenplay, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role-Toni Collette, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – John Polson; Best Achievement in Direction – Rowan Woods. 4x Film Critics Circle of Australia – Best Australian Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay – Stephen Sewell. Dirty Deeds subtitles Producers: Bryan Brown, Debbie Bladerstone Director: David Caesar Writer: David Caesar Cast: Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, John Goodman, Sam Worthington Synopsis: Its Sydney in 1969 and the Mafia have just sent Tony and Sal, a couple of Chicago hoods, to Australia to get a cut from the profits of the illegal gambling which is flourishing due to Yank soldiers on R&R from Vietnam. Barry Ryan who runs Sydney’s shady end of town doesn’t think much of this idea and co-opts his nephew Darcy, his wife, Sharon, and mistress, Margaret, into helping him keep the mafia at bay. A trip to the outback is what he has in mind. Duration: 97 min Genre: Comedy/Crime Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating MA Screen ratio: 1:1.85 wide screen Selected Awards: 2002 Australian Film Institute award for Best Costume design; for Best Production 2002 Film Critics circle of Australia Best Editing, Best Female Actor, Best Original Screenplay Love Serenade subtitles Producer: Jan Chapman Director: Shirley Barrett Writer: Shirley Barrett Cast: Miranda Otto, Rebecca Frith, George Shevtsov Synopsis: Two sisters in an \Australian country town develop a fierce and competitive crush on their new neighbour, a brooding and self-centred radio personality. A black comedy with a smouldering soundtrack and lots of fishing. Love Serenade is the story of the one that didn’t get away. Duration: 97 min Genre: Comedy/Romance Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating M Screen ratio: Cinemascope Selected Awards: 1996 Cannes Film Festival – camera d’Or, UnCertain regard, Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain – Best First Film Feature, Edinburgh Int. FF, London FF, Munich Int. FF, Toronto Int. FF 1997 Rotterdam Int. FF, Seattle and Portland Int. FF, san Paolo Int. FF, Goteborg Film Festival My Mother Frank subtitles Director: Mark Lamprell Producers: Phaedon Vass, Susan Vass, John Winter Writer: Mark Lamprell Cast: Sinead Cusack, Sam Neil, Mathew Newton, Sacha Horler, Rose Byrne, Lynette Curran Synopsis: Frank Kennedy is a 51 year old woman who enrols at the same university as her son David. Armed with nothing more than intelligence and humour she creates a place for herself in the strange new world of the university... becoming an icon and inspiration to those around her who want to change their lives but are afraid to take the chance. Duration: 91 min Genre: Comedy Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: M Screen Ratio: 1.85:1 Selected Awards 2000 Berlin International Film Festival- Official Selection, International Panorama 2000 Temecula valley International Film festival – Audience Award, Foreign Film 2000 Australian Screen Sound Guild – Best Achievement in Sound for Future dialogue and ADR Editing & Best Achievement in Sound for Feature Foley Walking on Water subtitles Director: Tony Ayres Producer: Liz Watts Writer: Rogert Monk Cast: Vince Colosimo, Maria Theodorakis, Judi Farr, Nathaniel Dean Synopsis: Charlie and Anna make a pact to assist their terminally ill friend, Gavin, to die. This traumatic event is a catalyst for an emotional rollercoaster ride for both the friends and family. Walking on Water is a refreshingly unsentimental film about friendship, loss, loyalty and love. Duration: 87 min Genre: relationship drama/gay/death Original Australian Theatrical Censorship Rating: MA Screen Ratio: 1.1:85 Selected Awards 2002 Berlin International Film festival 2 awards Reader’s Prize of the Siegessaule and Teddy award for Best Feature and 5x Australian Film Institute awards Unfinished sky subtitles Director: Peter Duncan Producers: Cathy Overett/Anton Smit Writer: Peter Duncan Cast: Monic