By Travis Johnson
Australian actor Ewen Leslie will join Jury Chair Scott Hicks on the Film Prize Jury panel for the 10th anniversary of CinefestOZ. Leslie’s latest film, The Butterfly Tree, will also make it’s WA premiere at the festival.
WAAPA graduate Leslie is a familiar face in Australian film, television, and theatre. Early successes in the kids’ TV show Ship to Shore and the acclaimed indie drama Jewboy paved the way to appearances in the likes of The Mule, The Railway Man, Sleeping Beauty, Kokoda, The Daughter (another CinefestOZ WA premiere), and the upcoming second season of Top Of The Lake.
Leslie, Hicks, and the yet-to-be-revealed other judges will be tasked with deciding which of this year’s four finalists – Australia Day, Ali’s Wedding, Jungle, and Three Summers – will receive the $100,000 CinefestOZ prize, the richest film prize in Australia.
CinefestOZ 2017 takes place in Western Australia’s Busselton/Margaret River area from August 23 – 27. The full program will be announced on July 28. To keep abreast of developments, head over to the official website.
