by FilmInk Staff
“We can’t wait for our audiences to be back at the cinema watching these films – all of which will have their WA premieres at CinefestOZ,” said CinefestOZ Chair Helen Shervington. “The range and creativity shown across all four films is exactly why supporting Australian storytelling through filmmaking is so important.”
River is the latest environment-focused documentary from Jen Peedom (Sherpa, Mountain), The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson is the highly touted debut from Leah Purcell, Nitram is Justin Kurzel/Shaun Grant’s (Snowtown) latest nailbiter exploring the lead-up to the Port Arthur massacre, whilst Here’s Out West is an anthology film made in Sydney’s Western Suburbs by writers Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran, directed by Fadia Abboud, Lucy Gaffy, Julie Kalceff, Ana Kokkinos and Leah Purcell again.
Past CinefestOZ film prize winners include H is For Happiness, Ali’s Wedding, Jirga, Girl Asleep and Paper Planes.
These finalists are not the only films being screened at CinefestOZ, of course, with various other world, Australian and Western Australian premieres announced today in their first look.
WA documentary Facing Monsters will open the festival at the recently refurbished Margaret River HEART. The Bentley Dean (Tanna) directed film follows free surfer Kerby Brown as he takes on deadly slab waves to ‘reconcile his personal demons and fulfil a childhood dream. But at what cost?’
Made in WA, Homespun, directed by Socratis Otto, ‘follows two friends staging a variety show in a shed as they shine a spotlight on stories from the country, relying less on despair and more on the magic of life in the sticks.
Opening night at Bunbury is the world premiere of romantic comedy Love You Like That, written and directed by Eric C. Nash, and starring Mitchell Hope, Allira Jaques, Steph Tisdale and John Jarratt; whilst in Augusta, opening night will be the world premiere of Akoni, directed, written and produced by Australian filmmaker Genna Chanelle Hayes about a Nigerian refugee struggling to integrate into Australian society, ‘until he meets a woman who opens her home, and ultimately her heart, to him.’
“We’re incredibly proud of the diversity and inclusion that our film program continues to deliver, especially when it comes to projects that have been created, produced and filmed here in WA,” says CinefestOZ CEO Malinda Nixon. “CinefestOZ champions Australian-made films and we are always excited to shine a spotlight on local filmmakers each year.
“There’s also something special about returning to the South West this year after navigating the challenges of 2020. With the expansion of IndigifestOZ and its new Community Day, the return of the Film Prize, and the arrival of film guests we look forward to welcoming from interstate, it’s going to be an incredible festival.”
CinefestOZ Film Festival is on 25 – 29 August, 2021, with the full program announcement on 29 July.
