by FilmInk Staff
After opening the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier this month to much buzz, Causeway Films’ Of An Age has taken out the $100k CinefestOZ Film Prize
“We were deeply moved by this film, it haunted us, and it was an experience that touched us all on a personal level,” said Jury Chair Richard Roxburgh, on behalf of the other jury members Adam Piron (Director of Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program), Emma Booth, Melissa Kelly (producer Hounds of Love and I Met a Girl), Meyne Wyatt and Tony Ayres.
“The director pushed formal boundaries, rooting their film in a very personal perspective, that balanced its specificity and crafted a world that made its story a universal one,” continued Roxburgh. “After intense deliberation, we had to make an incredibly difficult decision after reflecting on all of the incredible films in the competition.“
This year’s other finalists were Gracie Otto’s Seriously Red, Matt Nable’s Transfusion and Jub Clerc’s Sweet As.
“Our Film Prize Jury assessed each film from a perspective of excellence – taking into account originality, the power of the story, the pace, structure, memorable characters, acting quality, cinematography and its alignment with the narrative, and the ability of the filmmaker to create a strong and cohesive experience in the cinema,” said CinefestOZ Chair Margaret Buswell.
Of An Age is the second Goran Stolevski film produced by Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings of Causeway Films released in 2022, with the folkloric witch story You Won’t Be Alone premiering at Sundance.
Written and directed by Stolevski, Of An Age is set in 1999 and follows an intense 24 hour romance between a 17 year old Serbian ballroom dancer (Elias Anton) and their best friend’s (Hattie Hook) older brother (Thom Green).
“It’s been such a beautiful experience and receiving this award on top of just having been able to be part of the festival is just incredible,” said Goran Stolevski.
Previous winners of the lucrative prize include Nitram, H is for Happiness and Girl Asleep.
Later in proceedings, Richard Roxburgh was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the Australian film industry with the CinefestOZ 2021 Screen Legend award presented by the Hon David Templeman, Minister for Culture and the Arts.
“I am so honoured to receive this award and support this important festival that champions Australian films, stories and filmmakers,” said Roxburgh.
