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Tex Perkins and the 'Sweat It Out!' crew.
Tex Perkins and the 'Sweat It Out!' crew.

Umbrella acquires Aus rock doco ‘Sweat it Out!’

Distributor Umbrella Entertainment has acquired Mark Hartley’s Australian rock documentary Sweat it Out!, which will be released in Australian and New Zealand cinemas next year.

The feature documentary includes interviews and deep-dive archival footage of classic local bands such as AC/DC, The Angels, Australian Crawl, Cold Chisel, Daddy Cool, Divinyls, The Easybeats, Hunters & Collectors, Icehouse, Little River Band, Men At Work, Mental As Anything, Midnight Oil, Powderfinger, Rose Tattoo, Silverchair and Skyhooks.

“Whilst the film is nostalgic at heart, the theme of cultural identity and the influence this era and its music still has on Australia today is significant,” director Mark Hartley said.

Sweat it Out! is a tale of oversized, colourful characters who risked it all – and the legions of fans who joined them on their journey, sweating it out in the tiny inner urban pubs, massive outer suburban beer barns and jam-packed provincial hotels. It’s about the undeniable energy and direct attack of Australian bands and their tribal fans, knowing that yes, it was a long way to the top – and most wouldn’t get there – but giving it their all anyway.”

Hartley’s feature about the local film industry in the 1980s, Not Quite Hollywood, won the 2008 AACTA Award for best documentary.

Umbrella Entertainment general manager Ari Harrison recently said Not Quite Hollywood was an important release for the distributor.

“That documentary became quite important for Umbrella because we represent so many of those classic Ausploitation features, and so working again with Mark Hartley was an easy choice for us,” he said at a Screen NSW Power Lunch session.