Press release from Druid Films
Australian short film “Miracle Fish” has been nominated for an Academy Award® in the Best Live Action Short category, announced this morning at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
“Miracle Fish” tells the story of 8 year old Joe, who has a birthday he will never forget.
After friends tease him, he sneaks off to the sick bay wishing everyone in the world would go away. He wakes up to find his dream may have become a reality.
The film was written and directed by Luke Doolan and produced by Drew Bailey (Druid Films), in conjunction with Nash and Joel Edgerton’s production company, Blue-Tongue Films. It stars Karl Beattie, Brendan Donoghue and Tara Morice, and was funded by Qoob.tv. Screen Australia also provided funding for the film’s post-production.
After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, “Miracle Fish” has since screened at over sixty film festivals worldwide. It has won several awards including the Dendy Award for Best Live Action Short at the Sydney Film Festival. It was this award which qualified the film to be submitted to the Academy Awards together with 70 other short films.
Doolan and Bailey started work on the short film after working on Nash Edgerton’s "The Square". Luke was the Editor and Drew was the 1st Assistant Director. The Square" has recently been picked up for US Distribution by Apparition, and will be released in the US on April 9.
“Miracle Fish” director Luke Doolan Also edited fellow Blue-Tongue filmmaker David Michôd’s “Animal Kingdom” which has just won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Both Doolan and producer Drew Bailey are currently in the United States developing feature film projects, one of which is part of Screen Australia’s SPRINGBOARD initiative.