Australia’s leading independent film distributor, Dendy Films, released into cinemas across Australia three of the four contenders for Best Film at this year’s AFI Award, and 14 times AFI nominee, The Home Song Stories, is still screening in cinemas.
Dendy Films released three nominees for the L’Oréal Paris AFI Award for Best Film:
• The Home Song Stories – Liz Watts & Michael McMahon
• Lucky Miles – Jo Dyer & Lesley Dyer
• Romulus, My Father – Robert Connolly & John Maynard
Based on writer/director Tony Ayres’ childhood, The Home Song Stories makes for a compelling film – it’s a deeply emotive, dramatic and compelling tale of love, hope, adversity and survival. The Home Song Stories is an epic tale of mothers and sons, mothers and daughters, unrequited love, betrayal and secrets. The film, which released nationally in cinemas in August, is the true story of Rose, a glamorous Shanghai nightclub singer, who struggles to survive in seventies Australia with two young children.
Produced by Michael McMahon (Wildness) and Liz Watts (Little Fish), The Home Song Stories stars Joan Chen, Steven Vidler, Kerry Walker and newcomers Joel Lok and Irene Chen.
THE AFI nominations top a successful season for the film; Tony Ayres was awarded the $15,000 Screenplay Prize at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and the film has to date grossed $440,000.
Richard Payten, joint general manager of Dendy Films said, ‘This film is a truly unique and inspirational immigrant story. It has a contemporary and personal relevance to many Australians, which has translated across all ethnic communities and enjoyed critical and commercial success. Dendy Films is proud to have released The Home Song Stories, and in fact we’re enormously proud to have released three of the four contenders for Best Film at this year’s AFI Awards.’
Dendy Films’ titles achieved a total of 32 AFI nominations.
The Home Song Stories is screening:
NSW
Dendy Newtown
South West Rocks Cinema
Australia Cinema, Orange
Mt Vic Flicks, Mt Victoria
NT
Katherine Cinema
VIC
Waverley Cinema
Horsham Cinema
Star Cinema Eaglehawk
Wonthaggi Cinema
QLD
Nambour Civic Centre
SA
Odeon Star Semaphore
Victor Harbour Cinema
Glenelg Cinema
Wallis Piccadilly Cinema
[release from Dendy Films]