Press Release from Catherine Lavelle Public Relations
33POSTCARDS has been honoured with two awards over the weekend. Lead Actress Zhu Lin has received the Shanghai International Film Festival Asian New Talent Award, firming her place as one of China’s rising new stars after her debut performance in 33POSTCARDS which had its international premiere at the festival in Shanghai on Saturday (attended by Guy Pearce, Claudia Karvan and Zhu Lin as well as director Pauline Chan and the producers).
In Sydney 33POSTCARDS received the CRC Award at the closing night of the 2011 Sydney Film Festival last evening. Established in 1992 by The Community Relations Commission For a Multicultural NSW the award provides a $5000 cash prize to the film whose content best reflects the multicultural experience in Australia.
In awarding the prize Victor Dominello MP NSW Minister for Citizenship and Communities applauded director Pauline Chan saying "33 Postcards, inspired by real life stories, explores how two individuals come together despite two different cultures, ages and unexpected circumstances. This evocative film portrays sensitively how people of vastly different cultural backgrounds can interact effectively in our society."
Producers Lesley Stevens and Penny Carl Nelson said “We are delighted that Zhu Lin has been recognised as one of China’s rising stars as a result of her debut performance in 33POSTCARDS. We are also extremely honoured that the film has been recognised by the 2011 Sydney Film Festival with the CRC Award. The film has struck a chord with Australian and Chinese audiences alike.”
Starring Guy Pearce, Zhu Lin, Claudia Karvan, Elaine Jin and Lincoln Lewis, 33POSTCARDS is an official Australia China coproduction. Directed by Pauline Chan, 33POSTCARDS was produced by Portal Pictures and Zhejiang Hengdian Film Productions in association with IFS Capital Limited and Screen NSW.
Shot in China and NSW in 2010, the film tells the tale of Chinese orphan Mei Mei (Zhu Lin) who for ten years dreams of meeting her Australian sponsor Dean Randall (Guy Pearce). At 16, when her orphanage travels to Australia to attend a Choir Festival, Mei Mei takes the opportunity to look him up. What she finds however is far from the idyllic life he depicted in his postcards. Initially mismatched and disconnected – the two begin a journey in search of belonging, family, redemption, love and acceptance.
33POSTCARDS will be released theatrically in Australia and New Zealand towards the end of 2011 through Titan View, and is being represented for international sales by Arclight Films.