Jonathan Ogilvie’s new film, The Tender Hook, has been announced as the third film to have its Australian premiere at the Dungog Film Festival this weekend, and key cast such as Pia Miranda and Rose Byrne have been invited to attend the Friday night screening at the town’s historic James Theatre
Set in a stylised version of 1920s Sydney (but shot in Melbourne), The Tender Hook tells the story of Iris (Rose Byrne), a beautiful young woman caught at the apex of a dangerous love triangle.
Her English lover McHeath (Hugo Weaving), a rogue boxing promoter, suspects her involvement with his new young protégé Art (Matthew Le Nevez). In a flawed moral landscape each struggles to retain their personal sovereignty as McHeath is provoked to acts of jealousy and violence.
The Festival’s managing director Stavros Kazantzidis told Inside Film the premiere event would be preceded by a special motorcade with cast and crew arriving at the event in 1920s vintage cars. “It’s going to be a very big night in Dungog; it’s a fantastic film and will be a fantastic night,” he said.
The Dungog Film Festival is only in its second year, but it is growing into one of the key events on the Australian film industry calendar due to its sole focus on promoting and supporting Australian cinema. Located in the NSW Hunter Valley town of Dungog
The Tender Hook is one of three films having their Australian premiere at this year’s festival, in addition to The Line and closing night film and Tribeca sleeper hit Bitter & Twisted.
Two other films, The Nothing Men (the first Australian feature to be shot on the Red camera) and documentary Honeymoon in Kabul, will enjoy their world premieres at the festival. Peter Duncan’s feature Unfinished Sky will open the festival this Thursday 29 May, and the event runs until Sunday 1 June.
Click here to check out the trailer for The Tender Hook, or for more information on the Festival, click here.