Press Release from ABC Kids
Last night Dirtgirlworld’s director Jean Camden (Hackett Films) received the award for Best Animation Direction at the prestigious Australian Directors Guild awards ceremony in Sydney.
Dirtgirlworld, which currently screens daily on ABC2 and in 70 (seventy) territories world-wide also took the GRASS award to encourage green awareness and was also nominated for Best Direction of Cross Platform Online.
Accepting the award, Jean thanked those who had given her the opportunity to direct the ground-breaking series including Hackett Films chief James Hackett and creators Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace from mememe productions. She also thanked Mary Benn, the show’s design director and the team who supported her through the creation of the 52 episodes, which includes 26 standalone music videos.
Co-creator, Cate McQuillen said: “It’s awesome to be recognised for the show and I’m so happy for Jean who put her heart and soul into directing almost 10 hours of wonderful entertainment for kids. Without Jean’s talent, commitment and total respect for our young audience, the show would not be the hit it has already become in the hearts of our young fans.”
The 52 episode show, described as a celebration of life outside, is a distinctive blend of photo-montage, animation and live action. It was created by life partners Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace from their home in the Rainbow Rivers region of Northern New South Wales.
Dirtgirlworld is a place where the real and unreal hang out together, where dirtgirl drives her big orange tractor, grows awesome tomatoes and knows cloud names. With a supporting cast of stunt bugs, resourceful kids and a band of highly trained vaudevillian chickens, it aims to move the audience from viewing to doing, fostering in the young fans and those who care for them a love of the natural world.
The show has already sprouted some eco-merchandising opportunities, with the first volume go get grubby on DVD (Madman Entertainment) and on CD in get grubby (kidindy) available nationally and supported by a fully interactive website hosted on ABC for kids (www.abcforkids/dirtgirlworld)
Meanwhile until next Tuesday, dirtgirl is currently singing and dancing her way through her one girl show ‘dirtgirl invades the garden’ at the Royal Melbourne Show – to packed audiences – and the enthusiasm is infectious.
For more information interviews and images, please contact:
Geof Webb – t: 0400 698470 (e: geof@mememe.com.au)
Cate McQuillen – t: 0427 619 178 (e: cate@mememe.com.au)
official website: www.dirtgirlworld.com