To celebrate the AFI Award’s 50th Anniversary, Australia Post and the Australian Film Institute are inviting the public to choose the five greatest Australian films of all time.
Commencing today the public will be able select their favourite films online at afi.org.au.
The poll runs for three weeks from Monday 21 July through to 5pm Friday 8 August.
Australia Post will tally the votes and the five most popular films will be developed into a commemorative stamp issue to be released on Monday 3 November ahead of the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards. The five stamps featuring the Greatest Australian Films of All Time will be developed from existing poster artwork originally used to promote the film.
Some of the films to choose from include:
Australian Rules, Babe, Breaker Morant, Chopper, Crocodile Dundee, Dead Calm, Dirty Deeds, Don’s Party, Evil Angels, Gallipoli, Happy Feet, Jindabyne, Kenny, Lantana, Looking for Alibrandi, Love Serenade, Mad Max, Mad Max 2, Malcolm, Moulin Rouge!, Muriel’s Wedding, My Brilliant Career, Ned Kelly, Newsfront, Noise, Phar Lap, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Proof, Puberty Blues, Rabbit Proof Fence, Romper Stomper, Shine, Sirens, Storm Boy, Strictly Ballroom, Sunday Too Far Away, The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Big Steal, The Boys, The Cars That Ate Paris, The Castle, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, The Club, The Dish, The Man From Snowy River, The Piano, The Proposition, The Sum of Us, The Year My Voice Broke, The Year of Living Dangerously, Two Hands, Young Einstein and more.
Australia Post, Group Manager Philatelic, Mr Noel Leahy said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to choose their favourite Australian films from past or present. I am very keen to see what the final consensus is for the five Australian films that will become the final stamp issue."
Once the five films have been chosen and the commemorative stamp issue is available, ONE winner with the highest number of votes will be announced as Australia’s favourite film of all time. The announcement will be made at the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards in December.
Help decide which films take the honours. Complete the quick online poll at afi.org.au and put your top five favourite films in the running! Celebrating 50 years, the L’Oréal Paris 2008 AFI Awards take place in Melbourne in early December and will be televised on the Nine Network
[release from Kerry O’Brien publicity]