By Simon de Bruyn
Steven Kastrissios’ feature debut The Horseman will join fellow genre films Long Weekend, Lake Mungo and Dying Breed, at the 15th London Australian Film Festival next week.
The revenge flick, which stars Queensland actor Peter Marshall as a father seeking vengeance for his daughter’s death, is quickly gaining overseas attention ahead of its North American premiere at the South By South West (SXSW) film festival later this month.
The Horseman had its world premiere at last year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, and Kastrissios is currently speaking with local distributors to firm up a deal.
“Before we’ve even screened, just being in the line-up of LAFF has brought us significant interest from buyers and media. It’s proof just how highly regarded Aussie cinema is around the world," he said.
"I’d be there in a heartbeat if I wasn’t premiering the film in America the next day.”
Other films screening in London this year include Newcastle, The Black Balloon and Ten Empty, which will feature a Q&A with writer/director Anthony Hayes, who is currently based in London.
Special events include a strand of key works from the 1970s Australian New Wave, films that brought Australian cinema to audiences around the world, featuring My Brilliant Career, Newsfront, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and The Cars that Ate Paris.
The London Australian Film Festival runs from March 12 to 22, 2009.