By Simon de Bruyn
Two new thrillers shot in Queensland – Acolytes and The Horseman – duked it out at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) last week, with both emerging as co-winners of the Best Australian Film award.
Acolytes, directed by MUFF stalwart Jon Hewitt and The Horseman, written and directed by Steven Kastrissios, beat a very strong field of peers, with Kastrissios also taking out the award for Best Australian Director for his gritty revenge thriller.
Acolytes also won prizes in two other categories. COP Mark Push won for Best Cinematography while Joel Edgerton won Best Australian Male Actor. Aussie feature No Through Road also collected two prizes, for Runner Up Best Australian Film, and also for its supporting actress Megan Palinkas.
The 2008 MUFF Award winners are:
BEST AUSTRALIAN FILM
Acolytes – Jon Hewitt / The Horseman – Steven Kastrissios
RUNNER UP BEST AUSTRALIAN FILM
No Through Road – Sam Barret
BEST AUSTRALIAN DIRECTOR
Steven Kastrissios – The Horseman
BEST AUSTRALIAN MALE ACTOR
Joel Edgerton – Acolytes
BEST AUSTRALIAN FEMALE ACTOR
Alexandra Weaver – The Run
BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR
Michael Piccirilli – Devils Gateway
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR
Megan Palinkas – No Through Road
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Gates Of Hell – Directed Kel Dolen
BEST GUERRILLA FILM
Cannibal Suburbia – Jean Luc Synikas and D.A Jackson
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Xaviera Hollander – Producer John Patti
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mark Pugh – Acolytes
BEST SCREENPLAY
Dead Girl – Trent Haaga
BEST SHORT
Sin Shoes – Raul Palomar/ Garden of Earthly Delights – Stuart Simpson
RUNNER-UP BEST SHORT
Jumping Jack – Julian Costanzo
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Tin Can Man
BEST FOREIGN DIRECTOR
Ivan Kavanagh – Tin Can Man / Thomas Clay – Soi Cowboy
BEST FOREIGN MALE ACTOR
Michael Parle – Tin Can Man
BEST FOREIGN FEMALE ACTOR
Pimwalee Thampanyasan – Soi Cowboy
You can watch the trailer for Acolytes here, and the teaser trailer for The Horseman here. Stay tuned for INSIDEFILM‘s interview with Steven Kastrissios later this week.