Writer-director Zak Hilditch’s debut feature, Apocalyptic thriller These Final Hours, will be distributed by Roadshow.
The saga of a self-obsessed young man (Nathan Phillips) who makes his way to the party-to-end-all-parties on the last day on Earth, it was to have been released by Robert Connolly’s CinemaPlus.
Roadshow executives saw the film last week and sealed a deal with Connolly, who executive- produced the film which was produced by first-timer Liz Kearney.
“This is an exciting opportunity for such talented filmmakers to have their debut feature film released to an Australian audience and we have a hugely passionate distributor in Roadshow Films,” said Connolly.
No release date has yet been set but, given the crowded film calendar through the rest of this year, a 2014 launch is likely. Roadshow plans a wide release. The thriller won The Age Critics' award for best Australian feature at the 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival.
The cast includes Jessica De Gouw , Sarah Snook, Daniel Henshall, Lynette Curran and Angourie Rice, who plays a young girl searching for her father and encounters Phillips’ character.
The film was funded by Screen Australia, Screen West’s West Coast Visions initiative, the MIFF Premiere Fund and the 40% producer offset. International sales are being handled by Celluloid Nightmares.
Kearney and Hilditch collaborated on the 2011 the short film Transmission, which featured Rice and screened at the Tribeca film festival in New York.
CinemaPlus and Madman Entertainment are co-distributing Tim Winton’s The Turning, which premieres on September 26 with event screenings attended by key cast at selected cinemas around Australia.
Connolly said the Q&A screenings at Palace Cinemas have sold out and extra sessions are being booked.