Serial killer feature Snowtown will have its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as part of Critics’ Week.
“It’s a great honour that Snowtown has been invited to screen in Critics’ Week at Cannes and I am proud that all the wonderful work the cast and crew put into the film will be seen by an international audience,” director Justin Kurzel said.
Along with producers Anna McLeish, Sarah Show (of Warp Films) and much of the cast, Snowtown marks Kurzel’s feature debut – making the film eligible for this year’s Camera D’Or Award. Local filmmaker Warwick Thornton won the award in 2009 for Samson and Delilah.
A confronting two-hours centred around the South Australian 'Bodies in Barrels' murders; Snowtown examines questions of vulnerability, manipulation and brotherhood – as 16-year old Jamie takes John Bunting as father-figure, before becoming his accomplice.
The Madman-distributed production has already taken out the Audience Award for Best Film at the BigPond Adelaide Film Festival and continues to create noise ahead of its cinematic release on May 19.
Madman managing director Paul Wiegard said: "Critics’ Week provides a fantastic introduction to the international market and a great opportunity to build awareness with those back home in Australia. The positive Snowtown development and production experience with Warp Films reinforces our commitment to Australian film.”