Press release from NIX Co
SNOWTOWN, the debut feature film of director Justin Kurzel and producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw for WARP FILMS AUSTRALIA, has been awarded President of the Jury Special Award Grand Prix at 2011 Critics’ Week.
Critics’ Week, which ran from 12 – 20 May and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is focused on discovering new talent. SNOWTOWN was one of seven films selected to screen in this section of the festival; The Slut (Hagar Ben Asher, Israel / Germany), Las Acacias (Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina / Spain), 17 filles (Delphine and Muriel Coulin, France), Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols, USA), My Little Princess (Eva Ionesco, France), Avé (Konstantin Bojanov, Bulgaria) and Sauna on the Moon (Zou Peng, China) rounding out the competition.
Previous filmmakers that have screened at Critics’ Week include seminal filmmakers such as Ken Loach and Wong Kar Wai and exciting new talent such as Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and Miranda July.
SNOWTOWN had its international premiere on Monday 16 May and played at four packed out theatres to spontaneous applause at the end of the screenings. The film has sparked furious debate amongst audiences but has been almost unanimously highly acclaimed by critics locally and overseas.
SNOWTOWN is also eligible for the highly coveted Camera D’Or, awarded only to debut filmmakers and the Grande Rail d’Or, awarded by a group of film enthusiasts who are members of the railwaymen.
“SNOWTOWN is a film that deserves to be made… a remarkably restrained piece of filmmaking… a chillingly realistic portrayal of a forgotten community” – Sarrah Le Marquand, DAILY TELEGRAPH
"Remarkable… accomplished and devastating" Philippa Hawker, THE AGE
SNOWTOWN is a powerful psychological drama set in Adelaide’s northern suburbs and based on the real crimes of Australia’s worst serial killer, John Bunting.
SNOWTOWN explores the relationship between 16-year-old Jamie, who found his father-figure and mentor in John Bunting. It is the examination of a community and questions how and why events such as Snowtown occur.
SNOWTOWN introduces an exciting new Australian cast including Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall and Louise Harris.
Snowtown opened in Australia on 19 May