Guy Pearce is bemused when asked how he will cope when he makes his feature film directing debut on Poor Boy, a paranormal mystery about a man who inhabits a child's body.
Georgie Jutland (Kelly Macdonald) is barely holding it together these days without a drink. Once a nurse, now she’s trapped in the backwater fishing port of White Point with local crayfish baron, Jim Buckridge (David Wenham) and his two sons, whose dead mother she can never hope to replace.
One hazy night she sees the lone figure of Lu Fox (Garret Hedlund) appear in the mists of the bay. A long time ago he was a dirt musician, but now he survives as a poacher - an unwise choice given Jim’s iron-grip on the local fishing trade.
Georgie is instantly drawn to Lu, and the pair begin an intense affair. What Georgie doesn’t realise is that the Foxes and the Buckridges have a long, murky history.
Fearing Jim’s fury and haunted by his tragic past, Lu flees north to Coronation Island, a place dear to Georgie’s heart. Discovering Lu has fled, Georgie decides to follow him north with the unlikely help of Jim.
Based on the critically acclaimed novel by iconic Australian writer Tim Winton, Dirt Music is a tale of love and redemption, set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Australian West.
"There's a very beautiful spiritual element to it, that I think is brilliant and I love. But it's a bit out there."
A new feature film from Baz Luhrmann, set in a small Australian country town, is among the 18 recent projects to receive story development funding from Screen Australia.
Aquarius Films has appointed former eOne and Hopscotch Features executive Rachel Okine in the newly created role of managing director.
"Don't adapt and change cultural differences: some projects lose their originality because they are designed for world platforms or global deals."
Growing up in Parramatta as the daughter of South Asian parents, Natesha Somasundaram never saw people like her on television.
Stan has commissioned a second season of comedy series 'The Other Guy', created by and starring Matt Okine.