AACTA has revealed those in contention for the major film, television and short-form prizes at this year's awards, with 'High Ground' leading the charge in the film categories and 'The Newsreader' ahead in television.
Australia's lucky run at the box office continues. Four out of the five highest grossing films last weekend were local titles, with new release 'Long Story Short' joining the ranks with 'The Dry', 'Penguin Bloom' and 'High Ground'.
Japan’s highest grossing feature film of all time, 'Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train', is also proving a hit with Australian audiences.
We're not even halfway through the year, but 2021 is shaping up to be a record-breaker for Australian films at the box office.
When Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his home town after an absence of over twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife and child before taking his own life – a victim of the madness that has ravaged this community after more than a decade of drought. When Falk reluctantly agrees to stay and investigate the crime, he opens up an old wound – the death of 17- year-old Ellie Deacon. Falk begins to suspect these two crimes, separated by decades, are connected. As he struggles to prove not only Luke’s innocence but also his own, Falk finds himself pitted against the prejudice towards him and and pent-up rage of a terrified community.
In a remarkable result, four Australian films - 'The Dry', 'Penguin Bloom', 'High Ground' and 'Occupation: Rainfall' - took home almost 50 per cent of the national box office last weekend.
'Force of Nature', Robert Connolly's much anticipated follow up to 2021's 'The Dry', led the box office last weekend, marking the first time an Australian film has hit no. 1 since 'Elvis' in June 2022.
In many respects, the screen sector today is virtually unrecognisable from three and a half years ago, and not just because the coronavirus pandemic has devastated sections of the industry.