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‘The Castle’, ‘Muriel’s Wedding’, ‘Samson and Delilah’ voted top Aussie films of all time in Adelaide Film Fest poll

‘The Castle’ topped the Adelaide Film Festival poll (Photo courtesy of Working Dog Productions).

The Adelaide Film Festival will hold special event screenings of The Castle, Muriel’s Wedding and Samson and Delilah after the three films topped its nation-wide vote on the best Australian films of all time.

The poll is said to have received thousands of votes, and over 450 films were voted for.

There will be a special school holiday screening of The Castle, introduced by star Stephen Curry, a sing-a-long special edition of Muriel’s Wedding and writer-director Warwick Thornton will give a special introduction to his 2009 Camera d’Or winning Samson and Delilah.

On topping the poll, The Castle director Rob Sitch said: “That acknowledgement is of course going straight to the pool room…or, if we ever do a sequel…the man cave… It’s worth pointing out that after all these years Darryl has been proved right about 3 Highview Cresent Coolaroo…next year, in real life, it’s getting the NBN!”

Curry said: “I’m so excited that The Castle has topped the poll for ‘Best Australian film of all time’. It’s incredible to think that this little movie that took 11 days to shoot, 22 years ago, in which I wore that gorgeous mullet, still resonates so strongly with audiences today. I’m so proud of my association with this beautiful story and can’t wait to introduce the screening at the Adelaide Film Festival. I may just have to re-grow the mullet just for the occasion. Or maybe not.”

In addition, the festival will screen a National Film and Sound Archive restoration of Sunday Too Far Away, which came in at #37 in addition to Sarah Watt’s Look Both Ways (#38), with guests Justine Clarke and producer Bridget Ikin in conversation with Margaret Pomeranz.

Artistic Director and CEO of Adelaide Film Festival, Amanda Duthie said: “The MY TOP 3 #YOUMUSTSEE initiative has given audiences a chance to reflect on the films that are forever stamped in our national psyche, and has generated vibrant debate about who we are and who we wish to be as a nation. Family has emerged as a major theme in the nation’s favourite films. We love Australian cinema and MY TOP 3 allowed us to re-connect audiences with the films they love, making it all the more special to bring the nation’s top 3 films back to the big screen.”

Films from female directors make up 26 per cent of the top 100 films, and seven are from Indigenous directors.

Other Aussie films to screen at Adelaide Film Festival include Anthony Maras’ Hotel Mumbai, Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale, the gala work-in-progress of Grant Sputore’s I Am Mother and the feature doc  She Who Must Be Obeyed, about Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) and Imparja TV co-founder Freda Glynn, directed by her daughter Erica Glynn.

Aussie VR works to screen also include Molly Reynolds and Rolf de Heer’s The Waiting Room from Molly Reynolds and Rolf de Heer, and short documentary The Art of the Game from director Matt Bate, with Trent Park and Narelle Autio, which expands upon the extension to 2017’s Adelaide Film Fest-opener The Summation of Force.

The full program will be announced September 12.

The top 100:

1           The Castle 1997

2           Muriel’s Wedding 1994

3           Samson and Delilah 2009

4           Rabbit-Proof Fence 2002

5           The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 1993

6           Gallipoli 1981

7           Wake In Fright 1971

8           Picnic At Hanging Rock 1975

9           Lantana 2000

10         Strictly Ballroom 1991

11         Mad Max 1979

12         Mad Max : Fury Road 2012

13         The Dressmaker 2015

14         Sweet Country 2017

15         Ten Canoes 2006

16         Animal Kingdom 2010

17         The Babadook 2014

18         Red Dog 2011

19         Walkabout 1971

20         Shine 1995

21         Moulin Rouge! 2001

22         Chopper 2000

23         Bad Boy Bubby 1993

24         Two Hands 1998

25         The Year My Voice Broke 1987

26         Snowtown 2011

27         Lion 2016

28         Mad Max II 1981

29         Breaker Morant 1980

30         Crocodile Dundee 1986

31         Storm Boy 1976

32         The Dish 2000

33         The Sapphires 2012

34         The Tracker 2002

35         Looking For Alibrandi 1999

36         My Brilliant Career 1979

37         Sunday Too Far Away 1975

38         Look Both Ways 2005

39         Newsfront 1978

40         The Proposition 2005

41         Beneath Clouds 2002

42         Malcolm 1986

43         The Man from Snowy River 1982

44         Romper Stomper 1991

45         Breath 2017

46         Japanese Story 2002

47         Somersault 2004

48         Kenny 2006

49         Wolf Creek 2005

50         Australia 2008

51         Babe 1995

52         Cargo 2017

53         Love Serenade 1996

54         The Piano 1993

55         Charlie’s Country 2013

56         Last Cab to Darwin 2015

57         52 Tuesdays 2013

58         Mary And Max 2009

59         The Boys 1997

60         Dogs in Space 1986

61         Head On 1998

62         Proof 1990

63         Candy 2006

64         Mystery Road 2013

65         Blessed 2009

66         Bran Nue Dae 2009

67         Holding the Man 2015

68         The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith 1977

69         Gettin’ Square 2003

70         He Died With A Felafel In His Hand 2001

71         Dead Calm 1989

72         Death In Brunswick 1990

73         The Black Balloon 2007

74         Bliss 1984

75         Cosi 1995

76         Don’s Party 1976

77         Girl Asleep 2015

78         The Big Steal 1990

79         The Cars That Ate Paris 1974

80         The Sum of Us 1994

81         Beautiful Kate 2009

82         Crackerjack 2002

83         Happy Feet 2006

84         Sweetie 1989

85         The Year of Living Dangerously 1982

86         They’re A Weird Mob 1966

87         Ali’s Wedding 2017

88         High Tide 1986

89         Wyrmwood 2010

90         Careful He Might Hear You 1983

91         Jasper Jones 2017

92         Little Fish 2005

93         Lucky Miles 2007

94         Man Of Flowers 1983

95         Paper Planes 2014

96         Road to Nhill 1996

97         Sherpa 2015

98         An Angel At My Table 1990

99         Idiot Box 1996

100       Jedda 1954