John Curran’s Tracks and Ruin, a Cambodian-set romantic drama from Amiel Courtin-Wilson and Michael Cody, will compete at the 70th Venice Film Festival.
Based on the true story of Robyn Davidson's 2,700km trek across the Australian desert with four camels and her dog, Tracks is among the 19 films in official competition.
Producers/writers/directors Courtin-Wilson and Cody’s Ruin will screen in Orizzonti, a competition section dedicated to new distinctive films from international rising talents. This will be the team's second time in Venice as Hail screened in Orizzonti in 2011.
Screening out of competition are Greg Mclean’s Wolf Creek 2 and Ukraine is Not a Brothel, a feature documentary by Melbourne filmmaker Kitty Green, which profiles the Ukrainian feminist group Femen. The Wolf Creek sequel sees John Jarratt reprise his role as crazed serial killer Mick Taylor, alongside Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn and Phillipe Klaus.
The four titles represent the biggest Australian line-up in Venice in 18 years, according to Screen Australia’s head of marketing Kathleen Drumm.
There will be seven entries in the competition from the US including Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem, Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin, James Franco's Child of God and Errol Morris' documentary The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld. The others are Kelly Reichardt's Night Moves, David Gordon Green's Joe and JFK drama Parkland by Peter Landsman.
The world’s oldest film festival takes place on the Venice Lido from August 28-September 7.
Tracks, which stars Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver (HBO's Girls), will open this year’s Adelaide Film Festival on October 10. It's due to launch in Australia in March.
The Khmer-language Ruin features Cambodian actors Rous Mony and Melang as lovers who flee Phnom Penh after a murder and head deep into the jungle where they unleash a violent rage. Produced with the financial assistance of Screen Australia and Screen NSW, the film will be released in Australia by Madman Entertainment.