Matthew Saville’s A Month of Sundays and Jeremy Sims’ Last Cab to Darwin will screen in the Contemporary World Cinema program at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival.
It will be the world premiere for Saville’s comedy-drama which stars Anthony LaPaglia as real estate agent Frank Mollard, who is divorced but still attached, can't connect with his teenage son or sell houses in a property boom. One night Frank gets a phone call from his mother, who died a year ago. John Clarke, Justine Clarke and Julia Blake round out the cast.
Produced by Madman’s Nick Batzias, Saville and Kirsty Stark, the film deals with parents, children, regrets, mourning, joy, houses, homes, love, work, television, Shakespeare and jazz fusion. Madman has yet to set a release date.
The Toronto launch steals a march on the Adelaide Film Festival (October 15-25), which had announced A Month of Sundays as a world premiere.
Batzias said, "It’s an exciting milestone for Madman Production Company as our first narrative feature. Taking great Australian screen content to the world is a key part of our plan. We are thrilled to be taking the step with this very touching story from Matthew Saville, with whom Madman has a long history going back as far as Noise and Roy Hollsdotter Live."
Last Cab to Darwin, which has grossed $3 million in 11 days in Oz, will have its North American premiere at the festival, which runs September 10-20. The fest hailed the road movie as "deeply engaging and will be well received by our audiences, led by the strong performances by Michael Caton and Ningali Lawford."
Sims has been invited to participate in the Contemporary World speakers program where he says he will address the issues of Australian identity, indigenous recognition and reconciliation.
That pair and New Zealand filmmaker Leanne Pooley's 25 April are among 60 titles selected for the Contemporary World Cinema program. Pooley's docu-drama uses the letters and memoirs of New Zealand soldiers and nurses, plus animation, to tell the story of the battle of Gallipoli from the landing on April 25 to the evacuation in December.
As IF has reported, Sue Brooks’ Looking for Grace will screen in Platform, a new competitive section at the festival which showcases films that have a strong directorial vision.
Jocelyn Moorhouse’s The Dressmaker will have its world premiere in Gala Presentations, Simon Stone’s The Daughter will have its North American premiere in Special Presentations and Jennifer Peedom’s Sherpa and Gillian Armstrong’s Women He’s Undressed will compete in TIFF Docs.