Cinema of Australia
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The cinema of Australia has a long history—in fact, it is claimed that the first feature-length film, was actually an Australian production, The Story of the Kelly Gang. During the late 1960s and 1970s in influx of government funding saw the development of a new generation of directors and actors telling distinctively Australian stories. Films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock and Sunday, Too Far Away had an immediate international impact. The 1980s is regarded as perhaps a golden age of Australian cinema, with many wildly successful films, from the dark science fiction of Mad Max to the blatantly commercial Aussie-bloke fantasy of Crocodile Dundee, a film that defined Australia in the eyes of many foreigners despite having remarkably little to do with the lifestyle of most Australians.
The industry has produced a number of successful actors and directors, including Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Geoffrey Rush and Russell Crowe, directors Peter Weir and Baz Luhrmann, and associated production experts. However, in common with other English-speaking countries, Australia has often found it difficult to compete in a market place dominated by American product. The most successful actors and film-makers are usually easily lured by Hollywood and rarely return to the domestic film industry.
The indigenous film industry continues to produce a reasonable number of films each year, also many US producers have moved productions to Australian studios as they discover a pool of professional talent well below US costs. Studios established in Australia, like Fox Studios Australia and Warner Bros. Movie World, host large international productions like The Matrix and Star Wars II and III.
The Australian animated short film Harvie Krumpet also recently received an Academy Award.
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Notable films
- The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)
- Jedda (1955)
- They're a Weird Mob (1966)
- Age of Consent (1969)
- Walkabout (1971)
- The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- The Last Wave (1977)
- Newsfront (1978)
- The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
- Breaker Morant (1979)
- Mad Max (1979)
- My Brilliant Career (1979)
- Gallipoli (1981)
- Puberty Blues (1981)
- Man of Flowers (1983)
- The Thorn Birds (1983)
- Crocodile Dundee (1986)
- The Fringe Dwellers (1986)
- Brides of Christ (1991)
- Proof (1991)
- Romper Stomper (1992)
- Strictly Ballroom (1992)
- Muriel's Wedding (1994)
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
- Angel Baby (1996)
- The Castle (1997)
- The Interview (1998)
- The Wog Boy (2000)
- The Dish (2000)
- Chopper (2000)
- Lantana (2001)
- Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
- Somersault (2004)
- Hating Alison Ashley (2005)
Filmed or produced in Australia
No specific Australian theme or location
- The Blood of Heroes (1990)
- Dark City (1998)
- A Date with Destiny (1990)
- Dead-End Drive In (1986)
- Escape 2000 (1981)
- Fortress (1993)
- The Matrix (1999)
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- Moulin Rouge! (2001)
- Mission Impossible 2 (2000)
- Pitch Black (2000)
- Red Planet (2000)
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- The Thin Red Line (1998)
- Thirst (1979)
- The Time Guardian (1987)
- Zone 39 (1997)
- Looking for Alibrandi
Notable directors
- Gillian Armstrong (1950- )
- Wayne Jowandi Barker (1957- )
- Bruce Beresford (1940- )
- Jane Campion (1954- )
- Peter Clifton (1949- )
- Roger Donaldson (1945- )
- Stephen Hopkins (1958- )
- Baz Luhrmann (1962- )
- George Miller (1945- )
- Phillip Noyce (1950- )
- Fred Schepisi (1939- )
- Carl Schultz (1939- )
- Peter Weir (1944- )
- Simon Wincer (1943- )
Notable actors
Main category: Category:Australian actors
- Eric Bana (1968- )
- Claudia Black (1972- )
- Cate Blanchett (1969- )
- Bryan Brown (1947- )
- Emily Browning (1988- )
- Rose Byrne (1979- )
- Toni Collette (1972- )
- Vince Colosimo (1966- )
- Russell Crowe (1964- )
- Judy Davis (1955- )
- Alex Dimitriades (1973- )
- Gosia Dobrowolska (1958- )
- Joel Edgerton (1974- )
- Errol Flynn (1909-1959)
- Nick Giannopoulos (1963- )
- Paul Goddard
- Rachel Griffiths (1961- )
- Virginia Hey (1962- )
- Paul Hogan (1939- )
- Bill Hunter (1940- )
- Hugh Jackman (1968- )
- Nicole Kidman (1967- )
- Heath Ledger (1979- )
- Sophie Lee (1968- )
- Ben Mendelsohn (1969- )
- Miranda Otto (1967- )
- Guy Pearce (1967- )
- Geoffrey Rush (1951- )
- Noah Taylor (1969- )
- Jack Thompson (1940- )
- John Waters (1948- )
- Naomi Watts (1968- )
- Hugo Weaving (1960- )
- David Wenham (1965- )
- Peta Wilson (1970- )
Literature
- David Stratton, The avocado plantation : boom and bust in the Australian film industry, Sydney : Pan Macmillan, 1990, 465p.,ISBN 0-7329-0250-9
External links
- K. Stockwell's Australiana Films Site (http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~stocky/ausfilms.html)
- IMDb keyword australia (http://us.imdb.com/List?tv=on&&keywords=australia)
- IMDb keyword australian (http://us.imdb.com/List?tv=on&&keywords=australian)