MEDIA RELEASE: 21 February 2008

Romulus, My Father ‘kicks off’ 10th Australian film festival in Singapore

Macquarie Group Australian Film Focus 2008 opens on 11 April with the Asian premiere of the multi-awardwinning drama Romulus, My Father, starring acclaimed Australian actor Eric Bana.

The 10th Australian film festival comes at a time when Australian films are continuing to win international awards and top box office sales worldwide. In 2007, the top grossing Australian film, the internationally-lauded animated musical Happy Feet added $A20.7 million to its 2006 earnings to reach a cumulative total of $A31.8 million. Richard Roxburgh's multi-award-winning drama about an embattled migrant family, Romulus, My Father, followed with $A2.6 million in box office takings.

Based on Raimond Gaita's critically acclaimed memoir, Romulus, My Father tells the story of a boy growing up in a dysfunctional family and celebrates the unbreakable bond between father and son. Romulus, My Father is directed by Richard Roxburgh and is the winner of numerous Australia Film Institute (AFI) awards, including Best Film and Best Lead Actor.

To mark its 10th anniversary, this year’s Macquarie Group Australian Film Focus features an exciting mix of contemporary and classic Australian drama, documentary, animation and short films, including:

Gallipoli
This classic Australian film from one of Australia’s best known directors, Peter Weir, tells the tragic tale of two young soldiers in WWI, Frank Dunne (played by a young Mel Gibson) and Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee). Gallipoli swept eight AFI awards in 1981 and was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 1982 Golden Globe Awards.

All my Friends are Leaving Brisbane
If you’re in your 20s, single and hate your job, you’ve got to leave town. Anthea is 25, single and hates her job – and all her friends are leaving Brisbane. This romantic comedy tells a universal story about finding yourself, and features quirky edit techniques and music from the Brisbane indi scene.

Flickerfest – The Bold, the Brave and the Best
Fresh from Australia’s 17th International Short Film Festival, Flickerfest – The Bold, the Brave and the Best showcases the best Australian animation of all time. Curated by Academy Award-nominated animator, Anthony Lucas, the selection includes iconic television commercials and award-winning shorts by famous Australian animators, including AFI Award winner Wendy Chandler and Academy Award winners Adam Elliot (2003) and Bruce Petty (1976).

Donkey in Lahore
This compelling documentary charts the four-year journey of Brian, an Australian Goth and puppeteer, who overcomes many cultural obstacles and a tumultuous personal life to marry Amber, a young Muslim woman in Pakistan.

Words from the City
Words from the City is a feature documentary exploring the Australian hip-hop music scene through intimate and candid observations of some of the nation's most prolific and skilled performers including Hilltop Hoods, Maya Jupiter and Koolism. The film explores the diverse environments that shape these artists and their urge to make their voices heard in a movement that is exploding as one of Australia’s most powerful and energetic creative forms.

Remember My Name
A hit at the Melbourne International Film Festival, this short film looks at what can happen when a diverse group of people come together to make their own form of social protest. A guaranteed crowd pleaser.

EVENT:   Macquarie Group Australian Film Focus 2008, 10th Anniversary
               Part of 21st Singapore International Film Festival
WHERE: National Museum and Lido, Shaw House
WHEN:   11 - 14 April, various timings, tickets from SISTIC
               Click here for session times and more details

http://romulusmyfather.com.au/index.html
http://allmyfriendsmovie.com/
http://www.wordsfromthecity.com/film.html
http://www.donkeyinlahore.com/The%20Film.html
http://www.flickerfest.com.au/Programme.aspx

Media contact: Ms Jasmin Seah, Media and Information Manager
t: 6836 4123; e: [email protected]