AUSTRALIAN DOCUMENTARIES at ANTENNA
Here at Antenna we can’t help but beam with pride when we see the breadth of home-grown documentary talent, unearthing and creating stories both uniquely Australian and universally human. In 2016, Antenna presents 19 Australian documentaries in total, including four features, 14 shorts and one Virtual Reality experience.
Four Australian features are in the running for the prize for Best Australian Documentary, to be presented at closing night, and the directors will be holding Q&As after their screenings. SERVANT OR SLAVE (pictured above), directed by Steven McGregor, revisits the time of the Stolen Generation, when thousands of Aboriginal girls were taken from their families by the Australian Government and forced into servitude. The film sheds light on a still raw part of modern Australia’s history, the consequences of which are still felt today. Read on below for more info on the Australian features.
Antenna is also pleased to be presenting our Australian shorts program over two dedicated sessions on Sunday 16 October. The shorts competition showcases the best emerging and established Australian filmmaker talent, with films from some Antenna old friends as well as exciting new faces.
THE FAMILY
A powerful and moving film by Rosie Jones (THE TRIANGLE WARS, ANTENNA 2011). ‘The Family’ was a sinister apocalyptic cult active in Melbourne in the ’60s and ’70s. THE FAMILY pulls back the cover on the murky story of a still-operating sect, revealing the scars the victims carry to this day.
MOTHER WITH A GUN
Australian director Jeff Daniels shadows brash and outspoken Shelley Rubin, leader of the Jewish Defense League – advocating any means necessary to prevent antisemitism. MOTHER WITH A GUN untangles her past and present to expose this unusual pathway to Jewish extremism.
MONSIEUR MAYONNAISE
Take one comic-book artist, send him on a journey following his father’s footsteps from French resistance to restaurant ownership in Melbourne, add a sprinkling of Nazis and coat liberally in mayonnaise. Artist and filmmaker Philippe Mora is producing a graphic novel about his late father, Georges, and his fascinating life.
AUSTRALIAN SHORTS
Shorts take centre stage in two dedicated sessions on Sunday 16 October. Come and discover an eclectic mix of stories from the personal, to the quirky, to the scientific, to the global! There will be a short intermission between the sessions, buy tickets to one or both.
UPCOMING EVENTS FROM OUR FRIENDS:
QUEER SCREEN FILM FEST: STARTS TUESDAY
Queer Screen Film Fest features four outstanding feature-length documentaries,WEEKENDS, DANNY SAYS, MAJOR, andSOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR (pictured above), which played at Tribeca and HotDocs 2016. Full program here.
AFTRS POSTGRAD INFO EVE
Discover how AFTRS’ 2017 Grad Certs and newMA Screen (11 disciplines including Documentary) are designed to nurture the next generation of visionary screen and broadcast storytellers. Wed 21 Sept, 6-8pm. Check out details on the AFTRS website.
Get in quickly to see these films on the big screen.
