Just had the last of a series of special event screenings and performances of the docco, with Paul Kelly performing, and a Q and A  session with Ian Darling after each screening. Saturday night’s event was at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. A glorious venue for the final event, and the crowd went off!

Now Stories of Me is playing around the country in cinemas like the Dendy in Sydney, and the Palace cinemas in Melbourne, and in many regional centres. With a bit of luck it should find a wide audience.

Heard today that the superb book “Shadowcatchers”: a history of cinematography in Australia by the wonderful, fearless and feisty Martha Ansara, is to be launched at the AFTRS on May 31st, by Bruce Beresford. Martha, who came through film school during the 70s, as I did, has had a huge influence on all of us. This book, a work of scholarship and a labor of love for her, will be an amazing record of an extraordinary period in Aussie cinema. Our mentor, Brian Probyn, would be so proud of Martha’s achievement.

Cant wait for the 31st!

19/03/12 Nymboida the Brave!

Very exciting news today related to Last Stand at Nymboida, the docco I shot two years ago. It has won more that a dozen awards at international festivals so far, including the Orson Welles Award for best documentary at the California Film Festival. Today it was announced that a group of the miners we filmed have been awarded the Governor-General’s Citation for Bravery, related to a courageous rescue they did after an explosion at the Nymboida mine. Our film, which told that story, was submitted as evidence to the committee responsible for the Bravery Awards. Fantastic that those men have been recognised, after almost 40 years. And I’m proud to have played a part in that recognition.

Ready to roll on studio sequences for Life at Five

One of my highlights of the last few years, was working with the fantastic families, and a superb director, Andrea Ulbrick, on the “Life” series.