Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Kiwi screen legend Rachel House, star of hit movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok, is bound for Busselton and a spot on the Film Prize jury at this year’s CinefestOZ.
WA’s peak film film festival awards the richest prize of its kind to Australian films, and the jury will decide which of four shortlisted movies takes home $100,000.
Chairing the jury at Cinefest this year is Greer Simpkins, one of the most respected creative forces in the Australian screen industry.
As co-managing director of Bunya Productions, Simpkins has produced a number of feature films, such as Limbo, Sweet Country and The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson.
She is currently engaged on the Australian/UK co-production Prima Facie, adapted from the award-winning stage play of the same name and starring Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo.
Simpkin and House will be joined on the jury by acclaimed director and writer Gregor Jordan (Dirt Music, Ned Kelly), award-winning cinematographer Katie Milwright (The Artful Dodger, Goolagong) and actor Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road Origin, We Bury The Dead).
CinefestOZ chair Margaret Buswell said the calibre of talent on the jury was a reflection of the festival’s status as a celebration of Australian storytelling.
“We established the CinefestOZ Film Prize 12 years ago to recognise and reward excellence in Australian filmmaking, with four strong finalists in contention this year, the jury has a challenging job ahead of them,” Ms Buswell said.
Among the films in contention for the $100,000 prize is Sweet Milk Lake, a heartfelt dramedy, directed, written by and starring WA filmmaker Harvey Zielinski.
It’ll face serious competition from the star-studded dark comedy, The Fox, featuring Jai Courtney (Dutton Ranch) Emily Browning (One More Shot), Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings), Olivia Coleman (The Roses) and the late, great Sam Neill (The Twelve).
Also in contention are Wilderness, an uplifting and emotional drama starring Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) and Mirrah Foulkes (Mr Inbetween); and Yesterday Island, a time-loop comedy directed and written by Sam Voutas.
The jury will appear at an In Conversation breakfast on September 5, before the winner of the Film Prize is announced at a gala that evening.
CinefestOZ runs August 28-September 6 in the South West.
