by fish » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:12 am
There used to be a film school and studio in Adelaide which made feature films until 20 or so years ago. At around that time Rupert Murdoch bought into the US market in a big way and as part of his Fox empire set up the Fox studios in Sydney and by sheer weight of money forced his competition out of business. The occasional independant film still gets made but mostly its "generic global" crap like Matrix that's made here because it's cheaper than the US.
Having got that off my chest there have been some good things done. Some good films made, careers started for actors, directors and others.
Films like : Babe 1995, Caddie 1976, Death in Brunswick 1991, Muriel's Wedding 1994, Travelling North 1987, Storm Boy 1976.
Actors like : Judy Davis, Sam Neil, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Rachel Griffiths.
Directors like : Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career 1979), Peter Weir (Picnic at Hanging Rock 1975, The Year of Living Dangerously 1982), Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom 1992, Moulin Rouge 2001), Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence. 2002), Bruce Beresford (The Getting of Wisdom 1978, Puberty Blues 1981), Scott Hicks (Shine 1996)
I guess like most other countries outside the big two producers, India and the US, Australia holds a niche in the world market for its better quality films. There have certainly been many made since the world's first feature film "Ned Kelly" in 1906.
As far as "Johnno" is concerned, it has been made into a play so I guess there is potential for a film, but I don't know of one having been made or planned.
Fish