Australian High Commission
Colombo
MEDIA RELEASE
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21 May 2009
Australian Film Festival 2009
The Australian High Commission in collaboration with Screen Australia will host a Film Festival featuring award winning Australian films of the recent past.The Film Festival will be held from 22 to 24 May 2009 at the BMICH Cinema Hall.
In her message the Australian High Commissioner Ms Kathy Klugman said ‘Australian film industry is reputed for innovation, quality, technological expertise, and for producing films which are uniquely Australian which have a global appeal’.
11 films will be screened including the critically acclaimed ‘Ten Canoes’ as the main feature. The film, narrated by the celebrated Aboriginal actor David Gulpilili won a special jury prize at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. The festival will also feature the 1992 Australian classic ‘Strictly Ballroom’ which achieved worldwide success and was shown in 86 countries including Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner further said, ‘We hope the film festival will be an opportunity for Sri Lankan audiences to enjoy some of the best products of Australian cinema, at the same time help strengthen the excellent cultural and social ties that exist between our countries’.
Three children’s films for the younger audience have also been lined up. The Magic Pudding an animated feature is voiced by Geoffrey Rush and Hugo Weaving, Harvie Crumpet won the Academy award for the Best Animated Short Film in 2003 and Amy a story about a mute 8-year old girl’s life won the Grand Jury Award for outstanding contribution to humanity at the Asian Pacific Film Festival in 1999.
The festival is sponsored by Abans, Maliban Milk, Infotechs, Standard Chartered Bank, Sri Lanka Insurance, Edlocate Pvt Ltd, East West Marketing, AG Austasia Pty Ltd, Australian Education Consultants, UAS Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Associated Motorways, Wickramaracchi and Co, Maharaja Group and Wijeya newspapers.
Entrance is free. Please telephone 2463200 extension 252 for passes and program information.