Aussie filmfest on SBS

SBS will be screening four Aussie movies on Saturday nights in December, presented by film commentator and arts journalist, Sandy George.

They are Chopper, Lantana, Rabbit-Proof Fence and Shine.

Chopper (2000)
Starts 9.30pm, Saturday 7 December on SBS ONE

In 1978, Chopper (Eric Bana) was serving a 16-year sentence for abducting a judge who was overseeing the trial of his best friend Jimmy (Simon Lyndon). Jimmy and Chopper share a cell, along with Keithy George (David Field), a crime boss. When a disagreement between Keithy and Chopper escalates into violence, Chopper murders Keithy, leading to retribution from the gangster’s friends who hire Jimmy, Chopper’s best friend, to do their dirty work. To escape being killed, Chopper forces another friend to cut off one of his ears so he’ll be transferred to another prison. Eight years later, Chopper is out of prison and looking for Jimmy in hopes of getting revenge.

Stars: Eric Bana, David Field, Vince Colosimo and Kate Beahan.
Awards: Australian Film Institute (AFI) – Best Achievement in Direction, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Eric Bana and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Simon Lyndon.
IF Awards – Best Actor: Eric Bana and Best Independent New Filmmaker: Andrew Dominik

Lantana (2001)
9.30pm, Saturday 14 December on SBS ONE

Detective Leon Zat (Anthony LaPaglia) moves through a dark labyrinth of human relationships on his journey to solve the mystery of a woman’s disappearance. He strips away layer after layer to reveal the tender and dark underbelly of this perplexing obsession between men and women called love. And each layer causes him to reflect back on his own marriage, on what he has lost and what he must get back.

Stars: Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey, Kerry Armstrong and Vince Colosimo.
Awards: Australian Film Institute (AFI) – Best film for Jan Chapman, best director for Ray Lawrence, best actor and actress for Anthony LaPaglia and Kerry Armstrong, best supports for Vince Colosimo and Rachael Blake, and best adapted screenplay for Andrew Bovell.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
9.30pm Saturday 21 December on SBS ONE

Rabbit-Proof Fence, directed by Phillip Noyce, is based on the true story of three young Aboriginal girls, Molly and Daisy and their cousin, Gracie (Evelyn Sampi, Laura Monaghan, Tianna Sansbury), who in 1931, were forcibly removed from their mothers and their home in Jigalong and moved over fifteen thousand miles away, as a part of official Government policy. Molly leads her younger sister and cousin on a brave escape and in a bid to find their way home, following, on foot, the rabbit-proof fence that cuts across the Gibson Desert and towards Jigalong.

Stars: David Gulpilil, Deborah Mailman, Kenneth Branagh and Jason Clarke
Awards: Australian Film Institute (AFI) – Best Film, Best Original Music Score, Best Sound.

Shine (1996)
9.30pm, Saturday 28 December on SBS ONE

Inspired by the true story of Australian child prodigy David Helfgott (Geoffrey Rush), Shine examines his journey from a childhood dominated by an overbearing father to his nervous breakdown as a young adult. When David is accepted to a prestigious music school in London as a teen, he’s only too happy to escape his home life and pursue his passion for classical music. But his father’s rejection and the pressures of mastering such concertos as Rachmaninoff’s lead to his downward spiral into mental illness. Only the love of the one woman who truly understands him (Lynn Redgrave) can help him re-enter society and share his musical gifts with the world.

Stars: Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor, Sonia Todd, Chris Haywood, Lyn Redgrave and Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Awards: Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Geoffrey Rush). BAFTA for Best Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.