Airdate: David Stratton’s Stories of Australian Cinema

Three part documentary David Stratton’s Stories of Australian Cinema will screen on ABC from early June.

Originally due to air in 2016, the project will also screen at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in its feature version, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life.

David Stratton said, “It’s a great honour to have A Cinematic Life featured in the prestigious Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival. I attended Cannes every year from 1984-2014 as a critic, but the experience of appearing in a documentary screened at the Festival will be an entirely new one for me. Above all, Sally Aitken’s film is a wonderful tribute to Australian films and filmmakers, and I’m thrilled that Cannes audiences will be reminded of the amazing films we make in this country.”

ABC Head of TV Arts Mandy Chang said “ABC Arts is truly delighted that the feature version of our three part series, David Stratton’s Stories of Australian Cinema – which was originally commissioned by the ABC – has been chosen to screen at Cannes in 2017 as part of the Cannes Classic section of this prestigious and internationally recognised festival. We are especially thrilled by the selection of the film as the idea for the series originated from within ABC Arts and is a testament to our longstanding relationship with David (Stratton). The series and the feature also strongly reflects our enduring relationship with the Adelaide Film Festival and with Amanda Duthie. It was also supported by Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Both the film and the series is the result of an epic team effort and we are all extremely proud of the honour that Cannes has bestowed upon it.”

ABC will be celebrating Australian cinema with a host of Australian films streaming on iview from June 1. The iview season will include – extras, extended interviews and archival material. The films include: Walkabout, They’re a Weird Mob, My Brilliant Career, Newsfront, Careful He Might Hear You, Lantana and Wake in Fright…and all will be introduced by David Stratton.

Cinema has always been an obsession for the English-born Australian critic David Stratton and his love affair with Australian cinema led him to understand himself and his adopted country. David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, the glorious story of Australian cinema and its creators, is told through the very particular gaze of a national treasure and featuring interviews with Gillian Armstrong, Eric Bana, Bryan Brown, Russell Crowe, Rachel Griffiths, Nicole Kidman, George Miller, Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Fred Schepisi, Warwick Thornton, Jacki Weaver and Hugo Weaving.

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life was directed by Sally Aitken (Getting Frank Gehry) and produced by Jo-anne McGowan (Art & Soul, Between a Frock and a Hard Place) with Executive Producers Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa), Richard Payten, Andrew Mackie and Megan Young. Produced with the support of ADL Film Fest Fund, ABC TV Arts, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Definition Films, National Film & Sound Archive.

Tuesday 6th, 13th and 20th June at 8.30pm on ABC.