Cinema Australia

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by filmmakers Rowan Devereux and Sophie Saville to discuss two of their new films, feature film Evicted! A Modern Romance - a comedy which follows a group of friends on a seemingly futile hunt for an affordable share house - and Inspire Me - a documentary short following Madeline Stewart’s quest to become the most inspirational disabled person ever.

Hello and welcome to Cinema Australia Podcast. I’m very excited to be discussing the wonderfully weird, and outrageously funny The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour with the film’s director and co-writer Platon Theodoris. The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour follows radio host Neville Umbrellaman. When Neville lands in hospital, a group of unexpected performers crash his show, The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour. Platon Theodoris is an Australian film director, producer and screenwriter. His debut feature film, Alvin’s Harmonious World of Opposites, had its world premiere at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival back in 2015 and I’ve been anticipating his next film ever since. Platon is one of the most unique filmmakers working in Australia today. If you’ve seen Alvin’s and Lonely Spirits I’m sure you will agree, and if you haven’t seen those films then you really need to amend that ASAP. In this interview Platon discusses everything from his first viewing of the original stage play on which the film was based, continue his work with this incredible group of actors he’s built a community around, as well as some technical aspects of his filmmaking.

Writer and director Kriv Stenders joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new documentary, Lee Kernaghan: Boy from the Bush. Stenders is carving out quite a niche for himself as a documentary filmmaker following very successful feature films like Red Dog and Danger Close: The Battle for Long Tan. Stenders’ recent documentary work includes Slim & I, The Go Betweens: Right Here, and Brock: Over the Top. Here, Stenders discusses growing up around music, working with Lee Kernaghan, filming the energetic concert scenes, his passion for good storytelling, why he thinks Lee Kernaghan: Boy from the Bush is his most experimental film yet, and why documentary filmmaking is such an exciting medium right now.

In this episode Cinema Australia is joined by the makers of new Australian black comedy, Sissy - Hannah Barlow & Kane Senes. Hannah and Kane co-wrote and co-directed the film and Hannah also stars in the film as one of the lead characters, Emma. The film follows social media influencer, Sissy, who is invited away on a hen’s weekend with some old school friends. Little does she know she will be stuck in a remote cabin with her high school bully… #triggered. Hannah and Kane have been making movies for a while now. Most recently the two made the independent mumblecore, For Now. This is a deep dive into the making of the film, so obviously there are going to be some plot spoilers, but listeners should know that when we do discuss the ending of the film I do warn when to switch off.

Tiriki Onus and Alec Morgan join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their new documentary, Ablaze. Ablaze is the true story of the first Aboriginal filmmaker, William ‘Bill’ Onus and tells the story of this cultural and political figure who revived his peopleʼs culture in the 1940s and ignited a civil rights movement that would change the course of history. Ablaze is the compelling tale of how Bill and his supporters brilliantly orchestrated their campaign for equality through performance, entertainment, film and sheer audacity and how they outsmarted mighty forces seeking to destroy Indigenous cultures, languages, and communities.

How to Please a Woman writer and director Renée Webster joins the Cinema Australia Podcast. How to Please a Woman is a genuine gut-busting laugh-fest. As I tell Renée during this interview, I’ve seen it three times now, and I’m recommending it to everyone. The film follow Gina (played by Sally Philips), a 50-something woman who develops a business idea to launch an all-male house-cleaning service. However, when her business grows out of control, she must acknowledge her own appetite if she is to make a new life for herself. The film has had advance screenings around Australian, including here in Perth where it screened at the Perth International Arts Festival, The WA Made Film Festival, and it’s own Gala Night at Luna Cinemas and people are loving it! How to Please a Woman is Renée Webster’s first feature film. In this interview Renée tells us about developing the script and her process for writing comedy which I found fascinating. She also talks about working with her cast, shooting in Fremantle and much more. How to Please a Woman is in cinemas from May 19. Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to a very special episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. So what’s so special about this episode? Well as regular listeners will know, discussions on this podcast are usually centred around a particular film, and it’s not often that I take listeners on a deep dive into an actor’s career. It’s just the way the publicity machine works, and not everyone, particularly busy actors, have the time to sit for two hours talking about themselves. With the recent announcement that actor Joel Jackson has been appointed as an ambassador for CinefestOZ Albany, I invited Joel to join an episode to discuss his career, which Joel jumped at. Most of you will be familiar with Joel’s work. The Albany-born actor and musician is celebrated for his work on the big and small screen in projects like Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, Deadline Gallipoli, Jungle, H is For Happiness, Mystery Road, and I Met a Girl, as well as stage productions like Born Yesterday. Here, Joel discusses most of those projects, but he also gives us a fascinating insight into the mechanics of an actor working in Australia today. Joel also talks about growing up in Western Australia and his passion for rural communities. Joel also talks about the hard truths and frustrations of being an actor which some listeners will get a lot out of, especially if you’re an up-and-coming actor yourself. Anyway… Enjoy.

In this episode I’m joined by Jane Castle - the daughter of trailblazing Australian filmmaker, Lilias Fraser. Castle’s new documentary, When the Camera Stopped Rolling, tells the epic tale of her mother’s extraordinary life, her fascinating career and their challenging relationship. Lilias Fraser was the first Australian to study at the National Film School of France who honed her skills on nation-building industrial documentaries of the 1960s, and in 1970 she made one of Australia’s first land rights films, This is Their Land. When the Camera Stopped Rolling is a must-see documentary and Jane should be commended for such an honest and raw insight into her personal relationship with her mother. Jane is a multi-award-winnning filmmaker and cinematographer. She’s shot films and documentaries and a tonne of music videos for artists like Prince, U2, Mary J Blige, Usher and INXS. Jane’s directing work includes the award-winning short, Roadside Café and the SBS documentary Sixty Thousand Barrels. When the Camera Stopped Rolling is Jane’s first feature documentary. Jane is so open during this interview. We discuss everything from Jane’s childhood, being compared to her mother, her relationship with other members of her family and how they’ve responded to this film, and how the local film community reacted to her mother’s death.

It’s hard to believe A Stitch in Time is Sasha Hadden’s first film. He’s made two short films and a documentary, and this film cements him as a serious talent and a filmmaker to keep an eye on. Here, Sasha discusses how he developed a passion for filmmaking at a young age thanks to his supportive mother, his love for Australian filmmaking great Bruce Beresford, and how he used this film as a training ground for emerging filmmakers. As a bonus, this episode also includes a ten minute chat with one of the film’s stars - veteran Australian actor Belinda Giblin who plays Christine in the film. As one of Australia’s most distinguished actors of stage and screen, most of you will know Belinda from her roles in Home and Away, Sons and Daughters, Good Guys Bad Guys, Heartbreak High, The Sullivans and A Country Practice.

In this episode I’m joined by Mutt writer and director Sam Galloway. Mutt follows Odette, an expecting mother who delves into a criminal underworld to rescue her dog from a torturous death. Samuel Galloway is a kiwi filmmaker based in Melbourne. He is both a director of photography for commercial and narrative work, but also holds a distinctively dark and comedic voice as a writer-director. Samuel is known for the short films Past the Second Stage and The Dying Art of Cat Burglary. The web series Waiting on Sound, and of course Mutt. Anyway... enjoy!

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the first Cinema Australia Podcast episode for 2022. In this episode I’m joined by Public Eye writer, producer, director and lead actor Davo Hardy, and his co-star British Flower. Public Eye follows Elliot Sinclaire, played by Hardy in the film. He’s a children’s entertainer and actor whose social and moral standing is severely challenged when his personal life comes under scrutiny following the viral release of a very private video. It’s impossible to discuss this film without mentioning certain scenes and themes, so please note that this interview does include spoilers. One of them quite big. We also discuss strong sexual themes so listener discretion is advised. Anyway… enjoy.

Filmmaker Brendan Fletcher joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new series, Firebite, which he co-created and co-directed with Warwick Thornton (Sweet Country). In this episode Fletcher reflects back on his Mad Bastards and what he’s been up to since, and obviously we chat everything Firebite including how he was introduced to Thornton, moving from film to television and much more.

WA-based filmmakers Samantha Marlowe and Frances Elliott join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their latest documentary, Girl Like You, which, over six years, follows a couple that battles to stay together as one of them transitions genders; confronting the effects of new body parts, changing gender roles as well as navigating their own evolving sexual identities.

Filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss Wyrmwood Apocalypse - the highly-anticipated followup to his explosive zombie thriller, Wyrmwood Road of the Dead.

Catherine Hill is an accomplished and admired individual who has worked as an actor, script editor and story consultant. As well as being an award-winning theatre director, Catherine has been employed as a case manager and a crisis worker for over two decades, working with individuals managing complex issues and often experiencing homelessness. Drawing on all these experiences Catherine wrote, produced and directed Some Happy Day - a neat little film about a homeless woman, Tina, played by Peta Brady, in desperate search of a better life who meets a social worker, Frances, played by Mary Helen Sassman, with troubles of her own. Some Happy Day was filmed in and with the community in which the story is set. Many of the background actors have a lived experience of what it is like to be without a home. Here, Catherine discusses the making of the Some Happy Day, how she fell in love with storytelling and the importance of networking within the Australian filmmaking community, among other things.

Director Justin Kurzel and writer Shaun Grant join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their latest collaboration, Nitram. Nitram is a brilliant but highly disturbing film, that will no doubt divide audiences. It depicts the events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history - the Port Arthur shootings. Kurzel and Grant have been making movies together since 2011 as director and writer respectively. Their first film, Snowtown, landed like a sledgehammer and marked the arrival of two extraordinary filmmaking talents. Nitram is their third collaboration following Snowtown, and the provocative joy ride that is True History of the Kelly Gang. Kurzel’s filmography also includes Macbeth and Assissin’s Creed, which both starred Michael Fassbender. He also directed a segment of one of my favourite Australian films, The Turning. Shaun Grant’s other writing credits include Berlin Syndrome directed by Cate Shortland, Jasper Jones directed by Rachel Perkins, an episode of the American television series Mindhunter, and another film released this year, and another on of my favourites, Penguin Bloom. We do go into some depth during this interview, and I understand that it may not be easy listening for everyone. We discuss the pairs thoughts on Port Arthur conspiracies, Justin’s discussions with victims, and why they wanted to make a film about Martin Bryant. Kurzel and Grant also discuss their eagerness to see Nitram with an Australian audience, and being knocked back by Screen Australia before going on to work with Stan and Madman to make the film. It’s not all serious though, we do have a few laughs along the way and I ask a question that gets quite a reaction: What happened to Sean Keenan’s unbelievably cool cowboy cardigan from True History of the Kelly Gang. Anyway… enjoy.

Erik Thomson is one of my favourite actors. I’ve enjoyed most of Erik’s work, with Packed to the Rafters, Aftertaste and The Furnace being among my favourites. Thomson is one of Australia’s most beloved actors, becoming a household name thanks to mega-popular shows like All Saints and Rafters. In this episode we take a deep dive into Eric’s career and discuss everything from Pacific Drive to High Tide, All Saints, Packed to the Rafters and Back to the Rafters, and of course Aftertaste - a TV series in which Erik gives one of his best ever performances. We wrap it all up by discussing a few of Eric’s latest films - The Furnace, How to Please a Woman and Blueback all of which were filmed in Western Australia.

Iconic Australian filmmaker, Nadia Tass joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her career, including the making of two of her most well-known and much loved films, Malcolm and The Big Steal. Nadia Tass is one of Australia’s most respected filmmakers. Known for those films I just mentioned, Nadia also directed Pure Luck, an American film starring Martin Short and Danny Glover. Nadia’s later work includes Matching Jack with Jacinda Barrett, Richard Roxburgh, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, and the tele-film, Fatal Honeymoon, starring Harvey Keitel.

Screenwriters Arka Das and Bina Bhattacharya join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their new anthology feature film, Here Out West. Synopsis: A baby is kidnapped from a western Sydney hospital by a desperate grandmother. Her flight sets off a chain of events that brings together complete strangers over the course of one dramatic day. Arka, who wrote the chapter titled BROTHERHOOD, is a writer, director and actor with a number of short films, web series and short documentaries under his belt. Bina, who wrote the chapter THE ETERNAL DANCE, is an award-winning writer, producer and director whose 2017 short film, Wild Dances, win the Audience Choice Award at the Made in the West Film Festival. Anyway... enjoy.

Filmmaker Matthew Walker joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new documentary, I’m Wanita. I’m Wanita is the story of Wanita - a renegade country music singer from Tamworth, hell-bent on realising her childhood dreams of stardom. Self-crowned as ‘Australia's Queen Of Honky Tonk’, Wanita is still waiting for the recognition she knows she deserves.

Director Josh Reed joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his tense, claustrophobic drama, We're Not Here to Fuck Spiders. Reed describes Spiders as found footage noir. The film is set in a drug dealers house, and is constructed from found surveillance footage. There’s not much we can tell you about the story without giving too much away, but it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. The film builds up to one hell of a final act as different characters who frequent the house begin to reveal themselves. Here, Josh discusses his film with great depth, including why he decided not he title, the risks of making such a hardcore film in Australia, and why he may never make another film again. Josh is also the son of Long Weekend and Fantasm Comes Again director Colin Eggleston which he talks about.

A Family is one of the most unique locally-produced films I’ve ever seen, so I was thrilled to be chatting with director Jayden Stevens and cinematographer Thomas Swinburn. These two very talented filmmakers also co-wrote and co-produced the film. Jayden Stevens is a director and photographer from the Gold Coast. He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, where his short film Between Trees won the school’s Brian Robinson Memorial script award. Tom Swinburn studied filmmaking at Ithaca College, and completed a post graduate degree in film at the Victorian College of the Arts where his short film A View from Below was awarded the most bold and innovative production. Their film, A Family, follows Emerson, a man living in solitary who seeks emotional refuge in the organising and documenting of family moments using low-grade impersonators. When his fake sister becomes inspired to follow his method, their relationship struggles between the forged and genuine. This is top-tier filmmaking. Anyway… enjoy.

Martin Wilson joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new shark thriller, Great White. We love taking a deep dive with filmmakers about their movies, but this interview was originally recorded for our radio segment on 2RRR, so you will notice this is a much shorter interview than usual. Regardless, this is still an insightful chat with Wilson, who talks about the making of Great White and what makes it different to other creature features. He also discusses working with his cast, and the challenges of making a film while you’re up to your neck in water. Martin’s screen career spans almost 25 years. He’s an internationally-awarded director based in Perth. His extensive television commercial work includes the 'Cowards Punch' TVC campaign with world boxing champion Danny Green. Martin has directed hundreds of TV commercials for brands like Hungry Jacks and the West Coast Eagles and Great White is his first feature film. Here’s the synopsis for Great White: A beautiful trip to a remote island turns into an oceanic nightmare when five friends become stranded at sea while being stalked by a great white shark. Great White stars Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano and Te Kohe Tuhaka. Anyway… Enjoy.

Director Molly Reynolds joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her stunning new documentary, My Name is Gulpilil, about one of Australia’s most important actors, and one of our most significant cultural and artistic icons, the unparalleled, David Gulpilil. As you’ll hear in this interview, Molly has known David for many years. As the partner of Australian directing legend Rolf De Heer, Reynolds has worked with David on many projects throughout her career including her 2015 documentary, Another Country - a companion film to De Heer’s Charlies Country. Here, Molly discusses how this documentary came about, how and when she first met David, the highs and lows of working with the man , and of course Molly shares some great stories about how she made this incredible and elegant new documentary.

Director Nicole Miller joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss This is Port Adelaide - a passionate love letter to one of Australia’s greatest sporting clubs. Nicole became immersed in the world of footy and the Port Adelaide Football Club when she directed the recent series The AFL Show, which explains the sport to a Chinese audience. This interview isn’t all about footy though, with Nicole talking a lot about cinema and her processes, as well as being mentored by Snowtown and The True History of the Kelly Gang director Justin Kurzel. It’s worth noting that this is Nicole’s first ever media interview about the film, and it was a thrill to get to know her and to learn about this impressive new filmmaking talent. I’m sure Nicole has a long career ahead of her. Anyway… Enjoy.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by Antoine Furlong. The Writer, director and producer of Ascendant - a new Australian sci-fi, mystery, thriller and fantasy film. Here’s the synopsis: A young environmentalist wakes, trapped, kidnapped in the elevator of a super high-rise building at the mercy of her tormentors. The rest I’ll let Antaine explain, but as you’ll hear, it really is something you have to see and experience for yourself. Ascendant is an incredible achievement in special effects filmmaking. The film was shot mostly in a confined space, but thanks to some special effects wizardry, this is world building on a massive scale. Here, Antoine discusses how he moved from working on films with his father - including Mel Gibson’s Braveheart - moving into finance, and back into movies. We also take a deep dive into the making of Ascendant which I think young filmmakers starting out in the business will get a lot out of.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast I’m joined by My First Summer director Katie Found and actor Maiah Stewardson to talk about their beautiful new film, My First Summer. After the suspicious death of her mother, a 16-year-old is stranded on an isolated rural property. When a misfit local girl discovers her, the two lost teens form a deep bond, until the police close in and threaten their secret summer love. Anyway... Enjoy.

Writer and director Michael Bentham and actor Matilda Ridgway join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their new film, Disclosure. Disclosure is an intense, dialogue driven four-hander. It’s a story about what happens when a 4-year-old girl, Natasha, makes a serious allegation against a politician's 9-year-old son. An attempt by the children's parents to tackle the issue in a cooperative way soon degenerates into a vicious confrontation. The parents are played by Matilda, Geraldine Hakewill, Mark Leonard Winter and Tom Wren.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by one of Australia’s most experienced documentary filmmakers, Sally Ingleton, to talk about her eye-opening new documentary, Wild Things. Wild Things follows a new generation of environmental activists hell-bent on saving their futures from the ravages of climate change. Sally trained at the Swinburne Film and TV School in Melbourne and her first breakout documentary was The Tenth Dancer which Sally discusses at the beginning of this Podcast. Sally then embarked on actively producing social issues and nature documentaries for global TV. Wild Things is Sally’s first feature length documentary.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by The Furnace director, Roderick MacKay. To escape a harsh existence and return home, a young Afghan cameleer partners with a mysterious bushman on the run with two 400oz Crown-marked gold bars. Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace - the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown. The story is set in Western Australia in 1897.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined The Xrossing director Steven Mihaljevich and producer Carl Maiorana to discuss their new coming-of-age drama. The two also co-wrote the film. After the murder of a young girl in the Perth Hills, three boys harass a reclusive Aboriginal man known in the neighbourhood as “Black Bobby (played by Kelton Pell). One of the boys, Chris (played by Luke Morgan), must apologise to Bobby and make amends. Encouraged by his media classmate and friend, Abbey, (Georgia Eyers) Chris builds an unlikely friendship with Bobby. Old friendships are tested and new friendships take shape against the forces of ignorance and crime in the neighbourhood. Betrayal, incarceration and more tragedy are now all at the cross roads. Carl and Steven share some great stories about the making of The Xrossing, including their decision to spell the tittle with an X and they also share a very interesting story about how they cast the film following the tragic death of an original cast member. We were also given a very special opportunity to share a song from the film, We Should Have Paradise, sung by Kelton Pell, which you can hear about half way through.

Writer and director Kurt Martin joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new Australian drama, Moon Rock for Monday. Kurt Martin is a director and writer from Sydney, Australia. He has directed numerous short films, TVC's, Music Videos, Web series and Pilot TV series, and has worked on several feature films as an assistant director (1st/2nd) including Teenage Kicks, The School, Out Of The Shadows. Kurt’s body of work has received numerous international nomination's including Switzerland International Film Festival, Schnit Shorts, Tokyo Lift Off, Mumbai Navi International Film Festival and Los Angeles Lift Off Film Festival. His screenplay writing has also been shortlisted for the world’s most prestigious screenplay competitions, including the International prestigious BlueCat ScreenPlay Competition. Kurt is a member in the Director's Chapter in the Australian Director’s Guild and the Australian Film Institute / Australian Academy of Cinema, Television and the Arts.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by director Samuel Bartlett and actor Matt Doran to discuss their new Australian thriller, Intersection. When a conman discovers his son is abducted, he is forced to drive the city streets completing an escalating series of trials to appease his child’s kidnapper, and atone for his career of deception. Director Samuel Bartlett studied at the leading national Australian Film TV and Radio School, completed his Masters in Film at Sydney University, and studied story with renowned structure specialist Karel Segers. Matt Doran is a seasoned actor with over three decades of performing experience. In the 90s he was a mainstay character on the hit TV show Home and Away. This TV success launched his film career, working with Terrance Malick alongside Sean Penn in The Thin Red Line, then working with the Wachowski’s on The Matrix and with George Lucas in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.

In this episode Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles is joined by Mark Lamprell, the director of new Australian comedy, Never Too Late. Never Too Late follows four Vietnam veterans, famous for escaping out of a POW camp, who must now break out of the nursing home from hell to fulfil their unrealised dreams. Mark is a pleasure to interview and is very generous with his answers and stories which I appreciate. Mark has worked in the film industry for many years. In this interview we discuss launching his career with Kennedy Miller productions, working with George Miller on an abandoned script for Hollywood film, Contact, his time working with an incredible cast of acting veterans with Never too Late, and I get real geeky by asking Mark about working with Australian producing veteran Antony Ginnane and working on the cult classic slasher film, Cut! Anyway… Enjoy.

50 EPISODES! In the 50th episode of this Podcast, Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles chats with Rams director Jeremy Sims. Rams is a remake of an Icelandic film and follows two Brothers Colin (Sam Neill) and Les (Michael Caton) who have been fighting for decades. Both are award-winning sheep farmers but when disaster strikes and disease threatens their flocks, will they be able to work together to save their sheep, their legacy, and their community? Jeremy is a director, producer and writer of film, television and theatre. Prior to directing Rams, he made Last Cab to Darwin, Beneath Hill 60 and Last Train to Freo.

If you've never seen a film starring Roy Billing, you have no business listening to this Podcast. I'm joking of course, but Billing has been acting since the 80's and has starring in many Australian films including The Dish, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Charlie & Boots, Mystery Road and Occupation. Billing's Australian television credits go all the way back to E-Street and A Country Practice and include Home and Away, Always Greener, Packed to the Rafters, and more recently Underbelly and Jack Irish, two roles Billings tells are are the ones he gets recognised for the most. In this Podcast, Billing discusses launching his career in New Zealand where he was born, moving to Australia and what the local film industry was like at the time, and his latest film, Never Too Late. Never Too Late follows four Vietnam veterans famous for escaping a POW camp. Now they must break out of the nursing home from hell to fulfil their unrealised dreams.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles is joined by actors George Pullar and Ashlyn Louden-Gamble who star in new Australian film, Moon Rock for Monday. Moon Rock for Monday about a young girl named Monday (Ashlyn Louden-Gamble) who believes the moon rock, or Uluru, can help cure her terminal illness. To get to Uluru, Monday befriends Tyler (George Puller), a young man who has committed a heinous crime. Tyler essentially kidnaps Monday to assist with his escape from the cops, while Monday’s father, Bob (Aaron Jeffery), desperately tries to track her down and rescue her from the fugitive.

Justin has been at the forefront of the Australian horror and science fiction film industry for many years as the founder and owner of special effects company Wicked of Oz Studios. Justin has over fifteen years’ experience as a top Special Effects Makeup Designer, Art Director and Production Designer, working on big-budget American productions alongside such recognised directors as George Lucas (STAR WARS) and on productions such as CHARLOTTES WEB and THE BANK JOB. Justin and Wicked have played a part in practically every Australian genre film to come down the pipeline in recent years including THE LOVED ONES, THE BABADOOK and SCARE CAMPAIGN. Justin's new film BLOOD VESSEL is a claustrophobic vampire action horror set on an abandoned World War two warship. BLOOD VESSEL utilises the powerhouse of Wicked’s SFX company and a real-life Bathurst-class corvette to deliver a unique and powerful action horror film.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia, host Matthew Eeles is joined by multi award-winning director, animator and visual artist Isabel Peppard and award winning horror, comedy, documentary and porn filmmaker Josie Hess. These two very talented filmmakers have teamed up to co-direct a very unique documentary called, Morgana. In short, Morgana is an artistic character portrait of a 50-year-old housewife, who reinvents herself as a sex-positive feminist porn star. I assure you, once you’ve seen Morgana, it will remain with you long after viewing. Anyway... enjoy!

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, hose Matthew Eeles is joined by OUR LAW director Cornel Ozies and producer Taryne Laffar. OUR LAW is set at Western Australia's first Indigenous-run Police Station, two officers learn language and culture to help them police one of the world's most remote beats OUT LAW will screen at the 2020 Sydney Film Festival and on NITV in mid-June.

Australian filmmaker Ben Lawrence joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new film, Hearts and Bones. Ben Lawrence is an internationally award-winning director and photographer. His short films have screened at Edinburgh, Clermont-Ferrand, Los Angeles, San Gio and Sao Paulo film festivals. His photographs have been recognised at the International Photography Awards in New York, The Australian National Photographic Gallery Portrait Prize, the HeadOn Portrait Festival and The Spider Awards for photojournalism in London. In 2018, his critically acclaimed debut feature documentary, Ghosthunter screened at multiple festivals around the world and was nominated for a prestigious Illuminate Award at the Sheffield Film Festival. It also earned an AACTA Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary and won the Best Australian Documentary Award at the Sydney Film Festival.

Filmmaker Miranda Nation joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her tense new psychological drama, Undertow. Determined not to give in to grief after the loss of her baby, Claire becomes suspicious of her husband’s relationship with a feisty young woman, Angie. When she discovers Angie is pregnant, Claire develops an increasingly irrational obsession with her that puts both their lives in danger. Only when confronted by the explosive secret behind Angie’s pregnancy does Claire begin to reclaim her sanity.

In this (mini) episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles is joined by GO! director Owen Trevor to discuss the new Australian family film. When Jack (William Lodder) and his single mother (Frances O'Connor) move to a small town in Western Australia, he soon gets involved in the competitive world of go-kart racing. Jack's got natural talent but must learn to control his recklessness. To do that, he'll need the help of aspiring engineer, Mandy (Anastasia Bampos), wise-cracking best mate Colin (Darius Amarfio-Jefferson) and mysterious mentor, Patrick (Richard Roxburgh). Together, the team will endeavour to overcome all odds and defeat ruthless racer Dean (Cooper Van Grootel) to win the National Go Kart Championship.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by film critics Travis Johnson and Andrew Peirce to discuss the Australian films of 2019. We cover everything from The Nightingale to Ride Like a Girl, the strong representation of people with disabilities in Australian films, documentaries, the independent film scene and much, much more. This episode also includes interview grabs from the late, great Dame Hill, Rachel Griffiths, Jennifer Kent, RJ Mitte and Damon Gameau.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles is joined by independent filmmaker Mike Green to discuss his new thriller, Outback. Outback is a survival nightmare based on the true story of an American couple, Wade (Taylor Wiese) and Lisa (Lauren Lofberg), who become stranded on their way to Uluru. Think Gerald Rocionato’s Cage Dive on dirt.

Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles is joined by writer and director James Di Martino to discuss his feature film debut, The Faceless Man. The Faceless Man follows Emily (Sophie Thurling) who is struggling to adjust back to everyday life three years after surviving cancer. Living in fear of redeveloping the fatal disease, a manifestation haunts Emily from the depths of her subconscious in the form of a faceless creature; her fear incarnate… Or is it?

In this episode of the Cinema Australia we catch up with actor and filmmaker Steven Vidler to discuss his classic Australian film Blackrock and his new Australian film Standing Up For Sunny starring RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad).

Episode #37 | Davo Hardy & Richard Littlehales by Cinema Australia

In this episode of the Cinema Australia, Matthew Eeles chats with filmmaker Andrew Garton about his new documentary FORGED FROM FIRE which charts the valleys and peaks of the heartwarming project known as The Blacksmiths Tree. On Black Saturday, 7 February 2009, townships north-east of Melbourne were engulfed by firestorms. After the horror of immediate losses, people embarked on various journeys of repair and recovery. The Blacksmiths Tree was one of them.

In this episode of the Cinema Australia, host Matthew Eeles is joined by filmmaker Stevie Cruz-Martin to discuss her new film, Pulse. Pulse is the story of a gay disabled teenage boy who is devastated when he is neglected after his two best friends start dating. He changes into the body of a beautiful woman, so that he too can find love, at whatever cost.