"FILMS WITH BACKSTORIES" CONTINUE - in CANBERRA
With two series of our "Films with Backstories" screenings now completed we are happy to advise that the series will continue in winter, with three more films that are sure to capture your interest. Presented in partnership with the NFSA, under their "$8 Collection Selection" banner, these screenings are value-added with introductions and Q&A from the Friends, telling stories about how the films came to be collected or saved for the national collection. The Winter Series is:
- 20 June, 2pm: The Picture Show Man (1977): This film, which was based on the memoirs of Lyle Penn whose father was a travelling film exhibitor, captures the romance and hardship of early film exhibition, and celebrates cinema as a shared social experience. It won multiple awards at the 1977 Australian Film Institute Awards. (Bookings and further info here)
- 4 July, 2pm: In the Wake of the Bounty (1933): Blending dramatised reconstruction with documentary observation, Charles Chauvel's In the Wake of the Bounty is one of the most unusual works in early Australian cinema, and offers a rare rare glimpse into early filmmaking practices and Australia’s engagement with epic storytelling. It was shot partly on location in remote Pacific conditions, and launched the screen career of Errol Flynn. (Bookings and further info here)
- 22 August, 2pm: Dad and Dave Come to Town (1938): This spirited tale about a bush family navigating urban schemes and rivalries in the big smoke reflects director Ken G. Hall’s conviction that comedy could offer reassurance during economic hardship. It all starts when country farmer Dad Rudd (Bert Bailey) inherits a struggling women’s fashion store in Sydney and uproots his family from the bush to the city. (Bookings and further info here)
