CinefestOZ Film Festival announces renowned Australian film director, producer and screenwriter, Scott Hicks as the 2017 Festival Jury Chair.
Internationally acclaimed, Hicks has been nominated for and won many prestigious awards for his work. His film SHINE was an international box office sensation and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including two for Hicks for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, with Geoffrey Rush winning Best Actor.
Hicks’ first Hollywood studio film, SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS starring Ethan Hawke, also received an Academy Award nomination and was followed closely by HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, an adaptation of the Stephen King novel, starring Anthony Hopkins. Such credits have further cemented his position as a celebrated international filmmaker.
Based in Adelaide, Hicks is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Australian Academy, the Directors’ Guild of America and the Australian Directors’ Guild. A stalwart of the Australian film industry he is also a passionate documentary filmmaker, work for which he has been awarded both an Emmy and a Peabody.
On being invited as Jury Chair for 2017, Scott Hicks said “I’m honoured to be involved in the 10th anniversary of prestigious film festival, CinefestOZ. The $100,000 film prize is of major significance and will provide a tremendous boost to the career of the winner.” Festival Chair, Helen Shervington, said “Scott Hicks has carved out a stellar career in Australia and internationally and we are delighted to have such a respected Australian director head up our Jury this year.
Hicks will be joined on the 2017 CinefestOZ Film Prize Jury by a selection of esteemed film industry professionals, to be announced soon. The prize was created to encourage excellence in Australian filmmaking with its $100,000 award to an Australian feature film or feature-length documentary.
The full CinefestOZ film and event program and ticket sales go live on 28 July 2017. Early Bird tickets and festival passes will be available from 7 July at the CinefestOZ website: www.cinefestoz.com
