Jasper Jones, Spin Out, Girl Asleep and MIFF@CinefestOZ film The Death and Life of Otto Bloom
were today announced as the four finalists vying for Australia’s richest film prize at CinefestOZ.
Now into its third year, the highly coveted $100,000 film prize was established with the aim of
pursuing excellence in Australian filmmaking. It is awarded to the producer of an Australian feature
film or feature-length documentary and is the only cash film prize focused solely on Australian
feature film.
Last year’s winner was MIFF@CinefestOZ film Putuparri and the Rainmakers. The documentary,
about an Aboriginal man living in Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia who maps out his ancestors’
spiritual connection to the land and his family’s continuing custodianship of it, has since gone on to
screen at Film Festivals in Tahiti and Toronto, has made its television debut and recently been
nominated by the Film Critics Circle of Australia for Best Documentary.
The finalists to be judged at the Festival by a 5-member jury, headed this year by award-winning
Australian feature film and documentary director Gillian Armstrong.
CinefestOZ Festival Chair Helen Shervington remarked that the calibre of entries this year made
choosing finalists a difficult task.
“Year on year, the number and quality of entries for the $100,000 film prize increases, making it more
and more challenging to narrow it down to just a handful of finalists. It’s actually wonderful to see –
Australian film making continues to thrive and film makers are increasingly embracing the platform
offered by CinefestOZ to showcase their works to appreciative audiences,” said Ms Shervington.
The quality of this year’s finalists is reflective of CinefestOZ’s commitment to the Australian film
industry to provide local filmmakers with a supportive screening environment and give audiences the
opportunity to view some of the incredible stories being created here at home.
“Australian movies and Australian talent have proven themselves among the best in the world,” said
Ms Shervington. “CinefestOZ is our chance to get together and celebrate our best.”
Finalist Jasper Jones has an extra special affinity with the South-West, having been shot in
Pemberton and adapted from the book penned by Dwellingup local Craig Silvey, who drew on his
own experiences growing up in a rural town.
Spin Out, which had its first script reading with Director Tim Ferguson at CinefestOZ back in 2013,
has come full circle and it’s only fitting it makes it’s WA debut to eager audiences back at the festival.
Fresh from winning the Grand Jury Prize and Futurewave Youth Jury Award for Best Feature Film at
the Seattle International Film Festival, Girl Asleep will be sure to delight family film-goers.
Rounding out the final four is the MIFF@CinefestOZ drama The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, which
chronicles the life and great love of Otto Bloom, an extraordinary man who experiences time in
reverse. It stars mother and daughter duo Rachel Ward, Matilda Brown as well as Twilight alumni
Xavier Samuel.
Girl Asleep and MIFF@CinefestOZ film The Death and Life of Otto Bloom will make their WA
Premieres at the Festival, whilst Jasper Jones and Spin Out will be debuting to the World.
Western Australian Culture and the Arts Minister John Day congratulated the four Film Prize finalists.
“The four films vying for the CinefestOZ Film Prize showcase the creativity and diversity of storytelling
in Australian films,” said Minister Day.
The full CinefestOZ film and event program will be revealed July 29. Early bird tickets will be available
from 11 July. Tickets on sale at the CinefestOZ website: www.cinefestoz.com
