In Kitty Green’s brilliant narrative feature debut “The Assistant,” it would have been appropriate for the film’s mostly silent and tormented junior associate (Julia Garner) to pick up an axe or burn down the whole damn place in response to the emotional torture she’d been subjected to in an unglamorous yet high-profile film production office.
Structured with metronomic perfection, “The Assistant” wasn’t that thriller, however—instead, it was a quietly harrowing one that kept you screaming on the inside. “The Royal Hotel,” on the other hand, is that thriller where Green flexes her genre muscles impeccably.
Also starring a flawless Julia Garner—this time, alongside an equally terrific Jessica Henwick—Green’s sophomore narrative is once again focused on the distresses and perils of being a young woman in the world, polluted by the dangerous gaze and entitlement of men. It’s a wild ride start to finish,...
Structured with metronomic perfection, “The Assistant” wasn’t that thriller, however—instead, it was a quietly harrowing one that kept you screaming on the inside. “The Royal Hotel,” on the other hand, is that thriller where Green flexes her genre muscles impeccably.
Also starring a flawless Julia Garner—this time, alongside an equally terrific Jessica Henwick—Green’s sophomore narrative is once again focused on the distresses and perils of being a young woman in the world, polluted by the dangerous gaze and entitlement of men. It’s a wild ride start to finish,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
“High Ground,” a 1930s-set drama film, picked up eight nominations for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. It narrowly led the field of contenders that included controversial drama “Nitram” with seven nominations, “The Dry” with six and “Penguin Bloom” with five.
Nominations were announced over the weekend ahead of a week of voting. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Sydney Opera House on Dec. 8, 2021.
Six films received nominations for best film: “The Dry,” “The Furnace,” “High Ground,” “Nitram,” “Penguin Bloom” and “Rams.” Five of the six also received nominations for best director.
“High Ground,” received five of its nominations for acting, with two of its performers going head-to-head in the best actor category, and two more in the best supporting actor section.
Similarly, “Nitram,” which chronicles the build-up to a real-life mass shooting in Tasmania, received nominations for its two leads and two supporting cast.
Nominations were announced over the weekend ahead of a week of voting. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Sydney Opera House on Dec. 8, 2021.
Six films received nominations for best film: “The Dry,” “The Furnace,” “High Ground,” “Nitram,” “Penguin Bloom” and “Rams.” Five of the six also received nominations for best director.
“High Ground,” received five of its nominations for acting, with two of its performers going head-to-head in the best actor category, and two more in the best supporting actor section.
Similarly, “Nitram,” which chronicles the build-up to a real-life mass shooting in Tasmania, received nominations for its two leads and two supporting cast.
- 11/1/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Aacta has revealed those in contention for the major film, television and short-form prizes at this year’s awards, with High Ground leading the charge in the film categories and The Newsreader ahead in television.
The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.
Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.
There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.
High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.
The Best Indie Film Award,...
The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.
Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.
There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.
High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.
The Best Indie Film Award,...
- 10/30/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
John Huston’s classic “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) echoes through Roderick MacKay’s feature debut “The Furnace” which premiered at last year’s Venice section Orizzonti, before heading on a festival tour with the final stop at Karlovy Vary, where we caught it. Both films are the stories of gold and greed, but the key difference between them are their milieus and the differences between the American and the Australian use of western genre tropes.
In America, westerns were created to preserve the myth of the hardy pioneers that fought the savage Natives for the land and have pushed the frontiers of the so-called civilised world from one ocean to another. Only in the New Hollywood era, the revisionist westerns appeared aimed at debunking the myths and used as the metaphorical canvas to expose the American imperial politics of the 20th century. In Australia, however, the western setting...
In America, westerns were created to preserve the myth of the hardy pioneers that fought the savage Natives for the land and have pushed the frontiers of the so-called civilised world from one ocean to another. Only in the New Hollywood era, the revisionist westerns appeared aimed at debunking the myths and used as the metaphorical canvas to expose the American imperial politics of the 20th century. In Australia, however, the western setting...
- 9/1/2021
- by Marko Stojiljković
- AsianMoviePulse
Stars: Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Charlie Shotwell, Michael Sheasby, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown, Magnolia Maymuru | Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent
Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to The Babadook is this brutal, uncompromising revenge tale set in the Tasmanian Outback. As such, it is most assuredly not for everyone, but those who can stomach the horrific opening are in for a stunningly realised revenge thriller that sears itself into your brain with its white hot rage.
Set in the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1825, the film stars Aisling Franciosi as Clare, a young convict who’s served her time and is waiting for Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin) to sign her papers, so she can begin a new life of freedom with her husband (Michael Sheasby) and newborn baby. However, Hawkins shows no intention of granting her freedom...
Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to The Babadook is this brutal, uncompromising revenge tale set in the Tasmanian Outback. As such, it is most assuredly not for everyone, but those who can stomach the horrific opening are in for a stunningly realised revenge thriller that sears itself into your brain with its white hot rage.
Set in the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1825, the film stars Aisling Franciosi as Clare, a young convict who’s served her time and is waiting for Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin) to sign her papers, so she can begin a new life of freedom with her husband (Michael Sheasby) and newborn baby. However, Hawkins shows no intention of granting her freedom...
- 2/4/2021
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
"You get me there... you get what's yours." Signature Entertainment has released a new official UK trailer for a western thriller titled The Furnace, made by Australian filmmaker Roderick MacKay. This originally premiered at last year's Venice Film Festival. The Furnace is a tense Western set in the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia. To escape the outback, a young Afghan cameleer named Hamif falls in with a mysterious bushman on the run with two bars of stolen Crown gold. The film stars David Wenham, Ahmad Malek, Jay Ryan, Mahesh Jadu, and Baykali Ganambarr. Well now, this looks pretty damn good! Yet another Australian western confronting racism and the horrible past of Australia and the white men who killed many years ago. I enjoy the score that builds in the second half of this trailer, it won me over. Check it out below. Here's the official UK trailer (+ poster) for Roderick MacKay's The Furnace,...
- 1/4/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Writer-director Roderick MacKay is keen to further explore frontier mythology following the release of his debut feature The Furnace this week.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two 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 cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
Having had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, the 1890s drama will open on 115 screens via Umbrella Entertainment tomorrow.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two 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 cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
Having had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, the 1890s drama will open on 115 screens via Umbrella Entertainment tomorrow.
- 12/9/2020
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
‘The Furnace.’
Roderick MacKay’s debut feature The Furnace has been hailed as a compelling, ambitious and meticulously researched exploration of a little-known slice of Australian history following the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
Critics praised the performances of Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as Hanif, a wide-eyed young Afghan cameleer, and David Wenham as a shifty gold prospector.
DOPs Michael McDermott and Bonnie Elliott’s camerawork was lauded for capturing the ancient landscapes of the Western Australian interior, as were Mark Bradshaw’s score and production designer Clayton Jauncey’s recreation of the gold rush town Mount Magnet in its infancy.
Produced by Timothy White and Tenille Kennedy, the 1890s drama co-starring Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson, Kaushik Das, Baykali Ganambarr, Trevor Jamieson, Mahesh Jadu and Samson Coulter screened in the festival’s Horizons section on Saturday.
The plot follows Malek’s Hanif and Wenham’s Mal who...
Roderick MacKay’s debut feature The Furnace has been hailed as a compelling, ambitious and meticulously researched exploration of a little-known slice of Australian history following the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
Critics praised the performances of Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as Hanif, a wide-eyed young Afghan cameleer, and David Wenham as a shifty gold prospector.
DOPs Michael McDermott and Bonnie Elliott’s camerawork was lauded for capturing the ancient landscapes of the Western Australian interior, as were Mark Bradshaw’s score and production designer Clayton Jauncey’s recreation of the gold rush town Mount Magnet in its infancy.
Produced by Timothy White and Tenille Kennedy, the 1890s drama co-starring Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson, Kaushik Das, Baykali Ganambarr, Trevor Jamieson, Mahesh Jadu and Samson Coulter screened in the festival’s Horizons section on Saturday.
The plot follows Malek’s Hanif and Wenham’s Mal who...
- 9/6/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Cinema has long provided a vivid canvas for Australian cinema to confront the country’s history of racial conflict, but there are many more stories to tell. Recent entries such as Warwick Thornton’s “Sweet Country” and Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” capture the simmering anger and resentment between white settlers and the Indigenous people in their crosshairs in disturbing detail. Set against the backdrop of sprawling rocky landscapes, these brutal Westerns give the genre renewed immediacy for a country working through the demons of the past through the stories it offers up.
“The Furnace” marks the latest compelling entry to this emerging subgenre, and while writer-director Roderick MacKay’s first feature hews to plenty of formulaic twists, .
A tense and bloody chase across the Western Australian desert set against the 1890s Gold Rush, “The Furnace” focuses on the little-known plight of a “Ghan” cameleer — one of many Muslim and...
“The Furnace” marks the latest compelling entry to this emerging subgenre, and while writer-director Roderick MacKay’s first feature hews to plenty of formulaic twists, .
A tense and bloody chase across the Western Australian desert set against the 1890s Gold Rush, “The Furnace” focuses on the little-known plight of a “Ghan” cameleer — one of many Muslim and...
- 9/4/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
‘The Furnace.’
Writer-director Roderick MacKay’s debut feature The Furnace, an 1890s drama set during the gold rush in Western Australia, will have its world premiere in the Horizons section of the 77th Venice Film Festival.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two 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 cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
“I’m thrilled at this opportunity for the...
Writer-director Roderick MacKay’s debut feature The Furnace, an 1890s drama set during the gold rush in Western Australia, will have its world premiere in the Horizons section of the 77th Venice Film Festival.
Produced by Timothy White (I Am Mother) and Tenille Kennedy (H is for Happiness), the film follows Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek as a young Afghan cameleer who partners with Mal, a mysterious bushman (David Wenham) on the run with two 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 cast includes Jay Ryan, Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Baykali Ganambarr (The Nightingale), Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy), Mahesh Jadu (The Witcher) and Samson Coulter (Breath).
“I’m thrilled at this opportunity for the...
- 7/28/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Umbrella Films to distribute in Australia, New Zealand.
Arclight Films has come on board to represent worldwide sales excluding Australia and New Zealand on Venice Orizzonti selection The Furnace, an Australian adventure story that highlights the little-known history of Afghan cameleers.
Australian writer Roderick MacKay makes his directorial debut on the film starring Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham.
The Furnace is described as an unlikely hero’s tale set during the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia and highlights the forgotten history of the so-called ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and the Middle...
Arclight Films has come on board to represent worldwide sales excluding Australia and New Zealand on Venice Orizzonti selection The Furnace, an Australian adventure story that highlights the little-known history of Afghan cameleers.
Australian writer Roderick MacKay makes his directorial debut on the film starring Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham.
The Furnace is described as an unlikely hero’s tale set during the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia and highlights the forgotten history of the so-called ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and the Middle...
- 7/28/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
New Indie
While I didn’t find Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” (Lionsgate/Mrc) as wonderful a whodunit as most audiences (and critics), I do cheer his evident love for the genre and his energy and enthusiasm in revitalizing the all-star murder mystery. (Give me a crisp new story like this over a thousand sludgy remakes like the recent “Murder on the Orient Express.”) And it’s a win for everyone when an original movie — not a sequel, not a remake, not a reboot, not an adaptation — becomes a much-talked-about hit. So let’s hear it for more fresh takes on beloved movie tropes.
Also available: Keep your indies straight — “The Wave” (Echo Wolf/Epic) features Justin Long on a psychedelic trip, while the critically acclaimed “Waves” (Lionsgate) is a powerful tale of race and family featuring powerhouse acting from Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell and Kelvin Harrison, Jr.; the...
While I didn’t find Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” (Lionsgate/Mrc) as wonderful a whodunit as most audiences (and critics), I do cheer his evident love for the genre and his energy and enthusiasm in revitalizing the all-star murder mystery. (Give me a crisp new story like this over a thousand sludgy remakes like the recent “Murder on the Orient Express.”) And it’s a win for everyone when an original movie — not a sequel, not a remake, not a reboot, not an adaptation — becomes a much-talked-about hit. So let’s hear it for more fresh takes on beloved movie tropes.
Also available: Keep your indies straight — “The Wave” (Echo Wolf/Epic) features Justin Long on a psychedelic trip, while the critically acclaimed “Waves” (Lionsgate) is a powerful tale of race and family featuring powerhouse acting from Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell and Kelvin Harrison, Jr.; the...
- 2/25/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Afca Awards host Adam Ross.
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale dominated the Australian Film Critics Association’s annual awards, winning all eight prizes for local narrative features, while The Australian Dream was named best documentary.
The 1825 revenge drama produced by Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Kent was voted best film, shading fellow nominees Buoyancy, Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch and The King.
King took the director and screenplay awards and Aisling Franciosi was named best actress, mirroring the film’s success at the Aacta Awards.
The other accolades went to Baykali Ganambarr (best actor), Sam Claflin (supporting actor), Magnolia Maymuru (supporting actress) and Radek Ladczuk (cinematography).
The win for Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream, produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell and Passion Pictures’ John Battsek, followed its Aacta award.
In the international categories Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was judged best English language film,...
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale dominated the Australian Film Critics Association’s annual awards, winning all eight prizes for local narrative features, while The Australian Dream was named best documentary.
The 1825 revenge drama produced by Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Kent was voted best film, shading fellow nominees Buoyancy, Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch and The King.
King took the director and screenplay awards and Aisling Franciosi was named best actress, mirroring the film’s success at the Aacta Awards.
The other accolades went to Baykali Ganambarr (best actor), Sam Claflin (supporting actor), Magnolia Maymuru (supporting actress) and Radek Ladczuk (cinematography).
The win for Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream, produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell and Passion Pictures’ John Battsek, followed its Aacta award.
In the international categories Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was judged best English language film,...
- 2/9/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Nightingale’.
Last night’s Aacta Awards saw a trifecta for Jennifer Kent, who took home Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay for The Nightingale, with star Aisling Franciosi also winning Best Lead Actress.
Set in 1825, The Nightingale follows a young, female Irish convict (Franciosi) who chases a British officer through the Tasmanian wilderness bent on revenge after he committed an act of violence against her family, and who along the way enlists the help of an Aboriginal tracker. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2018, with Kent the only female director in competition. It won the Special Jury Prize and Baykali Ganambarr the Marcello Mastroiaani Award for his debut performance.
Produced by Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton, Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky, and Kent, the period tale beat out The King, Judy & Punch, Hearts and Bones, Ride Like A Girl and Top End Wedding for the Best Film prize.
Last night’s Aacta Awards saw a trifecta for Jennifer Kent, who took home Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay for The Nightingale, with star Aisling Franciosi also winning Best Lead Actress.
Set in 1825, The Nightingale follows a young, female Irish convict (Franciosi) who chases a British officer through the Tasmanian wilderness bent on revenge after he committed an act of violence against her family, and who along the way enlists the help of an Aboriginal tracker. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2018, with Kent the only female director in competition. It won the Special Jury Prize and Baykali Ganambarr the Marcello Mastroiaani Award for his debut performance.
Produced by Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton, Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky, and Kent, the period tale beat out The King, Judy & Punch, Hearts and Bones, Ride Like A Girl and Top End Wedding for the Best Film prize.
- 12/5/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
In Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to The Babadook, set in 19th-century Tasmania, an Irishwoman seeks payback after being brutally gang-raped by British troops
Jennifer Kent is the Australian actor-turned-director who in 2014 made a sensational feature debut with her cult horror classic The Babadook, about a child’s haunted storybook. Now she has switched modes to a more obviously brutal and generically familiar kind of period Australian cinema, and for the first 20 minutes of The Nightingale, I missed the subtler, more sinuous and more contemporary kind of film-making of that first movie.
The Nightingale initially feels like a rape-revenge horror heading one way and in one style. But the power and sheer command of Kent’s direction enforced this film’s grip on me, along with the fluency and urgency of her storytelling, the eerily beautiful images of wilderness from cinematographer Radek Ładczuk and the fiercely committed performances of Aisling Franciosi...
Jennifer Kent is the Australian actor-turned-director who in 2014 made a sensational feature debut with her cult horror classic The Babadook, about a child’s haunted storybook. Now she has switched modes to a more obviously brutal and generically familiar kind of period Australian cinema, and for the first 20 minutes of The Nightingale, I missed the subtler, more sinuous and more contemporary kind of film-making of that first movie.
The Nightingale initially feels like a rape-revenge horror heading one way and in one style. But the power and sheer command of Kent’s direction enforced this film’s grip on me, along with the fluency and urgency of her storytelling, the eerily beautiful images of wilderness from cinematographer Radek Ładczuk and the fiercely committed performances of Aisling Franciosi...
- 11/29/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Stars: Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Charlie Shotwell, Michael Sheasby, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown, Magnolia Maymuru | Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent
The Nightingale is the eagerly anticipated follow up to Jennifer Kent’s horror debut The Babadook. Set in 1825 Australia, only half a century or so after Captain James Cook claimed it for the British, Kent unapologetically presents you with the gloomy reality of invading colonialists brutally expanding their empire off the backs of indentured convicts and knee deep in the genocidal blood of indigenous, Aboriginal Australians.
Bullish Lt. Hawkins is an ambitious pragmatist who’s lost interest in the soldiers he commands at a remote outpost of the British Empire he’s established. Played by Sam Claflin (Oswald Moseley in Peaky Blinders), he was once motivated by the promise of the Captain’s job in a bigger town up north if he knuckled down for twelve months.
The Nightingale is the eagerly anticipated follow up to Jennifer Kent’s horror debut The Babadook. Set in 1825 Australia, only half a century or so after Captain James Cook claimed it for the British, Kent unapologetically presents you with the gloomy reality of invading colonialists brutally expanding their empire off the backs of indentured convicts and knee deep in the genocidal blood of indigenous, Aboriginal Australians.
Bullish Lt. Hawkins is an ambitious pragmatist who’s lost interest in the soldiers he commands at a remote outpost of the British Empire he’s established. Played by Sam Claflin (Oswald Moseley in Peaky Blinders), he was once motivated by the promise of the Captain’s job in a bigger town up north if he knuckled down for twelve months.
- 11/25/2019
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Nominations for the 9th annual Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards were unveiled in Sydney on Oct. 23, with Jennifer Kent‘s “The Nightingale” sweeping the film nominations with 15 nominations. The period thriller follow-up to Kent’s horror directorial debut “The Babadook” was followed closely by Anthony Maras‘ true story thriller “Hotel Mumbai” and Oscar nominee David Michod‘s Netflix period picture “The King,” with 13 bids apiece. On the TV side, gothic period drama “Lambs of God” shattered Aacta records with 14 nominations across TV categories, with an additional four subscription television award nominations. Winners will be revealed at a luncheon on Dec. 2 and a ceremony two days later.
Other nominees this year include Timothee Chalamet (“The King”), Dev Patel (“Hotel Mumbai”), Ben Mendelsohn (“The King”), Hilary Swank (“I Am Mother”), Ann Dowd (“Lambs of God”), Rachel Griffiths (“Total Control”) and Jacki Weaver (“Bloom”). Previous Aacta Award winner Damon Herriman...
Other nominees this year include Timothee Chalamet (“The King”), Dev Patel (“Hotel Mumbai”), Ben Mendelsohn (“The King”), Hilary Swank (“I Am Mother”), Ann Dowd (“Lambs of God”), Rachel Griffiths (“Total Control”) and Jacki Weaver (“Bloom”). Previous Aacta Award winner Damon Herriman...
- 10/23/2019
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale tops the nominations pool for film at this year’s Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (Aacta).
The thriller, which debuted at Venice last year where it won a special jury prize, picked up 15 nods including best film and best direction.
Australian actor Damon Herriman is up for supporting actor for his role in The Nightingale, and also lead actor for his performance in Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch, which picked up a total of nine nominations including best film.
Herriman is also nominated twice on the TV side for roles in Lambs Of God and Mr Inbetween and has now become the Aacta record holder for the most nominations across performance categories. The actor is having a banner 2019, having also played Charles Manson in both Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the Netflix series Mindhunter this year.
Tied...
The thriller, which debuted at Venice last year where it won a special jury prize, picked up 15 nods including best film and best direction.
Australian actor Damon Herriman is up for supporting actor for his role in The Nightingale, and also lead actor for his performance in Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch, which picked up a total of nine nominations including best film.
Herriman is also nominated twice on the TV side for roles in Lambs Of God and Mr Inbetween and has now become the Aacta record holder for the most nominations across performance categories. The actor is having a banner 2019, having also played Charles Manson in both Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the Netflix series Mindhunter this year.
Tied...
- 10/23/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Lambs of God’.
Lingo Pictures’ four-part TV drama Lambs of God has collected an unprecedented 18 Aacta Award nominations, while Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale leads in film with 15 nods.
The Australian Academy revealed the full list of nominees for the annual awards today, with almost 60 to be presented across two events in Sydney in six weeks time.
Some 15 films are up for awards, though four dominate almost every category: Kent’s revenge tale, Anthony Maras’ debut feature Hotel Mumbai and David Michôd’s Netflix-backed The King, which each received 13 nominations, and Mirrah Foulkes’ dark comedy Judy & Punch, which earned nine. Each is nominated for Best Film alongside Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like A Girl and Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding.
Up in the Best Indie Film category (budgeted under $2 million) are Thomas M. Wright’s Acute Misfortune, Heath Davis’ Book Week, Rodd Rathjen’s Buoyancy, Imogen Thomas’ Emu...
Lingo Pictures’ four-part TV drama Lambs of God has collected an unprecedented 18 Aacta Award nominations, while Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale leads in film with 15 nods.
The Australian Academy revealed the full list of nominees for the annual awards today, with almost 60 to be presented across two events in Sydney in six weeks time.
Some 15 films are up for awards, though four dominate almost every category: Kent’s revenge tale, Anthony Maras’ debut feature Hotel Mumbai and David Michôd’s Netflix-backed The King, which each received 13 nominations, and Mirrah Foulkes’ dark comedy Judy & Punch, which earned nine. Each is nominated for Best Film alongside Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like A Girl and Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding.
Up in the Best Indie Film category (budgeted under $2 million) are Thomas M. Wright’s Acute Misfortune, Heath Davis’ Book Week, Rodd Rathjen’s Buoyancy, Imogen Thomas’ Emu...
- 10/22/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Veteran actor, David Wenham and rising star Ahmed Malek are set to star in “The Furnace.” The adventure drama is by first time feature director Roderick MacKay, with production by Timothy White (“I Am Mother”) and Tenille Kennedy (“H Is For Happiness”).
Set in Western Australia’s 1890s gold rush, “The Furnace” is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land. It illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the country’s desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
Malek, an Egyptian actor who was named one of the Rising Stars at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018, will play a camel driver who teams up with a bushman, played by Wenham. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset gold bars at a secret furnace.
Set in Western Australia’s 1890s gold rush, “The Furnace” is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land. It illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the country’s desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
Malek, an Egyptian actor who was named one of the Rising Stars at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018, will play a camel driver who teams up with a bushman, played by Wenham. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset gold bars at a secret furnace.
- 9/13/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Ahmed Malek.
Writer-director Roderick Mackay’s feature debut The Furnace is set to kick off in Wa next month, headlined by a cast that includes Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek, David Wenham and The Nightingale’s Baykali Ganambarr.
Set in the during the 1890s gold rush, the film is described as an “unlikely hero’s tale” navigating greed and identity. It illuminates a history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
Malek, named a Rising Star at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, will play Hanif, a young cameleer who forms a partnership with a bushman on the run with Crown gold. The bushman, Mal, will be played by Wenham, a long-time supporter of the project. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset the gold bars at a secret furnace.
Writer-director Roderick Mackay’s feature debut The Furnace is set to kick off in Wa next month, headlined by a cast that includes Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek, David Wenham and The Nightingale’s Baykali Ganambarr.
Set in the during the 1890s gold rush, the film is described as an “unlikely hero’s tale” navigating greed and identity. It illuminates a history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
Malek, named a Rising Star at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, will play Hanif, a young cameleer who forms a partnership with a bushman on the run with Crown gold. The bushman, Mal, will be played by Wenham, a long-time supporter of the project. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset the gold bars at a secret furnace.
- 9/13/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Film will be released day-and-date in November.
Distribution outfit Vertigo Releasing has picked up UK and Ireland rights to Jennifer Kent’s thriller The Nightingale, an award winner at Venice last year, from FilmNation.
Vertigo is planning to release the title day-and-date in cinemas and online on November 29.
Set during the colonisation of Australia in 1825, the film follows a 21-year-old Irish convict, played by Aisling Franciosi. Having served her seven-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, played by Sam Claflin who refuses to release her. Michael Sheasby and Baykali Ganambarr also star.
The project was...
Distribution outfit Vertigo Releasing has picked up UK and Ireland rights to Jennifer Kent’s thriller The Nightingale, an award winner at Venice last year, from FilmNation.
Vertigo is planning to release the title day-and-date in cinemas and online on November 29.
Set during the colonisation of Australia in 1825, the film follows a 21-year-old Irish convict, played by Aisling Franciosi. Having served her seven-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, played by Sam Claflin who refuses to release her. Michael Sheasby and Baykali Ganambarr also star.
The project was...
- 9/11/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Toby Wallace.
Toby Wallace’s turn as a small-time drug dealer in Shannon Murphy’s debut feature Babyteeth has won him the Venice Film Festival’s Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor.
It is the second year in a row that the prize has been won by an Australian, with last year’s gong going to Baykali Ganambarr for his debut performance in Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale.
In Babyteeth, Wallace stars as Moses, the love interest of Eliza Scanlen’s Milla, a terminally ill teenager. Their relationship is a nightmare for Milla’s parents, played by Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis, but Milla teaches those in her orbit how to live like there is nothing to lose.
Produced by Alex White and based on Rita Kalnejais’ Belvoir Theatre play of the same name, the film was critically lauded after its debut in competition at Venice last week.
Variety...
Toby Wallace’s turn as a small-time drug dealer in Shannon Murphy’s debut feature Babyteeth has won him the Venice Film Festival’s Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor.
It is the second year in a row that the prize has been won by an Australian, with last year’s gong going to Baykali Ganambarr for his debut performance in Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale.
In Babyteeth, Wallace stars as Moses, the love interest of Eliza Scanlen’s Milla, a terminally ill teenager. Their relationship is a nightmare for Milla’s parents, played by Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis, but Milla teaches those in her orbit how to live like there is nothing to lose.
Produced by Alex White and based on Rita Kalnejais’ Belvoir Theatre play of the same name, the film was critically lauded after its debut in competition at Venice last week.
Variety...
- 9/9/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
‘The Nightingale.’
While Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale has achieved an 86 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes since the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, many critics have described the tale of rape, murder and revenge as harrowing and bleak.
So in that context the film’s opening in Australia last weekend via Transmission Films was quite respectable – and some exhibitors expect it will have a leggy run.
Meanwhile Madman Entertainment’s The Australian Dream had a buoyant second weekend, helped by word-of-mouth and the two-for-one ticket offer to Afl members.
Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach advanced to $3.8 million after nabbing $305,000 in its fourth weekend, easing by 31 per cent for Universal Pictures. Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan dipped by just 16 per cent to $250,000 in its fourth, delivering $2.5 million for Transmission Films.
The Nightingale grossed $98,000 on 32 screens, bringing the total including festival screenings to...
While Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale has achieved an 86 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes since the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, many critics have described the tale of rape, murder and revenge as harrowing and bleak.
So in that context the film’s opening in Australia last weekend via Transmission Films was quite respectable – and some exhibitors expect it will have a leggy run.
Meanwhile Madman Entertainment’s The Australian Dream had a buoyant second weekend, helped by word-of-mouth and the two-for-one ticket offer to Afl members.
Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach advanced to $3.8 million after nabbing $305,000 in its fourth weekend, easing by 31 per cent for Universal Pictures. Kriv Stenders’ Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan dipped by just 16 per cent to $250,000 in its fourth, delivering $2.5 million for Transmission Films.
The Nightingale grossed $98,000 on 32 screens, bringing the total including festival screenings to...
- 9/2/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent will no longer be able to serve on the competition jury this month for the Venice International Film Festival, where last year she was the only woman in the competition lineup with her film “The Nightingale.”
IndieWire reached out for comment from Kent’s representatives, who said that Kent is dealing with an urgent family matter in Australia. “Due to pressing family matters in Australia, Jennifer regrets that she is unable to attend this year’s Venice Film Festival. As she loves the Venice Festival, which presented two prestigious awards to ‘The Nightingale’ last year, Jennifer has been very much looking forward to serving on the Competition Jury and hopes to return to the Lido to participate in a future edition of the Festival,” the statement said.
On the Biennale website, it was noted that Kent’s name was replaced with “American Psycho” director Mary Harron,...
IndieWire reached out for comment from Kent’s representatives, who said that Kent is dealing with an urgent family matter in Australia. “Due to pressing family matters in Australia, Jennifer regrets that she is unable to attend this year’s Venice Film Festival. As she loves the Venice Festival, which presented two prestigious awards to ‘The Nightingale’ last year, Jennifer has been very much looking forward to serving on the Competition Jury and hopes to return to the Lido to participate in a future edition of the Festival,” the statement said.
On the Biennale website, it was noted that Kent’s name was replaced with “American Psycho” director Mary Harron,...
- 8/25/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Baykali Ganambarr as “Billy” and Aisling Franciosi as “Clare” in Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release. Photo by Matt Nettheim
The writer/director of The Babadook, Jennifer Kent, follows up the chilling horror film with a gripping drama set in 1825 Australia, a tale of violence and revenge that is almost Shakespearean. The Nightingale is a tale of vengeance but it is also a story of self-discovery, and of finding a common human bond with someone who appears at first quite different.
“Nightingale” is the nickname given to a beautiful Irish convict, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), for her golden singing voice, by the British troops at the remote Tasmanian outpost where she has served out her sentence. Clare is in the custody of British officer Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), but she has served her sentence, and with both a husband and baby now, she wants to be released.
The writer/director of The Babadook, Jennifer Kent, follows up the chilling horror film with a gripping drama set in 1825 Australia, a tale of violence and revenge that is almost Shakespearean. The Nightingale is a tale of vengeance but it is also a story of self-discovery, and of finding a common human bond with someone who appears at first quite different.
“Nightingale” is the nickname given to a beautiful Irish convict, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), for her golden singing voice, by the British troops at the remote Tasmanian outpost where she has served out her sentence. Clare is in the custody of British officer Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), but she has served her sentence, and with both a husband and baby now, she wants to be released.
- 8/16/2019
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chicago – The “star is born” expression is not to be used lightly, yet it absolutely applies to the performance of Aisling Franciosi (Lyanna Stark in “Game of Thrones”) in the role of Clare for “The Nightingale.” As a late 19th Century woman with nothing to lose, she suffers an emotional death, a survival rebirth and humanist hope.
Aisling Franciosi at the 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
“The Nightingale” is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film focuses on 21-year-old Irish convict Clare (Franciosi). Having served her sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she then becomes the victim of a unspeakable...
Aisling Franciosi at the 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
“The Nightingale” is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film focuses on 21-year-old Irish convict Clare (Franciosi). Having served her sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she then becomes the victim of a unspeakable...
- 8/13/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
‘Nekrotronic.’
Kiah Roache-Turner’s Nekrotronic opened in the Us last weekend as a multi-platform release.
Momentum Pictures launched the sci-fi horror comedy starring Monica Bellucci, Ben O’Toole, David Wenham, Caroline Ford, Tess Haubrich and Bob Epine Savea in cinemas in 10 cities and on VOD and digital HD.
The eOne-owned distributor did not share box office figures, which are typically modest for day-and-date releases. The benefit of the theatrical exposure is that the reviews and publicity give the film a profile which pays off in ancillary revenues.
The director trimmed five minutes of exposition scenes after the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, resulting in more favourable reviews, particularly from genre websites.
For example, We Are Movie Geek’s Marc Butterfield hailed the film as “hilarious, fun, action packed, and full of gross, splashy, gooey moments; in other words, fantastic.”
Butterfield observed: “The movie has a nice amalgamation of story elements from Ghostbusters,...
Kiah Roache-Turner’s Nekrotronic opened in the Us last weekend as a multi-platform release.
Momentum Pictures launched the sci-fi horror comedy starring Monica Bellucci, Ben O’Toole, David Wenham, Caroline Ford, Tess Haubrich and Bob Epine Savea in cinemas in 10 cities and on VOD and digital HD.
The eOne-owned distributor did not share box office figures, which are typically modest for day-and-date releases. The benefit of the theatrical exposure is that the reviews and publicity give the film a profile which pays off in ancillary revenues.
The director trimmed five minutes of exposition scenes after the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, resulting in more favourable reviews, particularly from genre websites.
For example, We Are Movie Geek’s Marc Butterfield hailed the film as “hilarious, fun, action packed, and full of gross, splashy, gooey moments; in other words, fantastic.”
Butterfield observed: “The movie has a nice amalgamation of story elements from Ghostbusters,...
- 8/13/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Australian director Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale,” which is currently in theaters, is a pulverizing and brutal sit. Already audiences across the globe have reportedly walked out of screenings of the film, which features several scenes of vicious sexual assault.
In a recent New York Magazine interview, breakout star Baykali Ganambarr talked about how the filmmakers coped with the brutality of “The Nightingale,” which follows an anguished young woman’s quest for vengeance following a hideous act of violence brought upon her family in 1820s Tasmania. Underpinning this brutal revenge story is the backdrop of colonial war between British imperialists and the black indigenous Tasmanians whose land is being ravaged by their occupiers.
Ganambarr plays the Aboriginal Tasmanian that Clare (Aisling Franciosi) drags through the wilderness to exact her revenge. While Billy’s (Ganambarr) communication skills are limited, the two nonetheless find common ground, forming the foundation for the desperate...
In a recent New York Magazine interview, breakout star Baykali Ganambarr talked about how the filmmakers coped with the brutality of “The Nightingale,” which follows an anguished young woman’s quest for vengeance following a hideous act of violence brought upon her family in 1820s Tasmania. Underpinning this brutal revenge story is the backdrop of colonial war between British imperialists and the black indigenous Tasmanians whose land is being ravaged by their occupiers.
Ganambarr plays the Aboriginal Tasmanian that Clare (Aisling Franciosi) drags through the wilderness to exact her revenge. While Billy’s (Ganambarr) communication skills are limited, the two nonetheless find common ground, forming the foundation for the desperate...
- 8/11/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Don Kaye Aug 8, 2019
The director of The Babadook returns with a dark, disturbing historical horror movie in The Nightingale.
It was in 2014 when Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent stunned the world with her debut feature, The Babadook. The horror tale, about a widowed mother and her young son who are haunted by a presence that may or may not be solely in their minds, was both a genuinely frightening genre exercise as well as a searing study of grief, motherhood and loneliness. It became one of the first movies to lead the current wave of what some critics call “elevated” horror, films like It Follows, The Witch and Hereditary that combine visceral terror with sophisticated emotional/psychological underpinnings.
While fans might have hoped that Kent continue in the genre (and she most likely will at some point -- more on that later), she has pivoted to a different kind of horror with her second feature,...
The director of The Babadook returns with a dark, disturbing historical horror movie in The Nightingale.
It was in 2014 when Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent stunned the world with her debut feature, The Babadook. The horror tale, about a widowed mother and her young son who are haunted by a presence that may or may not be solely in their minds, was both a genuinely frightening genre exercise as well as a searing study of grief, motherhood and loneliness. It became one of the first movies to lead the current wave of what some critics call “elevated” horror, films like It Follows, The Witch and Hereditary that combine visceral terror with sophisticated emotional/psychological underpinnings.
While fans might have hoped that Kent continue in the genre (and she most likely will at some point -- more on that later), she has pivoted to a different kind of horror with her second feature,...
- 8/6/2019
- Den of Geek
‘The Nightingale.’
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale platformed in Los Angeles and New York last weekend, drawing sizable audiences and largely positive reviews from Us critics.
Us distributor IFC Films launched the female-driven revenge thriller at Arclight Hollywood and New York’s IFC Centre, grossing $US40,000, with sold-out shows on Friday and Saturday.
The 1825-set tale starring Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, newcomer Baykali Ganambarr, Michael Sheasby, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood and Ewen Leslie will expand in both cities and open in Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Boston on August 9.
Kristina Ceyton, who produced with Kent and Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky, tells If the roll-out will encompass at least 100 screens over the next few weeks.
“The upcoming support we have from the exhibition community has been outstanding, with Landmark, AMC, Regal and Alamo all on board for this release, as well as top art...
Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale platformed in Los Angeles and New York last weekend, drawing sizable audiences and largely positive reviews from Us critics.
Us distributor IFC Films launched the female-driven revenge thriller at Arclight Hollywood and New York’s IFC Centre, grossing $US40,000, with sold-out shows on Friday and Saturday.
The 1825-set tale starring Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, newcomer Baykali Ganambarr, Michael Sheasby, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood and Ewen Leslie will expand in both cities and open in Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Boston on August 9.
Kristina Ceyton, who produced with Kent and Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky, tells If the roll-out will encompass at least 100 screens over the next few weeks.
“The upcoming support we have from the exhibition community has been outstanding, with Landmark, AMC, Regal and Alamo all on board for this release, as well as top art...
- 8/4/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
When Jennifer Kent’s first feature, “The Babadook,” premiered at Sundance, she was greeted as the year’s breakout auteur. In the fall of 2018, when “The Nightingale” premiered in Venice, she faced a very different reaction.
“It was awful,” the Australian director said, reflecting on the experience a year later. “My gender overtook my film. It still mystifies me.”
As the only woman director in Venice’s competition, Kent faced a harsh response to her movie that overwhelmed the work itself. And “The Nightingale” deserves better: Like “The Babadook,” it’s a mesmerizing immersion into one woman’s broken life, and her capacity to wrestle control of it. But in other ways, it’s a dramatic expansion of her talent, confronting the country’s centuries of racism and misogyny through a visceral lens, and the ultimate mission statement from a filmmaker who could have easily been devoured by the Hollywood machine.
“It was awful,” the Australian director said, reflecting on the experience a year later. “My gender overtook my film. It still mystifies me.”
As the only woman director in Venice’s competition, Kent faced a harsh response to her movie that overwhelmed the work itself. And “The Nightingale” deserves better: Like “The Babadook,” it’s a mesmerizing immersion into one woman’s broken life, and her capacity to wrestle control of it. But in other ways, it’s a dramatic expansion of her talent, confronting the country’s centuries of racism and misogyny through a visceral lens, and the ultimate mission statement from a filmmaker who could have easily been devoured by the Hollywood machine.
- 8/2/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In an interview with TheWrap, Jennifer Kent wonders whether the violent imagery and rape scenes in her film “The Nightingale” would receive the same level of scrutiny if it was directed by a man.
Following “The Nightingale’s” Australian premiere in Sydney this June, The Telegraph and Australia’s News.com.au reported that several moviegoers walked out of the theater, quoting one woman as saying, “She’s already been raped, we don’t need to see it again.” Kent told TheWrap reports of mass walkouts were “exaggerated,” and she said that shortly after such reports surfaced, she watched a string of recent films all directed by men, all of them more violent than “The Nightingale,” but none that received backlash.
“And so I thought, hang on, what is this? What’s going on? I can’t help but think there is some unconscious bias in regards to what a...
Following “The Nightingale’s” Australian premiere in Sydney this June, The Telegraph and Australia’s News.com.au reported that several moviegoers walked out of the theater, quoting one woman as saying, “She’s already been raped, we don’t need to see it again.” Kent told TheWrap reports of mass walkouts were “exaggerated,” and she said that shortly after such reports surfaced, she watched a string of recent films all directed by men, all of them more violent than “The Nightingale,” but none that received backlash.
“And so I thought, hang on, what is this? What’s going on? I can’t help but think there is some unconscious bias in regards to what a...
- 8/1/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
There are almost no movies that come with a content warning about sexual assault. Jennifer Kent’s haunting new film “The Nightingale” does, and it’s a warning not to be taken lightly.
For those us of who use trigger warnings to navigate life, it’s sometimes better to be mentally prepared for the horrors depicted in the film. Set up a self-care plan in place ahead of nightmares or panic attacks it might bring up, or decide for your health’s sake that this film is better watched at another time in the safety of your home or perhaps not at all. What’s important for some viewers is that these warnings restore control to those who may have had it taken away.
It’s in that spirit (and the wishes of the film’s distributor) that I won’t go into some of the more visceral details of...
For those us of who use trigger warnings to navigate life, it’s sometimes better to be mentally prepared for the horrors depicted in the film. Set up a self-care plan in place ahead of nightmares or panic attacks it might bring up, or decide for your health’s sake that this film is better watched at another time in the safety of your home or perhaps not at all. What’s important for some viewers is that these warnings restore control to those who may have had it taken away.
It’s in that spirit (and the wishes of the film’s distributor) that I won’t go into some of the more visceral details of...
- 8/1/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
When Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” debuted at the Venice Film Festival last year, it was the only film in competition from a woman director. Upon her return to the lauded Italian festival as a jury member, the filmmaker was dismayed to find that the numbers haven’t improved. The 2019 festival will host just two films from women directors, a whopping one more than last year. Haifaa Al-Mansour’s “The Candidate” and Shannon Murphy’s “Babyteeth” will vie for the Golden Lion at this year’s festival. Speaking to The Wrap recently, Kent, whose previous film “The Babadook” became one of the defining horror films of the century to date, made no secret of her disappointment with the dismal numbers.
“I think it’s an issue. I hoped there would be more. I really did,” Kent said. “There are some incredible women out there making films, and we need to see them,...
“I think it’s an issue. I hoped there would be more. I really did,” Kent said. “There are some incredible women out there making films, and we need to see them,...
- 7/31/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
August was once a virtual graveyard for major releases. That’s not the case for this 2019 end-of-summer month, people. Nope. No sirree. This August is packed to bursting with noteworthy selections. Indie bloodbaths? Horror-anthology scarefests? Several character pieces bedecked with festival plaudits? Yes, yes, and yes. Also: we’re getting new movies from Richard Linklater or The Babadook‘s Jennifer Kent. And for those in need of a laugh, a few tweens have some very, very bad words they’d like to share with you. Here’s what’s coming to a theater near you.
- 7/30/2019
- by Charles Bramesco
- Rollingstone.com
It’s instructive to point out that The Nightingale is not for the faint of heart. There’s horrific violence abound; at one point early on, a rapist violates his victim while her baby screams in his ear. But in no way is this powerhouse another treatment of male violence filtered through an exploitaive male gaze. In her second film, after 2014’s haunting The Babadook, Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent creates a woman’s revenge tale fueled by a righteous anger at the evil men do. There’s not a whit of audience coddling.
- 7/30/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
It’s a shame that female filmmakers are held to a different standard than men. When a woman makes a disturbing or violent movie, the response is far different than to that of her male counterparts. The takes are hotter and there’s a sense of almost questioning why she would mount this project. That’s not fair and a real shame. All throughout its time on the festival, that sort of discussion has surrounded Jennifer Kent’s follow up to The Babadook, the revenge tale The Nightingale. Though the flick is decidedly disturbing and violent, it’s also about something, so it’s hardly pointless bloodshed. In fact, one might say that Kent has found a way to make the brutality essential. It’s upsetting, but that’s the point. The film is a period drama, set in 1825 during the time of British colonization. 21 year old Irish servant Clare...
- 7/30/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Damon Herriman in ‘Perpetual Grace, Ltd.’
After portraying a succession of killers, psychotics and all-round bad dudes for the best part of 10 years, Damon Herriman is striving to play more upstanding characters.
With mixed success, it must be said. The actor cheerfully acknowledges his career has been in a purple patch for the last few years but says: “I have been in this business long enough to know it may not last. I had a 10-year run playing bad guys so now I am trying to steer clear of playing psychopaths and violent pigs.”
Not that he would turn down a juicy role as a villain.
Recently he wrapped shooting the second season of FX/Foxtel’s Mr Inbetween, which stars the creator Scott Ryan as professional hitman Ray Shoesmith. Nash Edgerton continues as the director of the comedy/action drama produced by Michele Bennett for Jungle Entertainment and Blue-Tongue Films.
After portraying a succession of killers, psychotics and all-round bad dudes for the best part of 10 years, Damon Herriman is striving to play more upstanding characters.
With mixed success, it must be said. The actor cheerfully acknowledges his career has been in a purple patch for the last few years but says: “I have been in this business long enough to know it may not last. I had a 10-year run playing bad guys so now I am trying to steer clear of playing psychopaths and violent pigs.”
Not that he would turn down a juicy role as a villain.
Recently he wrapped shooting the second season of FX/Foxtel’s Mr Inbetween, which stars the creator Scott Ryan as professional hitman Ray Shoesmith. Nash Edgerton continues as the director of the comedy/action drama produced by Michele Bennett for Jungle Entertainment and Blue-Tongue Films.
- 6/10/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Stars: Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Charlie Shotwell, Michael Sheasby, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown, Magnolia Maymuru | Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent
Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to The Babadook is this brutal, uncompromising revenge tale set in the Tasmanian Outback. As such, it is most assuredly not for everyone, but those who can stomach the horrific opening are in for a stunningly realised revenge thriller that sears itself into your brain with its white hot rage.
Set in the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1825, the film stars Aisling Franciosi as Clare, a young convict who’s served her time and is waiting for Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin) to sign her papers, so she can begin a new life of freedom with her husband (Michael Sheasby) and newborn baby. However, Hawkins shows no intention of granting her freedom...
Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to The Babadook is this brutal, uncompromising revenge tale set in the Tasmanian Outback. As such, it is most assuredly not for everyone, but those who can stomach the horrific opening are in for a stunningly realised revenge thriller that sears itself into your brain with its white hot rage.
Set in the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1825, the film stars Aisling Franciosi as Clare, a young convict who’s served her time and is waiting for Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin) to sign her papers, so she can begin a new life of freedom with her husband (Michael Sheasby) and newborn baby. However, Hawkins shows no intention of granting her freedom...
- 6/4/2019
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
Five years since her debut horror classic The Babadook, Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent returns with a staggeringly blunt, brilliant and brutal second feature that massively surpasses its predecessor. The Nightingale tells the 1825, pre-Tasmania set story of Clare Carroll (Aisling Franciosi): an Irish ex-convict, wife and mother who works as a maid in a local tavern. Known nearby as The Nightingale because of her beautiful singing, Clare finds herself performing for the local militia, led by the despotic, besotted and deeply psychotic Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin): who arranged her early prison release. After a devastating incident tears Clare’s family apart, she is suddenly forced to abscond and travel north to Launceston in a quest to end her suffering.
The Nightingale captivates via exceptional performances, striking austere imagery/settings, and controlled, expertly structured storytelling. Franciosi is outstanding as Clare, conveying angst ablaze rage without drifting into histrionics. The...
The Nightingale captivates via exceptional performances, striking austere imagery/settings, and controlled, expertly structured storytelling. Franciosi is outstanding as Clare, conveying angst ablaze rage without drifting into histrionics. The...
- 5/30/2019
- by Daniel Goodwin
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ever since her first feature film, The Babadook, shook viewers to their cores in 2014, many viewers have been eagerly awaiting Jennifer Kent's second feature, and the wait is nearly over, as IFC Films has revealed the trailer for The Nightingale ahead of its release this August.
Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, The Nightingale stars Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman, and Ewen Leslie. Keep an eye out for The Nightingale when IFC releases it in theaters on August 2nd, and in case you missed it, check out Heather Wixson's Sundance review of the film.
"The Nightingale is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her 7-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin...
Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, The Nightingale stars Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman, and Ewen Leslie. Keep an eye out for The Nightingale when IFC releases it in theaters on August 2nd, and in case you missed it, check out Heather Wixson's Sundance review of the film.
"The Nightingale is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her 7-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin...
- 5/30/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Has it really been less than a week since HBO dropped that wonderfully cryptic, Pink Floyd-scored Westworld teaser? It feels like several months have passed since then. Trailer-wise, it’s been a busy six days: We got an extended look at Quentin Tarantino’s latest, a teaser for the upcoming Star Trek: Tng spinoff, a peek at Linda Hamilton’s return to the Terminator franchise and yes, that aforementioned clip about the show HBO is betting the farm on now that Game of Thrones is over. Plus some previews of docs,...
- 5/25/2019
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Chicago – The discovery of rising stars is among the many things the Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) does best, and that continued on May 19th, 2019, at the 7th annual fest. Aisling Franciosi is the lead actress of “The Nightingale,” a new film from Jennifer Kent (“The Babadook”), and she appeared on behalf of the film.
“The Nightingale” is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she then becomes the victim of a unspeakable and graphically depicted crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies.
Aisling Franciosi at the 7th Chicago Critics...
“The Nightingale” is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she then becomes the victim of a unspeakable and graphically depicted crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies.
Aisling Franciosi at the 7th Chicago Critics...
- 5/23/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The first trailer has been released for an upcoming revenge thriller called The Nightingale. I had a chance to see this movie at Sundance this year and it was one of the best films at the festival.
The movie was directed by Jennifer Kent, who previously brought us the horror film The Babadook. But, I have to say that The Nightingale is a completely different beast. This movie is super dark and brutal. This is the kind of film that could really mess you up in a psychological kind of way.
The movie was hard for me to watch and during the screening I attended, it was so uncomfortable that people were getting up and walking out of the film because it was just too much. Hell, no joke, one guy even had a heart attack in the middle of the screening!
While the film is filled with brutality, it...
The movie was directed by Jennifer Kent, who previously brought us the horror film The Babadook. But, I have to say that The Nightingale is a completely different beast. This movie is super dark and brutal. This is the kind of film that could really mess you up in a psychological kind of way.
The movie was hard for me to watch and during the screening I attended, it was so uncomfortable that people were getting up and walking out of the film because it was just too much. Hell, no joke, one guy even had a heart attack in the middle of the screening!
While the film is filled with brutality, it...
- 5/23/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
IFC Films has released the first trailer for Jennifer Kent’s deeply dark ‘The Nightingale’ starring Sam Claflin and Aisling Franciosi.
The Babadook’s Kent is at the helm of the dark and harrowing tale that stars, Claflin, Franciosi, Michael Sheasby and Baykali Ganambarr.
Also in trailers – Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in new trailer for ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’
The film is slated for an August 2nd release.
The Nightingale Synopsis
Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her 7-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin) who refuses to release her from his charge.
Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she becomes the victim of a harrowing crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies. When British authorities fail to deliver justice,...
The Babadook’s Kent is at the helm of the dark and harrowing tale that stars, Claflin, Franciosi, Michael Sheasby and Baykali Ganambarr.
Also in trailers – Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in new trailer for ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’
The film is slated for an August 2nd release.
The Nightingale Synopsis
Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her 7-year sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin) who refuses to release her from his charge.
Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she becomes the victim of a harrowing crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies. When British authorities fail to deliver justice,...
- 5/23/2019
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Joseph Baxter May 22, 2019
Against an early-19th century colonial Australia backdrop, director Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale showcases a harrowing tale of revenge.
The Nightingale is Jennifer Kent’s anticipated written/directorial follow-up to her 2014 feature debut, The Babadook, a surprisingly-symbolic horror offering that uses the conventionally frightening specter of a top-hat-touting monster for a rather unconventional depiction of a maternal element of the human condition.
The film, which debuted at the Venice International Film Festival back in September 2018, and was reviewed right here on Den of Geek back in February after its Sundance screening, will finally see a proper release this summer, serving as a prospective buzz-generating vehicle for its star, Italian actress Aisling Franciosi, who amongst notable TV runs, is best known from her Game of Thrones flashback role as Westeros’ Helen of Troy herself, Lyanna Stark.
The Nightingale Trailer
The official trailer for The Nightingale has arrived.
Against an early-19th century colonial Australia backdrop, director Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale showcases a harrowing tale of revenge.
The Nightingale is Jennifer Kent’s anticipated written/directorial follow-up to her 2014 feature debut, The Babadook, a surprisingly-symbolic horror offering that uses the conventionally frightening specter of a top-hat-touting monster for a rather unconventional depiction of a maternal element of the human condition.
The film, which debuted at the Venice International Film Festival back in September 2018, and was reviewed right here on Den of Geek back in February after its Sundance screening, will finally see a proper release this summer, serving as a prospective buzz-generating vehicle for its star, Italian actress Aisling Franciosi, who amongst notable TV runs, is best known from her Game of Thrones flashback role as Westeros’ Helen of Troy herself, Lyanna Stark.
The Nightingale Trailer
The official trailer for The Nightingale has arrived.
- 5/22/2019
- Den of Geek
The Nightingale Trailer IFC Films and Jennifer Kent‘s The Nightingale (2019) movie trailer has been released and stars Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Ewen Leslie, and Baykali Ganambarr. Plot Synopsis The Nightingale‘s plot synopsis: “The film, which is set in 1825, follows 21-year-old Irish convict Clare as she finishes [...]
Continue reading: The Nightingale (2018) Movie Trailer: Aisling Franciosi stars in Jennifer Kent’s Tasmania Wilderness Revenge Film...
Continue reading: The Nightingale (2018) Movie Trailer: Aisling Franciosi stars in Jennifer Kent’s Tasmania Wilderness Revenge Film...
- 5/22/2019
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
After her revelatory and harrowing feature The Babadook heralded Jennifer Kent to international acclaim, expectations have been high for her second feature and what horrors and thrills she would again unleash to unsuspecting audiences. As an official selection of the Venice Film Festival (winning the special Jury Prize) and Sundance, The Nightingale will now arrive in theaters this August via IFC Films, and the first trailer has landed.
Set in 1825 in the Australian Tasmanian Outback, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), an Irish convict, has served her abusive master (Sam Claflin) for seven years and refuses to free her from his charge. As a result, an act of horrific violence ensues against her and her family and she vows vengeance against him and his cronies, with the aid of an Aboriginal Tracker Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) to find him to enact her revenge.
Leonardo Goi in his review wrote, “Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale...
Set in 1825 in the Australian Tasmanian Outback, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), an Irish convict, has served her abusive master (Sam Claflin) for seven years and refuses to free her from his charge. As a result, an act of horrific violence ensues against her and her family and she vows vengeance against him and his cronies, with the aid of an Aboriginal Tracker Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) to find him to enact her revenge.
Leonardo Goi in his review wrote, “Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale...
- 5/22/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Her song will not be silenced. IFC Films has finally unveiled an official trailer for one of the best films to debut last year - Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale. This originally premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won two awards, and went on to show at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year as a special presentation. The Nightingale takes place in the 1800s on the island of Tasmania of the coast of Australia where a young woman played by Aisling Franciosi sets off seeking vengeance for horrific acts committed against her family. The film explores the misogyny, racism, sexual violence and classism of the era as well as the price of chasing revenge. It was my #1 film of 2018, and I interviewed Jennifer Kent at Sundance earlier this year. It is not an easy watch, but it is an essential watch. The full cast includes Sam Claflin,...
- 5/22/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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