Cinema of Australia
The cinema of Australia had its beginnings with the 1906 production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, arguably the world's first feature film. Since then, Australian crews have produced many films, a number of which have received international recognition. Many actors and filmmakers with international reputations started their careers in Australian films, and many of these have established lucrative careers in larger film-producing centres such as the United States.
Cinema of Australia
2,210 (2017)[1]
10.1 per 100,000 (2017)[1]
Village Roadshow/Warner Bros. (26.0%)
Paramount (19.0%)
20th Century Studios (Disney) (12.0%)[2]
55
35 (63.6%)
0 (0%)
20 (32.7%)
Commercially successful Australian films include: Crocodile Dundee, the George Miller's Mad Max trilogy, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, and Chris Noonan's Babe. Award-winning productions include Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli, The Tracker, Shine and Ten Canoes.
Cinema in Australia is subject to censorship, called classification. Films may be refused classification, which means they are effectively banned.
Genres[edit]
Australian Gothic films[edit]
Gothic films incorporate Gothic elements and can be infused within different genres such as horror, romance, science fiction, and comedy. Australian Gothic films have been an accordant genera ever since the 1970s. Gothic Australian films means to make films that are diverse and use camera techniques in different ways to question what the audience may perceive. One of the Australian Gothic films created by female filmmakers Suzan Dermody and Elizabeth Jacka called The Screening of Australia (1987), shows different stylistic thematic terms and was the most successful at showing what is called the ocker, a term to describe a (white) Australian savage man. Other than this, there is a strong relationship between Australian Gothic films and Gothic literature. The characters and the actions that happen in a Gothic novel is created into a Gothic film. Most Gothic novels during the 1970s referred to female characters and their Australian cultural values.[60]
Although the film Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) was directed by a male filmmaker, it was written by female storyteller Joan Lindsay. Lindsay decided to make this film culturally related to Australian societal issues of day-to-day lives.[60] Her film included Gothic materials and gave a twist of horror that later the director will showcase through the mise-en-scene and cinematography. The use of Gothic materials were offered by the filmmakers Dermody and Jacka to other Australian Gothic films that have opened up to a more thematic analysis. Other Gothic films were made to broaden Australian characteristics and features. Smoke Em If You Got ‘Em (1988), produced by Jennifer Hooks, showcased the protagonist in a supernatural horrific way, but also added a comedic twist to not lose its characterization of film style.[60]
Cate Blanchett, the first Australian to win two Academy Awards and the most nominated Australian in the acting categories overall with 7 nominations.
Nicole Kidman, the first Australian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress and one of Hollywood's highest paid performers.
Geoffrey Rush, the first Australian to win an Academy Award, Primetime Emmy Award, Tony Award, and Golden Globe Award
The Australian film industry has produced a number of successful actors, actresses, writers, directors and filmmakers many of whom have been known internationally.
Actors
Actresses