Australian cinema
Cinema of Australia means the system of production, distribution, and showing of movies in Australia. Making movies in Australia started in 1906. The Story of the Kelly Gang was the earliest feature movie ever made. Since then, many movies have been made in Australia. Many have got international praise. Many actors and moviemakers started their careers in Australian movies.
Commercially successful Australian movies have included Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! and Chris Noonan's Babe. Other award winning productions include Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli, The Tracker, Shine and Ten Canoes. Famous Australian trained actors include Errol Flynn, Peter Finch, Rod Taylor, Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger.
History
The Australian movie history has been called 'boom and bust'. This is because at times there are very few movies made and other times many movies are made.[1]
List of highest-grossing Australian movies
Rank | Title | Year of release | Budget (A$) | Australian gross (A$) | Worldwide gross (US$) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Crocodile Dundee | 1986 | $11,500,000 | $47,707,045[2] | $328,203,506 |
2 | Australia | 2008 | $200,000,000 (US$130,000,000, US$78,000,000 after tax incentives)[3] | $36,780,000 | $211,342,221 |
3 | Babe | 1995 | $30,000,000 | $36,770,000 | $254,134,910 |
4 | Happy Feet | 2006 | $132,740,000 | $31,800,000 | $384,300,000 |
5 | Moulin Rouge! | 2001 | $100,453,600 | $27,700,000 | $179,213,434 |
6 | Crocodile Dundee 2 | 1988 | $15,800,000 | $24,900,000 | $239,606,210 |
7 | Strictly Ballroom | 1992 | $3,000,000 | $21,800,000 | $37,763,592 |
8 | The Dish | 2000 | - | $18,000,000 | - |
9 | The Man From Snowy River | 1982 | - | $17,200,000 | - |
10 | Red Dog | 2011 | $8,500,000 | $21,125,682 (as of 12/12/2011) | - |
Australian Cinema Media
Peter Finch with fellow Australian Diane Cilento during the making of British film Passage Home (1955)
Prime Minister John Gorton initiated several avenues of government support for Australian cinema
The National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra
An open-air cinema in Sydney in 2010
Cate Blanchett, the first Australian to win two Academy Awards and the most nominated Australian in the acting categories overall with 7 nominations.
Toni Collette, star of Muriel's Wedding and Little Miss Sunshine
References
- ↑ David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Sydney: Pan Macmillan, 1990
- ↑ "AUSTRALIA – A Baz Luhrmann Film » Second Highest Grossing Australian Film of All Time". Archived from the original on 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ↑ McClintock, Pamela (24 November 2008). "Hollywood stuffs Thanksgiving slate". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996415?refCatId=1082.