For two weeks running Aussie film The Dressmaker starring Hollywood heavyweight Kate Winslet has dominated the Australian box office, taking in a whopping $8.26 million in just two weeks of release. This is the latest news in a year of Australian film making that has turned the world’s attention to our shores for examples of fine film making.
Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said, “We’re absolutely delighted to see how audiences have responded to The Dressmaker. Screen Australia is so proud to have supported this film and the powerhouse team behind it, led by Jocelyn Moorhouse and Sue Maslin. This year has been a triumphant one for Australian film with three films reaching the magic $10 million mark, and The Dressmaker looks to continue its overwhelming success to become the fourth on this list. We congratulate everyone who worked so tirelessly on making this film and Universal Pictures on their terrific work in marketing the film to Australian audiences.”
The year started with Mad Max : Fury Road posting record revenue of $64 million during its run (please note all of these figures are in Australian dollars and recorded from the Aussie box office numbers!) Roadshow also followed that up with family film Oddball that took in $8.12 million during its cinematic run. Michael Caton proved he can still pull an audience with critic darling Last Cab To Darwin which hauled a nifty $7.2 million and cultural icon Blinky Bill The Movie $2.33 million.
Screen Australia chief Graeme Mason hailed this year’s result “clearly been a year to remember. It’s so wonderful to see Australian films connecting so strongly this year. The film industry is somewhat cyclical,so it is difficult to make claims based on one year’s results alone … given that the theatrical landscape is more challenging than ever before, Australian films have well and truly over-performed,” Mason said.
“We’ve seen films about nostalgia and heroism, good-humoured family larks, personal struggles and social conscience,” he said. “In a year that’s seen a lot of turmoil, Australians have looked for stories that reflect their darker side as well as their care for social issues and their need to laugh.”
Earlier in the year Russell Crowe’s directorial debut The Water Diviner garnered $7.2 million and Robert Connolly’s Paper Planes drew $6.9 million. Other releases like Holding The Man and Unindian also contributed generously to the local box office and with The Dressmaker only in week 2 of its release, we should see this total figure rise.
What has been your favourite Australian film this year? Let us know in the comments below
