Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly | |
|---|---|
 Connolly in 2012 | |
| Born | 1967 (age 56–57) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director,producer,screenwriter |
Robert Connolly(born 1967) is an Australian film director,producer,andscreenwriterbased inMelbourne,Victoria.He is best known as the director and writer of the feature filmsBalibo,Three Dollars,The BankandThe Dryandits sequel,as well as the producer ofRomulus, My FatherandThe Boys.He is head of the film distribution company, Footprint Films, owned by Arenafilms.
Early life and education[edit]
Connolly was born in 1967.[1]Along withDavid Wenham,he worked in theatre before transitioning to filmmaking. They were both involved in a production of The Boys at theGriffin Theatre CompanyinSydney.[2]Connolly graduated from theAustralian Film, Television and Radio School(AFTRS) in the late 1990s,[1]where he undertook a three-year course that included directing.[2]
Career[edit]
Connolly made his firstfeature filmas producer,The Boysin 1998, which had its world premiere in competition at theBerlin International Film Festival.[2]His first film as director,The Bank,was produced by his former mentor and later business partner at ArenafilmJohn Maynard.[3]
In 2007 Connolly and Maynard together produced the period immigration dramaRomulus, My Father,[3]directed byRichard Roxburgh,starringEric BanaandFranka Potente.
By 2013, he had written and directed fourfeature filmsandproducedaround 12 others, as well as doing work for television.[1]
He directed and producedPaper Planes(2014),The Dry(2020),Blueback(2022) andForce of Nature: The Dry 2(2024)[4]and has been nominated for or won numerous Australian and international awards (see lists below).[5]
Balibo[edit]
In 2009, Connolly directedBalibo,which he co-wrote withDavid Williamson.The film examines the politically fraught deaths of Australian-based journalists theBalibo FiveandRoger Eastduring the Indonesian invasion ofEast Timorin 1975. Maynard produced the film, which starredAnthony LaPagliain the lead role of East.Balibowas the first feature to be shot inEast Timor.<[6]
Indonesiacontinues to maintain that the Balibo Five died accidentally in crossfire as its troops battled East TimoreseFretilinrebels, a version of events accepted by successive Australian governments. But the film depicts the young journalists, who were working for Australian TV networks and presumed their nationality afforded them protection, being slaughtered on the orders of Indonesian military chiefs to prevent news of the invasion reaching the world.[7]
Connolly refuses to apologise for his film's hardline stance, stating that an Australian coroner found in 2007 that the journalists were executed as they tried to surrender to Indonesian forces. He said: "It's quite clear the journalists were murdered... The current Indonesian and Australian (Government) point of view that they were killed incrossfireis quite frankly absurd. I'd imagine the film will be confronting because it represents something contrary to the official view. "[8]He points out that theEast Timorese Truth and Reconciliation Commissionfound that up to 183,000East Timorese peopledied as a result of the conflict, when the total population was only around 600,000, while both theAustralian Governmentunder theLiberalsand the oppositionLabor Partywere focused on oil and gas resources and regional influence.[9]
Themes and views[edit]
Connolly has been definitive about his political approach to filmmaking, saying "Without a doubt, in recent times, the political agenda of the work is what drives us. We feel a responsibility to use cinema to put a blow torch to contemporary Australia and contribute to some discussion or debate about where we're headed. That's what I find most rewarding about it."[2]Three Dollars(2005),The Bank(2001) andThe Boys(1998) all have a strong political agenda, and have been released in Australia as a DVD box set along with the documentaryThe Political Arena,which explores the social and political strands of the films.[10]
In 2008, Connolly published awhite paperoutlining his views on all that could be improved about the Australian film industry, which includes a ten-step plan for reducing production costs.[11]
Arenafilm and Footprint Films[edit]
Arenafilm was first incorporated in 1987 by film producerJohn Maynard[12][13][3]and producedThe Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey(1988) andJane Campion's film sSweetie(1989) andAn Angel at My Table(1990) (with Maynard's partnerBridget Ikin). The company went on to produceThe Boys(1998) and several other of Connolly's films, includingBalibo.[14]Its history is not clear, but Connolly and Maynard[2]became directors of the company during the 2000s. Connolly relocated to set up the Arenafilm Melbourne office in late 2006[10](including Arenamedia) and subsidiary companies.[15][1]
Footprint Films is the film distribution company owned by Arenafilm.[1][a]Maynard had earlier had a production company called Footstep Films.[12]In December 2007,Film VictoriaprovidedA$750,000of funding to be shared among Footprint and two other companies.[17]
In 2009, Footprint Films was the Australasian distributor forBaliboandSarah Watt'sMy Year Without Sex(both made by Arenafilm), and in the same year, it expanded its operations to acquire and release third-party films. Its first two distribution-only films wereWarwick Thornton'sSamson and Delilah,andKriv Stenders'Lucky Country (film).The physical work of distributing is handled byTransmission Films,headed by Richard Payten andAndrew Mackieand backed by Paramount Pictures Australia. Connolly believes that it is healthy for filmmakers to become involved in distribution.[18][12]
Recognition and awards[edit]
The Boyswas nominated for 13AFI Awardsincluding Best Film, and won awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. In 1998, Connolly was named byVarietyas one of the 10 best emerging producers in the world.[2]
Connolly has screened his films at over 30 international film festivals, including theToronto International Film FestivalandSan Sebastian Film Festival.He received aCentenary Medalfor services to theAustralian Film Industryin 2001.[19]
Romulus, My Fatherwon fourAustralian Film Institute Awards(AFI) including Best Film, and Connolly has also garneredAFI Awardsfor writingThe BankandThree Dollars.
Matthew Campora, head of screen studies at AFTRS, wrote in 2013 that Connolly was "a director who could be considered amongst the most successful contemporary filmmakers working in Australia today", and "Connolly’s films combine characteristics of the Hollywood thriller with archetypal Australian character types and narrative arcs to create a body of films that continue a particular style of filmmaking identified by[Graeme] Turnerin the 1990s ".[1]
Other roles[edit]
In 2008 Connolly was appointed to the inaugural board ofScreen Australia.His term ended on 30 June 2011.[20][21]
He also served on the boards of theNew South Wales Film and Television Office(FTO, predecessor to Screen NSW) and theAustralian Directors Guild,as well as theUniversity of New South WalesDean's Council.[20]
In 2011 Connolly worked on and influenced the development of the unreleased video gameWarco,that could be used to train journalists to work and report in war-torn regions.[22]
Filmography[edit]
Feature films[edit]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Boys | No | No | Yes | |
| 2000 | The Monkey's Mask | No | No | Yes | |
| 2001 | The Bank | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | Three Dollars | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Romulus, My Father | No | No | Yes | Also second unit director |
| 2009 | Balibo | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2013 | The Turning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Segment: "Aquifer" |
| 2015 | Paper Planes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | The Dry | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022 | Blueback | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | Force of Nature: The Dry 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Executive producer only[edit]
- Lucky Country(2008)
- These Final Hours(2013)
- The Boy Castaways(2013)
- Spear(2015)
- Chasing Asylum(2016, documentary)
- Guilty(2017, documentary)
Associate producer only[edit]
- All Men Are Liars(1995)
Consulting producer only[edit]
- New Skin(2002)
- West(2007)
Consultant only[edit]
- Better Than Sex(2000)
Short films[edit]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Roses Are Red | No | No | Yes |
| 1997 | Rust Bucket | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2015 | These Final Hours | No | No | Executive |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Creator | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rush | Yes | No | No | No | 1 episode; series 3 episode 18 |
| 2011 | The Slap | Yes | No | No | No | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Underground: The Julian Assange Story | Yes | Yes | No | No | Television film |
| 2015 | Gallipoli | No | No | No | Yes | Miniseries |
| 2016 | Barracuda | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2017 | The Warriors | No | No | Yes | Yes | Also executive producer |
| 2018 | Deep State | Yes | No | No | No | 4 episodes |
Awards and nominations[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ^Not to be confused with the UK film production company, Footprint Films, headed by producers Mark Blaney and Jackie Sheppard, who producedEscape from Pretoria.[16]
References[edit]
- ^abcdefCampora, Matthew (December 2013)."Disrespectful Indigenisation: The Films of Robert Connolly".Contemporary Australian Filmmakers(69).Retrieved24 November2021– via Senses of Cinema.
- ^abcdefConnolly, Robert."Robert Connolly".AUSUS Magazine(Interview). Archived fromthe originalon 6 January 2009.
- ^abc"Jirga: Press Kit + Production Notes"(PDF).2017.
- ^Robert ConnollyatIMDb
- ^"Robert Connolly: Awards".IMDb.
- ^"Balibo".Variety (magazine).23 July 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 2 August 2009.
- ^"Indonesia 'tortured' Balibo Five".BBC News.24 July 2009.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^"Balibo 'should prompt war crime charges'".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.22 July 2009.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^Connolly, Robert (17 August 2009)."Director Robert Connolly speaks with WSWS".World Socialist Web Site(Interview).Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^ab"About us: Robert Connolly".Arenafilm.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^Connolly, Robert."Embracing Innovation: a new methodology for feature film production in Australia".AFTRS.Archived fromthe originalon 2 October 2009.
- ^abc"Producer Case Study: John Maynard".Producer Case Study.15 October 2009.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^"Arenafilm Pty Ltd ACN 003 242 519".ASIC.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^"All titles produced by Arenafilm".Australian Screen.National Film and Sound Archive.Retrieved25 November2021.
- ^"About Us".Arenamedia.Retrieved25 November2021.
- ^"About us".Footprint Films (UK).Retrieved26 November2021.
- ^"Film Vic grants $750k to three companies.(Brief article)".Encore Magazine.25(12). Reed Business Information Ltd: 8(1). 1 December 2007.ISSN0815-2063– viaTrove.
Film Victoria has allocated $750,000 in Slate Funding support to be shared by Arenafilm Melbourne, Burberry Productions and Southern Arc Films. Arenafilm Melbourne is the new arm Robert Connolly...
- ^George, Sandy (20 April 2009)."Australia's Footprint Films expands local distribution".Screen.Retrieved25 November2021.
- ^"Robert Connolly in conversation with Andrew Urban".2 March 2009. Archived fromthe original(Text only (podcast link is dead).)on 26 September 2009.
- ^abScreen Australia(October 2009)."Screen Australia Annual Report 2008/09"(PDF).Annual Report.Screen Australia:6–8.ISSN1837-2740.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^"Screen Australia welcomes new Board members Claudia Karvan and Richard Keddie".Screen Australia.10 July 2012.Retrieved24 November2021.
- ^Webster, Andrew (21 September 2011)."Warco:an FPS where you hold a camera instead of a gun ".Ars Technica.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2012.Retrieved25 November2021.
External links[edit]
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
