Opening of Movie Network AFI Awards judging screenings

14/8/98

Arts Minister Peter Foss tonight opened the Movie Network AFI Awards judging screenings at Cinema Paradiso in Northbridge.

"These awards, now 40 years old, recognise excellence and achievement in film and television production," Mr Foss said.

"I am delighted that the film opening the screenings was adapted from a book by a Western Australian author."

In the Winter Dark, is a film based on the novella by Tim Winton and directed by James Bogle, who was born in WA.

All feature films entered for the Movie Network 1998 AFI Awards, together with the jury nominated short films, documentaries and short animated films, will screen at Cinema Paradiso from August 14 to September 2, allowing audiences to see the films and cast their votes.

"This year the brave and compelling WA documentary, Paying for the Piper, has been nominated for two awards," Mr Foss said.

"This personal film follows Ed Punchard, a victim of the Piper Alpha disaster, as he returns to the site of the devastating explosion on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland.

"Paying for the Piper, has been nominated for best documentary and editor Lawrie Silvestrin for best editing in a non-feature film," Mr Foss said.

"A film of this quality represents the high standard of Australian film-making and many of the films that people will be able to view over the next three weeks will reinforce that standard."

Also screening this year is the Screenwest funded West Coast Pictures' feature film Justice, which stars Marcus Graham and Kerrie Armstrong. Justice was shot in Perth with almost the entire crew and a majority of the support cast from WA.

The program of screenings is available from Cinema Paradiso.

Media contact: Chris Morris 9321 2222