AACTA nominated documentary Franklin flows into cinemas next week

Franklin.

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Kasimir Burgess’ deeply moving doco about the environmental campaign that changed Australian history has been nominated in the Best Documentary category at the upcoming AACTA Awards.

Things are really flowing right now for the new documentary Franklin. Early reviews have been glowing, a swathe of very special Father’s Day preview screenings around the country are nearly sold out ahead of a national release on Thursday September 8, and the film has just received a nomination in the Best Documentary category at the upcoming AACTA Awards.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated for Best Documentary at the AACTAs,” says producer Chris Kamen. “Franklin is a people-powered film, some ten years in the making, and is dedicated to all those who took action to save that precious river 40 years ago. As younger filmmakers, we feel privileged and grateful to be bringing the inspiring story of the Franklin campaign to a new generation – which is more important now than ever.”

The stunning new Australian documentary Franklin – directed and co-written by Kasimir Burgess (The Leunig Fragments), co-written by Claire Smith (ABC Catalyst, Ask The Doctor) and Natasha Pincus (Fell), and produced by Chris Kamen (Small Is Beautiful) – looks at an epochal moment in Australia’s recent history, and an essential event of local environmental activism, but through a distinctly contemporary lens.

Against a backdrop of glorious natural beauty, eighth-generation Tasmanian and environmentalist Oliver Cassidy embarks on a life-changing solo rafting trip down the beautiful yet remote Franklin River. His goal is to retrace his late father’s 14-day expedition to attend the blockade that saved the World-Heritage listed national park from being destroyed by a huge hydroelectric dam project in the early 1980s.

Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with key players such as former Greens leader Bob Brown and Tasmanian Aboriginal elder Uncle Jim Everett, the eight-year-long “Franklin campaign” is revealed as the most significant environmental protest in Australia’s history, and an inspiring example of the power of non-violent direct action to bring about lasting change.

Franklin is also a deeply personal and utterly absorbing film, with Oliver Cassidy physically challenged beyond his limits as he battles against the odds on his journey of healing and deeper understanding, as he searches for the right way to say goodbye to his father. “It’s a story that gives us all hope,” says co-writer Claire Smith.

For a full list of Father’s Day Franklin preview screenings and participating cinemas for the September 8 release, head to https://franklinriver.movie/screenings.

Franklin is released nationally on September 8, 2022.