Pinky (Jacki Weaver) in Memoir of a Snail.

CinefestOZ today announced four dramatically different Australian films are in the running to win Australia’s richest $100,000 film prize at the 2024 CinefestOZ Film Festival held in Western Australia’s beautiful South West, August 31 – September 8.

The finalists, which will all have their Western Australian premieres at the festival, include hilarious new family comedy Runt, written by Craig Silvey, directed by John Sheedy and starring Celeste Barber, Jai Courtney and Jack Thompson; animated drama Memoir of a Snail MIFF@CinefestOZ, by Oscar winning director Adam Elliot and featuring the voices of Sarah Snook, Eric Bana and Jackie Weaver; dark comedy Audrey MIFF@CinefestOZ, by director Natalie Bailey with actors Jackie van Beek and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor;  and the thought-provoking, Indigenous horror The Moogai by director Jon Bell and starring Shari Sebbens and Meyne Wyatt.

“I’m excited to share our four finalists for the 2024 Film Prize, which recognises excellence in filmmaking from an Australian feature film,” says CinefestOZ CEO Cassandra Jordan.

“Each of the films showcase unique Australian stories, told through clever and compelling filmmaking, which made them the standouts from this year’s submissions for the $100,000 Film Prize.

“I am also delighted that these films will have their Western Australian premiere at Australia’s largest destination film festival – CinefestOZ – where festivalgoers have the opportunity to see these films first alongside visiting film talent as well as a Jury of film industry experts, who will decide the 2024 Film Prize winner, which will be announced at the spectacular Film Prize Celebration event on 7 September.”

Festivalgoers will have opportunities to learn more about the Film Prize films throughout the festival, mix with film talent and enjoy the fabulous food and drink of the Margaret River region at the films’ after parties and InConversation dining events, which go on sale today as part of the Early Bird ticket release ahead of the full program release on the 17 July.

CinefestOZ runs from Saturday, 31 August – Sunday, 8 September 2024. Details here. 

CinefestOZ Film Prize finalists

Audrey

Directed by Natalie Bailey
Written by Lou Sanz
Produced by Diya Eid, Dan Lake, Shannon Wilson-McClinton and Michael Wrenn
Starring Jackie van Beek, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Josephine Blazier and Hannah Diviney

Married couple Ronnie and Cormack have, with their teenage daughters Audrey and Norah, long-since lapsed into some unusual habits. High energy mum Ronnie has dreamed of becoming an actress forever but now mostly lives that dream through Audrey, who couldn’t care less. Meanwhile affable dad Cormack can’t stop pursuing his libido–as discreetly as he can… which is, not very discreetly. Directed by Natalie Bailey, Audrey’s brilliant ensemble cast includes Jackie van Beek (What We Do In The Shadows), Jeremy Lindsay Taylor (The Dry) and Josephine Blazier (True History of the Kelly Gang). With just the right mix of suburban desperation leading to some laugh-out-loud moments, Audrey is 2024’s top-tier black Aussie comedy.

Jackie van Beek in Audrey.

Memoir of a Snail

Written and directed by Adam Elliot
Produced by Liz Kearney and Adam Elliot
Starring Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Tony Armstrong, Paul Capsis, Bernie Clifford, Davey Thompson, Charlotte Belsey, Mason Litsos, Nick Cave and Jacki Weaver

Oscar-winner Adam Elliot, one of Australia’s greatest filmmaking treasures, returns with an outstanding second feature. Memoir of a Snail concerns Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook), a reclusive woman who has been let down in life. Hiding away from the world, Grace tries to content herself with romance novels, hoarding, and guinea pigs. With Grace in Canberra and her beloved long-lost twin brother in Perth, life seems as constrained and slow as that of her beloved snails. But life always throws up surprises, and just as things have slowed to a crawl, extraordinary octogenarian Pinky (Jackie Weaver) enters, stage left. Following Elliot’s other incredible hand-crafted tales of thwarted love Mary and Max (2009), Harvie Krumpet (2003) and Ernie Biscuit (2015), Memoir of a Snail tugs at the heartstrings with its great swell of devotion, craft and joy.

Runt

Directed by John Sheedy
Written by Craig Silvey
Produced by Jamie Hilton and Cody Greenwood
Starring Jai Courtney, Celste Barber, Deborah Mailman, Matt Day, Jack Thompson, Lily LaTorre and Jack LaTorre

In the dusty country town of Upson Downs, 11-year-old Annie Shearer and her best mongrel friend Runt are inseparable. Runt can perform the most astonishing tricks, yet this is something that only Annie knows since Runt tends to get a little shy around other humans. Meanwhile, it hasn’t rained for some time and mean Earl Robert-Barren threatens Annie’s family’s farm by selfishly controlling the town’s water supply. An unlikely opportunity, at the Krumpets Dog Show in London, may be the answer to Annie’s family’s prayers. Director John Sheedy (CinefestOZ 2019 Film Prize Winner H is for Happiness) is back with another delicious slice of bright Australiana. Sheedy has teamed up with writer Craig Silvey (Jasper Jones, Honeybee), who here adapts his own 2022 novel for the screen. Jai Courtney, Deborah Mailman, Celeste Barber, Jack Thompson and Joel Jackson bring colour to the outstanding ensemble cast.

The Moogai

Written and directed by Jon Bell
Produced by Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings and Mitchell Stanley
Starring Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt and Tessa Rose

Hot-shot lawyer Sarah (Sharri Sebbens) seems to have it all: a job at which she is successful, a great husband (Meyne Wyatt), and a growing family. But as Sarah’s due-date approaches things seem out of kilter. Immersed in mainstream, white corporate culture, Sarah’s Indigenous birthmother Ruth (Tessa Rose) relationship is fractured, yet Ruth has important messages about the past. Adapting his own outstanding short film, multi-award-winning screen writer-director Jon Bell brings this compelling and utterly unique film to Australian screens. The Moogai has a clear-sighted view of how the trauma of the Stolen Generations blends with motherhood-anxiety. Genre films have long dealt with ideas of grief and loss; with The Moogai, Australia now has one of the finest examples, all of our own.

Shari Sebbens in The Moogai.