Jelena Sinik, Andrew F. Peirce and Nicolette Axiak at the 2024 lauch of Lonely Spirits and the King at the Sydney Underground Film Festival. Photo by Brian Rapsey.

Award-winning critic Andrew F. Peirce invites you on an unforgettable journey through the vibrant landscape of contemporary Australian cinema. From heart-pounding horror to intimate documentaries, sweeping historical dramas to side-splitting comedies, discover over fifty films that capture the resilient creative force of Australian filmmakers in the early 2020s.

Through in-depth interviews with over seventy Australian filmmakers, including visionaries Platon Theodoris, Salliana Seven Campbell, and Alex Proyas, and Australian film distributors and curators, including Natallie Miller AO, Al Cossar, and Mathew Eeles, alongside insightful reviews, this book delves into the heart of Australian filmmaking. Explore creative processes that shape the Australian films and festivals we love.

What does it mean to be an Australian filmmaker today? From the challenges faced by independent filmmakers, often working in isolation with limited resources, to the successes of those who have achieved mainstream recognition, the ‘kings’ of the industry – what stories are being told, and how are they shaping our cultural identity? Lonely Spirits and the King seeks to answer these questions and more, offering a unique and insightful perspective on the ever-evolving world of Australian film.

Featuring

Filmmaker Kate Separovich (Proclivitas, Evie, Good Night) writes the foreword to Lonely Spirits and the King:

“This book is a tribute to all those who contribute to the Australian film industry. It is a celebration of the artistry, creativity, and dedication that goes into the making of each and every film. It is a recognition of the impact that Australian films have had on the world and the role they continue to play in shaping our cultural identity.”

Lonely Spirits and the King features interviews with over 75 Australian filmmakers, including:

Renée Webster, Tania Chambers AO and Judi Levine (How to Please a Woman)

Thomas M. Wright (The Stranger)

Catherine Martin (Elvis)

Lachlan Pendragon (An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It)

David Easteal (The Plains)

Ivan Sen (Loveland)

Alena Lodkina (Petrol)

Rick Rifici, Bentley Dean (Facing Monsters)

Lesley Vanderwalt (Three Thousand Years of Longing)

Goran Stolevski (Of An Age)

William Duan (Tuī Ná)

and over 60 more…

Reviews

The Stranger (written by Nadine Whitney)

He Ain’t Heavy 

Here Out West (written by Carl Edillo)

Moja Vesna (written by Nadine Whitney)

General Hercules

and more…

Essays

The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour

How Australian Documentary Films Can Further Reach Audiences: A Conversation with Sue Maslin AO

… and the King: Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and the Australianness of it All

Cover Art

Andrew F Peirce on the cover art by Jelena Sinik and Nicolette Axiak:

I first encountered the work of Jelena Sinik and Nicolette Axiak through their film 101 Days of Lockdown, a beautifully animated short that presented a series of digital postcards of life during the pandemic. Over the space of a mere two minutes, Jelena and Nicolette presented a slice of Australiana the felt organic and honoured the day-to-day world of Aussie living.

Their creativity regularly features stunning design and illustration projects and powerful animation work, making Nicolette and Jelena the perfect fit to grace the cover of a book about Australian films. Taking inspiration from Platon Theodoris’ The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour, Jelena and Nicolette celebrate one of the most iconic aspects of Australiana, our Big Things, by placing the films lead characters, Neville and Sabrina, atop The Big Merino.

There is an excitement in Jelena and Nicolette’s work that showcases how I feel about Australian films: overjoyed by the creativity and vision that exists within each film. I’m both proud and honoured to have Jelena and Nicolette’s work on the cover of Lonely Spirits and the King and have loved seeing the smiles on the faces of those who see it for the first time.

Background

Lonely Spirits and the King: An Australian Film Book is available via Kickstarter until 10 October 2024. It will then be available via The Curb publishing and other booksellers from November 2024.

You can view the Kickstarter campaign here

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