Government of Western Australia Official Site


04.08.2011

Red Dog returns home for Pilbara Premiere

Red Dog image

John Day
Minister for Planning; Culture and the Arts; Science and Innovation

After much international film festival roaming, ‘Red Dog’ returned to the Pilbara on July 27 for the film’s Western Australian premiere ahead of its national mainstream cinema release on August 4. Red Dog is the story of a kelpie who roamed the WA outback in the 1970s, hitching rides, adopting people and uniting communities along the way. Adapted from the novel Red Dog by the award-winning author Louis de Bernières (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin), the film was shot on locations throughout the State including Dampier, Pilbara and Karratha.

The making of the film was supported by the State Government through ScreenWest, the Pilbara Development Commission and the Royalties for Regions program. Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said: “The film is an engaging WA story that will now be shared with audiences across Australia and overseas, and reminds us of the warmth, strength, pride and sense of belonging that comes from sharing and being a part of a close-knit community.”

Red Dog had its world premiere at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival and has since screened at festivals in London, Israel, the United States and Melbourne. It won the audience award at the Vail Film Festival (Dallas, USA) and the Best Film Award at the Sheffield Showcommotion Young People’s Film Festival (UK).

The film boasts an international cast including Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, John Batchelor, Arthur Angel, Rohan Nichol, Luke Ford, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Noah Taylor, and the canine Koko in the title role. The screenplay was written by Daniel Taplitz, the film was directed by Kriv Stenders and produced by Nelson Woss and Julie Ryan.

For more information on Red dog, see the official movie website:
www.reddogmovie.com