After carving himself out an award-inning niche in documentary filmmaking, with films like Chasing Buddha and Bastardy playing at festivals the world over, Amiel Courtin-Wilson has embarked on his long-awaited foray into dramatic features, starting pre-production on his new film Hail this week in Melbourne.
Hail is cut from the same cloth as Amiel's previous film Cicada, a short film which screened in Director's Fortnight at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and featured Melbourne actor Daniel P. Jones recounting his shocking first real-life memory -- of a shotgun killing right in front of him -- straight to camera.
Produced by Michael Cody, Hail once again features Daniel P. Jones in the lead role. Here is the poetic synopsis.
Dan is in love with Leanne. They were born on the same day -- 19th June 1960. They eat together. They live together. They steal together. When Dan's love is suddenly ripped away from him, he is reduced to savagery. Haunted by damning memories, Dan awakes to a transparent face against the sun... a half formed body slumped over a fence. Dan swallows. Dan tries to sleep. Dan tries to hide. Dan inhabits a world created by an idiot- unfinished, incomplete. There are holes in this world; gaps and voids in its creation. Crushed by malevolent beauty, suffocating and filled with violence, Dan thrashes against the tide and goes on a journey to take back what is his. Time is thin around the cause and dense around the effect.
Amiel's latest documentary, Catch My Disease, an intimate look at the musician Ben Lee, was due to screen at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival but has been delayed until next year as the film is not yet complete.
Casting is underway on the film with an open casting session planned for next Saturday, if any Twitch readers want to try their hand. More details as they emerge.
OPEN CASTING CALL FOR
FEATURE FILM - HAIL
The award winning Australian director of acclaimed feature
documentary BASTARDY is currently looking for non-actors of all
ages / sex / background to participate in his upcoming feature film
HAIL.
WHEN: SATURDAY 17th JULY
10AM – 9PM
DROP IN AT ANY TIME
WHERE: 6/650A NICHOLSON ST, NTH FITZROY
ENTRY VIA BIK LANE
HAIL is a feature documentary/drama hybrid exploring the life of Daniel
P Jones, a fifty-year-old former prison inmate with an artist’s vision of
the world.
Dan is in love with Leanne.
They were born on the same day - 19th June 1960.
They eat together.
They live together.
They steal together.
When Danʼs love is suddenly ripped away
from him, he is reduced to savagery.
The past is not a dead thing, but may return, like a hunter, to follow us
for a time.
For more information on characters please visit the Facebook group
HAIL.
If you have any questions please send an email to:
caroline.ingvarsson@gmail.com
natalie.nalesnyik@gmail.com
I AM VERY INTERESTED BUT WANTED TO KNOW WERE ABOUTS THE AUDITIONS ARE AND IF YOU HAD ANY IN BRISBANE THANK YOU.