ANDREW BOVELL APPOINTED TO ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL BOARD

Adelaide Film Festival Chairman Cheryl Bart announced today that the Premier had appointed Andrew Bovell to the Board of the Adelaide Film Festival

In 2002 the London Film Critics Circle named Andrew Scriptwriter of the Year and in 2001 he was awarded the inaugural Australian Film Institute Screenwriting Prize. He is currently a member of the Literature Board of the Australia Council and a recipient of a Centenary Medal for his contribution to Australian theatre and film.

His screenplay for the award winning film Lantana won AFI, IF, Australian Critics Circle and AWGIE Best Adapted Screenplay awards. Lantana opened the 2001 Sydney Film Festival as well as screening at the Melbourne and Brisbane Film Festivals. It screened at the Telluride and San Sebastian film festivals and received a Gala screening on the closing night of the Toronto Film Festival.

Andrew also co-wrote the screenplay of Strictly Ballroom with Baz Lurhmann and Craig Pearce and Head On with Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson. His latest film The Book of Revelation co-written with Ana Kokkinos goes into production later this year.

His most recent work for the stage, Holy Day premiered at the State Theatre of SA in 2001 and transferred to Playbox in Melbourne later that year. It received a new production by the Sydney Theatre Company in 2003. It was awarded the 2002 Awgie for best new stage play and the Louis Esson Award for Drama at the 2002 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Who’s Afraid of the Working Class was awarded the major AWGIE Award in 1999 as well as the award for the best stage play. It also won the Jill Blewitt Award and the QLD Premier’s Award for Drama. In 1996 his AWGIE award winning play Speaking In Tongues was produced at the Griffin Theatre, Sydney and in 1998 at the Playbox Theatre in Melbourne before commencing a national tour and subsequent productions in London, New York & Paris.

Ms Bart said that the Board were thrilled to have someone with Andrew’s extensive film and theatre experience joining the Board, whose membership includes Bob Ellis, Gabrielle Kelly, Mojgan Khadem, Denny Lawrence and Rose Wight.

Andrew lives in Willunga, South Australia with his partner, Eugenia Fragos and their three children.

The program highlights of the Adelaide Film Festival will be released on November 18 by the Festival Director Katrina Sedgwick.