G'day: Bonza films from Down Under, mate

Kicking off with the wonderfully named Mullet, The Australian Film Festival begins in Shanghai on Friday November 18, at 6:30 pm. The films will be in English with "high-quality Chinese subtitles" (we were told) at the Cathay Theatre. (Festival schedule.)

"Australia has a vibrant and innovative film industry that has made a significant contribution to world cinema," claimed the Australian ambassador to China Alan Thomas.

Well it takes us a looong time to think of our favourite Australian film, so -- maybe he's right? One film that did hit screens elsewhere in the world was Rabbit-Proof Fence, the tale of three aboriginal girls who grew up in the 1930s and, after being forcibly removed from their families to be trained as maids and integrated into white society, walked 1,500 miles home. We were reliably informed that when this film premiered in Australia, several aboriginal dignitaries were invited, along with local university students et al, and on each seat a pack of tissues had been placed. That's right. And while it did not bring a tear to our eye, Shanghaiist thinks that it certainly was an okay film.

You can find some more information at the Beijing Australian Embassy's virtual media centre.