The Australian (
Wenham rides far on a bank of goodwill.(Local)
Byline:
THEY seek him here, they seek him there, they seek David Wenham at film
festivals everywhere.
And there he was last night on the red carpet at the world premiere of the
corporate thriller The Bank, in which he stars, at the opening of the
Melbourne International Film Festival.
"It's good to be returning to
said last night.
In May, Wenham jetted off to
blockbuster Moulin Rouge, in which he also appeared.
Next month, the
festivals in a single year, when he steps into the spotlight at the
Film Festival opening night screening of Dust, by Milcho
Manchevski, in which
he stars with Joseph Fiennes. "It's the grand slam of the film festival
circuit,'' The Bank director Robert Connolly said yesterday.
Wenham last night made a pitstop in
including Morgan Freeman, Geoffrey Rush, Sigrid Thornton, Susie Porter and
Helen Morse to celebrate the MIFF's 50th birthday at
the Regent Theatre.
"Stylish, savvy, and dynamic,'' said MIFF director James Hewison. He wasn't
talking about the A-list crowd, but the film that opened his festival of 350
films from about 30 countries during the next 2 1/2 weeks.
The Bank, an anti-bank thriller shot in and around
best known for its footy and foul weather like you've never seen it before.
"A slick financial metropolis, with a romantic view of the Yarra,'' Mr
Connolly said.
As well as that glamorous portrayal, the
celebrating this month's news that $40 million hi-tech film and TV studios are
to be built in the city's Docklands precinct, and a four-year $31.6million
film production package announced by the state Government in May.
Mr Hewison said the
windfalls made The Bank, which depicts the world of high
finance, an appropriate opener for the MIFF. "This year feels like a
particularly good time for
Other festival highlights include the
Teacher and Jafar Panahi's
powerful feature The Circle about the dire
situation of women in
The MIFF will close with another Australian film, He Died with a Felafel in
his Hand, starring Noah