Australian Film

Pocket Essentials is a dynamic series of books that are concise, lively, and easy to read. Packed with facts as well as expert opinions, each book has all the key information you need to know about such popular topics as film, television, cult fiction, history, and more. From the world's first feature film in 1906 to the world's first feature documentaries shot between 1895 and 1901, Australia has always done great things in film. Not only did Australia give birth to film but also to some of the biggest stars of the 20th century. In the 1980s and 1990s we saw the first low budget films that billed Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, and Geoffrey Rush. With directors such as Baz Luhrman and actors such as Geoffrey Rush, Australian cinema has become a whole lot more artistic and risque. Although often undervalued in a multi-billion dollar international film industry, Australia has led the way in artistry, location films, documentaries, nudity, coarse language, crime, anti-establishment, sexuality, and realism.