Actor an official legend
Jack Thompson is now officially a Screen Legend. The actor was anointed yesterday by CinefestOZ as worthy of iconic status, joining Bryan Brown, Steve Bisley and Fred Schepisi.
Thompson, 72, joked he's just pleased to have lived long enough to be acknowledged as a legend and to still be working.
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"It is exciting to remain involved in an industry that didn't exist when I started my life as a professional actor," said Thompson, who shot to stardom during our cinema's golden age with movies such as Sunday Too Far Away, The Club and Breaker Morant.
Thompson, who was a guest at last night's WA Screen Awards at the Astor Theatre, said the 1970s was an exciting time as they were putting Australia and its language on the screen for the first time.
"Unfortunately, the generation that followed tried to make movies for an international audience, so they became generic and flavourless.
"Ironically, the more Australian our movies are, the more they're embraced by an overseas audience."
The screen awards had a record 880 entries and $33,000 in prize money, a testament to the vitality of the local industry. Young Filmmaker of the Year Award went to Keir Wilkins.
Producer Sue Taylor won the Outstanding Contribution Award for her body of work, including guiding co-production The Tree, which closed Cannes Film Festival.
