''Radiance'' is a 1998 Australian independent film. It is the first feature film by Aboriginal

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Rachel Perkins Rachel Perkins (born 1970) is an Australian film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. She directed the films ''Radiance'' (1998), ''One Night the Moon'' (2001), ''Bran Nue Dae'' (2010), and ''Jasper Jones'' (2017). Perkins is an ...

about three indigenous sisters who reunite for their mother's funeral. The film is based on the 1993 play written by

Louis Nowra Mark Doyle, better known by his stage name Louis Nowra, (born 12 December 1950) is an Australian writer, playwright, screenwriter and librettist. He is best known as one of Australia's leading playwrights. His works have been performed by all o ...

Cast

Rachael Maza Rachael Zoa Maza is an Indigenous Australian television and film actress and stage director. Early life and education Maza is of Dutch, Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian heritage, the daughter of Bob Maza, also an actor. She is ...

as Cressy *

Deborah Mailman Deborah Jane Mailman (born 14 July 1972) is an Australian television and film actress, and singer. Mailman played the character Kelly Lewis on the Australian television series ''The Secret Life of Us'' and Cherie Butterfield in the Australian c ...

as Nona *

Trisha Morton-Thomas Trisha Morton-Thomas, also known as Patricia Morton-Thomas, is an Anmatyerr woman born in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is a writer, producer, director and actor who has worked in the Australian film industry since 1998 when she appe ...

as Mae

Production

Rachel Perkins became aware of the play when she saw Trisha Morton-Thomas perform Mae's beach monologue as a part of the

Eora College TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 500,000 students in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education. It was established as an independent statutory bod ...

end-of-year student showcase. Perkins called

to adapt it into a half-hour drama, but Nowra suggested they make it as a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

."Interview with Rachel Perkins", ''Signet'', 18 December 1998
accessed 19 November 2012

Awards

; Australian Film Institute *Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Deborah Mailman *Nominations: **Best Achievement in Direction, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Production Design, Best Film, Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source ; Australian Screen Sound Guild *Best Achievement in Sound Design & FX Editing for a Feature Film ; Canberra International Film Festival *Audience Award ;

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...

*Best Actor – Female: Deborah Mailman *Nomination: Best Screenplay – Adapted ; Melbourne International Film Festival *Most Popular Feature Film

References

External links

*
''Radiance''
at Oz Movies 1998 films Australian independent films 1998 drama films Australian drama films Films set in Queensland Films shot in Queensland Films about Aboriginal Australians Films directed by Rachel Perkins 1998 independent films 1990s English-language films 1990s Australian films {{1990s-Australia-film-stub