''Spear'' is a 2015 Australian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by choreographer

Stephen Page Stephen George Page (born 1965) is an Australian choreographer, film director and former dancer. He is the current artistic director of the Bangarra Dance Theatre, an Indigenous Australian dance company. Page is descended from the Nunukul peopl ...

Cast

Hunter Page-Lochard Hunter Djali Yumunu Page-Lochard is an Australian stage and screen actor of both Aboriginal Australian and African-American descent. He is known for his roles in the films '' The Sapphires'' (2012), '' Around the Block'' (2013) and '' The Djarn ...

as Djali *

Aaron Pedersen Aaron Pedersen is an Aboriginal Australian television and film actor. He is known for many film and television roles, in particular as Detective Jay Swan in the film '' Mystery Road'', its sequel '' Goldstone'', and spin-off television series. ...

as Suicide Man * Troy Honeysett as White Man * Djakapurra Munyarryun as Big Man

Production

''Spear'' was written and directed by Stephen Page, and produced by

John Harvey John Harvey may refer to: People Academics * John Harvey (astrologer) (1564–1592), English astrologer and physician * John Harvey (architectural historian) (1911–1997), British architectural historian, who wrote on English Gothic architecture ...

. Originally performed on stage by the

Bangarra Dance Theatre Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance. It was founded by African American dancer and choreographer Carole Y. Johnson, Gumbaynggirr man Rob Bryant, and South African-born C ...

in 2000 under the title ''Skin'', it was reimagined for film using mostly dance and movement.

Release

''Spear'' was screened in the Discovery section of the

2015 Toronto International Film Festival The 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 September 2015. On 28 July 2015 the first wave of films to be screened at the Festival was announced. Jean-Marc Vallée's '' Demolition'' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Na ...

. It had its Australian premiere at the

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented biennially in March from 2003, since 2013 AFF has been held in October ...

in October 2015 and was screened in the Sydney Festival in January 2016.

Awards

*Winner, UNESCO Award, Special Mention – 2016

Asia Pacific Screen Awards The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative overseen by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and headquartered in Australia. In order to realise UNESCO's goals of promoting and preserving the different cultures th ...

* Nominee, Best Cinematography (Bonnie Elliott) and Best Costume Design (Jennifer Irwin), 2016 AACTA Awards * Nominee, Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, 2016 Santa Barbara International Film Festival *Nominee, Best Cinematography (Bonnie Elliott), 2017

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 ...

*Nominee, Best Cinematography (Bonnie Elliott), 2017 Australian Film Critics Association Awards

References

External links

* 2015 films 2015 drama films 2015 directorial debut films Australian drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s Australian films Films about Aboriginal Australians {{2010s-drama-film-stub