''Boys in the Island'' is a 1989 Australian film based on the 1958 novel by Chris Koch.

Plot

In the 1950s teenage Frank dreams of leaving Tasmania for Melbourne.

Production

At one stage

Gillian Armstrong Gillian May Armstrong (born 18 December 1950) is an Australian feature film and documentary director, who specializes in period drama. Her films often feature female perspectives and protagonists. Many of her movies are historical dramas. Ea ...

had wanted to film the book and approached Koch to make it, but she then elected to make ''

Mrs Soffel ''Mrs. Soffel'' is a 1984 American drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong, starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson and based on the story of condemned brothers Jack and Ed Biddle, who escaped prison with the aid of the warden's wife, Kate Soffel. ...

'' instead. Koch decided to make the film himself, and, bitten by his experiences on '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', he decided to keep as much control as he could. He wrote a script with friend Tony Morphett and attached director Carl Schultz. Funds were raised through

Antony I. Ginnane Antony I. Ginnane is an Australian film producer best known for his work in the exploitation field. He was head of the Screen Producers Association of Australia from 2008 to 2011. A CD of themes from fourteen of his films was produced in 2008 b ...

and his company, International Film Management Limited. They eventually pulled out but the investors elected to keep going. However, by then Schultz was tied up with post production on '' The Seventh Sign''; four weeks before pre production Geoff Bennett stepped in instead.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 pp. 171–172Kathy Ball, "Boys in the Island", ''Cinema Papers'', May 1989 pp. 37–38

References

External links

* 1989 films Australian crime drama films Films based on Australian novels Films produced by Jane Scott 1980s English-language films 1980s Australian films {{1980s-Australia-film-stub