Ken Quinnell (born 1939) is an Australia screenwriter and film director.

Journalism

Quinell has a background in publishing and freelancejournalism, including working for ''

Screen International ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...

'' and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''. In the 1960s he was a member of the

WEA Film Study Group The WEA Sydney Film Society is a nonprofit film society based in Sydney, Australia. It is a club of WEA Sydney, which is part of the Workers' Educational Association . History It was established as ''WEA Film Study Group'' in 1961. The society ha ...

, where he met writers

Michael Thornhill Michael Thornhill (29 March 1941 – 22 January 2022) was a film producer, screenwriter, and director. Career Thornhill had a background in freelance journalism and publishing including working as a film critic. He was a member of the WEA Fi ...

and

Frank Moorhouse Frank Thomas Moorhouse (21 December 1938 – 26 June 2022) was an Australian writer. He won major Australian national prizes for the short story, the novel, the essay, and for script writing. His work has been published in the United Kingdom, ...

. From 1966 to 1968 Quinnell and

published ''SCJ: The Sydney Cinema Journal''.

Film and television

Thornhill and Quinnell have worked in the

Australian film industry The cinema of Australia had its beginnings with the 1906 production of '' The Story of the Kelly Gang'', arguably the world's first feature film. Since then, Australian crews have produced many films, a number of which have received internat ...

. Quinnell wrote the screenplays for ''

Cathy's Child ''Cathy's Child'' is a 1979 Australian film, directed by Donald Crombie and starring Michele Fawdon, Alan Cassell and Bryan Brown. Plot Cathy Baikas (Fawdon) is a woman of Greek heritage who lives in Sydney, Australia with her three-year-old ...

'' (1979) (with Dick Wordley) adapted from Wordley's novel '' Hoodwink'' (1981); and ''

The City's Edge ''The City's Edge'' is a 1983 Australian film co-written by Aboriginal Australian writer Bob Merritt. Plot Andy comes to Sydney and falls in love with the sister of a heroin addict. Cast * Tommy Lewis * Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving ...

'' (1983), originally titled ''The Running Man''. ''The City's Edge'', which was

made for television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

, was co-written by

Robert J. Merritt Robert James Merritt (1945 – May 2011), known as Bob Merritt or Bobby Merritt and credited as Robert J. Merritt, was an Aboriginal Australian writer and activist. He is especially known for his play ''The Cake Man'', and for founding the Eora ...

and W.A. Harbison, adapted from W.A. Harbison's novel. ''

Short Changed ''Short Changed'' is a 1986 Australian film directed by George Ogilvie based on a script by Aboriginal writer Bob Merritt, who described it as a "black/white '' Kramer vs Kramer''".Mary Colbert, "Positive action: Bob Merritt, playwright and scre ...

'' (1985) was also co-written by Merritt.

Awards

In 1981 Quinnell was nominated for the

Australian Film Institute Award The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry ...

for Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, for '' Hoodwink''.

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

* Australian film directors Australian screenwriters 1939 births Living people {{Australia-film-director-stub