11th Brisbane International Film Festival

Festival Awards

Introduction

Chauvel Award

FIPRESCI Award

NETPAC Award

The Chauvel Award, now in its tenth year, recognises a distinguished contribution to Australian feature filmmaking. Named after well-known Queensland film pioneers, Charles and Elsa Chauvel, recipients have thus far included mostly directors but also cinematographer John Seale, actor Bryan Brown, and last year documentarists Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson.

The Chauvels made seven sound features, four of which are included in the AFI top 100 Australian features - Forty Thousand Horsemen, Rats of Tobruk, Sons of Matthew and Jedda. The last two demonstrate Charles Chauvel's love of Australian landscape and its peoples, something evident from much of their location shooting - via camel, horseback, lugger and canoe to the outcrops of Pitcairn Island and Palm Island, which would become evident in their last undertaking, the television series Australian Walkabout. This pioneering thirteen-part documentary series made for the BBC was perhaps the perfect indulgence for a man of whom Chips Rafferty remarked, 'He's a bloody frustrated explorer.' The time they spend making Australian Walkabout, when the Chauvels and their unit covered in excess of 10, 000 miles, they described as their 'blue-heaven' days.

The Recipient

Jan Chapman, one of Australia's most distinguished producers and long term festival guest, is the recipient of this year's Chauvel Award for her outstanding contribution to Australian filmmaking. Her commitment to producing exceptional Australian drama has long been acknowledged in the Australian film and television industry and she is revered as one of Australia's most talented producers today.

Jan Chapman's career began in 1982 as a producer for the ABC's 20-part television series Sweet and Sour. After producing another television mini-series for the ABC, Come in Spinner, which achieved the highest international sales of any series sold by the ABC, Jan left to form her own independent production company - Jan Chapman Productions.

In 1991 Jan teamed up with director Jane Campion to script and edit the television mini-series An Angel at My Table and a year later they joined forces again for The Piano, the first Australian film to win the Palm d'Or at Cannes. The Piano won 11 Australian Film Institute Awards and received 8 Oscar nominations, winning three Oscars.

Jan Chapman was awarded the Producers Guild of America's Nova Award "for the most promising motion picture producer" in 1993 and her next production was Shirley Barrett's Love Serenade. Jan scored a rare double as producer of films that have won both the Palm D'Or and Camera D'Or at Cannes when Love Serenade won the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film.

In 1999 Jan produced both Holy Smoke for Jane Campion and Walk the Talk for Shirley Barrett. Her latest film as producer, Lantana, was a critical and box office success last year and was the winner of seven awards at last year's Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Film.

The Chauvel Award will be presented to Jan Chapman by the Brisbane City Lord Mayor, Jim Soorley on Friday 19 July at 10:30am at the Carlton Crest Hotel, Brisbane.

The Chauvel Interview

David Stratton will host an on-stage question and answer session with Jan Chapman during the festival where he will discuss her career and show clips from some of her films.

The audience will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Don't miss this unique opportunity to meet and congratulate Jan Chapman

Date: Thursday 18 July
Time: 7:15pm
Venue: AAPT Cellular One Cinema One, Greater Union Hoyts Regent Theatre
Cost: Free

Previous Recipients

2001 - Robin Anderson and Bob Connolly
2000 - Bryan Brown
1999 - Bob Ellis
1998 - Rolf de Heer
1997 - John Seale
1996 - Dr George Miller
1995 - Gillian Armstrong
1994 - Fred Schepisi
1993 - Paul Cox

The Award Selection Panel

Professor Bruce Molloy (Chair)
Bob Connolly
David Stratton
Anne Démy-Geroe

Thanks

The Pacific Film and Television Commission's Festivals and Events office would like to thank the Brisbane City Council for their support of the Chauvel.