A film shot in Footscray has taken out top honours in a prestigious international screen competition.
Pawno, written and produced by Kingsville resident Damian Hill, won the Jury Grand Prix prize for best feature film at Cannes Cinema des Antipodes, a celebration of Australian and New Zealand film held in St Tropez as part of the Cannes Film Festival.
With a cast including Vietnamese, Indian, African and Aboriginal actors, the feature film was shot in and around a fictional Footscray pawn shop.
In claiming the gong, it beat out films including The Dressmaker, Looking for Grace and Last Cab to Darwin. The film also secured the ‘best male new talent’ award for actor John Brumpton in his role as pawn shop owner Les Underwood.
Pawno, which premiered at last year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, follows a day in the lives of a dozen different characters who each pass through the pawnbroker shop.
Director Paul Ireland told Star Weekly people seemed to have connected with the “realness” of his love story, which reflects Australia’s cultural mix.
“The fact it’s a love story about real people … just the normality of it means people can relate to it,” he said. “Footscray is a massive part of the film. I wanted a very multicultural suburb that shows diversity and edginess and rawness.”
Passersby were drafted in as extras, helping the film’s street scenes capture the local colour and character.
More details: www.pawnomovie.com
