In Adelaide? Only 9 tix left for the SA screening of Freedom Stories on Wednesday 24th February, 6:30 pm @ Palace Nova. Spread the word, support our film and demand your own screening via Fan-Force too! Grab them here.

Synopsis: Freedom Stories is an exploration by filmmaker Steve Thomas of the achievements and struggles of former ‘boat people’. Now Australian citzens, they arrived seeking asylum from the Middle-East around 2001 – a watershed year in Australian politics sparked by the Tampa affair and Prime Minister John Howard’s declaration: “We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come”. Some were only children when they found themselves in indefinite mandatory detention in remote places such as Woomera or Nauru and then placed on temporary protection visas, which extended their limbo for years. It has taken astonishing resilience and over a decade for them to build secure lives and start contributing to their new country. These are ordinary people who found themselves caught up in the extraordinary consequences of political brinkmanship but have long since dropped out of the media spotlight. They live among us now and given the Government’s boast that it has ‘stopped the boats’ it is time for their voices to be heard.

Long overdue update, but I’m hard at work scoring season 3 of Mako Mermaids with Ricky Edwards for Netflix, ZDF and Network Ten (Netflix split season 2 into two parts so this will be season 4 for Netflixers). Below is a pic of the season 3 cast, with the addition of new mermaid Weilan played by Linda Ngo (3rd from right, bottom row). Everyone else pictured is returning.

Cast members are left to right – top row – Dominic Deutscher (Cam), Brooke Nichole Lee (Carly), Rowan Hills (David), Chai Romruen (Zac)
and – bottom row – Allie Bertram (Mimmi), Isabel Durant (Ondina), Linda Ngo (Weilan) and Gemma Forsyth (Evie)

Here’s a look at the season 3 trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-IBk1dL0w

Stay tuned…

Here’s a review of our doco Freedom Stories by Phillipa Hawker via The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

“Steve Thomas’ thoughtful, quietly involving documentary gives us stories of freedom and tales of the everyday”

“And the film isn’t neatly resolved; these are stories of lives in progress. Thomas returns at various points to key figure on the film, finding further surprises, changes of circumstances and direction. He reminds us that when the people taking part in this film arrived in Australia, they were first known not by name, but by number: this film embraces their individuality.”

Be sure to check it out at Cinema Nova (Lygon St Carlton here in Melbourne) who has upped the screenings to 2 session per day so there’s no excuse! Grab tix here

Check out this poster for Freedom Stories, a feature doco I scored earlier this year. Screening at Cinema Nova from July 23rd. If you’re in Melbourne see if you can get along to support the film.

“In Freedom Stories, filmmaker Steve Thomas explores the achievements and struggles of a number of former ‘boat people’. Now Australian citizens, they arrived from the Middle East seeking asylum, around 2001. This was the year of the Tampa and PM John Howard’s infamous “We will decide” speech. Some were only children when they found themselves in indefinite mandatory detention in Woomera or Nauru. Thomas captures the determination and resilience of this diverse group, who, a decade on, have rebuilt their lives in Australia. These are ordinary people, caught up in traumatic times, and in this poignant film their voices are finally heard.”

Proud to be asked to compose original music for the documentary feature Freedom Stories which premiered last week at the 2015 Syndey International Film Festival to a sold out screening followed by Q&A with director Steve Thomas and producer Lisa Horler. Freedom Stories is also screening at Cinema Nova from the 23rd July so keep your eye out!

You can listen to the score here

So James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge is on SBS TV this Sunday night at 8:30pm. Certainly worth a look. Music by yours truly, Ricky Edwards and Amy Bastow. Good times.

Here’s a link to the SBS promo.

Mako Mermaids, a 26-part childrens TV series I co-composed with Ricky Edwards premieres this Friday 13th Feb (auspicious!) on NETFLIX and locally as Mako: Island of Secrets on ELEVEN this Sunday 15th Feb at 10am. Get your kids to watch it. It’s a great series: high production values and, of course, a great score!

“In this hit sequel to “H20: Just Add Water,” new merman Zac becomes a target of the mermaid council when they see his strong and mysterious connection to Mako Island as a threat to mermaids everywhere. To stop Zac, they send two new young mermaids ashore to strip him of his merman powers, not knowing that there might be another merman in town that poses an even greater risk to the pod.”

It was a huge honour being nominated along with Amy Bastow and Ricky Edwards for Best Music for a Documentary at this years AACTA awards for Deepsea Challenge 3D. Congratulations to Jed Kurzel who got the gong for ‘All This Mayhem’ (which I must track down, especially given how many other awards it picked up). It was a good show. Pic left to right: Brett (I love the red carpet) Aplin, Amy Bastow & Ricky Edwards.

OK, I’m feeling pretty damn proud right about now to have picked up a nomination at this years AACTA (AFI) Awards for our score to Deepsea Challenge 3D. We are in the Best Original Music Score in a Documentary category. Stiff competition but that somehow makes the acknowledgement even more humbling. Congrats to my co-nominees Ricky and Amy (and a HUGE thanks to Peter H)

That brings the total nominations for Deepsea Challenge to a whopping 4!

From the AACTA website:

“The AACTA Award for Best Documentary Television Program presented by Foxtel Movies sees the Oscar-winning Eva Orner nominated for her SBS television documentary THE NETWORK, alongside TENDER (ABC) and the series BRILLIANT CREATURES: GERMAINE, CLIVE, BARRY & BOB (ABC) and TAKING ON THE CHOCOLATE FROG (Foxtel – STUDIO).

A number of the previously announced nominees for Best Feature Length Documentary received craft award nominations today, with UKRAINE IS NOT A BROTHEL up for six AACTA Awards, and ALL THIS MAYHEM and DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D receiving four nominations each.

Australian music icons Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are among the nominees for the new AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score in a Documentary presented by APRA AMCOS for TENDER (ABC). Jed Kurzel (ALL THIS MAYHEM), Jed Palmer and Zoë Barry (UKRAINE IS NOT A BROTHEL) and Ricky Edwards, Brett Aplin and Amy Bastow (DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D) round out the nominees in this category.

The Australian Academy congratulates all nominees for the 4th AACTA Awards.”