ELLIS PARK
Australia / 2024 / 104 min / DCP

Directed by Justin Kurzel

Production : Nick Batzias, Charlotte Wheaton

Beyond music, Ellis’s passion project is a wildlife sanctuary in the forests of Sumatra: at “Ellis Park”, trafficked and mistreated animals are nursed back to health by a devoted team of carers led by indefatigable activist Femke den Haas. Returning a creature to the wild, Ellis brims with the same ardent candour as he does when jamming with his dad back in Ballarat. In telling his life story, from playing his first gig to forming The Dirty Three and beyond, he draws a bow between his hedonistic years, his redemption, and the sanctuary’s traumatised residents.

Justin Kurzel

Justin’s background as one of Australia’s best theatrical designers informs his strong visual storytelling as a director. His VCA graduating short, Blue Tongue, was screened in over 13 international films festivals including International Critic’s Week at the Cannes Film Festival. Justin’s first feature film Snowtown premiered at Adelaide Film Festival in 2011, winning the Audience Award. Justin was awarded Best Director at the AACTA Awards and the film screened at the International Critics Week Cannes in 2012, where it was awarded Special Distinction of the President. Justin’s other films include an adaptation he directed, Boner McPharlin’s Moll which forms part of a feature film comprising the adaptations of all short stories in Tim Winton’s novel, The Turning; Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard which premiered In Competition at Cannes Film Festival in 2015; Assassins Creed based on the video game franchise, produced by New Regency for 20th Century Fox starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, released in 2016; an adaptation of Peter Carey’s novel The True History of the Kelly Gang produced by Daybreak Pictures and Porchlight Films, starring George McKay, Russell Crowe and Essie Davis which premiered in Gala Section Toronto International Film Festival in 2019; Nitram starring Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Anthony LaPaglia and Essie Davis which had its World Premiere in 2021 at Cannes Film Festival screening In Competition (Caleb Landry Jones won Best Actor) and The Order starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult. Justin (director/EP) is in post-production on a 6 x 47minutes miniseries based on Richard Flanagan’s book The Narrow Road to The Deep North starring Jacob Elordi, Odessa Young, Ciaran Hinds, Olivia DeJonge and Heather Mitchell.