John Bell’s psychological horror film Moogai has won the Cinefest OZ Film Award, Australia’s highest award for a local film, for $66,500 (A$100,000).
The award was presented on Saturday (September 7) at the 17th CinefestOZ Film Festival in Busselton, Western Australia, and went to co-producer Alex White and actor Mayne Wyatt.
Moogai is the feature debut from Indigenous writer and director Bell, and is about a young woman, played by Shari Sebbens, who believes an evil spirit is trying to take her children. The film explores themes such as postnatal depression, intergenerational trauma and Indigenous children separated from their parents (known as the Stead Generation).
UK-based Bankside Films is handling sales for the film, which premiered at Sundance and subsequently screened at SXSW and the Sydney Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.
Australian actress and director Rachel Griffiths chaired the competition jury and judged the finalists, which also included Memoirs of Runt, Audrey and the Snail.
“The jury found “Mugai” to be an original, cinematic, and well-acted, tense, and emotionally affecting film that fits comfortably within this internationally appealing genre. I felt it stood out for its brilliant use of a psychological thriller to explore the intergenerational trauma of the Stolen Generations, “telling an old story in a new way,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths, best known for her roles in the HBO series Six Feet Under and Hacksaw Ridge, and as the director of 2019’s Ride Like a Girl, has made a significant contribution to the Australian film industry. was highly praised and was selected as a Cinefest OZ Screen Legend.
The CinefestOZ film festival was held from August 31st to September 8th.
