Damien Straker

Is a freelance writer and film critic. He studied at the University of Sydney and graduated with an Arts Honours degree in Film Studies. He is a pop culture aficionado and enjoys talking about all films, 90s TV shows, ninjas and watching Rugby League. His favourite film directors are Clint Eastwood and Alexander Payne.

Announcing comedy web series Two Refugees and a Blonde – Media Release

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Announcing comedy web series Two Refugees and a Blonde

Launching at Refugee Week from 15 June Benefit screening 24 June

A new web series has been created by Iranian and Iraqi Australian refugee artists Shahin Shafaei and Osamah Sami and Australian actor and writer RainFuller.

The comedy investigates what happens when an outspoken blonde attempts to live with two erratic Muslim refugees.

Legendary news anchor George Donikian covers a breaking news story: radio host Zoe Hunter has made some blunt challenges to the Minister for Immigration.

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Pretty Good Friends – Film Review

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Reviewed by Emily Komiyama

Rating: 4.5/5

Mumblecore; the term that every aspiring filmmaker should appreciate. The film industry comes with the misconception that every production will cost you an arm, a leg and a mortgage. But with the rise of digital technology in the past 15 years, every man and his dog can now shoot on digital format. The Mumblecore movement was born back in 2002 with Andrew Bujalski’s indie film Funny Ha Ha, that focused on the post-university lives of people in their twenties. Praised for it’s realism, it spawned a decade of low-budget independent films that depicted life as it really was. And local Melbourne director Sophie Townsend has just released Australia’s first contribution to the movement.

Her directorial debut Pretty Good Friends focuses on Jules (Jenni Townsend), a woman who moves to Melbourne to get in touch with herself before turning 25. After moving in with her best friend Sam (Rain Fuller) and her partner Alex (Nathan Barillaro), both bonds and rifts begin to emerge in all the wrong places.

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Pretty Good Friends: ‘mumblecore’ film screening this Friday night

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  The unique film subgenre that shot Lena Dunham (HBO’s Girls) to fame is the genus of new Australian indie feature, Pretty Good Friends, screening at Melbourne’s Testing Grounds this Friday 6 February.  The term ‘mumblecore’ was first coined in 2005, at America’s South by Southwest Film Festival. It is classified by low budgets, unpolished, ‘real’ … Read more

Behind the scenes featurette for Chris Rock’s TOP FIVE

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    CAST Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Cedric The Entertainer, J.B. Smoove, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Hart, Anders Holm, Jay Pharoah, Michael Che, Sherri Shepherd, Leslie Jones SYNOPSIS Pulsing with the rhythm of his greatest stand-up, Chris Rock’s TOP FIVE takes things to the next level, reveling in the high and the low, and … Read more

Russell Crowe’s THE WATER DIVINER becomes highest grossing Australian film of 2014 – Entertainment One Media release

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After only 6 days of release, Russell Crowe’s directorial debut THE WATER DIVINER became the highest grossing Australian film of 2014. Opening on Boxing Day, the total box office for THE WATER DIVINER at the close of 2014 was $5.68 million, making it the most successful Australian film of 2014 following just 6 days of … Read more