WINNER Crystal Bear, Generation 14plus, Best Feature - The Black Balloon, Berlin Film Festival 2008 / WINNER 6 AFI Awards, Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Editing (11 nominations) 2008 / WINNER Best Direction in a Feature Film ADG awards 2008 / WINNER Best Original Screenplay AWGIE Awards 2008 / WINNER Best Children's Feature, Asia Pacific Awards 2008 / WINNER Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Australian Film Critics Circle (10 nominations) 2009 / WINNER Jury Grand Prix (Bronze Gryphon), Arca Cinema Giovanni Award and Campania Regional Council Ward, Giffoni Film Festival 2008 / WINNER Don Quixote Prize, Kristiansand International Children's Festival 2008 / WINNER Box Office Achievement, IF awards 2008 / WINNER Best Australian Film, Australian Film Critics Association 2009 / WINNER Golden Tomato Best Australian Film 2009 / WINNER Movie of the Year and Star of the Year, Australian Movie Convention 2008 / WINNER RoC Gold Standard in Filmmaking, Hamptons International Film Festival 2008 / WINNER Audience Award, St Tropez Cinema des Antipodes 2008 / WINNER Best Original Song "When we get there" and Best Soundtrack, Australian Screen Music Awards, 2008 / WINNER Best Script, Western Australia Premier's Book Awards 2008 / WINNER Best Achievement for Film Sound Recording, ASSG 2008 / WINNER Film of the Year, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting 2009 / WINNER Community Service Prize, ASPECT Art Awards 2008 / TOP TEN FILM OF THE YEAR, Viewer's Poll, The Movie Show, ABC Network 2009 / NOMINATED Prism Awards Best Feature (Mental Health) 2009 / NOMINATED Best Screenplay NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2008 / NOMINATED Best Editing in a Feature Film, ASE Awards 2008
Festivals
THE BLACK BALLOON - Opening Night Generation 14plus, Berlin Film Festival, Germany 2008 / Edinburgh Film Festival, UK 2008 / Kristiansand International Children's Festival, Norway 2008 / Giffoni Film Festival, Italy 2008 / Hamptons International Film Festival USA 2008 / Closing Night Film Lights Out! Film Festival, Ireland 2008 / St Tropez Cinema des Antipodes, France 2008 / DungogFilm Festival, Australia 2008 / Movie of the Month, QANTAS Airlines 2008 / Opening Night Film Cinefest Film Festival, Australia 2008 / Buster Children's Film Festival, Denmark 2008 / Alantic Film Festival, Canada 2008 / Cambridge Film Festival, UK 2008 / Galle Film Festival, Sri Lanka 2008 / Festival Cinemascience de Bordeaux, France 2008 / Whistler Film Festival, Canada 2008 / Palm Springs International Film Festival, USA 2009 / Portland Film Festival, USA 2009 / Opening Night Film Ozflix Australian Film Weekend, Canada 2009 / London Australian Film Festival, UK 2009 / Singapore International Film Festival, Hong Kong 2009 MY SHORT FILMS have screenined at numerous festivals including Tampere, Locarno, Aix-en-Provence, Montecatini, Milan, San Francisco, St Kilda, Brisbane, Revelation, Women on Women, POV and Tropfest.
I am a director and writer who loves chocolate.......
Currently, I have finished my first feature film, "The Black Balloon." It stars Rhys Wakefield, Gemma Ward, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson and Toni Collette. It will have its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2008. Then it comes out in Australia March 6th. Here's a little synopsis about the film:.......
When Thomas (Wakefield) and his family move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in.
When his pregnant mother (Collette) has to take it easy, he is put in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie (Ford). Thomas with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie (Ward) faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie’s unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that cause his pent-up frustrations about his brother to pour out, in a story that’s funny, shocking, and ultimately heart-warming.
"The Black Balloon" is a story about fitting in, discovering love and accepting your family.........
hey there the black balloon was really good and plus i know what it is like to have a brother who is autistic and it is very hard to make peolpe understand it all
I just watched the trailer and i truely hav to congratulate on what looks like a fantastic move, something i would love to see and think there should be more of. Congratulations and good luck.
Gidday ELiSSA & her MySpaced out Friends of this great lager land,
"Wot do ya think about?.. "The NEW AUSTRALiA DAY DATE Extended To AUSTRALiA WEEK... Australia Week, will be the official national week of Australia, and celebrated annually on the 26th January to 1st February. The week commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of alcohol in 1788. Australia Week will be an official public holiday in every state and territory of Australia, and is marked by the Disorder of Australia (D.O.A) and Pissed Australian of the Year awards, along with an address from the future Prime Minister, Mervyn E. Skilton, the president and founder of the ALLP ~ Australian Less Labour Party".
..Let me know if I 'ave ya show of support (leave comment mate).. if so, STOP WORK NOW, it's too bloody hot for this shit, I'm off to the nude BEACH to show my point, watchin' beach volleyball, BBQ'n my red meat and scallops, drinkin' shit loads of cold BEER bevarages from my bloody icy cold esky, while lyin' in all my big blokey naked gloriness on my Aussie flag towel from Big W.. let me know wot your gunna do to continue our Aussie heritage celebration for this whole hot week, & wood ya like to meet me to rally at the nudie beach this week ladies? (& guys welcome if they bring a full esky of cold beer carried by their spunky wife, girlfriend, mistress & daughters over 18). please see my No.1 Google "SUNNYSiDE NUDE BEACH MELBOURNE" to see my nudist editorial review, photos & map)
"Any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up to work this week is a bum bastard prick!" BiG MERV Skilton
Gidday MATE, REMEMBER: AUSTRALiA DAY is about drinkin' shit loads of beer by the BBQ with good Aussie music, so 'ave a 'aPpY pissed AuSTRaLiA DaY until ya spew ya grog soaked guts up, ya big nancy sheila.. go make Big Merv bloody proud mate!!
Ooo roo & cheers Big Ears from BiG MERV
& P.S. PLEASE Leave me a proper bloody message ya stingy bugger, not like the spam crap I get from the nancy myspace poofs.. make me look more popular so I don't look look a dickwad wanker, even if ya got to bullshit about likin' me, as i don't give a friggin' flyin' toss if ya do or not, ya know it's about the music, & the bloody shit load of hits & views that counts.. got all that?.. good, now piss off & get busy with it, ya know I'm a busy man & it makes cents!!.. give a mate a chop out ya bastard!.. thanx mate!
Hey Elissa, how's everything going? i just saw the trailer for the movie today and i wish i would have gotten to see more of it at the HIFF instead of the very end. it looks fantastic! you forgot to send me the picture from the gurneys party i'm sure you dont have it anymore. hope all is well and that the movie becomes huge! your a really nice person so you deserve it.
...thanks for the add, Elissa, and again, thanks for "The Black Balloon". My wife and I got to see it at the Palm Springs International Film Festival; we loved it...
Congratulations to you and everyone involved in The Black Balloon!!! I was so excited to see you on the cover of the Sunday Times last weekend with your AFI awards....it is only the very beginning of what will undoubtedly be an amazingly brilliant career. You go girl! xxx
Hey Elissa, Thanks for the add. Saw The Black Balloon the other day - absolutely loved it. Perfect casting and a great Aussie script. It was funny seeing all that early '90s stuff! Hope to see another of your movies in the not to distant future. bek
Hey Girl,
We are coming back to The Vanguard to celebrate the release of our new album 'THE QUEEN'. We have an extra special show fueled with plenty of Soul & Rock perfect for a Sat night just for you.
Would love to see you there.
You can book now for Dinner & Show by clicking on the image below.
Much Love
Ms. Baker
The world's largest short film competition comes to Sydney! The Sydney segment of the internationally acclaimed 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT will be run from the Blue Mountains as a part of this year's Footbeat Festival. The weekend of 10-12 October promises to be a wild and sleepless weekend for the teams who are challenged to make a movie or music clip, to write, shoot and edit it in just 48 hours.
Filmmakers throughout NSW, including Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Lithgow, Bathurst and the Blue Mountains are invited to compete in the world's oldest and largest timed-film competition. The 48HFP takes place annually in over 70 cities around the world competing to win the title of Best 48 Hour Film of 2008.
The 48HFP can help launch a filmmaking career. 'Myles West', last year's winner in Brisbane, went on to win a swag of awards at the international competition in America, competing against the winners from 50 other cities. It was then screened in the Short Film Corner at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. For more information please contact:
Ken Quinnell 0419 463 009 (02) 4782 9286 www. 48hourfilm. com sydney@48hourfilm.com
To all my fellow Queens,
My new song 'The Queen' is now available on Itunes and dedicate this to all the independent woman working hard to create their own destiny. Now all repeat after me, "I'm not here to be a princess, I'm here to be the Queen."
Much Love Ms.Baker
CLICK HERE
Hi Elissa, Thanks SO MUCH for coming in to speak with our class about your beautiful film on Friday - much appreciated. Very best of luck for excellent adventures in LA, too! Cheers, Joanne
Hey Elissa, Seen your movie 3 times now, it rocks! Hope you had some good chill out time. Come support the girls, would love to see you. Much Love The Queen!
Online Now!
