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Outback town celebrates Crocodile Dundee's 40th anniversary at film festival

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Winton, a town in western Queensland, Australia, hosts its annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival, doubling its population for 10 days.
  • This year's festival celebrated the 40th anniversary of the iconic film "Crocodile Dundee," featuring a screening and a restored safari truck from the movie.
  • Festival organizers and attendees highlighted the importance of showcasing Australian films and stories to both domestic and international audiences.

Winton, a remote town in western Queensland, Australia, transforms into a bustling hub for 10 days each year as it hosts the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival. The event, which doubles the town's population to 2,000, rolls out the red carpet for filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts.

It showcased the outback to Australia as well as to the world and people flocked here.

— Delvene DelaneyActress and partner to late Crocodile Dundee producer John Cornell, reflecting on the film's impact.

This year's festival held special significance, marking the 40th anniversary of "Crocodile Dundee." The film, starring Paul Hogan, famously put the Australian outback on the global map. Delvene Delaney, actress and partner to the film's late producer John Cornell, attended a special screening. She reminisced about the film's impact, stating, "It showcased the outback to Australia as well as to the world and people flocked here." A restored safari truck from the original movie, a symbol of the film's legacy, transported Delaney to Winton's historic Royal Theatre.

There's only one Paul Hogan and there's only one John Cornell (the film's producer and writer) and those two guys pulled off that little fish out of water story so beautifully.

— Delvene DelaneyReflecting on the success of Crocodile Dundee.

Accommodation in Winton, located 1,400 kilometers northwest of Brisbane, was fully booked for the opening weekend. Festival volunteer Jenney Stephenson, a self-proclaimed "tragic cinephile," travels annually from the Sunshine Coast. She cherishes the festival's uniqueness, saying, "It's so beautiful out here in the country, it's so arid, but it's full of life [with] people who come and visit, the locals as well."

It means so much, particularly to be in the truck … [it's] completely restored and running again and it sounds like the beautiful beast it's always been.

— Delvene DelaneyDescribing her experience arriving in the restored safari truck from the movie.

Festival curator Gregory Dolgopolov emphasized the strong audience demand for homegrown content. "This is a chance to overdose on Australian films and for a lot of people they live a long way from a cinema that will screen Australian films," he noted. Dolgopolov, a film lecturer at the University of New South Wales, believes investing in domestic productions is crucial for the industry's future, advocating for funding Australian films and writers over overseas productions.

I've been coming out here for 11 years, we love the uniqueness of it … we get dressed up.

— Jenney StephensonA festival volunteer describing her annual attendance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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