Fresh from its triumphant world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Roderick MacKay‘s acclaimed debut feature The Furnace will have its Australian premiere during the Lotterywest film season in the lead up to the Perth Festival (5th – 28th February, 2021).
Starring Australian screen legend David Wenham, rising star Jay Ryan (It: Chapter Two), and Egyptian talent Ahmed Malek, The Furnace will play for an exclusive week-long engagement from November 30th to December 6th, before it releases nationally on December 10th.
A fitting title to kick off the ’21 Perth Festival, The Furnace is set in 1890’s Western Australia, focusing on the unique story of an Afghan cameleer (Malek) who connects with a enigmatic bushman (Wenham) on the run in possession of stolen gold. Targeted by a fiery sergeant (Ryan) and his troops, they seek out an unknown furnace where they can reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.
“After such a successful debut at Venice International Film Festival, it’s fantastic for The Furnace to now have its Australian premiere at Perth Festival with a homegrown audience”, said Screenwest CEO Willie Rowe. “There is an importance of telling stories from a unique Western Australian perspective, which The Furnace beautifully masters by showcasing our incredible regions like the Mid-West and the talent of our skilled local crews. These elements are vital in building a vibrant community which could not be done without the support of Lotterywest, the State Government of WA and the Western Australian Regional Film Fund.”
For more information and tickets for the Perth Festival and the Lotterywest Film Season, head to the official Perth Festival website.
