Children's films in Australia
These are films which are made for and directed at an audience aged up to teens.
Non-animated
Alex (Megan Simpson, 1992) Lauren Jackson, Chris Haywood; children & family
Avengers Of The Reef (Chris McCullugh, 1973) filmed in Fiji; children; 84 min.
Barney (David S. Waddington, 1976) aka Lost in the Wild; Melbourne, col., 84 min. prod. David S. Waddington & John Williams for Columbia Pictures, wr. Colin Drake, dp Richard Wallace; Sean Kramer, Lionel Long, Brett Maxworthy, Spike Milligan, Colin Petersen, Robert Quilter, Mike Preston, Rob Steele, Al Thomas; children
Blue Fin (Carl Schultz, 1978) novel by Colin Thiele; Hardy Kruger, Greg Rowe; children & family; 88 min.
Blue Fire Lady (Ross Dimsey, 1977) prod. Antony I. Ginnane, wr. Robert Maumill; Cathryn Harrison, Mark Holden, Peter Cummings, John Ewart, Gary Waddell, Marion Edward; girl meets horse; 90 min.
BMX Bandits (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1983) colour, 35 mm, 90 min., prod. Tom Broadbridge, Paul Davies for Nilsen Premiere, wr. Patrick Edgeworth, dp John Seale, production design Ross Major, ed. Allan Lake, music: Colin Stead and Frank Strangio; David Argue (Whitey), John Ley (Moustache), Nicole Kidman (Judy), Angelo D'Angelo (PJ), James Lugton (Goose); children
Born to Run (Ed Jurist, 1976) (aka Harness Fever); children; 94 min.
Boy Who Dared to Dream, The (Frank Howson, 1994) children; 97 min.
Bungala Boys (Jim Jeffrey, 1961) Jimar Productions, [British] Children's Film Foundation; based on a surf lifesaving club
Bush Christmas (Ralph Smart, 1947) Children's Entertainment Films ([British] Children's Film Foundation); Chips Rafferty
Bush Christmas (Henri Safran, 1983) prod. Paul D. Barron; remake of 1947 film; John Ewart, John Howard, Nicole Kidman; 91 min.
Bushfire Moon (George Miller, 1987) children
Captain Johnno (Mario Andreacchio, 1988) telemovie, wr. Rob George; John Waters, Damien Walters, Rebecca Sykes, Michele Fawdon, Joe Petruzzi, Elspeth Ballantyne; deaf boy is befriended by Italian fisherman; part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations
Cats' Tales (Ralph Lawrence Marsden, 1998) children's adventure
Devil's Hill (Esben Storm, 1988) wr. David Phillips, novel Nan Chauncy; part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations; Tasmania
Doctors and Nurses: A Story of Hopes (Maurice Murphy, 1981) dp John Seale; Rebecca Rigg, Miguel Lopez, Jeremy Larsson, Joshua Samuels, Brent Gowland, Mary Anne Davidson, Pamela Stephenson, Bert Newton, Richard Meikle, Drew Forsythe, Andrew McFarlane, Graeme Blundell, June Salter, Terry Bader, John Hargreaves; children's comedy: children are the medical staff in the hospital and adults are the patients; VHS
Dusty (John Richardon, 1983) Dusty is a sheepdog; children's
Fatty Finn (Maurice Murphy, 1980) wr. Bob Ellis; Bert Newton, Noni Hazlehurst, Gerard Kennedy; children's
Fluteman (Peter Maxwell, 1982) children's
Funny Things Happen Down Under (Joe McCormick, 1965) Pacific Films; children's; Terrible Ten comedy; Olivia Newton-John's first film
Gift, The (Paul Cox, 1988) (TV); Nicholas Hatjiandreou, Vicki Serbos, Alexis Anthopoulos, Constantin Laras, Rena Frangloudakis, Peter Felmingham, Margaret Ford, Michael Milsom, Victoria Eagger, Barry Dickins, Ken James, Bill McCluskey; prod. Geoffrey Daniels, Patricia Edgar, Michael Friedman, Tony Llewellyn-Jones; music Tassos Ioannides, dp Nino Gaetano Martinetti; part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations
Hildegarde (Di Drew, 1999) aka Hildegarde: A Duck Down Under; Richard E. Grant, Tom Long, Tara Morice; Hildegarde is a duck; children's; Qld
Opal Dreams (Peter Cattaneo, 2006) aka Pobby and Dingan, wr. Peter Cattaneo, Ben Rice, Phil Traill, prod. Lizie Gower, Nick Morris, Emile Sherman, dp Robert Humphreys; Sapphire Boyce (Kellyanne), Vince Colosimo, Jacqueline McKenzie; children's; Australian/UK co-production; Pobby and Dingan are Kellyanne's imaginary friends in Lightning Ridge; Peter Cattaneo's previous film was The Full Monty
Paws (Karl Zwicky, 1997) children's
Peter and Pompey (Michael Carson, 1988) wr. John Misto; part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations
Playing Beatie Bow (Donald Crombie, 1986)
Princess Kate (George Ogilvie, 1988) wr. Kristin & David Williamson; part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations
Save the Lady (Leon Thau, 1981) wr. John Palmer, Yoram Gross; Wallas Eaton, John Ewart, Bill Kerr, Desmond Tester, John Coleby, Robert Clarkson; children
Sebastian and the Sparrow (Scott Hicks, 1989) children's film, set in Adelaide, friendship between two boys, one Euro-Aust, other from Viet bground
Selkie (2000) children's?
Smiley (Anthony Kimmins, 1956) London Films, an Alexander Korda Production; Colin Petersen (Smiley), Bruce Archer, Ralph Richardson, John McCallum, Chips Rafferty, Reg Lye; sequel: Smiley Gets a Gun
Smiley Gets a Gun (Anthony Kimmins, 1958) Sybil Thorndike, Keith Calvert, Bruce Archer, Chips Rafferty
Southern Cross (Mark DeFriest, 2001) prod. Paul D. Barron, remake of A Waltz Through the Hills (Frank Arnold, 1988) from the novel by Gerry Glaskin; Heath Bergersen, Bill Kerr, Michael Loney, Geoff Kelso; two Vietnamese children escape from an institution for refugees, and make their way to Perth
Tail of a Tiger (Rolf de Heer, 1985) children's film about a boy who wants to fly - and does so in a Tiger Moth
Top Enders (Jackie McKimmie, 1988) part of Touch the Sun, a TV series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations
Waltz through the Hills, A (Frank Arnold, 1988) wr. John Goldsmith, novel Gerry Glaskin, prod. Paul D. Barron, Roz Berrystone; Andre Jansen, Ernie Dingo, Tina Kemp, Dan O'Herlihy, Geoffrey Atkins, Maggie Wilde West, Margaret Ford, Geoffrey Gibbs, Robert Faggetter, Pippa Williamson (farmer's wife); AFI Best Actor Ernie Dingo, 1988; Pater Award Best Children's Drama, 1988; made in WA; 100 min.
What the Moon Saw (Pino Amenta, 1990) Andrew Shephard, Pat Evison, Kym Gyngell, Danielle Spencer; children's film
Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House, The (Unjoo Moon, in production) LA-based Australian director and her husband DOP Dion Beebe ACS are developing a project based on Mary Chase's children's book about a nine-year old girl's experiences inside a crumbling mansion in her local neighbourhood; Marian MacGowan, who is attached as producer, told Encore a script is in the development stage and that the project would be a co-production with either the UK or Canada
Animated films
Around the World with Dot (Yoram Gross, 1982)
Blinky Bill (Yoram Gross, 1992)
Camel Boy, The (Yoram Gross, 1984)
Dot and Keeto (Yoram Gross, 1986)
Dot And The Bunny (Yoram Gross, 1983)
Dot and the Kangaroo (Yoram Gross, 1977)
Dot and the Koala (Yoram Gross, 1983)
Dot and the Smugglers (Yoram Gross, 1987) aka Dot and the Bunyip, Dot and the Lake Monsters
Dot and the Whale (Yoram Gross, 1986)
Dot Goes to Hollywood (Yoram Gross, 1989)
Dot in Space (Yoram Gross, 1995)
Epic (Yoram Gross, 1985)
Little Convict, The (Yoram Gross, 1979) aka Toby and the Koala
Magic Riddle, The (Yoram Gross, 1991)
Sarah: The Seventh Match (Yoram Gross, 1983)
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