IMPORTANT WHITELEY INTERVIEW AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME

Thanks to the persistence of David Marshall, an enthusiastic fan of Brett Whiteley and the film WHITELEY, an important art history resource is now available online for the first time. David wrote to the documentary’s producers to learn more about how we accessed an ‘artist to artist’ audio interview between Brett Whiteley and Australia’s leading surrealist artist, James Gleeson, which was used in the film. Gleeson spoke to almost a hundred artists about their personal creative practice; these recordings were acquired by the National Library of Australia for their James Gleeson oral history collection: James Gleeson interviews Australia's major artists. However, the recording we licensed was not available to the public; in fact, it was the only one of 98 that had never been approved for release and posting online by the library. David continued to look into the matter, and as a result of his tenacity, the material is now available for all to hear! It was recorded on Friday the 18th of May, 1979, and contains a wealth of Whiteley gold.

WEARABLE WHITELEYS

Australian fashion label Aje have celebrated their 10th anniversary with an unprecedented collaboration with the Whiteley estate and the Brett Whiteley Studio. For the first time, Wendy Whiteley, custodian of Brett Whiteley's artistic legacy, has granted permission for his artworks to be used by a fashion house. For Aje's 2018-19 Resort collection, entitled WOMAN, designers Adrian Norris and Edwina Forrest interpreted Whiteley's paintings to transform them into a wearable form, extending Whiteley's creative vision beyond the canvas and onto silk, leather, and other luxurious fabrics. The images used are Bather and Mirror (1964), The Blossom Tree (1970), The Divided Unity (1974), Woman in Bath (1963-64), and The Starry Night (1982); these wearable artworks will now bring Whiteley's work to new audiences. The collection was launched on May 2 at a glamorous reception in Wendy Whiteley's "secret garden" and will be available in late 2018.

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Aje designer Edwina Forrest with Sue Clothier, producer of WHITELEY

Sue Clothier (producer of WHITELEY), Jo Collard (Whiteley family friend and archivist), and Alec George (Coordinator of the Brett Whiteley Studio)

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Wendy Whiteley wearing a custom-made 'Starry Night' cloak, with Felix Forrest (husband of Aje designer Edwina Forrest) in a matching scarf

Wendy Whiteley with her longtime friend, renowned gallerist Anna Schwartz

Ruben Gardiol has cared for Wendy's garden for many years

The event was held in the popular public garden created by Wendy outside her home at Lavender Bay

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FILM CRITICS' CIRCLE OF AUSTRALIA PICKS 'WHITELEY'

Australia's national professional body of film critics and film journalists voted for WHITELEY as 2018's Best Feature Documentary (presented in partnership with the National Film and Sound Archive). The prestigious FCCA Annual Awards for Australian Film are voted on by all FCCA members and constitute a significant indicator of a film’s success. They are Australia’s truly independent film awards, voted on solely by film critics, not by the industry or by a section of the filmgoing public. The FCCA's aims are: to promote excellence and integrity in the art of film criticism; to support the advancement of Australian and international film culture;  and to recognise outstanding achievement in Australian film through the Annual Awards presentation. WHITELEY's producer Sue Clothier and producer/director James Bogle give their thanks to the FCCA and to everyone involved with the making of the documentary. 

WHITELEY's co-producer Peta Ayers and producer Sue Clothier with the Film Critics' Circle of Australia award statuette. Photo care of the FCCA. 

WHITELEY SCOOPS THE AACTAS

At the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, Australia's most prestigious screen honours, WHITELEY was nominated for Best Feature Documentary (Sue Clothier, Peta Ayers, James Bogle), and won Best Direction in a Documentary (James Bogle), Best Editing in a Documentary (Lawrie Silvestrin), Best Sound Design in a Documentary (Lawrie Silvestrin, Ric Curtin & John Simpson). Ash Gibson Grieg won the AACTA for Best Original Music Score in a Documentary, and also the recent APRA-AMCOS Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Documentary. This recognition of the film’s high standards of production and documentary storytelling demonstrates its value as a tool in achieving our Impact vision: “Introduce new audiences and generations to the trailblazing career of Australia’s international art superstar, Brett Whiteley”; and “Inspire in audiences a passion for Australian art as something you can make, experience, collect and enjoy”.

The WHITELEY team acknowledges our fellow nominees; we are honoured to be included in a cohort of this calibre. 

A moment of award-winning jubilation for editor, Lawrie Silvestrin, and director, James Bogle. Photo by Whiteley's impact producer, Felicity Blake.

WHITELEY'S A WINNER

Perth-based Ash Gibson Greig, composer of the soundtrack for WHITELEY, has won the 2017 APRA AMCOS Screen Music Award for 'Best Music for a Documentary'. Amongst a group of high-quality nominees, Ash's eclectic score -- which features jazz, rock, and evocative incidental music -- took home the prize. In addition to this prestigious award, Ash has also been nominated for 'Best Original Music Score for a Documentary' at the illustrious AACTA Awards, to be announced on December 4, 2017. Amongst other nominees, Ash is competing against his own score for BLUE, another production from Northern Pictures! WHITELEY has also been nominated for AACTA Awards for Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Sound. You can hear some of Ash's fantastic soundtrack in this trailer, or watch the film on DVD, iTunes, or bring it to your local cinema on demand via Fan-Force. Congratulations, Ash! You rock!
 

WHITELEY NOMINATED FOR THE AACTA AWARDS

WHITELEY, a visual journey into the private life and creative legacy of one of Australia’s most acclaimed artists, Brett Whiteley, has received first-time AACTA Award nominations for producers Sue Clothier, Peta Ayers and director James Bogle. The AACTAs are Australia's most prestigious film awards. WHITELEY has so far been nominated in the 'Best Feature-Length documentary' category, and is also eligible for various 'craft' awards (such as editing and music). Nominations in these categories are yet to be announced. 

The winners for this year’s AACTA Awards will be announced across two major events at The Star Event Centre in Sydney:

• The 7th AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel | Industry Luncheon on Monday 4 December 2017.

• The 7th AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel | Ceremony & Official After Party on Wednesday 6 December 2017, and televised on Channel 7 with an encore screening on Foxtel.

Tickets will go on sale for both events in early October.

CINEMA ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE VIA FAN FORCE

Following its critically-acclaimed season in Australian cinemas, from August 2017 WHITELEY will be available for on-demand cinema screenings in your community. 

Visit Fan Force's WHITELEY page to find out how you can organise a screening in your local area! It's pretty simple: you contact them and let them know which cinema you'd like to screen the documentary in. Then they set it all up and leave you to get the word out about the screening. A screening doesn’t go ahead unless enough people buy tickets by the deadline, so there’s no financial risk for anyone involved. Not the best at marketing? No worries! They'll help you out on the promotion side. You even get a cut of the profits! FanForce is ideal for everyone who loves film – whether you’re a cinema owner, a film buff, someone in the Arts community (like a gallery owner of 'friends of the gallery' member), an educator, or if you just really love Brett Whiteley. Check out Fan Force here. 

WHERE TO SEE WHITELEY IN THE CINEMA

Our distributors at Transmission Films have listed all the cinemas in Australia screening WHITELEY from May 11. Click on the link to their page to find out where you can see the movie!
Don't forget to like our Facebook page so you get updates about special screening opportunities and movie news. 

GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL →

Queenslanders have an exciting opportunity for a sneak-preview of WHITELEY at the Gold Coast Film Festival in the days surrounding the ANZAC Day holiday. WHITELEY will screen at Event Cinemas Robina on Sunday 23 April at 1:00pm, and at The Arts Centre Gold Coast on Wednesday 26 April at 10:00am.  

Tickets are available at this link.

Whiteley will screen at the Gold Coast Film Festival

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Community

At Sydney's Brett Whiteley Studio, visitors can enjoy exhibitions of Brett's artwork, and visit the area upstairs where his workspace is preserved as a museum. Among the many interesting personal effects is Brett's collection of CDs and LPs from the late '80s and early '90s. A Spotify member has made a playlist of these albums that you can stream for free online. Enjoy the music and see what creative endeavours it inspires! 

YOUNG AT HEART SCREENINGS

Upcoming Screenings

In April 2017, WHITELEY will have special pre-release screenings in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane as part of the Young At Heart film festival. Visit the Young At Heart site for cinema details and tickets!