Kodak/Atlab Cinema Collection

Buddies - film still

Buddies (1983)

New 35mm print of feature
and trailer are now available.
Courtesy of John Dingwall, Kodak (Australasia) and Atlab Australia

National Film and Sound Archive National Collection
Title Number 49296

Classification: PG rating

Synopsis

Mike (Colin Friels) and his buddy, Johnny (Harold Hopkins), are miners in search of sapphires in the Emerald region of Central Queensland. They are likeable battlers who take on the mean guys with the new machines who use bulldozers to mine the fields instead of shovels.

Background

Following on from John Dingwall's excellent screenplay for Sunday Too Far Away (1975), he wrote Buddies, which was originally set in South Australia's opal fields before it finally found a home years later in central Queensland. Shot on location near Emerald and Rubyvale. The film was produced with the assistance of the Queensland Film Corporation. Won the Australian Film Institute Award in 1983 for Best Screenplay.

John Dingwall, a former newspaper police roundsman, got his start in drama, writing for Crawfords (Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police). His own production company has produced three films, of which he has directed two (Phobia, The Custodian). His work ahs won him 12 national writing awards, including several Awgies. His best-known feature screenplay is Sunday Too Far Away, the story of his brother-in-law who was a gun shearer.

Director: Arch Nicholson

Year of Production: 1983

Duration: 97 mins

Format: 35mm, (1:1,85) Colour
Optical soundtrack: Dolby® Stereo, remastered to Dolby® Digital

Production Company: J.D. Productions

Producer: John Dingwall

Associate Producer: Brian D. Burgess

Screenplay: John Dingwall

Director of Photography: David Eggby

Camera Operator: Clive Duncan

Production Design: Philip Warner

Costume Design: Jane Hyland

Editor: Martyn Down

Sound Recordist: Peter Barker

Composer: Chris Neal

Cast: Colin Friels (Mike), Harold Hopkins (Johnny), Kris McQuade (Stella), Norman Kaye (George), Bruce Spence (Ted), Dennis Miller (Andy), Dinah Shearing (Merl), Simon Chilvers (Alfred), Lisa Peers (Jennifer), Andrew Sharp (Peter), Rob Steele (Policeman).

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