NYC welcomes The Tree

The Tree opens in New York City today, kicking off a US screening tour already scheduling close to 50 cinemas over 25 states, with more venues yet to be added! 

You can see The Tree at The Beekman Theatre and The Village East Cinemas, New York. The film opens next in Washington; Cambridge, Massachusetts and Los Angeles on the 22nd July. To find out more USA screening dates and venues check out The Tree Playdates which will be continually updated by Zeitgeist Films, the US distributors.

The Tree spreads its Branches

Last night's special screening of The Tree at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, previewed the film's US release on the 15th July, starting in New York and fanning out across the country with more screenings being added daily.
This follows the release of The Tree (L'albero) in Italy on the 8th July coinciding with the Canadian release starting in Montreal on the same date. An advance screening will be held in Montreal at the Cinema Parallèle on July 6th.
The UK release date has been set for the 5th August.
Watch this space to find out more...

A Festive Week for The Tree

It's a week of festival screenings for The Tree, with events spanning three countries and two continents.

 

The Festival du  Cinéma Australien takes place in Pézenas, France, over three nights and two days from the 29th April to the 1st May, showing 13 feature films and 8 short films.

Here's what the festival team has to say about the event:


"The end of the world ... That's what most people think when they think of Australia. A desert country, unique animals, an ancient culture ... A large island, far away ... A dream."

Alongside The Tree screening on Saturday 30th April at 5:30 pm, the festival will show a fantastic selection of films including  Last Train to Freo (also from Taylor Media); Priscilla, Queen of The Desert; Ten Canoes; Black Balloon, Samson and Delilah; and Strictly Ballroom.

There will be an exhibition on the theme of "Comparison" in the Cabaret Theatre, two wineries, and of course, beer, tapas and barbecue all day, and a continuous screening of "Skippy - The Bush Kangaroo" for the kids.

The venue, the Illustre Theatre is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and this festival is one of the major events planned. Its beauty, and 7x5 metre screen offer a truly special cinematic experience.

Pézenas is a beautiful town in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The town is especially proud of its association with Moliere, who brought his troupe to the town on several occasions, and has a monument to commemorate the fact by the reputed sculptor Jean-Antoine Anjelbert. As a result, each summer Pezenas plays host to the Mirondela de l'Arte, and music and street entertainment takes over the town.

The Newport Beach Film Festival is set in Newport Beach, on the spectacular Californian coastline and less than an hour from Hollywood. Films are screened throughout the city that boasts one of the largest movie consumer groups in the world, a rich filmmaking history as well as fine dining, shopping, and exceptional recreational activities.

The Tree screens on both Tuesday May 3rd at 7:30 pm and May 5th at 3:00 pm.


Audiences at the Tuesday night screening can celebrate at the Tuesday Night International Showcase Block Party for France, Sweden and Australia at Fashion Island, presented by OC Weekly, with top entertainment and hors d’oeuvres prepared by award winning restaurants and a bar hosted by Stella Artois and Absolut.



  

The Barbican’s London Australian Film Festival, is now in its 17th year and is an eagerly awaited annual landmark on the UK film calendar. Since March 1994, every major Australian feature film has been screened at the festival – this year is no exception!

Throughout its history, the heart of the Festival has been its showcase of the latest Australian feature films and documentaries, providing UK audiences with a unique overview of Australian cinema today.


The Tree screens on Sunday 8th May 6:30 pm at the Barbican Centre alongside the best of recent Australian cinema, including; Red Dog; Oranges and Sunshine; Beneath Hill 60; Wasted on The Young and Mao's Last Dancer.

Morgana: Outstanding Performer

Last night the Film Critics Circle of Australia presented Morgana Davies with the award for Outstanding Performer for her role as Simone in The Tree.

Morgana Davies at the FCCA Award Ceremony

The Film Critics Circle of Australia is the national body of professional film critics in Australia whose aims are to promote excellence and integrity in the art of film criticism and support the advancement of Australian and international film culture.

In addition to this award, Morgana is the youngest person ever to receive an AFI Award nomination (Best Actress and Best Young Actor) and has gained adulation from cinema audiences and critics worldwide.

To watch an interview with Morgana about her time working on The Tree, and her travels to France for the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, please click here.

National Centre for Childhood Grief The Tree screening to assist  The National Centre for Childhood Grief   The National Centre for Childhood Grief ("A Friend's Place") will host a special screening of The Tree to raise funds for its important work in counselling children who are dealing with grief.     The event will take place at 6.15pm on Thursday March 10 at the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta, NSW, and will be followed by a Q&A expert panel on grief headed by the founders of the NCCG, Mal and Dianne McKissock.  Mal and Dianne have both been awarded Order of Australia Medals for their work. They have published several books on the subject, including, "Coping With Grief" the ABC's best-selling book ever.    The 2006 Census tells us that 9% of people in NSW had lost either one or both parents before they turned 18 years of age. Yet, the discussion of death and grief remains such a taboo in our society.   "In The Tree, each member of the family expresses their grief in their own way and, ultimately, it is a very life-affirming and moving story." Producer, Sue Taylor   Come and join us for this most important event...    When: 6:15 pm Thursday, March 10 Where: The Riverside Theatres Parramatta  Tickets: $30.00 plus a booking fee   buy tickets

The Tree: US summer release!

The Tree team are very excited to announce that THE TREE has been bought by US distributor Zeitgeist Films and will open in New York and Los Angeles this North American summer, with a national roll out to follow.

Zeitgeist also released the acclaimed feature debut by THE TREE’S writer/director, Julie Bertucelli, Since Otar Left.

The Tree on DVD: *Pre-order NOW!

The Tree DVD is due for release in Australia on 3rd March 2011.
Pre-order your copy now for delivery on the release date.

*DVD will be shipped on 3rd March 2011

Shipping

AusPost Surface Mail (Australia Only) (+$5) $34.95 Registered Post/International (+$10) $39.95

Runtime: 97 mins
Format: (Region 4) DVD PAL
DVD Special Features:

• Behind The Tree
• French 'Making of The Tree'
• Cast and Crew Interviews
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailer

Alice welcomes The Tree

This Saturday The Tree screens at the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs as part of the Sydney Travelling Film Festival. 

The event starts at 6:15 pm with an introduction from The Tree producer Sue Taylor, who is flying in to Alice for the weekend, where she will also be speaking at a workshop for local filmmakers.

6:15 pm

Saturday 19th February

Araluen Arts Centre

61 Larapinta Drive, Alice Springs, NT 0870

Tel:      (08) 8951 1120

Check here for more details on the Sydney Travelling Film Festival:

Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs

See The Tree at Bondi Beach

Tomorrow the Bondi Openair Cinema moves out of the Pavilion onto the Dolphin Lawn overlooking Bondi Beach. 
And the first Saturday night event at this stunning new location will be a screening of The Tree with special guests and live music!

Watch the sun dip below the horizon, and enjoy live music from Ashleigh Mannix on the Sunset Stage, food and drinks from the festival bar,
and an introduction to the film by The Tree producer Sue Taylor.

Bring a picnic blanket and soak up the ocean views with members of the Australian cast of The Tree before settling in for the film under the stars on the giant open-air screen.

Saturday 12th February, gates open 6pm
Bondi Openair Cinema, Dolphin Lawn
South Side of Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach

'Bravo!' for The Tree at the Cérémonie des César

The César Awards, the “Academy Awards” of France, will be held this year on the 25th February at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris where the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma will hand out awards to the stars of French film for the 36th year in a row. This year the event will be presided over by Jodie Foster.

The Tree team are very happy to announce that The Tree has received three nominations in this most illustrious of award ceremonies.

The Tree nominees are:

Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsbourg
Best Adaptation: Julie Bertuccelli
Best Original Music for a Film: Grégoire Hetzel

Countdown to the AFI Awards

The 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards take place this weekend at the majestic
Regent Theatre in Melbourne.  

The red carpet event will be broadcast on Channel 9 at 9:30 pm
on Saturday 11th December.

The Tree team are honoured to have received seven nominations for this,
the Australian film industry's most prestigious award ceremony.

SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM

The Tree. Sue Taylor, Yaël Fogiel.

AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION

The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.

MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.

AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
 

Morgana Davies. The Tree.

Charlotte Gainsbourg. The Tree.

AFI YOUNG ACTOR AWARD

Morgana Davies. The Tree  

AFI VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD

The Tree. Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros, Tim Walker

Check out the tree film website for behind the scenes info on how the team at
Fuel VFX created the visual effects for the film.

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

      

The Tree receives seven AFI Award nominations!

The 2010 AFI Awards nominees were announced today. The Tree received nominations in six different categories: Best Film (Sue Taylor and Yael Fogiel), Best Direction (Julie Bertuccelli), Best Adapted Screenplay (Julie Bertuccelli), Best Lead Actress (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davies), as well as the AFI Young Actor Award (Morgana Davies), and the AFI Visual Effects Award (Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros, Tim Walker).

The youngest nominee for this year’s AFI Young Actor Award, eight-year old Morgana Davies is also competing for the Best Lead Actress award alongside such established talents as Abbie Cornish, Jacki Weaver, and her Tree co-star Charlotte Gainsbourg.

As Jacki Weaver, who hosted the nominations, stated, “2010 has been a remarkable year for Australian film and television."

The Tree: Australian Release: Reviews

 

For more reviews please see http://www.thetreefilm.com/Reviews

Perth Premiere at Luna Leederville

The Tree celebrated its Perth premiere last Thursday, 23 September, filling around 300 seats at Luna Cinemas Leederville -"a hugely successful prelude to its national release" (ScreenWest). The evening was hosted by PAC director Annie Murtagh-Monks, and included an introduction and Q & A with producer Sue Taylor, as well as a VIP party at Monza, Leederville.

Every VIP guest received an exciting Tree goodie bag with flower seeds, a book voucher, and many other surprises. The green chocolate frogs were a particular favourite.

 Sue Taylor in front of Luna Cinemas Leederville

 Annie Murtagh-Monks, hosting the Q & A

 The VIP party at Monza

Tree goodie bags

Australia's Got Talent

Morgana Davies & Zoe Boe of The Tree

Born and raised in Sydney, Morgana Davies has stunned audiences worldwide with her feature film debut: she plays the major role of Simone O'Neill in The Tree, the little girl who believes her late father is living on inside the fig tree in the family's backyard. Only seven and a half when she got cast for the film, Morgana has already achieved celebrity status in Europe. She recently travelled to Paris to see Julie Bertuccelli, and met Kirsten Dunst and Tim Burton at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Brisbane local Zoe Boe plays the role of Simone's best friend Megan Lu. She travelled to Cannes with her father Andrew and her sister Greer. 

Morgana and Zoe were on the red carpet with the director, producers, and their co-stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Gabriel Gotting. "The press went mad for all the Aussie kids and clamoured to photograph and interview Morgana. She even did a full international press conference and live TV interviews,” said producer Sue Taylor.“It’s obviously been an incredible experience for Morgana, but she’s taken it in her stride, even when hearing herself dubbed into French for the film’s release there.”

Morgana was featured in last month's Italian Vogue, in a photograph taken on the Cannes Red Carpet, and was recently described as "[easily passing] for a long-lost member of the Jolie-Pitt gene pool" (see article below from the Queensland Sunday Mail:).

The Queensland Sunday Mail 19 September 2010

Zoe was mentioned in Queensland Confidential this week:

and here's a link to a great article about Zoe Boe in the Brisbane Times

 Morgana Davies talks about working on The Tree, and her visit to Cannes and Paris:

Morgana and Zoe, with fellow cast member, Gabriel Gotting on the red carpet at Cannes:

The Book of the film out this week!!!

18/09/2010

(Our Father Who Art In) The Tree, the book of the film, reissued in Australia this week!

The Tree team are excited to announce the reissue of Judy Pascoe’s acclaimed debut novel, Our Father Who Art In The Tree, now The Tree. This much sought after hidden-gem has not been available in Australia for some time. But, soon this lovely book will be out in the country in which it is set, just in time for the cinema release of the film that it inspired, The Tree.

(Our Father Who Art In) The Tree will be available from the warehouse at Murdoch Books from 23 September and in your local book store soon!

Here is an excerpt of UK Kirkus’ review of the book: “This is a triumphant debut novel from Judy Pascoe that will touch the hearts of all who read it. An evocative tale, told through the wistful hopes of Simone as she faces the reality of bereavement, it manages to be both funny and sad. The author tackles the themes of love and loyalty, superstition and religious faith with such poetic imagery and yet such simple language that readers will look at these complex and unsolvable mysteries with the fresh simplicity of a child's eye.” 

For more information on Judy Pascoe and and an interview about her the book check judypascoe.com

Judy Pascoe, Julie Bertuccelli, Sue Taylor and Yael Fogiel on location for The Tree,
photograph by Baruch Rafic

ISBN: 9781742662411
RRP: $22.95
Murdoch Books Australia

Want to read the book in French? Check here for the fabulous French bookshop in Australia: Le Forum

The Tree returns to Boonah

A great night was had by cast, crew and local Boonah residents, when The Tree screened at the Boonah Districts Cultural Centre on Saturday night. Producer Sue Taylor, was very happy to return to the beautiful area of the Scenic Rim to catch up with some old friends and visit the beautiful tree, that is the centrepiece of the film.

Lead actress, Morgana Davies, made a surprise trip up to Boonah to share the fun on the Red Carpet with Margaret Foote, Taren and RJ Stewart, Boonah Mayor John Brent and so many of the people who helped so much during production to make Boonah such a welcoming place.

Sue Taylor in Boonah for The Tree premiere

Sue Taylor read out the call sheet from exactly a year earlier, 18th September 2009, when many of the local cast and crew were involved in the filming of a critical scene around the tree.

All those in attendance loved to see the film, which so portrayed their local area and aspects of their lives, so well. Many said they can't wait to see the film on the big screen, after its release on September 30.

 Morgana Davies on the Boonah red carpet with her father Greg

 The Boonah Mayor and his wife

 Robert Joseph, Taren Stewart, and Morgana Davies

 Margaret and John Foote

The Tree at Mission Beach Film Festival

The Tree screening at the Gala Opening Night of the Mission Beach Film Festival was a huge success over the weekend, led by actor and environmental campaigner Ms Daryl Hannah. Local Queenslander, and Tree star, Bob Mackay, was at the festival with his family (so jealous!!), and was name- checked by Daryl Hannah when she introduced the film.

The audience, obviously appreciative of their local talent, let up a huge roar when Bob appeared in the film!!!! Check out Bob Mackay when you see The Tree, in cinemas from September 30.

Bob Mackay as AB in The Tree, photograph by Baruch Rafic

Prior to the opening night festivities Ms Hannah was joined by Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull, and
festival sponsors at a glamorous pre-screening VIP soiree at The Elandra Resort where Ms
Hannah stayed.
Festival Curator Sue Clothier said ‘Elandra was the perfect environment to thank the supporters
of the festival as we looked out over the Coral Sea to Dunk and Bedarra Islands. Daryl was
stunned by the beauty.’

Daryl Hannah

Ce que j'ai fait sur mes vacances...

"What I did on my holidays.." The Tree in French Class

A close member of our Tree Family was sent a lovely, and surprising email, recently, from a friend of his who has been living in France for the past six weeks, learning the language...

" Thought you'd like to know that yesterday in French class (here in Aix en Provence) someone started telling (in French of course) about this fabulous movie and it was The Tree, which she saw here in France presumably! I of course had to tell them I knew the father of the young actress! Thought you'd like to know!"

Will you be seeing The Tree on your holidays too?

To Build A Home

When the production team were putting together the soundtrack for The Tree, they came across a song, which not only touched their hearts with its beautiful melody, but amazingly, told a similar story to that of The Tree. Check out the wonderful lyrics of 'To Build A Home' by The Cinematic Orchestra below...

There is a house built out of stone

Wooden floors, walls and window sills...

Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust...

This is a place where I don't feel alone

This is a place where I feel at home...

Cause, I built a home

for you

for me

Until it disappeared

from me

from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust...

Out in the garden where we planted the seeds

There is a tree as old as me

Branches were sewn by the color of green

Ground had arose and passed it's knees

By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top

I climbed the tree to see the world

When the gusts came around to blow me down

I held on as tightly as you held onto me

I held on as tightly as you held onto me......

Cause, I built a home

for you

for me

Until it disappeared

from me

from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust........

Charlotte Gainsbourg as Dawn in The Tree