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1940s: Foreign films
In the 1940s, Australians were mostly watching American and British films at the cinema. Going to the movies was a way of escaping from the horrors of the war. News footage would also be shown to people before the main movie started. -
Colour films
Although coloured films had been around for decades, the 1960s saw the beginning of most new films being released in colour. Big dramas such as Cleopatra (1963) were massive international hits. -
Star Wars
Star Wars creates a world frenzy and becomes one of the first films to tap into the concept of merchandising and a 'franchise'. This develops into a standard way for popular movies to generate income on top of box office sales. -
Mad Max 1 released
The Ozplolitation film, Mad Max was released. It used a post-apocalyptic theme to capture some of the fears of the time about nuclear war. It was the breakthrough role for Mel Gibson and showcased Australian talent to the world. -
Home movies
The VCR is released in Australia. This starts a trend of people avoiding the cinema and watching more home entertainment on demand. -
Gallipoli
Another Mel Gibson film was Gallipoli. It highlighted a personal story from the disastrous attack of WW1. It linked with Australian feelings of patriotism, but also a beginning re-examination of Australia's role in WW1. -
Australian fame
Crocodile Dundee is a huge hit internationally and heralds the beginning of Australian stars making it big overseas. Nicole Kidman, High Jackman, Cate Blanchett and others follow this path. -
The Castle
The Castle tells the story of an ordinary Australian family. It represents a time when Australians were beginning to appreciate that they could tell their own stories, without needing to rely on foreign production. -
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo uses Australia as a location and becomes part of a growing trend of animated films -
Iron Man
The first Iron Man film kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which became a dominant force in world cinema, grossing over $32 billion to date. It also illustrates the growing cross-over between other media formats, such as graphic novels and the concept of the 'extended universe'.