Australian New Wave

A revival of Australian filmmaking that began in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s, marked by renewed production, distinctive local stories, and international recognition.

Wake in Fright: A 1971 Australian film in which a schoolteacher becomes trapped in a violent outback town. Its bleak outback vision helped establish the movement’s capacity for unsettling national self-portraiture.
Australian Film Development Corporation: A federal body established in 1970 to invest in Australian film production. Its financing helped turn a filmmaking revival into a sustained feature-film industry.
Peter Weir: An Australian film director whose early features include Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave. His atmospheric films brought international attention to the movement’s artistic range.
Australian New Wave (music): A late-1970s and 1980s movement in Australian popular music associated with new wave styles. The shared label can blur two distinct cultural revivals in film and music.
Australian Film Revival: The renewed growth of Australian feature-film production from the late 1960s onward. This broader revival includes institutional rebuilding as well as the films grouped under the New Wave.
The Last Wave: A 1977 Peter Weir film about a Sydney lawyer confronting strange weather and Aboriginal cosmology. It combines urban Australia, spiritual mystery, and colonial tensions in a major New Wave work.
Australian Film Commission: A federal agency established in 1975 to support Australian film production and culture. It expanded institutional support for films, filmmakers, and screen culture.
Gillian Armstrong: An Australian film director whose feature debut was My Brilliant Career in 1979. Her success helped open space for women directors in a rapidly expanding industry.
Hollywood cinema: The American film industry centered in Hollywood, known for large-scale production and global distribution. Australian filmmakers sought local stories and production autonomy within a market dominated by Hollywood.
Crocodile Dundee: A 1986 Australian comedy film about an outback figure visiting New York City. Its global commercial success showed how the revived industry could turn local identity into international entertainment.

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