The Office Picnic
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Office Picnic
| image =
| caption =
| director = Tom Cowan
| producer = Tom Cowan
| writer = Tom Cowan
| based_on =
| starring = John Wood
Kate Fitzpatrick
| music =
| cinematography = Michael Edols
| editing = Kit Guyatt
| studio = Child's Play Moving Picture Company
| distributor = Tom Cowan
| released = {{film date|df=yes|1972|11|17}}
| runtime = 83 minutes
| country = Australia
| language = English
| budget = A$30,000Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p266
| gross =
}}
The Office Picnic is a 1972 Australian comedy film directed by Tom Cowan. It was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1973 |title=8th Moscow International Film Festival (1973) |accessdate=2013-01-03 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116194922/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1973 |archivedate=16 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
Plot summary
A group of public servants go on an annual picnic. Two of them, Peter and Elly, disappear.
Cast
- John Wood as Clyde
- Kate Fitzpatrick as Mara
- Philip Deamer as Peter
- Gaye Steele as Elly
- Ben Gabriel as Mr Johnson
- Max Cullen as Jim O'Casey
- Anne Tait
- Francis Flannigan
- Bryon Kennedy
- Graham Richards
- Elaine Smith
Production
Cowan got the idea to make the film while walking through the bush during shooting of a documentary in the Victorian countryside.David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p184-185 He says he was also influenced by the novels of Patrick White and the films of Antonioni.[http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=Tom+Cowan&PHPSESSID=b93d018e7a4b06c1e8af98932b66a02f Interview with Tom Cowan, 12 November 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114234135/http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=Tom+Cowan&PHPSESSID=b93d018e7a4b06c1e8af98932b66a02f |date=14 November 2013 }} accessed 11 Oct 2012
The film was shot on 35mm using a budget in part funded by the Experimental Film and Television Fund. It started in January 1972 but the money ran out during filming and there was a hiatus until filming resumed in April. The shoot took fifteen days in all.
Release
The film was successfully previewed at Toorak and for a time it looked as though it would be distributed by British Empire Films but in the end most commercial screenings were arranged by the director.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0130915|The Office Picnic}}
- [http://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/office-picnic The Office Picnic] at Oz Movies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Office Picnic}}
Category:Australian comedy films
Category:Films about missing people
Category:1970s English-language films
Category:1970s Australian films
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