Robert Connolly, dir of Three Dollars, The Bank and The Boys

Robert Connolly's films have been particularly haunting - and particularly difficult to finance. The Film and TV office called him morally reprehensible for putting such "scummy" characters (as were called for by the script of The Boys), on the big screen. But Connolly is pleased with recent changes to funding via script assessment at the Australian Film Finance Commission.

In this interview, Connolly talks about how he has undergone what he calls a "toughening up" in his film work. He puts his characters in situations where they are tested - ethically and financially - and is now growing that framework into new areas. Connolly talks about today's political climate in Australia and poses questions about the vision of Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Connolly also talks about one of his most recent projects in which he is thinking about an adaptation of a Zola novel, set in an Asian city after military action and the rise of a frightening new religious ideology.

Finally, Robert Connolly talks about changes in the way producers must think about distributing their work in the digital era. He describes how he is experimenting with high-definition TV and the challenges of scaling up to entirely new business models that transcend cinema for the feature film. For Connolly, the business realities of film making have plunged the industry into crisis. "It sometimes seems like every element of our business is designed to keep income away from the people who design and produce it," he says. Connolly analyses the economics of film making and puts his view of the new Australian Screen Council's chance of rectifying the problem.

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[elliottwhitton88]

Robert Connolly is a legend

[loosecanonfilms]

its a shame i have just come across your work at this point of time . better late than never thou ...

inspiring