This year’s London Australian Film Festival comes to a close with the UK Premiere of HE AIN’T HEAVY, the brilliant debut feature from writer-director David Vincent Smith, followed by a pre-recorded Q&A.
30-year-old Jade (Leila George - Mortal Engines) has sacrificed the better part of her life to rescue her little brother Max (Sam Corlett - The Dry, Vikings: Valhalla) from drug addiction. In desperation, unbeknownst to their ever-forgiving mother Bev (Greta Scacchi - Presumed Innocent, Looking for Alibrandi), Jade locks him inside their grandparent’s vacant rural home in an attempt to ‘get him clean'. But when Bev arrives, a shocking discovery leads them all to reevaluate their own lives.
Based on a true story, this taut family drama took home four trophies at the WA Screen Culture Awards, and features a trio of powerhouse performances, with Greta Saachi and her real life daughter, Leila George, appearing together on the big screen for the first time.
This closing gala will also see writer-director David Vincent Smith awarded with the Cris Jones Debut Director Prize, which honours outstanding debut features by Australian filmmakers. Presented in honour of British-Australian filmmaker Cris Jones, whose debut The Death and Life of Otto Bloom closed our inaugural festival in 2017, previous debut feature nominees have included Imogen McCluskey (Suburban Wildlife, LAFF 2019), Jub Clerc (Sweet As, LAFF 2023), and Mark Leonard Winter (The Rooster, LAFF 2024).
With thanks to Jess Parker (No Labels).
WHY WE CHOSE THIS FILM
Laila (LAFF Director): “This film will stick with you – it’s beautifully shot, totally immersive and heart-wrenchingly believable. I thought about it for a very long time afterward and feel particularly proud to be able to award it with the festival prize this year”
Stephen (LAFF Co-Programmer): “We're particularly excited to be awarding this year's Cris Jones Debut Director Prize to David Vincent Smith, whose raw, moving and profoundly important film is a real testament to the lengths that we will go to care for, and protect, our families.”
REVIEWS
“The must-see Australian film of the year…a film that’s deeply humanistic and delves into the need for empathy and understanding…one of the great debuts in recent Australian film history.”
Andrew F. Pierce (The Curb)
“An astonishing piece of art…a blazing debut from an Australian talent tackling difficult subject matter with nuance and grace.”
Nadine Whitney (Alliance of Women Film Journalists)
“With a film like He Ain’t Heavy, it is all about the quality of the script and the acting…a notable debut that will be remembered.”
Julian Wood (Film Ink)
