MUFF rewards Joseph Sim’s Bad Behaviour
Joseph Sim’s black comedy Bad Behaviour won six awards at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, including Best Supporting Actress (Ellen Grimshaw), Best Supporting Actor (Roger Ward), Best Leading Actor (Lindsay Farris), Best Screenplay, Best Director (Joseph Sims).
It didn’t take home the Best Film award however; that honour went to Stuart Simpson’s’ El Monstro del Mar!, which also received Best Female Actor (Nelli Scarlet) and Best Cinematography (Stuart Simpson).
The rest of the winners are:
OZBest Film presented by Canon – El Monstro Del Mar!
Runner Up Best Film – Bad Behaviour
Best Director – Joseph Sims (Bad Behaviour)
Best Male Actor – Lindsay Farris (Bad Behaviour)
Best Female Actor – Nelli Scarlet (El Monstro Del Mar!)
Best Supporting Male Actor – Roger Ward (Bad Behaviour)
Best Supporting Female Actor – Ellen Grimshaw (Bad Behaviour)
INTERNATIONAL
Best Foreign Film – The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
Best Foreign Director – Bruce LaBruce (LA Zombie)
Best Male Actor – Foreign Film – Morten Rada (Dark Souls)
Best Female Actor – Foreign Film – Ingrid Schram (Blondes in the Jungle)
OZ AND INTERNATIONAL
Special Jury Prize – Road Train
Best Guerrilla Film – Burlesque
Best Documentary – Lanfranchi’s Memorial Discotheque
Best Cinematography – Stuart Simpson (El Monstro Del Mar!)
Best Screenplay – Joseph Sims (Bad Behaviour)
Best Short Film – Dark Horse and The Zimmer Gang
Runner Up Best Short Film – Carrot
Best Male Actor in a Short Film – Miles O’Neill (Carrot)
Best Female Actor in a Short Film – Alin Sumarwata (Dark Horse) & Vanessa De Largie (Crazy in the Night)
Best International Short – The Dandy Doctrine
This year’s MUFF finished with a screening of the ‘gay zombie’ film L.A. Zombie, directed by Bruce LeBruce and denied classification prior to its screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The screening was, according to MUFF, “a general stand against the often conservative and regressive decisions made by the Classification Board”. The ‘secret’ screening – people had to join the MUFF Facebook page to receive information 24 hours prior to the event – went ahead without complications.
As for Bad Behaviour, Sims said it had exceeded all expectations, and is evolving into a “juggernaut cult film”. He believes it has “very potential to join the ranks of the current genre revolution and smash the box office to bits”.
Bad Behaviour was shot in Queensland, and follows two psychopathic siblings who make a pit stop on their road trip of bloodshed at the sleepy beach-side town of Cecil Bay. It also stars John Jarratt.
No distribution deals have been finalised, but the filmmakers hope they will be able to release the film in 2011.
