Babyteeth
a SHANNON MURPHY picture
Synopsis
When seriously ill teenager Milla falls madly in love with smalltime drug dealer Moses, it’s her parents’ worst nightmare. But as Milla's first brush with love brings her a new lust for life, things get messy and traditional morals go out the window. Milla soon shows everyone in her orbit - her parents, Moses, a sensitive music teacher, a budding child violinist, and a disarmingly honest pregnant neighbour - how to live like you have nothing to lose. What might have been a disaster for the Finlay family instead leads to letting go and finding grace in the glorious chaos of life. Babyteeth joyously explores how good it is not to be dead yet and how far we will go for love.
Based on the play Babyteeth by Rita Kalnejais
Trailer
Stills
Press
About the film:
"The Venice competition gets a bracing blast of air from Shannon Murphy's freshman feature, a dynamic and devastatingly curtailed coming-of-age story."
VARIETY
"Funny, affecting... Ben Mendelsohn – in what might be his best performance since Animal Kingdom – and Babadook star Essie Davis, are utterly convincing."
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
"Vibrant and touching ... Murphy has a firm hold on every beat... Off-kilter but always raw; delicate, but never precious...Honest and moving."
INDIEWIRE
"Babyteeth carefully avoids getting sucked into the maudlin trap
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
of other films that have told similar stories."
"Shannon Murphy's eloquent comic debut offers a unique take
LITTLE WHITE LIES
on terminal illness and drug addiction."
"Babyteeth is a fantastic movie debut for the Australian Shannon Murphy and is one of the positive surprises in the competition of Venice."
MOVIE PILOT
'A blast... Kinetically directed with touches of visual flourish and scored to a wonderfully youthful, kaleidoscopic soundtrack... A vibrant, bittersweet ride...'
AWARDS DAILY
"The direction is robust and immersive, with the hand-held camera leading the way, sticking to the protagonists, taking up every inch of their bodies, whether they get upset, suffer, try to live."
CINEMATOGRAPHE.IT
About the play:
"The revelations and complexities of this powerful production linger long after it has ended."
The Australian
"Moving, confronting, hopeful and above all, humane, Babyteeth will leave many in tears."
The Sydney Morning Herald
"Babyteeth is accomplished, compelling and enjoyable."
Stage Noise
Festivals
& Awards
Venice Film Festival - Marcello Mastroianni Award for Toby Walace
BFI London Film Festival - First Feature Competition Award
Best Film, Director, Screenplay - Australian Academy Awards
Best Actress, Actor, Supporting Actor and Actress - Australian Academy Awards
Nominated Best Director - 2021 BAFTAs
Zurich International Film Festival 2019
Hamburg International Film Festival 2019
Filmekimi Istanbul 2019
Pingyao International Film Festival 2019 : Poeple's Choice Award
Festival international du film de la Roche-sur-Yon 2019
Warsaw International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
Mumbay Film Fest
Mostra de Sao Paulo - Jury Prize Award
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Minsk International Film Festival
Zagreb Film Festival
Ljubljana International Film Festival
Los Angeles AFI FEST
Castellinaria Film Festival
Goa International Film Festival
Around Films Award (Berlin)
Singapore International Film Festival
Marrakech International Film Festival
New Directors/New Films 2020
Rotterdam International Film Festival
Bangalore International Film Festival
Karlovy Vary Film Festival - Opening Film
Transilvania IFF - Grand Prize Winner
Helsinki IFF
Brussels IFF
Cast & Crew
| Eliza Scanlen | Milla |
|---|---|
| Toby Wallace | Moses |
| Emily Barclay | Toby |
| Eugene Gilfedder | Gidon |
| with Essie Davis | Anna |
| and Ben Mendelsohn | Henry |
| Director | Shannon Murphy |
|---|---|
| Writer | Rita Kalnejais |
| Producer | Alex White |
| Executive Producer | Jan Chapman |
| Director of Photography | Andrew Commis ACS |
| Editor | Steve Evans |
| Production Designer | Sherree Philips |
| Costume Designer | Amelia Gebler |
| Hair and Make Up Designer | Angela Conte |
| Composer | Amanda Brown |
| Supervising Sound Editor | Angus Robertson |
| Line Producer | Vanessa Brown |
| First Assistant Director | John Magee |
| Casting Directors | Kirsty McGregor CGA, CSA & Stevie Ray CGA |
| INTERNATIONAL SALES | Celluloid dreams |
| AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTION | Universal Pictures Australia |
| DEVELOPED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF | Walking Dreams Productions |
| The Screen Australia & Entreprise Program | |
| FINANCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF | Jan Chapman Films |
| Whitefalk Films | |
| WeirAnderson.com | |
| Spectrum Films | |
| Financed in Association with | Fulcrum Media Finance |
| Media Super | |
| Developed and Financed in Association with | Create NSW |
| Developed with assistance from | Aurora Intensive Development For Australian Scripts |
| principal production & development Investment From | Screen Australia |
| © 2019 Whitefalk Films Pty Ltd, Spectrum Films, Create NSW and Screen Australia |
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