A Sunburnt Christmas

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A Sunburnt Christmas
Directed byChristiaan Van Vuuren
Screenplay by
  • Elliot Vella
  • Gretel Vella
  • Timothy Walker
Produced byLisa Scott
Starring
CinematographyDylan River
Edited byDenise Haratzis
Music by
  • Amanda Brown
  • Damien Lane
Production
companies
  • Every Cloud Productions
  • Highview Productions]
Distributed by Stan
Release date
December 11, 2020 (Australia)
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

A Sunburnt Christmas is a 2020 Australian Christmas film, made as a Stan original. It is directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren on his feature length debut, from a script by Elliot Vella, Gretel Vella, and Timothy Walker, the film stars Daniel Henshall, Sullivan Stapleton and Tatiana Goode.

Contents

Synopsis

A struggling Australian outback farm gets gatecrashed by an on-the-run criminal Daryl (Henshall), dressed as Santa Claus. [1] On the run from a mobster (Stapleton), and mistaken for the real Santa by the youngest child of the single parent family, Daisy (Nankivell), her wily teenage sister Hazel (Goode) sees Daryl as an opportunity to get her family back on track. [2]

Cast

Production

The film is produced by Every Cloud Productions, and Highview Productions. Lisa Scott of Highview Productions is producer, with executive producers Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox for Every Cloud, and Mike Jones co-producing. Financing also came from Screen Australia, in association with Stan, with finance also from the South Australian Film Corporation. [3]

Filming took place in Adelaide and Callington, South Australia in 2020. [4] [5] For Van Vuuren the film was his feature length directorial debut and was completed in under 20 weeks from start to finish during strict COVID-19 pandemic protocols and principal photography cut from four weeks to three weeks as a result. [6] The idea was pitched in May 2020 and by August pre-production had started with Van Vuuren and writers Elliott and Gretel Vella and Timothy Walker working quickly to allow a September shoot before editing and post-production could be completed in October and November before a Christmas release. [7]

Release

A Sunburnt Christmas was available to stream in Australia on Stan from Friday, December 11, 2020. [8]

Reception

Luke Buckmaster in The Guardian described it as “wacky and sweet” film that “builds from the outset a jive and momentum, setting a tone and visual flavour that reflects the playfulness of the script.” Praise came for the cinematography of Dylan River who “shoots with a rich but playful look” and the camera work of director Van Vuuren who “brings the camera in on the joke. It doesn’t just capture the mise-en-scène; it explores the space for comedic potential.” [9] Writing in The Curb , Andrew F Pierce described the film as “A Sunburnt Christmas instantly becomes an Aussie Christmas classic, sure to find itself on high rotation each festive season”, due to how Van Vuuren “navigates the comedy and heart perfectly, balancing a tightrope of tones”, and “absolutely stellar, tight script”. [10] The Sydney Morning Herald cautions that it is “just that touch too unnecessarily dark and violent” to become “a fair dinkum family Christmas classic” but that it has “a heart the size of the Outback” and “loads of fun, and brim-full of charm − thanks in large part to a delightful dirtbag-Santa performance from Daniel Henshall”. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ "A Sunburnt Christmas". Flicks.com.au. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  2. ↑ Groves, Don (October 14, 2020). "Christiaan Van Vuuren directs Stan Original comedy-of-errors 'A Sunburnt Christmas'". if.com.au. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  3. ↑ Frater, Patrick (October 13, 2020). "'A Sunburnt Christmas' Stan Original Film in Production in South Australia". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  4. ↑ Korsten, Tracey (November 6, 2020). "New Family Feature Being Shot in SA". GlamAdelaide.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  5. ↑ "A SUNBURNT CHRISTMAS TO DELIVER AUSSIE CHEER THIS FESTIVE SEASON". Screen Australia. October 14, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  6. ↑ Fowler, Bella (December 8, 2020). "A Sunburnt Christmas: Dan Henshall and Christiaan Van Vuuren discuss the wild experience". news.com.au.
  7. ↑ Leeson, Josh (December 10, 2020). "Daniel Henshall revels in cheeky tale of Australian Christmas". Thesenior.com.au. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ "A Sunburnt Christmas Official Trailer". Adelaidenow.com. December 7, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  9. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (December 14, 2020). "A Sunburnt Christmas review – a very Australian bad-Santa comedy for a jolly holiday season". The Guardian. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  10. ↑ Pierce, Andrew F. (December 25, 2020). "A Sunburnt Christmas Review – A New Aussie Chrissy Classic". The Curb. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  11. ↑ Newsome, Brad (December 16, 2020). "Nothing bad about Breaking Bad similarities in 'unbearably tense' new show". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved March 30, 2023.
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