| Kangaroo Island | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Timothy David |
| Written by | Sally Gifford |
| Produced by | Timothy David Peter Hanlon Bettina Hamilton Daniel M. Rosenberg Leona Cichon |
| Cinematography | Ian McCarroll |
| Edited by | Jamie Rusiti |
| Music by | Ariel Marx |
Production companies | Pouch Potato, Piro |
| Distributed by | Maslow Entertainment (Australia & NZ) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 110 minutes [1] |
| Country | Australia |
Kangaroo Island is a 2024 Australian drama/comedy film directed by Timothy David and written by Sally Gifford. Its name derives from Kangaroo Island in South Australia, where it was filmed. Its world premiere was at the Adelaide Film Festival on 3 November 2024, and it is scheduled for release in Australian cinemas on 21 August 2025.
Estranged daughter Lou, an actress whose career has not taken off in Hollywood, returns to her hometown on Kangaroo island, upon request by her father. Lou and her sister Freya, who is religious, have a complicated past relationship. They try to repair their differences and make peace for the sake of their father, but another family secret is revealed.
Kangaroo Island is the debut feature film of Timothy David, [2] also known as Tim Piper. He is best known for being co-founder and co-owner of the New York-based production company Piro, and being the creator of Dove's 2008 "Evolution" ad and the four-part webseries for Chipotle Mexican Grill about "Big Ag", called Farmed and Dangerous [3] Kangaroo Island is also the debut film for actress-turned-filmmaker Sally Gifford, [4] who is Piper's wife. The couple have been based in New York for 20 years, but in 2016 bought a holiday house on Kangaroo Island. [2]
The film was originally titled Animal, referring to the observation of the characters as human animals. There is tragedy in the film, but also comedy, and it shows characters who are dealing with hardship. [5]
Filming took place on Kangaroo Island, including at Snelling Beach, Emu Bay, [2] Stokes Bay, and Vivonne Bay. [6] It includes shots of some of its wildlife, including echidnas, kangaroos, koalas, goannas, great white sharks, seals, and dolphins. [5]
It is produced by Timothy David, Peter Hanlon, [a] Bettina Hamilton, Daniel M. Rosenberg, and Leona Cichon, with Pouch Potato Productions Pty Ltd. Ian McCarroll is cinematographer and music is by Ariel Marx. [4] David Ockenden was production designer. [7]
The film is partially funded by the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund [4] and the South Australian Film Corporation. [8]
The film's world premiere was on the closing night of the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival, on 3 November 2024. [4] [9] It was screened at the Brisbane International Film Festival at HOTA on the Gold Coast in May 2025. [10]
The trailer for Kangaroo Island was released on 18 June 2025, [11] [12] and the film is scheduled for general release in cinemas on 21 August 2025. [13] Distribution in Australia and New Zealand is by Sydney-based Maslow Entertainment. [11]
Rachael Mead, writing in InDaily called the film "stunning piece of cinema", praising the acting as "world-class performances", in particular Rebecca Breeds. She wrote that the "universal themes of grief and the power of family to both harm and heal... played out on Kangaroo Island's rugged locations beautifully connect this isolated place to the rest of the world". [6]