| Wolfram | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Warwick Thornton |
| Written by | David Tranter Steven McGregor |
| Produced by | Greer Simpkin David Jowsey |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Warwick Thornton |
| Edited by | Nick Meyers |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Languages | English Arrernte |
Wolfram is a 2025 drama / First Nations / Australian Western film by Warwick Thornton, starring Deborah Mailman. It is a sequel to Thornton's 2017 film Sweet Country , reprising several of the same characters. The title refers to the Hatches Creek wolfram field in the Northern Territory, where Aboriginal children were exploited for their labour, digging tungsten out of the ground.
Based on a real story and set in 1932, the film centres on a mother longing for the return of her stolen children. [1] It looks at the exploitation of First Nations child labour [2] at the Hatches Creek wolfram field, a tungsten mine in the Northern Territory of Australia. [3]
Deborah Mailman plays the matriarch Pansy. [3]
Pedrea Jackson (whose credits include Robbie Hood [2] ) plays the now grown-up Philomac. [4] Several members of the cast reprise their roles in Sweet Country: Thomas M. Wright as Mick Kennedy, Luka May Glynn-Cole as Olive, Anni Finsterer as Nell, Gibson John as Archie, and Natassia Gorey-Furber as Lizzie. [3] Joining them are Erroll Shand, Joe Bird, John Howard, Aidan Du Chiem, Ferdinand Hoang, Jason Chong, and Matt Nable. [1] [3]
Wolfram was written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter, and produced by Greer Simpkin and David Jowsey of Bunya Productions, along with co-producer Drew Bailey. [3] Thornton served as director and cinematographer, [1] while frequent collaborator Nick Meyers edited the film. [3]
It is a sequel to Thornton's 2017 film Sweet Country , set four years afterwards, [3] and features some of the same characters. Its genre is mixed: drama / First Nations history / Australian Western. [1] The story is based on some of writer Tranter's Alyawarra family history, told from the perspective of the women and children. Thornton's great-grandmother and her daughters also worked at Hatches Creek. [3] Arrernte Traditional Owners, led by elder Theresa Ellis, worked as First Nations consultants. [3]
Filming took place in Alice Springs, with post-production done in New South Wales. [3]
Funding was provided by Screen Australia, in association with Screen Territory, NITV, Screen NSW, and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund. [3]
Wolfram is set to premiere on the closing night of the Adelaide Film Festival on 26 October 2025. [1]