The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Melbourne’s Federation Square continues to run one of the most fantastic, diverse programs of contemporary art and film in Australia – including the just-finished Tim Burton: The Exhibition which easily broke attendance records. Among the stellar exhibitions rounding out ACMI’s 2010 program is an Long Play season of documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story – the definitive portrait of the razor sharp Texan-born comedian Bill Hicks.
Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas the film (trailer below) takes an intimate look at Hick’s life and his bold and belligerent takes on drugs, politics, religion, philosophy and the ‘American Dream’ which remain as relevant today, more than a decade after his death in 1994. Harlock’s Bill Hicks tribute nights led to a relationship with the Hicks family who offered him access to 1300 photos and unseen VHS footage to make the documentary. Thomas with his additional animation experience became involved and together they developed an innovative documentary approach to tell the story of a unique man – which is told from the point of view of the people closest to him, interspersed with rarely seen performance footage of Hicks.
Thanks to our friends at ACMI we have 5 double passes to give away for the screening on Thursday 4 November 2010 at 9pm. To win email here with ‘BILL HICKS’ as the subject title along with your name and phone number. First in best dressed!
The Long Play season of American: The Bill Hicks Story will screen Thursday 4 November – Tuesday 23 November, 2010 at ACMI.
