Cowgirl Pictures is committed to making inspiring and entertaining screen content
that has integrity and is thought provoking and socially conscious.
Embracing the zeitgeist and pushing back against the socio-political-environmental status quo,
Cowgirl Pictures upholds feminist principles and champions equality, diversity
kindness, respect and the pursuit of craft excellence.
Dale frank - artist
Producers: Jenny Hicks & Sarah Beard
Director: Jenny Hicks
Camera & Sound: James Marshall
Editor: Lindy Harrison
This feature documentary is an intimate portrayal of Australian abstract artist Dale Frank. The story follows Dale as he creates his work in the months leading up to his 40th annual exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Sydney.
The film paints a portrait of a prolific, eccentric and internationally successful artist overcoming formidable personal challenges to create art that continually pushes the boundaries of what art is.
A hermit and workaholic, Dale charges through life with passion, humour and grit. Eventually Dale must confront his social phobias and travel to Sydney to sell his wares and pay his bills. At the grand opening of the exhibition, together with gallerist and Sydney art doyen, Roslyn Oxley, Dale must negotiate the crowd of collectors and business people from the Sydney art world.
This story is told with a mixture of verité observations and interviews. We film with Dale at home in his 19th century mansion in The Bush, in the botanical garden he is creating out of the surrounding paddocks and in his studio working with his two assistants. We also film with Roslyn Oxley, both at home and at work in her gallery, discussing the business side of the art world.
In addition we have formal interviews with collectors, curators and art experts and historians. They tell Dale’s story in the broader context by revealing the evolution of his body of work from the late 1970s to today and by discussing his relevance, uniqueness and significance to Australian art and culture.
TEN FOOT TALL AND BULLET PROOF
Short Film
20 minute Drama
Director: Jenny Hicks
Writer: Jenny Hicks
A young cattleman’s suicide drives a remote community to the pub to drown their grief. But you can’t drown your troubles, because troubles can swim. This film is that wake. And as a result of it, a young man’s maturing.
For this small town and the millions of acres of grazing country around it, the pub is a magnet and the community’s unofficial headquarters. Alcohol abuse is a rite of passage, a measure of manhood and a way of life.
This film is a raucous, reckless romp of a story about getting shit faced.
It is a film for young rural and regional party animals who love to binge drink, but gives them a subtle warning – Booze gives you The Blues.
Grim Statistics in Australia.
There is one attempted suicide every ten minutes. 7 suicides a day.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44.
Males in rural and remote communities have suicide rates 3 times higher than their urban counterparts.
Alcohol is involved in 60% of suicides.