| Paper Planes | |
|---|---|
 Australian theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Connolly |
| Written by | Robert Connolly Steve Worland |
| Produced by | Robert Connolly Liz Kearney Maggie Miles |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tristan Milani |
| Edited by | Nick Meyers |
| Music by | Nigel Westlake |
Production companies | Screen Australia Arenamedia |
| Distributed by | Roadshow Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Box office | AU$9.61 million[1] |
Paper Planes is a 2015 Australian3Dchildren'sdrama film directed byRobert Connolly, which he co-wrote with Steve Worland and co-produced with Liz Kearney and Maggie Miles. The film starsSam Worthington,David Wenham,Deborah Mailman, andEd Oxenbould. The film tells a story about Dylan, a young boy who lives in Australia, who finds out that he has a talent for makingpaper planes and dreams of competing in the World Paper Plane Championships in Japan.[2]
It opened in Australian cinemas on 15 January 2015 on 253 screens by Roadshow Films. It grossed A$9.61 million at the Australian box office by the end of its run. The story is loosely inspired by an episode ofAustralian Story called "Fly With Me",[3] and was the centre of a second episode, "The Meaning of Life".Paper Planes was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 24 June 2015 byRoadshow Entertainment.
On 9 November 2013, filming had begun inPerth inWestern Australia and inTokyo with Robert Connolly directing.[4] Sam Worthington, David Wenham, Julian Dennison, and Ed Oxenbould star in the film.[5]
Principal photography took place in both country and metro Western Australia, though the film states the setting as being in New South Wales (given they "drive down to Sydney"). Locations used for filming include an abandoned school inRoleystone,[6][7] an old house inBaldivis,HBF Stadium (previously known as Challenge Stadium until 2014),Whiteman Park, thePerth Zoo, and the Aviation Heritage Museum inBull Creek.[8] Fifteen students fromRoleystone Community College were extras in the film.[9]
Paper Planes was released in theatres throughout Australia on 15 January 2015, and on DVD and Blu-ray on 24 June 2015 byRoadshow Entertainment.
This film holds an 85% approval rating onRotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews. By the end of its run, it had grossed A$9.61 million at the Australian box office.[10]
Jim Schembri of3AW wrote in his review, "In one of the great career gear shifts in recent memory, Melbourne director Robert Connolly, who gave us such searing dramas asThe Bank,Three Dollars, andBalibo, delivers an adorable family film that is uplifting, warm, winning, and most of all, funny."[citation needed] Fiona Williams ofsbs.com.au says, "there's a lot to like inPaper Planes' ideas about ingenuity and resilience, and that may bode well for getting bums off the beach and onto seats in the film's late summer school holiday release period."[citation needed]
While the film performed strongly at the box office domestically in Australia, it was less successful in its international debut (U.K./Ireland,) opening at number 47 and earning £4,381 in its opening weekend (23–25 October 2015.)[11] The film was released in Spain on 1 January 2016 (the film's only European theatrical release as of February 2016) and opened at number 29 with a gross of US$7,577 from 21 screens, for a per-theatre average of $361.[12]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Awards (5th) | Best Film | Liz Kearney | Nominated |
| Maggie Miles | Nominated | ||
| Robert Connolly | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Steve Worland | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Deborah Mailman | Nominated | |
| Best Original Music Score | Nigel Westlake | Nominated | |
| Best Sound | James Ashton | Nominated | |
| Emma Bortignon | Nominated | ||
| Chris Goodes | Nominated | ||
| Trevor Hope | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Award for Favourite Australian Film | Liz Kearney | Nominated | |
| Maggie Miles | Nominated | ||
| Robert Connolly | Nominated | ||
| Australian Directors Guild Award | Best Direction in a Feature Film | Nominated | |
| AWGIE Award | Best Writing in a Feature Film - Original | Nominated | |
| Steve Worland | Nominated | ||
| ASE Award | Best Editing in a Feature Film | Nick Meyers | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Generation Kplus - Crystal Bear for Best Film | Robert Connolly | Nominated |
| Jerusalem Film Festival | Young Critics Club Award for Best Children's Film | Won | |
| Seattle International Film Festival | Youth Jury Award | Nominated |
Steve Worland, who co-wrotePaper Planes, novelised the screenplay into a best-selling book for young readers. It was published on 2 January 2015 throughPuffin Books. It includes directions on how to fold a paper plane, photographs from the film, and notes about the production.
