Stone Bros

After impressing audiences as the Opening Night Film at the Dungog Film Festival in 09, STONE BROS., a deadly new comedy from Writer/Director Richard J Frankland, has been picked up for national distribution by the Australian Film Syndicate, with a release date set for Thursday 24th September, 2009.

More a road-com than a rom-com, STONE BROS. is the first feature length indigenous comedy to hit Australian cinema screens. It is an irrepressible, character driven adventure, a fresh and identifiable buddy flick, and above all, a bloody good Aussie yarn.

Eddie (Luke Carroll) is getting jack of city life and decides its time to reconnect with his blackfella roots, so he takes off in his beat-up Ford Fairlane to find and return a sacred stone to his hometown, Kalgoorlie. But he hadnt bargained on his skirt-chasing, hard-living cuz Charlie (Leon Burchill) forcing himself along for the ride. Eddies spiritual quest takes a further detour when they encounter an Italian sex-god (Valentino Del Toro), a soul-searching cop (Peter Phelps), an ambitious drag queen (David Page) and a demon dog possessed by Charlies jilted girlfriend.

This fun loving journey into the Australian outback stars some of Australias freshest faces and a few well loved favourites as well. Luke Carroll (Australian Rules, The Tender Hook, Children Of The Revolution), Leon Burchill (Lacey, Kooris in the Mist, Out at Sea), Valentino Del Toro (Fools Gold, Gabriel) and David Page (Award winning resident composer for the Bangarra Dance Theatre), all bring their own unique personality to this road movie escapade.

Peter Phelps, a favourite face across Australian film and TV, with roles ranging across Sons and Daughters, Stingers and Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, makes a guest appearance as a policemen on his own spiritual quest. Is he black? Is he white? Is he blacker than the not black enough Eddie (Luke Carroll)?

He is just one of the myriad of characters that the boys stumble across on the road to never never!

About the Filmmakers & Cast

Richard J Frankland, Writer/Director
A long time writer, performer, and activist, from the Gunditjmara nation, Frankland first became involved in film production when he co-wrote and featured in the award-winning documentary Who Killed Malcolm Smith. This film focused on a case from Franklands days with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. He retraced his life as a Field Officer with the Commission when he wrote and directed the short film No Way to Forget that screened at the Cannes International Film Festival in the category of Un Certain Regard and also won an AFI Award for Best Short Film in 1996.

Richard Frankland more recently directed the Disney childrens series Double Trouble in Alice Springs, and prior to this he directed several episodes of Southern Stars award-winning television series Blue Heelers. 2006 saw Richard directing episodes of the highly acclaimed award winning SBS Indigenous drama series The Circuit in Broome, which was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Direction in Television for Episode 6.

Richard Frankland was also the executive producer on the television documentary After Mabo (1997) and wrote and directed the award-winning short drama Harrys War (1999). He currently performs with his band The Charcoal Club, and has recently published his first book, The Diary of Digger J Jones.

Luke Carroll (Eddie)
Luke Carroll has gathered a remarkable range of credits and experiences after beginning his career at a very tender age. Nominated for AFI Awards in 2002 for Best Supporting Actor in Australian Rules, and in 2006 for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series for R.A.N, Carroll also went on to win Best Actor at POV 2003 for his performance in the Short Film Free. Carrolls film credits also include The Tender Hook, and Children of the Revolution.

In Theatre, Carroll has had leads roles in Capricornia (2006) and A Midsummer Nights Dream, (2004) at Belvoir St Theatre, Riverland for the 2004 Adelaide Festival, Eora Crossing for The Sydney Festival 2004, Conversations with the Dead (also Belvoir St), Purple Dreams, My Girragundji (Bell Shakespeare) and Cherry Pickers (STC).

Carroll has recently filmed episodes in Home and Away for Channel Seven, worked with Catherine Freeman in Going Bush for SBS and starred in The Alice for the Nine Network. Working on RAN for SBS was another highlight and Carroll has also appeared in Stingers, All Saints, Water Rats, Heartbreak High, Man from Snowy River and The Flying Doctors.

Leon Burchill (Charlie)
Leon Burchill graduated from NIDA in 2005. His theatre credits include Cosi, Grazing the Phosphorous, One Mans Funk, The Seagull and A Midsummers Night Dream. Leon has also been involved in a number of short films including Lacey, Alacart, Kooris in the Mist and Out at Sea.

Valentino Del Toro (Vinnie)
Valentinos recent feature credits include Fools Gold and Gabriel, while his TV credits include The Strip, All Saints, Sea Patrol and Two Twisted.

David Page (Regina)
David Page, award winning resident composer for the Bangarra Dance Theatre, grew up as an all-dancing, all-singing child star, who, before his voice broke, scored two top 10 hits and appeared on Countdown and The Paul Hogan Show. A drag artiste, and successful playwright/stage actor, Page started acting for film in Warwick Thorntons acclaimed short Green Bush.