After the Bollywood awards, March is certainly promising for movie fans ! With the new edition of Aussie movies at Serge Constantin theatre, Vacoas, from 18th to 23rd March, highlighted by the presence of award-winning director Shirley Barrett, the Australian High Commission, in partnership with the Ministry of Arts and Culture and the Mauritius Film Development Corporation, is well inspired indeed. Not the least because most local cinemas have become reluctant to schedule original versions of English-speaking movies.

Festivals held in Mauritius in 2002 and 2003 helped us discover more about this dynamic production. We already know how rich and lively the Australian film industry is, not only from box office successes like George Miller?s Mad Max (1979) or Babe (1998), Peter Faiman?s Crocodile Dundee (1986), or Stephan Elliott?s Adventures of Priscilla, queen of the desert, but also from some of Jane Campion?s best works - like the Piano Lesson (1992)- or Scott Hicks? Shine (1996).

Shirley Barrett created a surprise with Love serenade at the Cannes Festival in 1996. She was ultimately distinguished there in the category ?un certain regard? by the Caméra d?or award. In this movie, depicting a triangular relationship between two sisters who love the same man, she has managed to reinvent romantic love. The prospect of having the director herself to present the film will make a special event of the projection of Love serenade, on Monday 20th, after Adam Elliot?s oscarised short, Harvie Krumpet (2004) at 8 p.m.

In all, eight feature films and eight shorts will be presented on these five days and entrance is free : on Saturday 18th, Getting? Square, by Jonathan Telitsky (2003) will be preceded by Glendyn Lims? Crackerbag (15 mins) at 2 pm, selected at the Sundance Festival in 2002. The feature film is about the difficulty for an ex-prisoner to get on the straight and narrow. An evening session will follow at 8 p.m. with Warwick Thomton?s Mimi, and The Tracker (2002 ?98 mins) by Rolf de Heer. The next evening will culminate with Above the dust level (9 mins) by Carla Diago and The Hard Word by Scott Roberts after a fine start at 2 pm with Dylan Yeo fable on global warming, Mozzie, and Kate Wood?s fantasque feature, Looking for Alibrandi.