Education
Connolly was educated at Sydney"s Saint Ignatius" College, Riverview and attended Sydney University.
Connolly was educated at Sydney"s Saint Ignatius" College, Riverview and attended Sydney University.
He is best known for his documentaries produced over the past 30 years, including The Highlands Trilogy and Rats in the Ranks. More recent films include Facing the Music (2001) and Mrs Carey"s Concert (2011). He trained as a journalist at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (American Broadcasting Company), where he worked for almost a decade as a foreign correspondent, current affairs reporter and documentary filmmaker.
In 1980 he left the American Broadcasting Company to work independently with Robin Anderson.
Their first film together was River Journey (1980), Shot on 35mm film during an arduous 2 week rafting trip down Tasmania"s Franklin River, the film played a major role in the river"s subsequent preservation. Foreign the next twelve years Connolly and Anderson directed their focus on the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
In 1986 following training in 16mm cinematography and sound recording at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), they returned to the Highlands to make Joe Leahy"s Neighbours (1989) followed by Black Harvest (1992). In 1996, Rats in the Ranks followed treachery in the inner workings of Sydney inner city Leichhardt Council.
2001 saw the release of Facing the Music, Connolly and Anderson"s last film.
Anderson died in 2002, and Connolly initially intended to end his film making career, however 2011 saw the release of Mrs Carey"s Concert. After opening in 70 cinemas in Australia the film became one of the most successful Australian theatrical documentaries of all time.