Career
Connolly is best known as the director and writer of the feature films Balibo, Three Dollars and The Bank, and the producer of the high-profile Australian films Romulus, My Father and The Boys. Connolly"s first feature film as producer, The Boys, had its world premiere in Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1998. In 1998, Connolly was named by Variety as one of the 10 best emerging producers in the world.
In 2007 Connolly and Arenafilm"s John Maynard together produced the period immigration drama Romulus, My Father, directed by Richard Roxburgh (also an Australian actor), starring Eric Bana and Franka Potente.
In 2009, Connolly directed Balibo, which he co-wrote with David Williamson. John Maynard produced the film, which starred Anthony LaPaglia in the lead role of East.
Balibo was the first feature to be shot in East Timor. Indonesia continues to maintain that the Balibo Five died accidentally in crossfire as its troops battled East Timorese Fretilin rebels, a version of events accepted by successive Australian governments.
But the film depicts the young journalists, who were working for Australian television networks and presumed their nationality afforded them protection, being slaughtered on the orders of Indonesian military chiefs to prevent news of the invasion reaching the world.
Connolly refuses to apologize for his film"s hardline stance, stating that an Australian coroner found in 2007 that the journalists were executed as they tried to surrender to Indonesian forces. "lieutenant"s quite clear the journalists were murdered," Connolly said. Connolly is Melbourne based, having relocated to set up the Arenafilm Melbourne office in late 2006.
He has been definitive about his political approach to filmmaking, saying "Without a doubt, in recent times, the political agenda of the work is what drives us.
We feel a responsibility to use cinema to put a blow torch to contemporary Australia and contribute to some discussion or debate about where we"re headed. That"s what I find most rewarding about lieutenant"
Connolly has screened his films at over 30 international film festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival and San Sebastian Film Festival.
Connolly has been appointed to the new board of Screen Australia.
