Cane toads set to hop off screen
AUSTRALIA has produced its first ever 3D feature length film and its star is one of the most hated animals in the Far North.
Northern New South Wales based filmmaker Mark Lewis has produced a sequel to his cult classic, Cane Toads: an Unnatural History.
The AFI-winning and BAFTA nominated movie, which was released in 1988, still holds the honour of being one of Australia's most successful documentaries, promoted as being "more brutal than Reservoir Dogs."
Twenty-two years later, Mr Lewis has returned with a sequel, Cane Toads: The Conquest, which he has filmed entirely in 3D.
The movie will be screening at the famous Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2010.
With a cheeky nod to Hollywood director James Cameron's upcoming 3D release Avatar, Mr Lewis described The Conquest as "the Avatar" of documentary films.
"We made the decision to produce and create it in 3D, and we went through a lot of challenges and a lot of trouble, and we shot it in 3D and we finished it in 3D," Mr Lewis told The Weekend Post.
"So it's Australia’s first ever 3D feature film. I don't really call it a documentary, it's just a sweet little film.
"It's going to expose the cane toad in 3D to a lot of different people."
The film explores the history, sciences, human conflict and the bizarre culture surrounding Australia's most notorious environmental blunder, after it was introduced on to a property at Gordonvale more than 70 years ago in a failed attempt to kill off the cane beetle.
Mr Lewis said the film features several colourful Far North Queensland identities.
"How could I not feature Cairns?'" Mr Lewis said.
"The film traces the journey of the toad and we encounter a lot of desperate characters that had some role in its life - the people who hate them to the people who love them."
Since Mr Lewis's original film was released in 1988, he said the cane toad had grown as much in infamy as its distribution.
"The toads have continued their spread from town to town and from state to state, now occupying nearly a third of the country," Mr Lewis said.
"At the same time, they have evolved into a bigger, faster, even more robust creature.
"The situation is constantly evolving, both in terms of the ecological impact and the cultural impact of toads.
"So it made sense to look at where we - and the toads - have got to now."
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Cut: Australian toads have taken centre stage again in a sequel to the cult classic documentary, Cane Toads: an Unnatural History, but this time they will be hopping off the screen in 3D.
Filming: Mark Lewis during filming.
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