ABC dramas Stateless and Mystery Road (series 2) will make their world premieres at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in February.
The compelling new programs, airing on ABC TV in 2020, are the only Australian television series selected for the 70th Berlinale, one of the world’s largest and most-distinguished public film festivals.
Powerful new six-part drama series Stateless will debut on the ABC and ABC iview on Sunday, 1 March at 8.40pm.
An air hostess escaping a cult, an Afghan refugee saving his family, an Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat trying to contain a national scandal each struggle – to the limits of their sanity – with an immigration system that is itself struggling. In their stories we see the challenges of border protection countries around the world are currently grappling with.
Co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie, Stateless is written by Elise McCredie and Belinda Chayko, directed by Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse, produced by Sheila Jayadev and Paul Ranford for Matchbox Pictures and Dirty Films, with Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Tony Ayres and Liz Watts as Executive Producers. Elise McCredie is Showrunner and Executive Producer. ABC Executive Producers are Sally Riley and Andrew Gregory. The series will be distributed worldwide by NBCUniversal International Distribution.
Series 2 of the AACTA and Logie award-winning Mystery Road, sees the return of Detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen) to take on a grisly case in an Australian coastal community. Filmed in Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsular and Broome, is helmed by multi award-winning directors Warwick Thornton and Wayne Blair. The outstanding ensemble cast also includes Jada Alberts, Callan Mulvey, Tasma Walton, Rob Collins and Ngaire Pigram. The series is produced in association with all3media International
Sally Riley, ABC Head of Drama, said:
“The ABC is proud to fly the flag for outstanding Australian content at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. Stateless and Mystery Road exemplify the ABC’s commitment to distinctive Australian stories that resonate around the world. This recognition also celebrates the high calibre of our homegrown talent, on and off camera, that make these shows possible.”
Michael Brealey, Screen Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
“To have two distinctive, premium television dramas in Stateless and Mystery Road Series 2 representing the Australian industry at this year’s Berlin Film Festival is a real coup. We are proud to have invested in both shows, with these projects featuring some of our country’s best talent in front of and behind the camera, and showcasing the diversity of Australia’s people and our landscapes. Congratulations to the creatives, cast and crew, and to the ABC for its continued commitment to exceptional Australian storytelling.”
