Ivan Sen’s latest Film, Toomelah, which premiered to a standing ovation at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival where it was selected in Un Certain Regard, has opened in cinemas.

The film is set entirely in the remote Indigenous community of Toomelah, located on the NSW, QLD border.

The story centres on Daniel, a ten year old boy who dreams of being a gangster. He is kicked out of school and befriends a local gang leader, until a rival gangster arrives back from jail to reclaim his turf. A showdown ensues and Daniel is caught in the middle, leaving him with a choice to make about his uncertain future.

Toomelah is a deeply personal story that intimately depicts mission life in contemporary Australia. It is a provocative and yet comic story that transports audiences inside the community, creating an authentic world and way of life that is ‘Toomelah’.

The film was also in Competition at Sydney Film Festival and won the Grand Prix for best film at the Meridian Asia Pacific Film Festival. The lead actor, 10 year old Daniel Connors, is nominated for Best Actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Toomelah is proudly supported through Screen NSW’s Production Finance program. For more information on the film, click here.