Wide Open Sky is an uplifting documentary about a children’s choir in a remote corner of outback Australia. Out here, footy is king and music education is rare as rain. The children travel far from home to music camp to prepare for a big concert in Coonamble. They have three days to learn a demanding repertoire. Wide Open Sky follows four primary-aged children brave enough to dream big. While the choir means something different to each of them, it matters a hell-of-a-lot to all of them. Moving and funny, the film reminds us why no child, anywhere, should grow up without music.
HOW TO SEE WIDE OPEN SKY
THE FILMMAKERS
LISA NICOL
DIRECTOR / WRITER / PRODUCER
Lisa Nicol is a writer and documentary-maker. She established Round The Outside Productions to produce her own films with long-time friends and collaborators Anna Craney and Carolyn Constantine. With music at the heart of most of their work, Wide Open Sky is their first feature-length documentary. It follows A Night At Sea – about legendary underground musician Louis Tillett. Working across film, television, radio and print, Lisa's work has been broadcast on ABC TV, pay TV networks and Radio National. Her documentary about Australian poet Benjamin Frater won a Silver medal at the 2012 New York Festivals International Radio Program and Promotions Awards. She has been published by all the major Australian broadsheets. Her first children's book The Ballad of Dexi Lee was published in 2013. Her second - Dr Boogaloo & The Girl Who Lost Her Laughter was published in 2017 by Penguin/Random House. Her third third - Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth is coming soon in 2019.
Anna Craney
editor/producer
Anna Craney is the editor of award-winning documentaries. Wide Open Sky won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Sydney Film Festival 2015. Pitch Battle (Foreign Correspondent) won the ASE award for Best Editing Short Form 2015. You Only Live Twice - the Incredibly True Story of the Hughes Family won the AFI Award for Best Documentary 2010. Searching for Sandeep won the Audience Award Sydney Film Festival 2007. Girl in a Mirror won Film Critics Circle Best Documentary 2005 and the Dendy Short Film Award and Best Documentary and the Rose D'Or Switzerland.
Carolyn Constantine
cinematographer
Carolyn Constantine began her career in Sydney where she earned a reputation for having an original and unique eye. This has been cemented with notable work as DOP on films by Australian directors such as Cate Shortland, Pentuphouse (Kodak and Dendy Award winner) and Somersault (2nd Unit DOP and director), Husein, Beginnings (Dendy Award winner) and Carla Drago, Boomerang (Tropfest best cinematography). She has equally made a mark on US projects with Sundance Award winning director Laura Paglin’s Night Owls of Coventry. Carolyn has TV drama operating and DOP credits including All Saints, Rake and Please like Me. Documentary credits include Yajilarra which screened at the UN, Brian Eno, the highly acclaimed Smoke & Mirrors filmed at the famous Spiegeltent and Yoko Ono at the MCA. Carolyn has extended her talents - producing and directing the story of a milliner from the Kimberley taking on the fashion world in Madhattan.