Coolamon Media Australia

12 Wareham Street
Suffolk Park, Byron Bay
NSW 2481
Australia

ph: 61(0) 266 853240
email: richardmordaunt@bigpond.com

Coolamon Films Pty Ltd and Coolamon Media Australia was formed in 1994 by Richard Mordaunt and Diana Barbara.

Our Vision - to make high quality, compelling stories that will make audiences laugh, cry and at the same time educate them. We specialize in informative adventure and social/political/arts productions made for Australian and International TV.

We have in house writers, directors, editors and  producers who are capable of bringing together teams of highly creative people, working at the cutting edge of new technologies and exciting storytelling.

Richard Mordaunt is one of Australia’s most experienced documentary producers with over 30 years experience producing feature documentaries in Australia and the UK. Throughout the 60s and 70s, using the first lightweight cameras, he photographed and directed award winning documentaries in the UK, House of the Rising Sun, Voices, Sweet Soul Music, Ireland Behind the Wire, Seeds of a New Life. Moving to Australia in 1980, he has continued to make films for the international market.

CURRENT PROJECTS

“THE DOLPHIN PEOPLE” - A 1 hour documentary special,

“THE LIFE WORLD” - A I hour portrait of one of Australia’s leading artists, Janet Laurence.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

BRUSHES WITH FAME
55 MIN ABCProducer / Director

The Archibald Portrait Prize is the most popular art event in Australia. It is also unique in the world and attracts artists from all over Australia. We follow five of Australia’s best contemporary artists as they work with their subjects for this highly contentious art prize.

SETTING THE STAGE
55 MIN ABCProducer / Director

As Australia prepares for the 2000 Olympic Games, ‘Setting the Stage’, follows the artists who were commissioned to make major artworks for Australia’s new Olympic site.

WENDY SHARPE
ABC  TV Producer / Director

Wendy Sharpe paints Australia’s biggest mural, based on the life of swimmer / performer Annette Kellerman. Commissioned for the year 2000 for the new Cook and Phillip Park in central Sydney.

DAVID MOORE
ABC TVProducer / Director

Portrait on the life and work of Sydney photographer David Moore.

BATTLE FOR BYRON
55 MIN ABC Co Director

‘Battle for Byron’, made with David Bradbury, tells the story of how an impassioned community of people from all walks of life, committed to free speech and protection of their natural environment , overthrew a Council hell-bent on development at any cost.

BORN IN SOWETO
52 MIN SBSProducer / Editor

‘Born in Soweto’, made with James Ricketson, was filmed inside Soweto and follows the lives of five central characters, each of whose lives are deeply affected by the realities and hopes within the new South Africa.

STEPPING OUT
55 MIN CH 7Co Producer / Editor

‘Stepping Out’ was made with Chris Noonan with music by Keith Jarrett. We follow a small group of intellectually handicapped actors as they learn remarkable new skills whilst preparing to stage a musical of Madame Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House. This film has been shown worldwide and translated into 18 foreign  languages.

AUSTRALIA NOW
55 MIN CINEMACo Producer / Editor

A musical odyssey filmed across Australia which tells how the Australian music industry came of age and the songwriters and musicians behind it.

SEEDS OF A NEW LIFE
55 MIN BBCProducer / Director

‘Seeds of a new life’ was made with Nigel Evans and follows the work of England’s most remarkable Drama teacher, Dorothy Heathcote. Her pioneering work has introduced drama into teaching syllabuses throughout the English speaking world.

IRELAND BEHIND THE WIRE
Part 1 and 290 MIN CINEMA Producer / Director

‘Ireland behind the Wire’ was produced for the British Film Institute and follows the lives of families in Derry and Belfast during the long period of British Army occupation of Northern Ireland.

VOICES
55 MIN CINEMA Producer / Director

‘Voices’ is an intimate portrait of the French Film-maker Jean Luc Godard, filmed in 1968 when Godard felt he was loosing his voice. “Voices” was filmed during the making of One Plus One and stars the Rolling Stones, Black Power and Stokely Carmichael.

NOWTIME
13 by 30 MIN ABC Co Producer / Director

A groundbreaking series, produced with Peter Clifton, which explores the cultural revolution that took hold of England in the late 60s. How a generation of writers, musicians, actors, painters and film-makers rocked the English establishment introducing changes to English culture that would spread across the world.

SWEET SOUL MUSIC
48 MIN CINEMA Producer / Director

Sweet Soul Music was filmed during Otis Redding’s last concerts in London before he was killed in an air accident returning to the States. The film features Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Arthur Conley and Eddie Floyd. It was described by Variety as the best music film since Jazz on a Summers day.

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN
55 MIN BBCProducer / Director

‘House of the Rising Sun’ is a portrait of the rise and fall of the English Pop group “The Animals” led by lead singer Eric Burdon. The film takes us from humble beginnings in Newcastle and London, to Paris and Poland (Auschwitz) and on to the Animals huge success in New York during the Vietnam War, only months before the group shattered into its individual parts worn out by constant touring.

A series of Artist Films

THE NATIONAL ART SCHOOL - Producer / Director

SALVATORE ZOFFREA - Making woodblocksProducer / Director

ROSE  McKINLEY - Making watercoloursProducer / Director

PETER KINGSTON - The harbour artistProducer / Director

DAVIDA ALLEN - Work in ProgressProducer / Director