Standing Up for Sunny

2019 film directed by Steven Vidler

  • Steven Vidler
Written bySteven VidlerProduced byDrew Bailey
Jamie Hilton
Michael PontinStarringRJ Mitte
Sam Reid
Matt NableCinematographyMark BlissEdited byDany CooperMusic byCaitlin Yeo
Production
companies
See Pictures
Spectrum Films
Ticket to Ride
Distributed byMadman Entertainment
Release date
  • 12 June 2019 (2019-06-12) (Sydney Film Festival)
Running time
105 minutesCountryAustraliaLanguageEnglish

Standing Up for Sunny is a 2019 Australian film comedy written and directed by Steven Vidler, and starring RJ Mitte, Sam Reid and Matt Nable. It won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Indie Film.

Synopsis

An isolated man with cerebral palsy is railroaded into helping an unassertive comedienne, and finds love and acceptance through stand-up comedy.[1]

Cast

  • RJ Mitte as Travis
  • Sam Reid as Mikey
  • Matt Nable as Male Interviewer
  • Barry Humphries as himself
  • Ella Scott Lynch as Felicity
  • Philippa Northeast as Sunny
  • Italia Hunt as Gordo

Production

Filming took place in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 2018.[citation needed]

Release

The film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2019.[2]

It was also shown at CinefestOZ to a packed audience in September 2019.[3]

The general release date was 5 December 2019.[4]

Reception

Standing Up for Sunny received favourable reviews from Australian critics.

Andrew F. Peirce of The Curb said, "It’s so rare to see a film that shines this brightly, and it’s so rare to see one that gives people with disabilities the chance to be funny".[3]

Matthew Eeles of Cinema Australia called the film, "Tender, clever and very, very funny".[5]

Julian Wood at Filmink said, "The film is certainly amiable, and the low budget gives it a sense of immediacy and authenticity".[4]

Isobel Sanby at Newsworthy gave the film four stars and stated, "What Standing Up for Sunny communicates is that it is not just representation on screen that needs to be addressed, it is accessibility holistically".[2]

Awards and nominations

Standing Up for Sunny won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Indie Film in the 10th AACTA Awards.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Standing Up for Sunny". IMDb.
  2. ^ a b Sanby, Isobel (20 September 2019). "Breaking good: 'Sunny' is a gem you should find". Newsworthy.
  3. ^ a b Peirce, Andrew F. (26 September 2019). "Standing Up for Sunny Cinefest Oz Review - A Genuinely Hilarious Treat of a Film". The Curb. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b Wood, Julian. "Standing Up for Sunny". Filmink.
  5. ^ Eeles, Matthew (23 May 2019). "Review: Standing Up For Sunny". Cinema Australia.
  6. ^ "Winners & Nominees". AACTA. Retrieved 26 February 2024.

External links