Persons Of Interest 

 Finalist in the 2014 NSW Premier's History Awards

We're pleased to announce that PERSONS OF INTEREST has just been selected as a finalist in the 2014 NSW Premier's History Awards.  This is a great acknowledgement of the rigor of our research and the quality of it's presentation.  The Award will be presented by the Premier at a glittering ceremony on September 5th.  The judges' citation says:

"Persons Of Interest uses the historical records of ASIO to good effect - showing how the agency's films, photographs and written files can offer new insights and information for historians seeking to understand Australia's response to the Cold War and rapid social change in the 1960s and 70s.  This is combined with interviews with participants, experts and former personnel.  The result is powerful and compelling viewing."

Aboriginal activist Gary Foley - Person Of Interest

In a glittering ceremony at the Paddington RSL in Sydney PERSONS OF INTEREST was named as documentary of the year by the Film Critics Circle of Australia.  Given that the Award is chosen by Australia's professional film critics we're honoured to have been chosen.  

The series has just been made avalaible on theage-tv and smh-tv the Fairfax media's streaming site.  All four episodes are avaliable free of charge.  They look great, and after more than a million people saw the series on TV we're hoping the streaming will be well supported.  Below is the link that gets you to the series.  Just click through to choose the episode you'd like to watch.

http://www.smh.com.au/tv/source/Smart-Street-Films

We're currently discussing the development of a second series with SBS and hope we will have some positive news in the next few weeks.

PERSONS OF INTEREST, our Walkley Award nominated, ASIO TV series commences it's premier season on SBS-TV next Tuesday January 7th at 8.30 p.m.  Each week we give someone their previously secret intelligence file and ask them to answer the allegations it contains.  These are the files that blighted lives, destroyed careers and broke up families.  In the hunt for communists and subversives the end justified the means.  ASIO fed politicians the fear they could on sell to the electorate.  This created a cosy relationship between Government and it's spies to the mutual benefit of both.

Persons Of Interest details four files, one each week.  Roger Milliss journalist, Michael Hyde student revolutionary, Gary Foley aboriginal activist and Frank Hardy, communist author. The files of these four men are revealed against the backdrop of some of the great events of the twentieth century.  These are personal stories in a political landscape. Funny, tragic, even absurd  - these stories are the secret history of Australia and the power of the intelligence agencies.

With the current scandal involving the NSA, Edward Snowden and Australian intelligence agencies spying on friends for the benefit of oil companies; PERSONS OF INTEREST is the history we can learn from.  With intelligence agencies seemingly running their own agenda, politicians too frightened to say no and little effective oversight, intelligence agencies have more power than ever.  PERSONS OF INTEREST is a timely addition to an important debate.

A one off never to be repeated screening of our Walkley Award finalist  PERSONS OF INTEREST will happen at the CinemaNova in Carlton next Tuesday and Wednesday December 17 & 18 at 6.30 p.m.  All four episodes of the series will be screened two on the 17th and two on the 18th.  Each session will be followed by Q&A with the Director Haydn Keenan and a number of ASIO's targets Gary Foley, Allan Hardy, Michael Hyde and Arthur Dent, (formerly know as Albert Langer).  It looks great on the big screen so don't miss this opportunity to see it in the best possible conditions.