New Australian film TERROR NULLIUS upsets its own funder ahead of world premiere

A new Australian film has had its support withdrawn by the very same organisation that funded it. One day before the world premiere of TERROR NULLIUS, a new project from art collective Soda_Jerk, the initiative that provided its $100,000 budget – the Ian Potter Moving Image Commission – has distanced itself from the film.

On the weekend Soda_Jerk, ran by Australian sisters Dan and Dominique Angeloro, wrote a Facebook post claiming the Ian Potter Foundation had withdrawn their support of TERROR NULLIUS.

Soda_Jerk wrote: “They pulled their support from the work they commissioned, because it’s not in line with their conservative political values. They even called it ‘un-Australian’, which we guess we can thank them for, providing the film with a perfect tagline to carry for the rest of its life.”

The Foundation responded by issuing a statement,  saying that it “does not wish to be associated with the marketing or publicity promoting this production.” The Foundation did not go into much detail, other than noting that the film was “a very controversial piece of art,” suggesting it is too controversial for their liking.

The website of Melbourne’s ACMI Cinemas, where the 55 minute film will screen from March 20 to July 1, describes TERROR NULLIUS as “a blistering, badly behaved sample-based film that confronts the horror of our contemporary moment.”

In other words…we’re intrigued.

Soda_Jerk’s style is to remix elements of existing films and television programs. The trailer for the film is a scene from The Road Warrior, mixed with a speech from John Howard. Check it out below, and visit the ACMI website for screening information.