The predator in a sea sharks
Luke Graham, son of New Zealand rugby league player Mark ‘SHARKO’ Graham, will premiere his feature documentary about his father’s story in Christchurch in late June.
A look at one of this country’s most enigmatic league heroes, reknowned for his speed, size, and skill, SHARKO provides intimate insight into a man who ruled the field here from 1976 to 2006.
Described as a predator in a sea of sharks, Mark was the catalyst that brought his teams and country to greatness. While he reached new heights in his sport, Mark was a mystery to his son and biggest fan, Luke.
SHARKO’s world premiere will take place on 27 June at Lumiere Cinemas, followed by an encore screening on 29 June at Alice Cinema, with Luke attending for a questions and answers session.
In the documentary, follow Luke as he learns about his father’s past, through the hardships and glory, and the cost of success. Luke shares Mark’s story through a skewed perspective, a history that is scarred by pain and loss.
SHARKO is written, directed, and produced by Luke, who says it is an honour for the documentary team to be included in the Doc Edge Festival. “Our world premiere screening is going to be thrilling, and a little scary for all of us.”
The documentary is also produced by Jonathan Page (H is for Happiness) and Kylie Pascoe (The Art of Incarceration). Executive Producer is Jonathan Shteinman (Brabham). SHARKO has received principal production funding from Screen Australia and was developed and produced with investment from Gladstone Regional Council, Regional Arts Australia, Regional Arts Fund, Capricorn Film Festival and Screen Queensland. Doc Edge festival producer Rachael Penman says it is a “deeply personal and moving story,” one they are excited to premiere
at home.
Academy Award potential
In its 19th year, the Doc Edge Festival is one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals worldwide, celebrating, supporting, and showcasing ground-breaking documentaries.
As one of the few Academy Awards® qualifying festivals for feature and short documentaries, the festival organisers strive to select world and international premieres that are eligible for Academy Awards® contention. They take pride in being one of the leading film festivals in the Pacific and are particularly interested in supporting filmmakers with Pacific content and subjects.
Each world and international premiere is carefully selected for its eligibility in contention for an Academy Award®.
