Ellis Park premiere with Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis, the brilliant Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds musician, reveals his life’s ups and downs as well as his dedication to wildlife in Justin Kurzel’s (Snowtown) doco debut.

Beyond music, Ellis’s passion project is a wildlife sanctuary in the forests of Sumatra: at “Ellis Park”, trafficked and mistreated animals are nursed back to health by a devoted team of carers led by indefatigable activist Femke den Haas. Returning a creature to the wild, Ellis brims with the same ardent candour as he does when jamming with his dad back in Ballarat. In telling his life story, from playing his first gig to forming The Dirty Three and beyond, he draws a bow between his hedonistic, addictive years, his redemption, and the sanctuary’s traumatised residents.

Kurzel’s inspiring documentary, scored by Ellis, is an apt celebration of his talent and humility, and his commitment to the animal kingdom.

Warren Ellis will attend the Ellis Park screening to introduce the film. As an additional event, Ellis will take the City Recital Hall stage for 'An Evening With Warren Ellis' – an intimate conversation and short performance presented with Vivid Sydney. Admission to the film does not include tickets to the talk. 

Find out more and book tickets to 'An Evening With Warren Ellis' here.

A celebration too big for a small screen. See the bigger picture at Sydney Film Festival, June 4-15. Explore all films: sff.org.au