Richard Frankland facts for kids
Richard Joseph Frankland is an Australian Aboriginal man from the Gunditjmara people in Victoria. He is a talented playwright (someone who writes plays), scriptwriter, and musician. Richard Frankland has worked hard to support Aboriginal Australian causes.
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Early Life and Background
Richard Joseph Frankland was born in Melbourne, Australia. He spent most of his childhood growing up on the coast in south-west Victoria. He is a proud Gunditjmara man, which is an Aboriginal nation from that area.
Richard's Career Journey
Richard Frankland has had many different jobs. He worked as a soldier and a fisherman. He also worked as a field officer for the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. This was a big investigation from 1987 to 1991. It looked into why so many Aboriginal people were dying while in police custody.
His experiences during this investigation deeply affected him. They inspired him to write several plays. These plays include No Way to Forget, Who Killed Malcolm Smith, and Conversations with the Dead.
Films and Plays
Richard Frankland won an important award called an AFI Award in 1996. He won it for Best Screenplay for his short film No Way to Forget. This was a special moment because it was the first time an Indigenous director won an AFI Award. His film was even shown at the famous 1996 Cannes Film Festival in France. It was also shown on Australian TV by SBS.
He also wrote and directed a feature film called Harry's War in 1999. This movie was based on his uncle's experiences during World War II on the Kokoda Trail. Harry's War was shown at the British War Memorial in London. It also won Best Short Film at a special awards event for black filmmakers in Hollywood, hosted by director Spike Lee.
In 2002, his play Conversations with the Dead was performed. It featured well-known Indigenous actors like Wayne Blair and Lillian Crombie. In 2004, this powerful play was even performed at the United Nations.
Richard Frankland's Music
Richard Frankland is also a talented musician. His music can be heard in many of his films. In 1992, his first band, Djaambi, had the amazing chance to open for the famous musician Prince during his Australian tour.
In 1990, Richard formed another band called The Charcoal Club. This band included both Indigenous and non-Indigenous members. They released three albums: The Charcoal Club (2002), Cry Freedom (2005), and Hearts Full of Rust (2010).
Other Important Work
In the early 1990s, Richard Frankland started an organization called Mirimbiak Nations Aboriginal Corporation (MNAC). This was the first statewide Aboriginal land organization in Victoria in about 25 years. MNAC helped represent traditional owners and made native title claims across Victoria. Native title is about Aboriginal people's rights to their traditional lands.
Richard also helped create Defenders of Native Title (DONT). This group later became Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTAR). Both groups work to support Aboriginal land rights and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
In 2004, he helped start a political party called Your Voice. This happened after an important Aboriginal organization called ATSIC was closed down. Richard believed that Aboriginal people needed a strong voice in politics. He said it was time to ask all Australians if they believed in fairness and if they wanted Indigenous Australians to have a voice in Parliament.
Academia and Teaching
Richard Frankland has also worked in education. He was the Head of the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the University of Melbourne. As of 2020, he is an Associate Professor at the Victorian College of the Arts. He teaches about different types of art and how they connect.
Music Albums
- Down Three Waterholes Road – Larrikin (1997)
- Dingo's Brekky Richard Frankland and the New Senate – Blackhorn Productions (2000)
- The Charcoal Club: Meeting One The Charcoal Club – Taram Records (2002)
- Cry Freedom: Meeting Two The Charcoal Club – Taram Records (2005)
Awards and Recognition
Richard Frankland has received many awards for his work:
- 2008 – Roz Bower Awards (Australia Council) – For his leadership and artistic work focused on reconciliation and social justice.
- 2007 – 'Winner Outstanding Achievement' – Deadly Awards – For The Circuit.
- 2004 – Uncle Jackie Charles Award – For his contributions to Indigenous Theatre – Ilbijerri Theatre Company.
- 2000 – 'Best Short Film' – St Tropez Film Festival – For Harry's War.
- 2000 – 'Best Short Film' – Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame (US) – For Harry's War.
- 2000 – 'Best Short Film' – Atom Awards – For Harry's War.
- 2000 – 'Best International Short Film' (Jury Award) – Hollywood Black Film Festival – For Harry's War.
- 1999 – 'Best Short Australian Film promoting Human Values' – Melbourne International Film Festival – For Harry's War.
- 1996 – 'Best Short Film', 'Best Sound in a Short Film' – Australian Film Institute Awards – For No Way to Forget.
- 1993 – 'Best Documentary' – Australian Film Institute Awards – For Who Killed Malcolm Smith.
