29 APRIL 2010

MADMAN presents ‘EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP’ – A film by Banksy.

MELBOURNE, Thursday, 29 April 2010: Madman proudly presents the Australian release of Exit Through the Gift Shop, the first film by world famous street artist, Banksy.

As a personal introduction, Banksy’s penned a letter for the world premiere of his debut feature film at Sundance went a little something like this….. “Ladies and gentlemen, and publicists: Trying to make a movie which truly conveys the raw thrill and expressive power of art is very difficult. So we haven’t bothered. Instead, this is simply an everyday tale of life, longing, and mindless vandalism. Everything you are about to see is true, especially the bit where we all lie. Thanks for coming, please don’t give away the ending on Twitter. And please, don’t try copying any of this stuff at home, wait until you get to work.”

And so it goes that the artist, political commentator and social prankster known as Banksy makes his foray into cinema by doing exactly what he does best, warping reality into something much more fun! In this, ‘the world’s first street art disaster movie’, Banksy becomes the prize catch of Thierry Guetta, a French shop-keep turned videographer who becomes obsessed with finding and filming the elusive painter. Also featuring the likes of Shephard Fairey (Obey), Space Invader and a slew of street art luminaries, Exit Through the Gift Shop totally delivers – a funny, raucous (and cautionary) tale on art, ambition and the cult of celebrity.

Despite the city’s unconditional cultural embrace of street art, Banksy’s work has had a somewhat chequered past in Melbourne – with his ‘Little Diver’ being maliciously vandalised, then quietly resurrected again as a replica at an unknown date in April 2010. Most recently, Banksy’s infamous ‘parachuting rat’ in Hosier Lane was accidentally rubbed out by a graffiti clean-up crew. Again, replicas are beginning to spring up all over the city. As of Wednesday 28th April, the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has extended an open invitation for Banksy to return to Melbourne and has also floated the option of commissioning a new work.

Exit Through the Gift Shop has premiered in both Sundance and Berlin film festivals and has opened to acclaim in the U.K. and the U.S.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is on limited release in cinemas across Australia from June 3. See ‘Notes To Editors’ section for dates in each capital city and visit www.madman.com.au/banksy (coming soon) for more.

You can watch the trailer for Exit Through The Gift Shop here.