WAKE IN FRIGHT
Special Features: 55th Anniversary | New 4K Restoration | Intro by Imani Davis, Film Programmer, American Cinematheque, on Mon, June 15, 7:00 p.m.
Alongside George Miller’s MAD MAX and Nicolas Roeg’s WALKABOUT, WAKE IN FRIGHT is widely acknowledged as one of the seminal films in the development of modern Australian cinema. Directed by Ted Kotcheff (FIRST BLOOD, NORTH DALLAS FORTY), it tells the story of a British schoolteacher’s descent into personal corruption at the hands of drunken, deranged derelicts while stranded in a small town in the outback of Australia. WAKE IN FRIGHT was one of two Australian films (the other being WALKABOUT) to compete for the top prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Musician Nick Cave called it “the best and most terrifying film about Australia in existence.” DIR Ted Kotcheff; SCR Evan Jones, from the novel by Kenneth Cook; PROD George Willoughby. Australia/U.S/UK, 1971, color, 109 min. RATED R
About Imani Davis
Imani Davis is film programmer at the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, and also a producer and writer. At the American Cinematheque, a 501c3 nonprofit boasting over 1,600 film screenings a year, Imani has worked to put on events with A-list filmmakers and talent such as Timothée Chalamet, Sofia Coppola, Spike Lee, Sean Baker, Jordan Peele, Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Damien Chazelle, Christopher Nolan and many more. Imani is also the founder and lead programmer of the American Cinematheque's short film festival called PROOF, the only festival completely dedicated to proof-of-concept short films, which has resulted in projects coming to fruition and premiering at festivals such as Sundance and Rotterdam.
Run Time: 109 Minutes
Opening Date: Monday, June 15, 2026
Genre: Thriller, drama
Introduction