Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awards 2025:
Congratulations to Scott Hicks and the team behind The Musical Mind: a portrait in process, for winning the AACTA Award for ‘Best Cinematography’ in February 2025. The film was also nominated in the ‘Best Documentary’ category. Read the list of winners and nominees here.
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25 years on from the release of Shine, the Academy Award-winning blockbuster by internationally renowned director, Scott Hicks, Simon Tedeschi features alongside extraordinary creative minds Daniel Johns, Ben Folds, and pianist David Helfgott as in Hicks’ new film: The Musical Mind: a portrait in process.
“Sparked by the impending 25th anniversary of the Academy award-winning blockbuster Shine, this vivid theatrical film explores the power of the musical brain. Featuring exclusive, intimate footage of super-star international musicians in their private worlds, it opens an intriguing portal into the musical mind.
A glimpse into the private worlds and elite musical processes of four superstar musicians, brought together through their connection with the blockbuster movie Shine and its director Scott Hicks. We meet international rock star Daniel Johns, one of Australia’s greatest musical talents. Accessing his subconscious, he escapes the chaos of existence in his musical discoveries.
American rock maestro Ben Folds finds inspiration in everyday fragments, weaving complex arrangements with a symphony orchestra, while classical pianist Simon Tedeschi surprises us with the athletic physicality that a nine-foot Steinway concert grand demands.
Threaded throughout is David Helfgott whose story inspired Shine, his love of water reflecting the fluidity of his playing that he shares with the next generation of emerging musicians.
These four enormous talents are interwoven by portraits, created on camera, by renowned artist Loribelle Spirovski. A celebration of the individuality of the creative brain, The Musical Mind explores the remarkable ability of four extraordinary musicians to channel their unique instincts and individual neurodiversity into sublime musical creations, unlocking profound emotion through the borderless language of music.”
Watch the trailer here.
