Catherine Martin's costumes from Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed movie Elvis have arrived at the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra, joining the exhibition Australians and Hollywood as a major drawcard.
See the famous 'Aztec' jumpsuit that the King wears in his final concert that concludes the film; the pink woollen suit jacket he wears in at his breakthrough performance; the 'Blue Wheat' jumpsuit; and more costumes worn by star Austin Butler and other cast members.
Australians and Hollywood has been running for a year in the nation's capital, and new arrivals also include props from Jane Campion's Oscar-winning western The Power of the Dog. Other highlights include customised steering wheels from Mad Max: Fury Road, spectacular costumes from Moulin Rouge! and The Sapphires; and Luhrmann and Martin’s famous art concept books for Romeo + Juliet.
Two years in the making and presented with major partner VisitCanberra, Australians and Hollywood contains never-before publicly seen objects, costumes, original documents and footage from the archive’s huge collection, augmented by loans from the private collections of some of Australia’s most celebrated actors, cinematographers and filmmakers, including Eric Bana and Mia Wasikowska.
With dozens of Australians contributing to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, filmmakers such as George Miller and Luhrmann hailed as visionaries, the likes of Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and Cate Blanchett admired as A listers internationally, and First Nations storytellers like Rachel Perkins and Warwick Thornton the toast of international film festivals, there’s no denying the influence of the so-called “Aussiewood”. The show is a chance to find out more and take the opportunity to visit Canberra while you’re at it.
Full-price tickets to the exhibition are $16, and there are accommodation packages being offered at Accor Hotels in Canberra starting at $171/night too. Packages include accommodation, breakfast, an exclusive tote bag and tickets to Australians and Hollywood.