A documentary produced by Queensland College of Art alumnus and filmmaker Daryl Sparkes has fought off competition from multi-million dollar feature films such as Sweet Country and The Butterfly Tree to win the Best Sound Design Award in the inaugural OzFlix Independent Film Awards.
Produced by Dr Sparkes, who teaches film at the University of Southern Queensland and written and directed by Leonie Jones, also from USQ, The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral tells the largely unknown story of the longest and hardest battle fought by Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War.
The largest battle Australian forces had been involved in since World War II, 25 Diggers were killed and more than 100 wounded, the most casualties suffered by Australia in any one engagement in the Vietnam War.
The film, narrated by acclaimed Australian actor William McInnes, took seven years to make, and features interviews with more than 30 veterans who were