We remember Ted Kotcheff, the Canadian director of the landmark Australian film Wake in Fright (1971), who died on 10 April 2025 at the age of 94.

Editor and producer Tony Buckley interviewed by Martha Ansara.

Doc Tydon (played by Donald Pleasence, left) and John Grant (Gary Bond) seated at a table in Doc's hut. An Australian lobby card to promote the release of Wake in Fright in 1971.

Bundanyabba police officer Jock Crawford (played by Chips Rafferty) talks with English school teacher John Grant (Gary Bond). An Australian lobby card to promote the release of Wake i

A black, white and yellow poster featuring the French title Le Réveil Dans La Terreur (The Awakening in Terror) and Flemish title Het Vreselijk Ontwaken (Th

John McLean, camera operator on Wake in Fright, talks about Ted Kotcheff as a director and the expectation at the time that the film would be a success.

An Australian lobby card to promote the release of Wake in Fright in 1971 featuring a photo of Doc Tydon (Donald Pleasence) at the two-up game.

The cult classic

The cult classic

Wake in Fright editor Anthony Buckley recounts how the production company got in trouble when the film's realistic looking stage money, created for the two-up scenes, ended up at Randwick&