The Finder (film)

The Finder is a 2001 Australian film.

The Finder
Written by	Phillip Avalon
Directed by	Frank Shields
Starring	Paul Mecurio Simon Westaway
Theme music composer	Aftamine (Band). Rob Ratjens (Lead Vocals) Michelle Perram (Guitar) Matt Findlay (Guitar) Ellen Marsh (Bass) Lance Findlay (Drums)
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Phillip Avalon
Production company	Avalon Films
Budget	$650,000[1]
Original release
Release	18 July 2001 (2001-07-18)

Cast

• Paul Mecurio as Leo Natoli
• Simon Westaway as Les Kearney
• Anja Coleby as Rebecca Castaldi
• Alan Lovell as Ace Mulroney
• Allison Cratchley as Michelle Reed
• Dieter Brummer as Rick Davidson
• Rowena Wallace as Irene Davidson
• Rob Carlton as Wheels
• Gerard Maguire as Sgt Jack Matthews
• Vic Rooney as Jim Davidson
• Callan Mulvey as Sam Natoli
• Caz Lederman as Judy Wheelen

Plot

An ex-cop sets himself up as "a finder" and gets involved in a mysterious kidnapping.

Production

The film was an idea of producer-writer Phil Avalon's. It was shot in 2000 with privately raised finance.

Reception

The film was finished by December 2000. It was sold to Israel, China, Russia and the CIR and was screened at the American Film Market in February 2001.^[2] It had a one off screening at Avalon's own bar in Sydney before being released on DVD.^[3]

The critic for Screen Daily said that:

Unable to unlock the potential of their sun/surf/sleuth concept, Avalon and veteran director Frank Shields instead deliver a compendium of overfamiliar situations, characters and dialogue, with an occasional ill-judged sequence of 'comic relief'. A committed bunch of talented actors do their best to energise an otherwise limp affair whose true home may well prove to be off-peak cable television.^[4]