Since 1970 Australian film has enjoyed a revival. This book contains detailed critiques of the key films of this period and uses them to illustrate the recent theories on the international and the local cinema industries. Taking as its starting point Bazin's question "What is cinema?" author Tom O'Regan asks what the construct of a "national" cinema means, and looks at the broader concept from a different angle, taking film beyond the confines of "art" and into the broader cultural world. Situating Australian cinema in its historical and cultural perspective, Australian National Cinema provides valuable insight into the issues that have been raised by film policy, the cinema marketplace, and informed discourse on film production strategies.