ABOUT THE FILM

An incendiary, heartbreaking investigation into one of Australia’s most notorious cults, and the scars its victims still bear today.

Anne Hamilton-Byrne was beautiful, charismatic, and, many say, incredibly dangerous. Convinced she was a living god, Hamilton-Byrne headed an apocalyptic sect dubbed The Family. With her husband, Bill, she acquired numerous children — some through adoption scams, some born to cult members — and raised them as her own. Isolated from the outside world, the children were dressed in matching outfits, had dyed blonde hair, and were allegedly beaten, starved, and injected with LSD. Taught that Hamilton-Byrne was both their mother and the messiah, the children were eventually rescued during a police raid in 1987, but their trauma had only just begun.

Melbourne director Rosie Jones (The Triangle Wars) and producer Anna Grieve (Croker Island Exodus) have spent years digging into the disturbing mysteries of The Family. With survivors and current members of The Family telling their stories on camera, alongside the Australian and international police who worked the case, this confronting documentary exposes not only what happened within the still-operating sect but also within the conservative Melbourne community that allowed The Family to flourish.

The Family had its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival July 2016 and will screen theatrically in 2017.

‘Plenty of style and lots of emotional heft’ THE AGE

‘A damning, absorbing portrait of one of the most insidious groups in Australian history … an engrossing study not just of a specific situation, but of the psychology behind it.’ SCREEN DAILY

‘Jones’ movie is a triumph. Bleak, terrifying, and heart-breaking, it is a powerful cautionary tale and an affirmation of the strength and resilience that people can be capable of, even in the worst of circumstances.’ AUDIENCES EVERYWHERE

‘Evil and abuse masked under by the cloth of goodness and (non-official) religion flourishes everywhere in the world.’ FILM IRELAND

Developed and produced by Big Stories Co. in association with

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For the latest theatrical release details,
visit www.thefamilysect.com