Local Films Shine At Australian Box Office

A mockumentary and a documentary have set the Australian box office alight with their opening weekends.

A mockumentary and a documentary have set the Australian box office alight with their opening weekends after a quiet start to the year for homegrown films, according to a local trade group.

The comedy "Razzle Dazzle" and documentary "Bra Boys" took nearly A$1 million ($800,000) between them in the four days ending March 18, breaking local opening records along the way, the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

"Bra Boys," narrated by Russell Crowe, is an insider's look at the turbulent lives of professional surfers the Abberton brothers, who come from the impoverished Sydney beachside suburb of Maroubra and are part of the Bra Boys, a notorious local gang.

It earned $338,000, and distributor Hopscotch Films hopes the film will reach $480,000 in its first week, putting it well on its way to becoming the top-grossing Australian documentary of all time.

Meanwhile, "Razzle Dazzle" earned $386,000, narrowly beating the opening weekend gross of last year's breakout comedy "Kenny."

Starring Kerry Armstrong and British actor Ben Miller, "Razzle Dazzle" deals with politics, dance school rivalry, creative controversy and the hysterics of pushy stage mothers, as the students at two dance schools prepare to take part in Australia's most prestigious dance competition.