CinefestOZ winner brings Happiness early to Albany

You might laugh and you might cry at Orana Cinemas in Albany, but you will definitely see H is for Happiness before the vast majority of Australians.

The winner of the $100,000 CinefestOZ Film Prize — the richest prize in Australian cinematography — H is for Happiness is due for Australian release next month.

Orana Cinemas will host a preview screening on January 22, giving Albany moviegoers an early chance to see the feel-good film in the city where it was shot.

The movie made its WA premiere at CinefestOZ Busselton in September, where it earned a standing ovation.

Albany resident Andris Markovs, who was at the Busselton premiere, said he felt honoured to have allowed the cast and crew to use his Vancouver Street heritage home as a set.

“(We) joined the sold-out audience members in cheering, hollering and giving stand-up applause at the end of this wonderful movie,” he said.

“We were delighted to be able to contribute.”

Emma Booth and Daisy Axon are among the stars in the highly stylised screen adaption of Barry Jonsberg’s novel My Life as an Alphabet.

Booth plays Claire Phee, a mother racked by grief and depression after the death of her infant daughter.

Her other daughter, Candice (Axon), tries to bring happiness back into her parents’ lives.

Booth said it was a “beautiful film with such an important message”.

“It touches on subjects that are real and raw and confronting in all aspects of life,” Booth said last month.

“It’s just one of these feel-good films where you laugh and cry and walk out feeling fantastic. The world needs more positivity and films like this help people to see there’s more in life than just all the doom and gloom we see at the moment.”

H is for Happiness screens on January 22, at 6.15pm.