Priscilla Crowned Queen of Aussie Movie Adventures!

The most popular Australian move of all time has been named as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

The poll - by LOVEFiLM in association with Tourism NT - was conducted to mark the DVD release of Baz Luhrmann’s film, Australia, set in the Northern Territory.  Australia came sixth in the poll.

Priscilla won 19 per cent of votes followed by Muriel’s Wedding in second place, while Crocodile Dundee bagged the third spot in a survey of over 1,000 film fans.

Priscilla (1994) is a feel-good Aussie movie following the journey of three drag queens as they take a road trip through the Australian outback in a silver school bus, ‘Priscilla,’ to play at an Alice Springs hotel.

The film, like many other films featured in the poll, showcases the iconic red desert landscapes of the Northern Territory Outback, with scenes from Kings Canyon.

In third place was much loved 80s classic, Crocodile Dundee.

This quintessential Australian flick remains one of the best loved Aussie films ever, epitomising Aussie humour and a sense of what the Australian Outback is really like; it’s something of a travel brochure for the Northern Territory’s Top End and Kakadu National Park.

The Territory’s rich and varied landscapes have proved a natural choice as a setting and backdrop for films over the years.

Other films shot in the Northern Territory include Ten Canoes, Yolngu Boy, Rogue, Jedda, and We of the Never Never.

The latest production set in Central Australia, Samson and Delilah, is creating a buzz even before its release in late 2009, having just picked up an award at Cannes.

This throws Alice Springs into the limelight.

Set in a remote Aboriginal settlement in the Northern Territory, Samson and Delilah tells the story of the challenges that two teenagers face as they grow up in a community outside Alice Springs.

The top 10 iconic Australian flicks are:

1. The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
2. Muriel’s Wedding
3. Crocodile Dundee
4. Strictly Ballroom
5. Mad Max
6. Australia
7. Rabbit Proof Fence
8. Chopper
9. The Castle
10. Dead Calm

Three of the top 10 films featured contain landscapes from the Northern Territory.

George Christakis, Sales and Marketing Manager for Tourism NT said, “We were delighted to work with LOVEFiLM to conduct this poll celebrating the very best of Aussie movies.

“It engaged film buffs with Australia and our epic outback landscapes. The NT is a unique destination boasting dramatic, beautiful and varied scenery and awe-inspiring natural icons.

“Classics like Priscilla project the wild, epic landscapes onto the big screen and throw the NT into the forefront of consumers’ minds.”