Gemma Ward will have something other than walking the runways on her mind come February: walking the red carpet in Berlin for the world premiere of her debut feature film.
"The Black Balloon" has just been selected for the "Generation 14 Plus" youth competition of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival, which runs Feb. 7 to 17. Ward costars with an Australian cast that includes Toni Collette and two other newcomers, Rhys Wakefield and Luke Ford, in a story about autism — a subject close to director Elissa Down, who has two autistic brothers.
Ward plays a teenager named Jackie, who, according to Down, is a "lamplighter" character who helps her boyfriend come to terms with his brother's disability. It's not Ward's first film role. In 2001, then a totally unknown Perth teenager, she appeared in Down's short "Pink Pyjamas." Down, also originally from Perth, in fact wrote the part of Jackie with Ward in mind.
Due for a March Australian release through Icon Films, "The Black Balloon" will most likely beat "The Strangers" to the post as Ward's first big-screen role — that's the Bryan Bertino-directed U.S. suspense thriller in which Ward plays a masked intruder alongside Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman and Laura Margolis.
But will Ward prove to be just another so-so model-turned-actor? Not according to Australian film critic Lynden Barber, who saw a preview and described Ward's performance as "surprisingly impressive" in "one of the strongest Australian films of the last few years."
Noted Down of the Berlin nod, "We were absolutely wrapped by the news. It's just fantastic to be able to launch at such a prestigious festival."
Collette is going to be busy: She also stars in "Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger," one of three Australian features selected for Berlin's official program.
As you said, I don't believe they've been posted here in that size or resolution.
She's going to shine! 
I'm happy for Gemma that The Black Balloon was selected for the Berlin Film festival. 
