A Thousand Skies

A Thousand Skies is a 1985 Australian mini series about the life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

It was based on the novel The Empty Sky by Tasman Beattie and was partly financed by Film Victoria. The budget was $4.5 million.^[1]

Film Victoria invested $120,000 in script development and $400,000 to the production.^[2]

Writer-director David Stevens was best known for directing the mini series of A Town Like Alice. When offered the film he was reluctant to make it until he read The Empty Sky and he became intrigued by the character of Keith Anderson.^[3]

Stevens said "It is about the nature of greatness and the nature of friendship. It is also a love story - an eternal triangle between three men." The series was shot at 144 different locations. The only sets built were the planes which cost $500,000.^[4]