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One thing I often get asked here in Production Support is "how can I connect with other filmmakers in Perth?" Well, Debbie Thoy was in that predicament herself, until she started up The Perth Film Network. Read on to find out more.
- Tell us a bit about yourself Debbie.
Well I am a little nutty, but then I am a filmmaker and that goes without saying.....but seriously......
Currently, I work as a Producer and am Managing Director of my Production Company "Wizard Corporation Productions". My main strength however, is in marketing and promotion as that is something I have pursued within the entertainment and sporting industry since I was 15 years of age. It was a skill that came naturally and something I seem to keep gravitating back to, no matter which direction my life goes.
I have been involved in entertainment or performing in some form since I was 3 years of age, starting as a dancer. I have been performing pretty much my entire life. I signed my first autograph at 15 years of age and after many years of signing them, I still ask "Why the hell would anyone want my autograph?" For me signing an autograph was actually a reality check for me. What! Movie stars are normal people? How rude that was to find out at 15 years of age, back in the 80's when my bedroom wall was plastered in Film stars and the USA and Hollywood was just the greatest place on earth. From that point on, I never got star struck again, not that I ever really did. But I still had my idols.
I have had a video camera in my hand since I was 15 years of age. I used to pinch the school camera, having a video camera in 1985 was a bit of a novelty and I started my film career making education videos for the Heart Foundation and also for The State Basketball League both of which, I was very involved with. I would edit them on two VHS video recorders in my lounge room and I am SO grateful we have progressed from there. I was a performer, however, what was happening behind the scenes, organising and creating the films or performance, always fascinated me. I always found myself in the thick of it and always ended up in charge of running the show. The main organiser, plus I would perform as well. I never was one to do things in halves.
I grew up during a time where acting and entertainment were kind of frowned upon as a career and I was groomed to have a "REAL JOB" which, I am eternally grateful for. However I am tremendously ambitious and creatively driven, so my "REAL JOB" was driving me insane. After becoming very ill, I made a decision to just go for it. So I took all my skills, all my experience and put them together. Went out and found out more about Australia's, particularly Perth's, Film Industry. I studied and did market research of Perth's film scene for three years, attending workshops and meeting as many people as I could. I became a producer, a director, a writer, an editor, an actor and a DOP. Unfortunately usually at the same time. I like to understand what every job entails, how it affects people and the skill involved. To do this I need to experience it and develop that appreciation and understanding. It also of course, makes me a better Producer. Being a Producer is my job, however to become a Director is probably my passion, however everyone wants to be a Director. I am lucky that I have some pretty great mentors in Mark DeFriest and James Bogle to help me along. I am continuously learning, no actually, I am speed learning and of course I will never stop. I am hoping this year I will find a little time to actually make a film...just a short one!
I worked out what Perth was desperately missing in it's goal to have a strong and functioning Film Industry and I formed the Perth Film Network to provide that service.
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What is the Perth Film Network and how long has it been running
for?
The Perth Film Network is a place for everybody involved in the Film Industry from the Executive Producer right down to the runner on set, from the student to the veteran professional. If you contribute to the Film Industry, you are welcome to join the Perth Film Network. The Perth Film Network is a place to connect with other people of all levels in the industry. You could say it is a Social and Networking Club, however it really is much more than that.
The Perth Film Network summed up, is a major marketing tool for everyone in the Industry. Everyone can access it and it can be used and adapted to suit everyones individual needs. We are currently working on a major Networking Website. Everything we run whether it be Networking Functions, Actor Training or Workshops is geared to help people prepare for the Professional Film Market and all our lecturers etc are Industry Professionals.
- Why did you feel the need to start up the Perth Film Network?
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What usually happens at the events?
I have also started up the Actors Lounge, which I am hoping will kick off next month. The Actors Lounge creates a safe and inviting environment where actors can come along and practise their lines with other actors, practise cold read techniques and participate in showcases. Actors assisting Actors. Of course Directors, Producers, Casting Agents/Directors etc, are welcome to come along and meet some great new talent in Perth.
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Who is it mainly aimed at - key creatives, all crew?
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What is in store for the Perth Film Network for 2010?
The biggest event will be the creation of a major Networking Website that everyone can access. We are holding a fund raising event "Strategy Painball" on the 27th March to raise money for this Website and also a talent up and coming Stunt Man, Mark Bentley to help him get into the Australian Stunt Academy.
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How can people get involved?
We also have a Fan Page and a group on Facebook and that is a great source of networking.
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The creative team is very important when it comes to FTI funding grants. What
advice can you give to lonely writers or directors looking to meet with producers or others to form teams?
The Perth Film Networking Functions are good because everyone comes to them for one purpose.....to meet new people. It is a friendly inviting and set in a social environment and there is no pressure what so ever to do anything. You will be quite amazed at the amazing network that forms almost instantly, as one person will know someone that could help you and they know someone who can provide something else you need. I have had feedback of actors scoring auditions, new film teams forming and even paid jobs being picked up. The best advice I can give people is to remember to be yourself and confident with who you are. Don't pretend to be something you are not, people will see straight through it and it's really hard to keep up an act and you will eventually be found out. I always encourage everyone to have a professional attitude towards their film career, nomatter what level they are at. The word business is in "Showbusiness" for a reason.
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I hear these events fill up very quickly - have you a new-found respect for the
RSVP?
Not responding to an invitation is one thing, however confirming attendance and not showing up is not only simply rude and disrespectful, it also reflects tremendously on that person's character and it's remembered. I remember who doesn't turn up to events or extra's who don't turn up on set, to me these people are instantly unreliable and I think twice about considering working with them on a project or employing them. This also applies to people who don't RSVP and just turn up, again disrespectful. Unfortunately at our Networking Functions we can only have 200 people and we cater, unfortunately on one occasion 60 people didn't bother showing up or advising they would not be attending. That's 60 places that other people could have filled that were on waiting lists and also we over catered. Unfortunately now the Networking Functions are no longer completely free to attend due to this. In saying that there are the wonderful people who actually are very courteous and professional and I most certainly remember them. Those people I would employ and recommend.
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Karthyn Dart asks WA ex-pat Writer/Director Michael Bond six questions about his recently completed low budget feature, Passengers.
How would you describe your film 'Passengers'?
For me it's always been an Australian film set in the US --- and a kind of inner city Road Movie. We take two journeys - the literal, across the city in real time during gridlock, and the more metaphoric journey through this couple's relationship. It's an intense excursion where essentially we view this relationship unravel, moment by moment, before our very eyes. It's confronting, unrelenting. Claustrophobic. And brutally honest.
Michael Bond
Who else was involved in making the film?
The crew is a lovely mixture of Americans and Australians. My old mate Laszlo Baranyai (Noise, True Love and Chaos, Soft Fruit) flew over from Melbourne to shoot it - we met at the FTI actually, through one of Edwin Lynch's short films some years ago - and Laz went on to shoot my first short straight out of Curtin Film School so it was great to work with him again. Cast-wise I had hooked up with Cameron Daddo in LA in 2005, I think it was. I wanted to talk to him about another film I have up my sleeve and we both hit it off right away and wanted to work on something as soon as we could. I'd just finished first draft of Passengers and handed it to him and he loved it, said we can make this right now with the people and resources we can bring together. So we made ourselves a promise to never let the movie out of our control and press on and pull it together. So Daddo plays the lead and we co-Produced, which was a great experience and we intend to do more. I think it's a partnership that will last for many years. I also cast Angie Milliken as his wife and we were fortunate enough to get Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Bruce Davison (X-Men, Longtime Companion) in one of the supporting roles. Having him on board was a real gift.
We cut the film in Sydney. An old friend of mine from school days in
Bunbury actually, has an editing company called Guillotine in Surrey Hills, so I spent seven weeks with him working and finessing. Good times actually. And then we did sound
post in LA and graded the movie at a great facility called Keep Me Posted in Burbank. The grader - color timer they call them over there - had just finished grading the
director's cut to Terrence Malick's The New World - one of my favourites - so that was a bit of a personal buzz for me.
What was the Production process like?
The other day someone asked me that. I was thinking about it and thought - shit - were we crazy?! The film takes place during peak hour traffic in LA. The couple drive from their home in Santa Monica to Hollywood, supposedly for dinner with friends. By the time they arrive, their marriage is over. That's the premise. That drive takes about 20 minutes during non-traffic hours. Rush hour though - it's at least 90 minutes. And I was determined that this film be as honest as possible in every way. One of our American co-Producers has a studio and offered it to us, to re-create the appearance of traffic using rear projection, but I wouldn't have it. To me the shooting of the film had to be as honest as what the actors were going through - as what I was to be asking the audience to commit to. So I was determined to shoot in real traffic, no process-trailer, with the lead actor, Cameron, driving. We had six of us in the car for 12 hours a day, 6 day weeks, three and a half weeks. Support crew in a follow vehicle - wardrobe, make up, 1st AD and lighting guys. There's a great picture of Laszlo and myself jammed into the very back of the SUV on our site - hilarious! The Script Supervisor and Sound Guy in the back seats, hunched down. Looking back, it's not only nuts but quite an achievement. I'm glad we did it that way though there was a thousand ways it could have gone wrong - continuity of traffic from night to night, seeing people in shot without realizing it on the day - so on and so forth - but I'm glad we did it that way because it gives the film an immediacy that absolutely could not be recreated. And for the characters' journey - and the audience's journey with them - that immediacy is one of the most important things.
What's next on the cards for you and member's of the team?
Daddo and I have a slate of projects we want to get up. In that slate there's some feature projects and a couple of TV series' too. In LA it's all about contacts and fortunately he has some and over the last few years I'm building up some too. I have a TV show on which I have a writing partner and Michael and I sold that to Sy-Fy/Universal a year or so ago and now contracting is done we're belting out the script to that. It's a big deal that one, actually. Bryan Singer's company Bad Hat Harry (Usual Suspects, Valkyrie, Superman Returns, House MD) is on board so we have a pretty good chance of going all the way with this one and getting it up. Dealing with Network and Studio people is a different animal than guerilla filmmaking though, I can assure you. There's a feature project I want to come back and do in Fremantle. I think getting the money together for that one will be a long road so it's awhile off - I wish it wasn't.
What advice would you give to someone about to make their first feature film?
When I was conceiving Passengers I thought to myself - who is going to sit down and watch a movie with two people in a car for an hour and a half. No flashbacks, at least 70 minutes of just them. Who's going to sit through that? But I figured that your first film - for me anyway - is about taking risks and showing your particular vision of the world. I think you have to be single-minded about it. No compromise. With a low budget indie - which most first features are - you can do that. You can say - this is how I see the world, take it or leave it. We didn't spend much money on the movie because we didn't have much to spend - so that's restricting in one way but also allows a lot more creative freedom - a lot more room for expression. I think that's important especially on your first. Show the world you've got a voice - they don't have to like it - but hopefully you'll make something they haven't seen. I've had that comment too - from a lot of people. It's a vision of a relationship they haven't seen before. When I hear that, I get a warm fuzzy inside. It's not about awards or box-office this one - it's about getting to the heart of a relationship - and when I hear those comments I guess we did it. Stick to your vision. Have something to say and go for it.
Cameron Daddo and Angie Milliken
Why Adelaide?
We finished the movie middle of last year, had our premiere in Mill Valley, one of the top film festivals in the US. We're playing some more festivals in the States this year but we're also looking to get distribution - our Sales Agent is in Berlin at the film market at the moment but with Daddo's name and it being home for both of us we wanted to do something more personal with Passengers in Australia. So we wanted to piggy-back on something happening around this time. Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe - in its 50th year actually - happened to be running and The Fringe seems to me a good match for the movie. The same kind of audience that goes to Festival events would embrace independent film so there's an in-built audience and infra-structure we can lean on that can really help Passengers. We're seeing Adelaide as a chance to get some Distributors and film exec types to see the movie alongside regular film-goers - in the environment it's supposed to be seen in - the movie theatre. It's important for us to build this kind of momentum, use the screenings to get press, some reviews, build audience awareness, increase the fan base on Facebook etc, and on the back of that hopefully nail an Aussie distributor. At this point it's all about momentum.
Kathryn Dart is a writer and budding producer from Perth. She works as a mentor for the WA Screen Academy script supervisor students. Kathryn is currently working with John McGuckin of Bluestone Films and Intersight. More
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Monday the 15th of February marked the world red carpet premiere of RONAN'S ESCAPE at Hoyts Cinema. Written and directed by A.J. Carter, a West Australian filmmaker now based in Los Angeles (USA), the film was shot in the majestic landscapes of WA's wheat belt on 35mm and Super 16mm in the summer of 2008 and 2009.
A.J. Carter (Writer, Producer, Director), David Lazarus (Ronan), Brad Major (Producer), David LeMay (Director of Photography)
RONAN'S ESCAPE is a tragic, yet visually beautiful film about a 14 year old school boy named Ronan (played by David Lazarus) growing up in a rural West Australian town. He is the social outcast of the school and has been for years. The film follows the last few hours of Ronan's day at school before he makes his escape in a heartbreaking and somewhat controversial ending.
The film was a massive collaborative effort and included a team of established industry professionals including director of photography David Lemay, special effects and props guru Jeremy Shaw and Oscar nominated Producer Martin Mhando. Other names included co-writer and editor Lukas William Martin, producers Kate Separovich, Brad Major and Jennifer Carter, and young American composer Hamilton Cleverdon.
A.J. Carter (Writer, Producer, Director), Luke Martin (Screenplay), Kathleen Separovich (Producer), Brad Major (Producer)
The evening kicked off with red carpet photography, complimentary pre-drinks and food. Around 330 guests were then invited to take their seats as A.J. Carter gave a moving introductory speech about the film, complete with special thank yous to all cast and crew. After the 15 minute screening, a question and answer session was held with A.J. Carter, David Lemay and David Lazarus fielding many interesting queries from the audience.
The premiere was a successful celebration of the hard work employed by all the local filmmakers involved and in appreciation of the private investors who funded the project. It highlights the high quality cinema capable of being produced right here in Western Australia.
The film is currently on the international film festival circuit, having just screened at Sedona International Film Festival (USA) on Tuesday the 23rd of February. The film is also an Official Selection for Byron Bay International Film Festival (AUS) which kicks off in March.
Kristy Symonds
Associate Producer and Public Relations Officer, Ronan's Escape
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WASA - People's Choice 3 Screening
The WA Screen Awards People's Choice Awards ran like clockwork last night. The third night of screenings ran for more than two and half-hours as more WASA nominated films were shown to the public at the Bohemia Outdoor Cinema at the FTI.
The night kicked off with the crowd-pleasing STUFFED (p. Alex Giles). This
quirky, toy-themed comedy was directed by Øyvind Opshaugas. The same director was responsible for the Kazimir Sas produced and written THE BUBBLEOLOGIST an ethereal
film that lay somewhere between a poem and a documentary.
L- R Jules Fortune, Freya Beueschlce and Magdalena Wozniak. Photo: Dylan Tilbury
Serious drama abounded with Corrie Jones' beautifully realised Hyperlink-funded film WATER (p. Sarah Shaw). The sensitively directed short said a lot with very little dialogue as it traced the journey of a boy dealing with the aftermath of a life-altering accident. Zak Hilditch's ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES (p. Liz Kearney) was screened for a second time. The story of Rory's 18th birthday and his brother's idea of an appropriate present was the subject that won the City of Fremantle's Best Fremantle Film Award in the recent Bohemian Shorts Film Festival.
L - R Naomi Osborn, Tim Grey-Smith and Evie. Photo: Dylan Tilbury
Simon Larkin's SORRENTO (p. Sophie Matthewson) dealt with the damage a secret can do. The power of secrets to destroy friendships was also the theme of Mike Hoath's THE BUCK'S PARTY (p. Freya Brueschke). The latter film was a slice of life that looked beneath the expectation of the soon-to-be-wed.
L - R Meg-Isabella Hewett, Madi Hall and Tess Godfrey. Photo: Dylan Tilbury
Comedy was also part of the program with a second screening of Mel Judkins and Tasha Stephenson's E-bay documentary I WILL NOT BE OUTBID, a Raw Nerve funded film. Julia Ngeow's schooldays film CARLOS RULES THE WORLD (p.& w. Ethan Marrell) definitely made an impression with the crowd. Laughs could be heard in Princess May Park for both productions. The comic crowd pleaser of the evening was Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn's THIS IS PERTH. The short went viral on YouTube in 2009 and it's easy to see why. The audience chuckled through the references to Old Bertie and Parliament House and particularly enjoyed The Revolving Prison.
L - R Tasha Stephenson and Rupert Marcello. Photo: Dylan Tilbury
Documentary was also strong in the night's program with Denise Groves MY NAN AND THE YANDI (p. Jennifer Gheradi) a Deadly Yarns funded film. The film is simply told but makes all its points clearly. The night closed out with Mat de Koning's HARMONY IN HALL'S CREEK (p. Jo Randell) The 25 minute film shows how music can help heal a town's troubled past.
The 200 plus crowd included Zak Hilditch, Alison James, Aaron McCann, Mat de Koning, Vincenzo Perrella, Tasha Stephenson, Damien Spiccia, Shannon O'Neill, Ella Wright and John Rapsey.
NOTE: A fourth People's Choice Night has been scheduled for this Saturday Night (20th February) FTI Screen Events Manager Liz Sideris explained, "There were more nominations in all categories this year and we also have many longer films to program, so it became essential to put on an extra night."
So there you have it. Get down for the fourth and final night of the WA Screen Awards People's Choice Awards. Bring your 'phone and get ready to vote for your favourite
Phil Jeng Kane
Editor, Monitor Magazine
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Amy Broadfoot has just completed a two month North American networking tour on behalf of her new film marketing business Amičko Films. Along the way she presented five client's films at the Denver Underground FF, had drinks with the SXSW team, lunched with indie film guru John Pierson, talked macro diets with LA film producers, and coffeed it up with the Denver, Dallas, Mexican, San Fran' and LA film festivals, all before the madness of Sundance. This is her blog:
My mission: pitch, network, learn and watch. Sleep and food were the last priority. So Sundance, let's rock n' roll...
The Egyptian Theatre - the hub of Sundance
I racked up about 60 hours of work in 4 days so I think a step by step account of this would be a hell boring read, so here's a taster of a typical day at Sundance.
Day one: 6am start. Bus ride from Salt Lake City to the home of Sundance, Park City situated in the snowy mountains of Utah. Picked up industry pass and along the way met E! online news journo. Then straight into the Internet Evolution panel which discussed cloud technology and internet 3.0 and how this relates to the indie filmmaker. Then meeting with the CEO of IndieGoGo a new website where you can pitch and raise funds for your latest artist project, interesting stuff! Run to a meeting with the lovely Director of distribution for UK based company Independent, talk film industry hoo-ahh, pitch Amičko clients to a warm response, finish chat with a healthy whinge about Avatar. Now off to the New Frontier to play with new film technologies and catch a presentation by Joseph Gorden-Levitt on this brain child HitRECord.org, truly amazing medium using cloud technology to collaborate with artists world wide for interactive film production. Then to an industry reception (yay free food and drinks), mingle with filmmakers and festival programmers. Time check, can still make late night screening of The Red Chapel which ended up winning Best International Documentary. 17 hour day done, time for bed.
Dan Gorden-Levitt who happily explained his brother's brain child HitRECord.org
But to recap on the whole Sundance experience, I have to say it was a bit of a let down as far as leading film festivals go. The general industry opinion is that Sundance has peaked, and although still good, it has had its time and we should now be watching new comer SXSW to take over the reigns. 'What, Sundance not so cool?' you say, sadly yes. It's expensive, it's not very user friendly and the admin team do a average job. Perhaps we have too higher expectations of the mighty and all powerful Sundance. But due to the reasons above the industry are choosing to attend other festivals such as Toronto IFF or my personal favourite Karlovy Vary IFF. Don't get me wrong, Im glad I went and the visit proved extremely successful for my clients so big thank you to ScreenWest for providing my travel grant, but I'm in no rush to go again. We'll just have to see what Locarno IFF brings for Amičko Films in August.
Installations in the New Frontier
Amičko Films represented three WA films at Sundance, feature documentary 'More 4 Me' by Lincoln Fenner staring Marina Prior, new Perrella and Osborn short film 'It's Just Gary' and 'Fugue' by Jamie Helmer. Amy booked meetings with industry heads on their behalf to drum up attention with international sales agents, festivals and distribution, at one point she had festival programmers peering each other's shoulders to get a look at our catalogue.
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The
Run Rabbit Run
Video Comp
AN OPEN CALL TO ALL FILM MAKERS, VIDEO ARTISTS, VJ's, DIGITAL ANIMATORS, MACHINIMATORS, STOP MOTION FREAKS, ROTOSCOPERS & OTHER SLAVES TO THE MOVING IMAGE MEDIUM
Run Rabbit Run is a weekly evening of art, underground culture & music held at the Llama Bar in Subiaco, Western Australia.
The Run Rabbit Run Video Comp is an initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging the making and viewing of art in the moving image medium.
For further details go to www.llamabar.com and click on the bunny
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Mashable - The Social Media Guide have written an article on a beginner's guide to webisodes.
Its interesting, I've certainly noticed more and more people will huddle around my laptop at home to watch something I've found online. Or a TV show that isnt available in Australia. In fact some of my new favorite TV shows have been born because I've seen an episode online - and then ordered the DVD.
In reading this article it seems that simple, clever ideas work best. See what you think and check out some of the examples they've provided in the article.
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On Wednesday 17th February, the 5 films funded under the Raw Nerve initiative for 2009 were screened at the Bohemia Outdoor Cinema. The night was a success with many of the films cast and crew showing up to show support to the filmmakers and to watch the films on the big screen.
In 2009, teams were awarded $2,000 cash and $5,000 in-kind assistance from the Film & Television Institute of WA to produce a 5-minute short film.
The five funded under Raw Nerve 2009 were:CUBS (Prod. / Dir Jules Duncan)I Will NOT Be Outbid (Prod. Mel Judkins / Dir Tasha Stephenson)Trash Out (Prod. Orellie Tylor / Dir Phillip WalkerCrows Feet (Prod. / Dir Megan Palinkas) andThe Washing Line (Prod. Megan Riley / Dir Penny Bedford).
This year, all the Raw Nerve films were of high quality and the filmmakers should be really proud of what they achieved. It is not just me that thinks this! Many of the films have achieved success with local and national short film festivals - with more nominations and awards to come I am sure! 'CUB's' was shortlisted for Tropfest, and 'Crows Feet' and 'I Will NOT Be Outbid!' have been nominated for WASA's (for more info please check out the films HERE).
The evening also served as an information session for the initiative in 2010. The updated Guidelines and Application form is now available on the FTI website HERE.
RAW NERVE is a joint initiative of Screen Australia, Screen Development Australia (SDA) the national network of screen resource organisations and the Film & Television Institute WA. The aim is to provide early career filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their filmic storytelling abilities. This year, funding consists of $3,000 in-kind and a $3,000 cash component, to cover fees for key positions (camera operator, sound recordist, editor, etc) as well as production and design expenses specific to each project. There are provisions for mentors to be attached to the projects, further details of this will be announced at a later date.
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Sunday 8 February was the premiere of the locally made independent feature THE TOLL. It is the third feature directed by Zak Hilditch. His first two were The Actress and Plum Role. The Actress garnered good reviews, won awards and was eventually distributed on DVD. THE TOLL is about two men who go into the forest of the South West, searching for a treasure they believe has been stashed away by a dying man. The two men are played by Steve McCall and Nick Britton. Other cast includes Rose McKenna, Talei Howell-Price and Kingsley Judd.
The script was written by McCall and Hilditch and the film was produced by Antony Webb. Webb was also cinematographer and editor of the 84 minute feature. The experience this team has gained in making three features and a string of shorts was obvious in the finished product. THE TOLL is an absorbing two-hander with an unpredictable story, strong performances and a convincing resolution. The independent, ultra-low budget feature is easy to get wrong, however this film is solid in all departments including the music which was composed by Dave Richardson and Steve McCall.
There were two screenings of the film in the FTI Cinema. The first was for friends, family, the second was for Industry. Webb and Hilditch gave an opening speech at the beginning of the second session in which they thanked their dedicated crew who worked for love in cold and gritty condition during a wet winter. There was a lot of love in the room and an extra dollop went to Ethan Marrell for his firsting of the film. He then proved his credentials further by reminding the audience to shut off their mobile phones as the lights went down.
There was a conjoined after and pre-party for the two audiences. Seen at this event were: Debbie Thoy, Wade K Savage, Pauline Butterworth, Stuart McKenzie, Ash Gibson Greig, Alex von Hoffmann, Tristan Fidler, Naomi Lynch, Lauren Hestelow, Jacob Fjord, Pierce Davison, Liz Kearney, Luke Jago, Michael Hoath, Janine Boreland, Henry Inglis, Lauren Elliot, Aaron McCann, Kate Csillag, Anthony Hanson, Alison Hayles, Alison James, Liz Sideris, Ken Miller, James Helm and Steve Sheen.
Phil Jeng Kane
Editor, Monitor Magazine
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Week 2 of The Outdoor Bohemia Film Festival kicked off last night (Thursday 11 February) with a packed out screening of the WASA People's Choice Awards. The WASAs are the WA Screen Awards and this event allows filmmakers and filmgoers the opportunity to see the nominated early career films. An audience of 300 plus attended in perfect conditions to see a slew of music videos and short dramas.
Brendon Nass
The night definitely had a science fictional bent with the shorts DISTANT FUTURE (d. Aaron Moss, p. Ellena Stacey) RUNNER (d. David Meadows, p. Zoltan Vincenze) and 20 CREDITS hitting the big outdoor screen. 20 CREDITS was made by John Curtin College of the Arts. Emma Clements from the College's media program was there to support the nominated film. JCCA produced films have been nominated for WASAs in the last six years. "And last year we were pleased to win one," Clements said.
Edith Cowan University and Central TAFE usually gather a number of nominations at any WA Screen Awards. Central's Ross Maccallum was at the Bohemia Cinema again watching over his charges. FTI connected films included the OOMPF funded A BASEMENT ON A HILL (d. Cassidy Hill & Charlie Domville-Lewis) ENEMY (d. Pete Gleeson, p. Kate Neylon) and the student film A SPECIAL SWEET TREAT (d. Seb Baltyn, p. Raad Cerenich and Stephen Phillips).
WA Screen Academy's Pigskin (d. Simon Larkin, p. Jules Fortune, w. Ceinwen Langley) seemed to be much talked about as this writer eavesdropped in the candy-bar queue, but at the time of writing, the People's Choice winner for the evening had not been announced. Hopefully most of the audience got their iPhones or Nokias out and used the phone system to vote for their favourite.
Seen in the crowd: Andrew Buckley, Mat de Koning, Johnny Ma, Cassidy Hill, Charlie Domville-Lewis, Kate Neylon, Pete Gleeson, Richard Mahony and Chris Pollard.
Jed Laloh, Lindon Mellor and Zoe Hollyoak
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