Scene Stealers

FTI's Photo Monkey cum Marketing Manager is a pretty sneaky chap so you'd better check out the pics to see if you were snapped at Tropfest last Sunday. See the photo's

Cheers to all who chanced the ominous looking clouds to make the Bohemia institution an amazing, if somewhat controversial, night of short film.

After her successful presentation took 1st place at this year's SDA Pitch WA finals, Ella Wright is heading to Sydney for the 2010 SPAA Fringe Conference. Ella's pitch - The Vintage Phenomenon - explored our culture's fascination with vintage fashion.

The SDA Pitch was the result of a nationwide search of the best projects in the country. Each state winner will present their projects to a panel of film and television executives at SPAA Fringe later this month.




With her unique presentation style and a true passion for vintage fashion, Ella is hoping her pitch generates enough attention to take the project to greater heights.

Can you tell us about your pitch, and how the idea originated?

The Vintage Phenomenon explores and discovers the beauty of the worldwide fascination with vintage clothing through the eyes of Generation Y. We meet collectors, find amazing pieces, and hear amazing stories involved with the hunt and the find.

I have been interested Vintage Clothing for years, but the idea itself came from a combination of things. Two separate friends gave me a couple of inspirational books about Vintage for Christmas. When I was going to a big event that I needed a dress for, I so badly wanted to go and convince one of the amazing collectors in my books to loan me a piece. As soon as I started considering the stories and the outfits to be explored, I thought of my many friends that would want to see that too! I found my audience when I started researching who the collectors were, finding huge online communities, and going along to film the long lines at frenzied vintage sales.

How did you feel after your win at the SDA Pitch?

Over the moon, it was a great feeling to have represented an idea I really believe in, and to have that recognised. After the pitch I went straight to Devilles to meet my friends for Thursday Karaoke to celebrate!

Do you anticipate that your presentation style will change the second time around?

Although I am working on my supporting documents, the pitch itself will mostly be the same, I am going to try to not use cue cards this time, and of course incorporate all the great feedback from the judges - mainly to more succinctly communicate the core idea.

What do you hope will come out of your experience at SPAA Fringe?

I am hoping to start to generate interest with broadcasters and potential collaborators for The Vintage Phenomenon at SPAA fringe. This project has a niche audience, and is achievable for a smaller budget. It has some gorgeous entertaining characters in it - not to mention the amazing clothes and the stories that go with them!


If Ella goes on to win, she'll receive $1,500 and a chance to return to NSW in November for the The Holding Redlich Pitching Competition.

FTI would once again like to congratulate Ella on her SDA Pitch win, and wish her the best of luck at SPAA Fringe!

This past weekend, FTI hosted 24 hour Comics Day 2010, asking artists to start and finish a 24-page comic in just 24 consecutive hours.

Didn't get a chance to come down? Never fear, some of the talented participants have blogged their work from the event.

Tim & his comic 'Robots'

Michael's 24 hour comic   

Or check out photos at the Official Website

Making films that connect with audiences is a tough business. And most filmmakers do an apprenticeship on short films. This specific form of movie making requires all the story telling, performance and style as its older cousin, but at a fraction of the cost.

 

So what can you say on film, in around 15 minutes? A hell of a lot if you judge by the 12^th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival.  This festival of truly international shorts has attracted a top class field of mini movies from the people whose features you'll be watching in the coming decade.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for the harrowing Polish film ECHO from director Magnus Van Horn. This slow burning drama unfolds detail by detail to reveal a relentlessly tragic tale with a shattering conclusion.

 

Helene Florent's Canadian gem LEGER PROBLEME (A Little Inconveneinve) uses old school effects and state of the art computer graphics. to pull of a whimsical comedy that shows everyday people unable to decide between their head and their heart.

 

German film 12 YEARS (Daniel Nocke) also employs eye-popping computer graphics to tell it's very short, sharp story of love gone wrong.

 

The Australian film PUSH BIKE made in Queensland by Mairi Cameron is sure to have the home crowd voting for it, but also arguing over it as it takes an unconventional plot turn that is likely to cause punters to disagree. This beautifully shot and performed film is a very worthy contender in this competition.

 

However, the Italian short GUERRA (War) will be a definite crowd pleaser. Set in the aftermath of the Second World War this film painstakingly recreates life in an Italian village. Paolo Sassanelli definitely stakes his claim as a filmmaker to watch with this moving comedy of the world of his father and grandfather.

 

The quality of performances and production values in these films make them a must see for filmmakers tackling the short form or for film-goers who want to see the future of cinema. Come on down, check these out and definitely vote. Last year 60.000 people did but only 126 votes stood between first and second place. And haven't we all had enough of elections that are too close to call?

 

See you at the Manhattan Short Film Festival, 7pm this Thursday 30^th September.

 

Phil Jeng Kane

For an emerging filmmaker, the anticipation of starting a new film can be a daunting yet thrilling project. For writer/director Jacob Holmes-Brown, translating his work from page to screen is an exciting process, as production for his film The Rag Witch continues this week.

The film follows Marcus Stone, a shattered and disillusioned young man who is dealing with the brutal death of his childhood friend, Leon. Marcus deserts the same military detachment that he and Leon served for over six years, and falls into the hands of a powerful individual known only as The Witch. Drawn into the Witch's shadowy world by her blind servant girl, Sofia, Marcus is offered a chance to escape and a chance at a new life.

Holmes-Brown spoke to FTI about what audiences should expect from his period drama feature.

 

What would you consider your original inspiration for writing the screenplay?

 I set out to write a story that merged folktale conventions with a more modern environment, in which a folktale would find itself out of context. In this case we have a deserting soldier, Marcus, whose only hope of escape lies with a "Witch" or at least a woman who styles herself as one. Our story takes place during the Great Depression in Australia, in an age when such "folktales" should have become obsolete.

 The inspiration for the story came from a quote in the first episode of the TV series Carnivale: "There was magic then, nobility, and unimaginable cruelty. And so it was until the day that man forever traded away wonder for reason." Combine that with an obsession for myths and Russian history. How that translates into the finished film is an interesting process, but I aimed to write a film in which the folktale conventions would be explained with reason. Yet we are still left with the tale of a broken soldier finding his true self and overcoming his adversity; a tale in heroic tradition.

 

As a young, emerging filmmaker, how would you describe your experiences with getting your script into production?

 

From the beginning I think Nikit Doshi (Producer) and I realised that this would be a self-funded production, as it had to run according to our own schedule and film-making style. So it is essentially an incredibly low budget feature film, but we have been exceptionally blessed with the people we have had around us from the beginning of the project. I have been particularly fortunate with my Director of Photography, Arthur Bienkowski, who from the very start of the film knew exactly what kind of film I was setting out to make.

 

With very little experience directing outside of the university environment, I have had to challenge myself in working with cast and crew in new and very different ways. Often we have attempted exercises and discussions by instinct rather than prior knowledge. But the process of working with my actors, particular James Porter, Rina Freiberg, Nina Deasley and Cody Fern, to develop their characters and to build our scenes, has been very rewarding.

 

The whole process has been quite a startling experience. We have experienced, I would think, a great deal of the knockbacks that emerging film-makers are struck with. From location issues and filming delays, to changes in cast and crew. But we've used each opportunity to further hone the film, and to concentrate our efforts in getting the film made. It has proven to me that with enough faith and perseverance you can make your film, on your own terms.

 

Do you have any expectations or apprehensions going into the first stage of filming?

 

It is always interesting turning up to set on day one with a crew that you've never worked with before. A cast who remain, under your hand, untried. But now that we are halfway through our first block of shooting I am humbled everyday by the willingness and talent expressed by our amazing crew. Rarely have I seen a group of people work so coherently and comfortably together.

 

Personally, I am waiting to see how my writing fares once taken through the process of rehearsal, shooting and editing. I think that this is the real test of a director; to translate everything that occurs into a coherent whole, with one core and one mind. I am very excited to see my actors step into their scenes. We have had considerable conversations regarding the development of the characters and I look forward to seeing them allowed to grow and breathe within my scenes.

 

Can you tell us about the filming locations?

 

As it is a period film we went on a long process to find a suitable building for our set. With a budget as low as ours, building our interior sets was never an option and so we knew that we had to locate a building that would give us everything that we needed in one space. I think I have now seen every significant pre-1930's building in the Perth metropolitan area due to our location scouting!

 

The building in which the majority of our film takes place is the Old George Hotel in East Fremantle. It is a National Trust building, but it maintains the art deco type look that I always associated with the Witch's building (high ceilings, white walls, ornate cornicing). Other locations include some historic areas down south and parts of the John Forrest National Park.

 

When can audiences expect to see the final product?

 

That is the #1 question. But I believe that the film will be completed shooting by early September and we shall be completing the post-production process by the end of the year, or early next year. From there we are aiming at International film festivals with the goal of an International premiere.

 

 

Check out The Rag Witch official site, or become a fan on Facebook.

 

 

THE WAITING CITY (2009)

Written and directed by Claire McCarthy

Starring Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton, Isabell Lucas and Samrat Chakrebarti

 

Ben (Edgerton) and Fiona (Mitchell) are a youngish Australian couple who travel to Calcutta to adopt a baby. Instead of a smooth well-organised process, they encounter another culture's bureaucracy and find the frustrations of waiting puts a strain on their marriage.

 

From the moment Ben and Fiona arrive in Calcutta, they carry with them a tension about the adoption. They are restless because their lives are on hold until they see their child and take her back home to Australia. They have waited for years and when they are forced to wait days longer than they expected, they are not mentally prepared for the increase in tension that this further delay causes.

Calcutta is utterly foreign to them, but in an attempt to gain further knowledge for their child when she gets older, they explore the city and it's culture. Fiona is also winding up a legal case she is working on, and therefore spends hours working on her laptop or Skyping her colleagues in Sydney. The serious cracks in her and Ben's relationship are revealed. And we are left wondering if the adoption will happen or even whether this couple are good candidates to raise an adopted daughter.

 

The plot of The Waiting City is light on incident. The journey of its characters is largely internal. However, I was fascinated by that journey. First time feature director McCarthy has created a solid and engrossing drama. Ben and Fiona's drive to have a child will be familiar to many and their bewilderment at dealing with an utterly foreign culture will also strike a chord.

 

To take a small and internal story and open it up enough to make a feature is a feat that many Australian independents don't achieve. McCarthy's success in doing this is due to a number of well-handled elements. The story has just enough meat on its bones to make it worth investing in emotionally. The performances of the two leads are very strong. Mitchell is often excellent in her movies, but not always in the right vehicle. The role of Fiona is perfect for her. Edgerton is a charismatic actor, who has played a number of similar-feeling roles, but the part of Ben is his best performance for a number of years. McCarthy's way of shooting Calcutta puts the audience right in the thick of things. You are not kept at a comfortable travelogue distance; rather you are thrust in the middle of the crowd and onto the street right along with Ben and Fiona.

 

The film's cinematographer, well known in Western Australian film circles, is Denson Baker. He was in Perth for The Waiting City's launch and later to do a master-class at the FTI. I had a brief conversation with him and mentioned how good it was to see an Australian film that worked. He, quite rightly, put aside my cultural cringe and said that he liked to think of the film as international.

 

This is the best way to consider it. We can be proud that a film made with Australian talent is this good, but perhaps more noteworthy is that it has the chops to be shown anywhere and doesn't rely on quirky Australian traits or our wide brown landscape as its hook. It's a character story that relies on craft and talent.

 

Obviously this is not a film for an audience looking for a vast tale of externalised emotions and death-defying actions concluding with giants orange fireballs in the night sky over Calcutta. This is a film of details, primal emotions and the threads that connect people, make relationships and create families. It deals with national identities and familial roles. If you like the idea of a movie where you join the dots and read what is implicit, then you could find The Waiting City very rewarding.

 

The film is currently screening at Luna Cinemas in Leederville. I rated it an 8/10.

 

 

Reviewed by Mr Trivia.

 

It sounds clichéd, but when I became a mother I saw the world through different eyes - the eyes of a protector.  Yes, I have been an older sister who has fought her brother's battles.  Yes, I have stood up for injustice I've seen in the world.  But there is nothing more powerful than the protectiveness a parent feels for their small, defenceless child.

On the surface, 'Cropsey' is an exploration of the mythology of the bogeyman:  That faceless threat that parents and other children perpetuate to make kids fear the unknown.  But the reality is that there ARE bogeymen (and women) out there that actually will hurt your kid if they get a chance.

This frightens me to the point of restricting my child's liberty.  I take her to the park and see some of the people hanging out there, and I can't imagine a point in her life when I'm going to feel comfortable letting her be in the vicinity of those people without me there.  One day I'm going to have to, I know.  But right now, after seeing this film, it might be when she's about 35.

Cropsey is a New York legend that kids told around camp fires in New York state for years.  After the gruesome discovery of murdered 12 year old Jennifer Schweiger in 1987, Staten Island is abuzz with reports of a real life Cropsey who preys on mentally challenged kids.

The prime suspect, Andre Rand, worked at Staten Island's infamous Willowbrook Mental Institution, a place exposed by a young Geraldo Rivera in 1972 for the degenerate treatment of it's young wards.  The footage is truly terrifying.

Rand is then accused of abducting and murdering another four kids from around the area.

One of the things this film raised for me was:  If my kid was abducted and murdered, how much evidence would I actually need to be sure they had the right guy?  It probably wouldn't be much.  And that's scary.

Cropsey screens again on Sunday at 1:30pm. 

I love a good film festival.  And it's more than just the films, it really brings out a sense of community.  One person has been there for pretty much every session, local filmmaker and projectionist extraordinaire Pete Gurbiel.  I asked him what he's enjoyed so far and what he's still looking forward to:

I was looking forward to THE LOST THING big time. I've been a fan of Shaun Tan's illustrations since he provided the cover artwork to Lotel's 2000 Album. The execution of the animation was spectacular, and lifted Tan's heady concepts right off the page - massive approval!

Things to look out for are THE LOVED ONES and NIGHT OF THE TRIFFIDS, shows you'll be hard pressed to catch on the big screen any time soon.

What's everyone else looking forward to?