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Events | Featured projects | Announcements
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Events
The Other Film Festival - Melbourne
3-7 September 2008
The Other Film Festival is Australia's only international disability film festival and is renowned for excellence in filmmaking, highly accessible cinema and the passionate exchange of ideas. The festival will be fully competitive with cash prizes including $5,000 for Best Film. Melbourne Museum. Arts Access Victoria is seeking volunteers to work at The Other Film Festival 2008.
The Sydney Underground Film Festival - Sydney
11-14 September 2008
The Sydney Underground Film Festival is an annual festival which screens quality indie, experimental and arthouse films from Australia and around the world. The Sydney Underground Film Festival provides a platform for exhibition, exposure and critical discussion. The organisers are devoted to renewing local interest in alternative film as part of an international underground film culture. Factory Theatre.
Auburn International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults - National
A Collection of Thoughts. Image courtesy of the Auburn International Film Festival for Children and Young Adult.
15-19 September 2008
The Auburn International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults was established to provide a platform for works by children, youth and adults whose subject matters are about or for children and youth.
In The Bin Short Film Festival - Currumbin, Queensland, followed by national tour
13-20 September 2008
In The Bin short film festival will be shown on two large outdoor screens in a truly unique location at Currumbin Parklands, Queensland. In The Bin is now regarded as being south-east Queensland's largest outdoor short film festival.
In Good Company: Creative Collaborations, Australian Directors Guild (ADG) Conference - Sydney
25-28 September 2008
The theme of the 2008 ADG Conference is collaboration and it is aptly titled In Good Company: Creative Collaborations. The program will be a mix of plenary sessions, informative workshops and masterclasses, providing delegates with a substantial opportunity to advance their professional development and education. The ADG Conference is a three-day event aimed at directors working across drama and documentary sectors. Conference delegates will also include producers, screenwriters, representatives from government funding agencies, film and television students and other industry professionals. Speakers for the 2008 conference are being drawn from both Australia and overseas. Australian Film, Television & Radio School.
Reelife Film Festival - National
National tour September 2008
Reelife and UNICEF Australia presents Hotspots: Youth-Made Films From Conflicts Zones. Hotspots is a program of short films by young people from conflict zones and places of unrest around the world including East Timor, Sri Lanka and Iraq. The Hotspots Tour will include forums, workshops and special events. Various locations.
WOW Film Festival - Sydney, followed by national tour
Sil-Nyin Cameron, Festival Director. Image courtesy of the WOW Film Festival.
1-2 October 2008
The World of Women (WOW) Film Festival is touring Australia, highlighting the talents of women directors, producers, writers, editors and cinematographers in the Australian film industry. It is a unique festival that offers emerging and established filmmakers the opportunity to screen short works along the theme "seeing the world through the eyes of women". Programs from the WOW Film Festival are visiting 18 national, regional and remote locations in 2008 such as Cairns, Hobart, Bowral and Borroloola.
This Is Not Art - Newcastle, New South Wales
2-6 October 2008
This year's This Is Not Art festival is composed of four festivals, and a series of events combining talents from the across the board and showcasing emerging art and media forms. The festival provides an annual program with a variety of workshops, panels, performances, speakers and exhibitions challenging ideas about making art, making culture and making noise. Various locations.
Cultural Connections: MySpace is an Artspace - Brisbane
9-10 October 2008
The Arts Libraries Society/Australia and New Zealand is a dynamic organisation which promotes arts librarianship. The Arlis/ANZ biennial conference will bring a balance of presentations and networking opportunities. Queensland State Library.
Gold Coast Film Fantastic - Gold Coast
16-19 October 2008
The 2008 Gold Coast Film Fantastic was created by members of the community in an effort to strengthen the local film industry and broaden the cultural scope of cinema to audiences in the region. It will offer three specialised programs, sports themed, fantasy based and local productions.
SPAA Fringe - The voice behind the film and TV - Sydney
24 - 25 October 2008
SPAA Fringe is a two-day film, television and new media event presented by the Screen Producers Association of Australia. Now in its ninth year, top industry professionals and Australia's rising talent will share their experiences and expertise, offering insight and creative direction for up-and-coming filmmakers seeking lasting careers in the screen industry. SPAA Fringe is comprised of workshops, roundtables, one-on-one sessions, panel discussions, film screenings and social networking events. The event offers a unique opportunity for the emerging sector to spend quality time with established filmmakers, TV execs and other industry professionals. Paddington Town Hall, Chauvel Cinema & Metro Screen, Sydney.
Media Art Curating Forums - Adelaide, Townsville, Alice Springs, Perth
29 August - 17 November 2008
These forums present an overview of contemporary media arts and address commonly asked questions. Topics include: exhibition design and presentation; technical/equipment requirements; maintenance and logistics; installation; invigilation; and audiences. Video installations, interactive artworks and web based art are now part of mainstream contemporary visual arts and are continually growing in popularity. Various locations.
Animated - Online exhibition (National Portrait Gallery)
26 October 2007 - December 2008
Animated is an online collection of self-portraits by 14 Australian artists. The animated self-portraits record an emotional and physical likeness of the artist as well as giving the online audience an insight into how each artist views themselves. The artists are Jo Boag, Pia Borg, Rick Bull, The Contextual Villains, Susan Danta, Paul Oslo Davis, Jonathan Daw, Anita Fontaine, Ian Haig, Troy Innocent, Anthony Lucas, Matt Taylor, Arlene TextaQueen and Tony Thorne.
Media Art Exhibition: Experimenta Playground - Adelaide, Perth, Bendigo, Albury
Angela Barnett, Andrew Buchanan, Darren Ballingall, Chris MacKellar and Christian Rubino, Immersion 2007. Image courtesy of the Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art.
May 2008 - June 2009
Experimenta Playground showcases the latest work from Australia's leading media artists alongside media artworks from artists around the globe. The exhibition re-invents the gallery space as an environment of surprise and discovery exploring the notion that play is a means through which we are able to make sense of the world. In Experimenta Playground, media artists invite us to play and consider social behaviour, identity, the real/imagined, material/immaterial, and the role of play in life. Admission is free. Samstag Museum of Art Adelaide, WA Museum, Bendigo Art Gallery, Albury Library Museum.
Featured projects
MOVE: Video art in schools - Sydney
9 September 2008
One of Australia's most significant collectors and benefactors of contemporary art, John Kaldor, launches the 2008 MOVE: Video art in schools project at the Art Gallery of NSW. This is the second in a three part DVD box set of 12 video art works by leading Australian artists. In collaboration with NSW Dept of Education & Training and the Art Gallery of NSW, the set includes the video works and supporting material for teachers and students required for syllabus. Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The Film Festival Project
May 2008
The Film Festival Project began 14 May 2008. A four-part documentary series which chronicles the experiences of filmmakers, fans, journalists and stars as they navigate through the hectic days and long nights of festival madness. Wednesdays 8:30 pm. ABC2 Television Guide.
Home Song Stories - stellar record since release
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Joan Chen as Rose in Home Song Stories. Image courtesy of Urban CineFile.
April 2008
Writer and director Tony Ayres describes his film as 'a world where Mandarin love ballads sit alongside The Partridge Family, where the cramped and cheap decor of The Cheung On Restaurant is juxtaposed against the stifling suburbia of middle class Australia '. Since its release in July 2007, it has won numerous awards including 14 AFI nominations, including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay, 9 IF Award nominations, including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay; 7 Golden Horse Award nominations the including Best Film, Best Actress and Best Screenplay; Best Actress nomination for the Asia Pacific Film Awards; Australia's official entry into the Foreign Oscar Category for the 2008 Academy Awards and success at the Berlin, Toronto and Edinburgh International Film Festivals. Produced by Michael McMahon with seed and production funding from the Australian Film Commission.
Nature reprises its revenge in Long Weekend remake
Long Weekend. Image courtesy of Inside Film.
March 2008
Director Jamie Blanks is doing a remake of the Australian cult classic Long Weekend starring United States actor Jim Caveziel and Australia's Claudia Karvan. Shot on a tight budget, around $5 million, in five weeks in remote and unforgiving conditions on Victoria's Wilson's Promontory, Gippsland. It's the first film to be given permission to be shot at Wilsons Promontory. It is a line-for-line remake of the classic 1978 horror-drama directed by the late Collin Eggleston. The original Long Weekend (shot in 1977) is a two-hander about a quarrelsome couple (played by John Hargreaves and Briony Behets) who holiday in the bush in an attempt to patch up their relationship. Careless and insensitive, the couple despoil the natural setting. Almost immediately the normally docile wildlife begins to fight back. Inside Film.
Announcements
Australians and new technology
August 2008
We are a nation increasingly addicted to new technology, according to the 2008 Sensis® e-Business Report, with children using the internet before they turn five. The report explores how small and medium businesses and consumers interact with technology, including the use of e-commerce, social networking sites, mobile email devices, as well as website and telecommunication take-up by businesses.
Antony I. Ginnane elected as SPAA President
26 August 2008
Australian expatriate producer/director/distributor Antony I. Ginnane (based in Los Angeles) will take over the mantle of Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) President from incumbent Trish Lake on 25th September 2008. Ginnane is expected to return to Melbourne, where his IFM film business has an office. Some of his early projects such as cult hits Patrick, Thirst, Fantasm and The Survivor have recently been profiled in the Ozploitation documentary, Not Quite Hollywood, which opens in cinemas this week.
South Australian digital media to receive $4 million for six projects
22 August 2008
The Digital Tomorrow program has received $4m over 4 years to encourage innovation by SA digital media companies. The six projects are: Pathways (graduate students); Entrepreneur (entrepreneurship training), Worlds (short courses and education programs), Studio (subsidised studio space); Start (small grants), and IP (grants to develop, prototype, secure and commercialise Intellectual Property). Research will also be commissioned into the nature and size of the 'embedded content' market.
Breaking new ground in digital animation - New claymation feature takes the world by storm
20 August 2008
Local film and television company Melodrama Pictures has captured the attention of international animation companies with its latest creation, Mary and Max. In partnership with Stop Motion Pro and XDT, Melodrama Pictures has developed groundbreaking animation technology to create its first claymation feature. Mary and Max is the first feature film from the Academy Award-winning team Melanie Coombs and Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet).
Screen Australia kicks off with a full slate of production approvals
19 August 2008
The Board of Screen Australia met in Brisbane yesterday and approved a range of projects in all major areas of production. In total 25 projects were approved for funding during August, with a production value of $86 million. This includes four feature films, one adult television drama, four children's dramas, 13 documentaries (four of which are series), one commissioned production and two projects from Screen Australia's Indigenous Branch.
Film and Television Office invests in $23.5 million of film and TV production for New South Wales
19 August 2008
The New South Wales Film and Television Office (FTO) will invest in nine film and television productions in NSW, Minister for the Arts, Frank Sartor announced today. The FTO investments are in two feature films, four television series, two factual series and one documentary.
Screen Australia CEO announced
15 August 2008
Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced the appointment of the first Chief Executive Officer of the government's new film agency, Screen Australia. 'It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr Ruth Harley as the CEO of Screen Australia', Mr Garrett said.
Film Victoria hits record year
August 2008
Film Victoria has announced that the Victorian screen industry has surged ahead in 2007/08, recording its largest production expenditure ever of $262 million. This is an 80% increase in the last 12 months. This jump in activity meant that 7,862 full-time employment opportunities were also created in the industry during the year. A wealth of home-grown and international documentaries, feature films, television drama, short films and digital media projects are responsible for the dramatic increase in production expenditure.
WA graduates helm new Channel 7 series
July 2008
Thirteen recent graduates from the WA Screen Academy (WASA) have received a strong boost to start their career after being selected to either direct or crew on the 26 episodes of the new Channel 7 children's series Trapped. Best selected WASA graduates Ben Young, Sam Barrett, Claire Marshall and Paul Komadina to each direct 5 or 6 episodes. Other important roles in production have been taken on by Ivan Davidov (editor), Dayne Blundell-Camden (first assistant director) and Ben Pascoe (camera and editing assistant). Inside Film.
Australians and new technology
July 2008
We are a nation increasingly addicted to new technology, according to the 2008 Sensis® e-Business Report children are using the internet before they turn five. The report explores how small and medium businesses and consumers interact with technology, including the use of e-commerce, social networking sites, mobile email devices, as well as website and telecommunication take-up by businesses.
Clouds wins at Moonlight
July 2008
Western Australian short film Clouds, produced by Annabelle Fouchard and written and directed by Will Faulkner, has won the first round of the Moonlight TV Short Film Festival. Fouchard and Faulkner win $3500 from the Festival and plan to use this to fund their next short film. Inside Film.
Queensland filmmakers form collective
30 June 2008
A film and television industry council made up of the most experienced and commercially successful producers in the state is being established to foster a productive relationship between government and industry. Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said the new Queensland Screen Industry Development Council was a significant outcome for the industry. Inside Film.
NSW regional filmmaker wins mobile movie awards
23 June 2008
A 60-second movie, filmed entirely on a mobile phone, has scooped the pool at the Sydney Film Festival Telstra MobileMovie Awards. The film was crafted using only 'found words' filmed from Gosford CBD signage. The graphical tapestry revealed a story of desperation as the city's business district struggles to keep retailers from fleeing to the bigger shopping complexes - yet also unfolds a message of hope by asking viewers to bring people back into Gosford's heart in a kind of geographical resuscitation. Inside Film.
Leading Australian producers strike a big match
June 2008
Film and television producers Tony Ayres, Helen Bowden, Penny Chapman, Michael McMahon and Helen Panckhurst have formed a new company, Matchbox Pictures. Matchbox Pictures is a production and rights management company that will capitalise on the strengths of its five principals, and provide opportunities for them to co-operatively build and market their businesses in Australia and internationally under one umbrella. Inside Film.
Eric Bana is the new MIFF Ambassador
June 2008
The Melbourne International Film Festival is pleased to announce that AFI and IF Award winning actor, Eric Bana, is the new MIFF Ambassador. The Ambassador position will complement the role Geoffrey Rush holds as MIFF Patron and will this year include a special screening program. Both Geoffrey Rush and Eric Bana will host a special presentation of an Australian film that holds special resonance for them.
New Board appointed for National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA)
20 June 2008
Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced the appointments of Professor Chris Puplick AM (Chair), Dr Deb Verhoeven (Deputy Chair), Professor Jill Matthews, Ms Grace Koch, Ms Catherine Robinson, Mr Andrew Pike OAM and Mr Philip Mortlock as members of the new Board of the NFSA, all until 30 June 2011. Legislation establishing the NFSA received Royal Assent on 20 March 2008 and the Archive will commence operations as a separate statutory authority on 1 July 2008.
New Board appointed for Screen Australia
20 June 2008
Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced the appointments for the first board of the government's new film agency, Screen Australia. Mr Garrett said the appointment of Mr Glen Boreham (Chair), Mr Ian Robertson (Deputy Chair), Ms Cherrie Bottger, Ms Rachel Perkins, Ms Deanne Weir, Mr Robert Connolly and Mr Greg Smith until 30 June 2011, opened a new chapter for Australian film and television with the commencement of Screen Australia from 1 July 2008.
Croc Hunter's daughter wins Daytime Emmy
16 June 2008
Bindi Irwin has won a Daytime Emmy award for outstanding performer in a children's series for her show Bindi: The Jungle Girl. The award was presented at the 35th Annual Creative Arts & Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards in New York City on Friday June 13. Inside Film.
National Screenwriters' Conference at Adelaide Film Festival 2009
June 2008
The South Australian Premier, the Hon Mike Rann, has confirmed funding for the National Screenwriters' Conference (NSC) - a project of the Australian Writers’ Guild - to run concurrently and in partnership with the Adelaide Film Festival from 19 to 21 February 2009. This new partnership will create opportunities to explore the latest developments in writing and its processes through the conference and complementary programming within the Festival, and along with the South Australian Film Corporation's announcement of the Film and Screen Hub, continues to grow filmmaking opportunities in South Australia. The 2009 Adelaide Film Festival will have factual and fictional bookends with the Australian International Documentary Conference, to be held over the Festival's opening days, and the National Screenwriters' Conference over the final weekend.
Cicada World Premiere
June 2008
A new documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson will world premiere at the opening night of the 2008 Bayside Film Festival in July. The documentary has been commissioned by Sally Hussey, Artistic Director of the Bayside Film Festival. Cicada, a stylised monologue documentary, is the re-telling of the first memory of Melbourne man Daniel P Jones, who, aged 5, witnessed a murder. Cicada is the first of three works to be commissioned by Hussey over three years in the Festival's New Directions series. New Directions complements the Bayside Film Festivals key innovation, the award-winning Youth Documentary Project, in which professional filmmakers work with young people in Bayside and beyond to create their first short documentaries. Some of these documentaries screen in competition at the festival.
Key online resources
- Australian Centre for the Moving Image
- Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)
- Metro Screen
- UNESCO Young Digital Creators (YDC) Educator's Kit
- ScreenWest
Collection resources and online publications
- The Liquid Edition - filmmaking resources
- australianscreen
- Australian film reviews by Urban Cinefile
- Inside Film
Institutions and government organisations
- National Film and Sound Archive
- Centre for Scholarly and Archival Research - National Film and Sound Archive
- Australian Film Institute Award Winners
- Australian Film, Television and Radio School
- Open Channel
- VCA School of Film and TV
- Screen Australia
Peak bodies and associations
- Australian Cinematographers Society
- Australian Screen Editors Guild
- Australian Writers' Guild
- The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
- Screenrights: copyright collection agency for rights holders in film and television
- Game Developers' Association of Australia
People
Featured websites/projects
Other resources
To contact us with your news and events, please email the News Editor, NewsEditor at culture dot gov dot au, including the URL of your website.
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