AFC NEWS OCTOBER 2007 |
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Welcome to the October edition of AFC News. This month we announce an innovative use of the AFC's Regional Digital Screen Network, celebrate the progress of australianscreen online and highlight the AFC's new Indigenous Producers Initiative. There's also news from the NFSA, and we congratulate many recent award winners.
The AFC News banner shows the AFC-supported film Cross Life (d: Claire McCarthy) which is screening at the Pusan International Film Festival.
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- The AFC and the Australian Ballet have announced a ground-breaking partnership that will take a live performance of The Nutcracker to audiences in eight regional centres around Australia. Part of the AFC's Regional Digital Screen Network (RDSN) the venues will experience the performance live via satellite as it is conducted in the Sydney Opera House. The event is the first of its kind in Australia and will bring the performance to many centres outside the Australian Ballet's regional tour. Media release
- On 20 September 2007 the Australian Parliament passed legislation establishing the Australian Screen Production Initiative. The initiative provides over $280 million over 4 years to promote the production of film and television in Australia through a Producer Offset, Location Offset and PDV Offset. Fact sheets and media releases about the initiative are available on the DCITA website.
- The AFC Indigenous Branch is calling for expressions of interest for a new initiative aimed at developing Indigenous Film Producers. The Indigenous Producers Initiative will involve an intensive development plan that covers all aspects of producing and includes workshops/internships with experienced producers, and help with developing projects and participation in conferences and markets. Deadline 12 October 2007. More details.
- australianscreen now has over 700 titles on the site. New additions include films from the 1920s 'Made in Australia' campaign, promoting Australian goods and manufacturing such as Australian Steel Works; there are also lots of new kids TV titles including Arthur and the Square Knights (1972) and Tracey McBean (2001). About 40 new titles are being added to the website each month and australianscreen will shortly be calling for expressions of interest for people interested in curating for the website.
- Curator of feature films for australianscreen, Paul Byrnes, has won the Pascall Prize for Critic of the Year. Judges described Byrnes as one of the few critics who pays serious attention to film as a vehicle for ideas. They also praise Byrnes' 'exemplary' critical notes for australianscreen.
- Eleven projects have been selected to participate this year's SPAAmart including: An Imaginary Life, Box, Cut Snake, Home, How Now Brown Cow , Newcomer, Thanksgiving, The Last Days of the Space Age, The Last Ride, The Most Fun You Can Have Dying and The Straggler. The AFC Marketing Branch, is responsible for the management of SPAAmart and has been its major funder since the inaugural event in 2001. Full details
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Madeleine Eastoe as Clara in The Nutcracker for The Australian Ballet. Photo: Jim McFarlane.
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The animated children's television series Arthur and the Square Knights is among some of the recent additions to australianscreen.
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- AFC funding deadlines - October to early November 2007:
FILM DEVELOPMENT:
DRAMA
Feature Drama Development (incorporating Strands A and D) - 19 October 2007
DOCUMENTARY
Documentary Early Development (Strand J) - 12 October 2007
Documentary Development (Strand K) - 12 October 2007
Shooting Time-critical material (Strand L) - 12 October 2007 and 9 November 2007
DIGITAL MEDIA
Interactive Digital Media Development (Strand V) - 26 October 2007
Interactive Digital Media Production (Strand W) - 9 November 2007
ANIMATION
Animation Development (Strand S) - 2 November 2007
TELEVISION
Short TV Series Development - 5 October 2007
Short TV Series Production - 5 October 2007
INTERNSHIPS
12 October 2007
INDIGENOUS BRANCH
Indigenous Producers Initiative - 12 October 2007
Documentary Development - 24 October 2007
Drama Development - 26 October 2007
- AFC funding approvals.
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DOP Hugh Miller and director Adrian Wills on location for the new Indigenous documentary When the Natives Get Restless.
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Bob Franklin as Neil Slider in the AFC-supported comedy drama series The Librarians. Screening on the ABC in October.
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- During Canberra's Floriade Festival the NFSA is presenting free screenings of the restored Australian classic The Story of the Kelly Gang. The screenings are running Monday to Friday at 12 noon and 2pm, from 17 September to 12 October in the NFSA's state-of-the art new cinema Arc, and are preceded by Arc's special sound and light show. Full story.
- Garry Lester is a current fellow at the NFSA's Centre for Scholarly and Archival Research (CSAR). His research project is titled Dance as a Social Forum: re-evaluating the work of Margaret Barr and Kai Tai Chan. More details
- The NFSA's new café/bar, The Studio, has opened its doors for business. Completely renovated and under new management, it offers an enticing range of bar food, snacks, great coffee and tea, as well as a selected wine list. The café operates 9-5 Mon to Fri, 10-5pm weekends and public holidays, and remains open for an hour after Arc screenings to cater for cinema-goers.
- The October/November Arc screening program has been released and includes a heady mix of international and Australian film classics, documentaries and contemporary cinema such as twisted caper flick The Aura, The Cremator, Cremaster 3, 4 and 5, expressionist thriller The Lost Man, Charles Laughton's cult classic The Night of the Hunter, classic Australian docudrama A Street to Die, and Japanese animation Paprika. Full program
- NFSA Sound Specialist Nick Weare recently gave a presentation on how to archive radio programs at the National Remote Media Festival held on the remote Ngaanyatjarra lands of the Warakuna Community in WA. Organised by the Indigenous Remote Communications Association, the peak body which represents Indigenous community radio and TV stations throughout the country, the festival showcased Aboriginal film and video content and included presentations, reports, workshops and forums, as well as an awards night for Indigenous media.
- Musician Bart Willoughby, well-known from such bands as No Fixed Address and Mixed Relations, spent several days at the NFSA in September recording an oral history with Liz McNiven, Curator of the Indigenous Collection. Liz spoke to Bart about his very successful musical career, the making of the film Wrong Side of the Road, and his tours of Europe and America with Midnight Oil, Yothu Yindi and the American musician Graffiti Man. Liz says Bart Willoughby's music has been ground-breaking and his composition 'We Have Survived' is viewed by many as an anthem of the 1980s. The oral history will form part of a special Digital Storytelling Project which will see the profiles of six prominent Indigenous musicians featured on the NFSA website. The profiles will include material from the NFSA's Indigenous, Recorded Sound, Moving Image and Documents and Artefacts collections.
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The Story of the Kelly Gang will screen as part of the Floriade festival.
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Japanese animation Paprika (d: Satoshi Kon) will screen at the NFSA's Arc cinema in October.
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A movie camera woven by Niningka Lewis from the Tjampi Weavers Indigenous art group to commemorate the National Remote Media Festival.
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Musician Bart Willoughby records an oral history with the NFSA's Curator of the Indigenous Collection, Liz McNiven.
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- Congratulations are due to all the filmmakers whose AFC-funded / supported films have recently won awards or been selected for screening at various festivals around the world:
John Hughes's AFC-funded film The Archive Project: The Realist Film Unit in Cold War Australia was shortlisted in the 2007 NSW Premier's History Awards.
Lake Mungo (d: Joel Anderson, p: Georgie Neville, John Brawley), was awarded the Pacific Film and Television Commission's Award For Film Script at the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards 2007.
Kaleidoscope, (d/w: Lucy Goldthorpe, p: Andy Wilson) has been selected in the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival. The film went to the AFC/AFTRS development program Test Drive last year.
Beyond the Backyard (d: Josh Moore, w: Duncan Imberger, p: Jason Byrne) has been selected for the 25th Milan International FICTS Festival 2007.
The SP*RK-supported film Noise (d/w: Matthew Saville, p: Trevor Blainey) is continuing to screen in many international film festivals. In October/November it will appear at the Chicago International Film Festival, the St Tropez Antipodes Film Festival in Belgium, the Leeds International Film Festival in the UK, the Torino International Film Festival in Italy, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece and the Stockholm Film Festival in Sweden.
What They Don't Know (d/w: Sam Bennetts, p: Paul Friedmann, Carlin Smith) has been selected for the Austin Film Festival, the LA Shorts and Curtocircuito.
The AFC-supported documentary What the Future Sounded Like (d: Matthew Bate, w/p: Claire Harris) premiered on ABC TV on Tuesday, 18 September 2007.
Short comedy drama series, The Librarians (d: Wayne Hope, w/p: Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope) will go to air on ABC TV on Wednesday nights at 9.30pm starting Wed 31 October.
The AFC-supported films Cross Life (d/w: Claire McCarthy, p: Claire McCarthy, Anne Robinson, Andre Smith, Stephen Carnell) and Son of a Lion (d/w: Benjamin Gilmour, p: Carolyn Johnson) have both been selected to screen at the Pusan International Film Festival in October.
Skin (w/d, Claire McCarthy, p. Mim Davis) and A Common Humanity (p/w/d. Chris Tuckfield, p. Catherine Cresswell) were selected for the Montreal International Film Festival. Skin was also selected for the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
- Films from the AFC/SBS Podlove initiative have been achieving success at festivals around the world:
Lost Without You (d: Fiona McGee, w: Paul Alexandrou) screened at the Madcat Women's International Film Festival in San Francisco, USA. It has also been selected to screen at the DOCNZ 2007 Documentary Film Festival in October along with The 3G of Us (d: Akhim Dev, Tim Richter), Lost Without You (d: Fiona McGee, w: Paul Alexandrou), I Love Like Blood (d: Sarah-Jane Woulahan), Virtual Freedom (d/w: Maung Maung Aye) and Our Brilliant Second Life (d/w: Shelley Matulick). All the films will also screen at ArtFutura - the computer art and new technologies film festival in Barcelona. The films will then screen across Spain as part of the festival.
Our Brilliant Second Life (d/w: Shelley Matulick) screened at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, USA, at the MFA College Night. The film has also been invited to screen at the Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival in New York in November. It previously screened at the Dallas Video Festival as part of the Second Life exhibition 2007.
Our Brilliant Second Life will also screen at the St Louis Film Festival in the USA in November, along with Virtual Freedom.
- The Australian films Forbidden Lie$, December Boys, Dr Plonk, The Home Song Stories, The Jammed and Lucky Miles are screening throughout October so keep an eye out for them at your local cinema.
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The feature Lucky Miles (p: Jo Dyer, Lesley Dyer; d: Michael James Rowland; w: Michael James Rowland, Helen Barnes) is screening in October.
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The feature December Boys (d: Rod Hardy, p: Richard Becker, w: Marc Rosenberg) will be on screens in October.
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- Over 1,000 people attended Big Screen in Nambucca 7-9 September. AFC guest actor Tony Barry introduced the opening night feature Clubland and the classic Newsfront on Saturday, telling appreciative audiences about the power of Australian films to create a 'campfire' around which to tell stories, create community and stimulate debate. The Nambucca program travelled on to Port Macquarie and Inverell on 20 September. While in Port Augusta special guest Michael James Rowland, director of Lucky Miles, introduced his film on opening night.
In October Big Screen travels to Burnie in Tasmania to screen a great selection of Australian films during the 'Burnie Shines' festival, 12-14 October. Opening night features Clubland, introduced by Big Screen's guest, actor Richard Wilson. Burnie will also get a special sneak preview of the new croc film Black Water.
Visit the Big Screen website for further details.
- Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival had two very successful events at the National Film and Sound Archive's new cinema, Arc, in Canberra, as well as in Lismore where two additional sessions were scheduled due to demand. Message Sticks continues touring in October to Perth and Geraldton in Western Australia. ACMI in Melbourne will host the final Message Sticks tour event on 1-3 November. More details.
- School Screen continues to join forces with Big Screen with screenings in Burnie (11-12 October) of Elephant Tales (G), Opal Dream (PG) and The Year My Voice Broke (M). School Screen bookings can be made online on the ATOM website or contact the AFC's Education Programs Coordinator, Bob Percival e: robert.percival@afc.gov.au, to discuss organising a screening in your local cinema, or a free screening at your school if there is no cinema nearby.
- In October, the Embassy Roadshow will travel to Santiago in Chile and Manilla in the Philippines. The Embassy Roadshow is a travelling film festival program presented through Australian embassies overseas, showcasing a selection of contemporary Australian films to people around the world. It is an initiative of the Australia International Cultural Council, and is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the AFC.
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L-R: AFC guest Tony Barry, Jacqui North (Big Screen Coordinator) and Luke Hartsuyker (Federal MP for Cowper) in Nambucca.
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The feature Elephant Tales (d/p: Mario Andreacchio; p: Georges Campana) is screening in Burnie.
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Australian TV Drama & Documentary Catalogue September 2007
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- The Australian Directors Guild Conference - Calling the Shots and the inaugural Directors Awards are being held at Swissotel Sydney from 12-14 October. Check the website for details.
- SPAA Fringe, the forum for emerging producers to gain knowledge and be inspired is back in Sydney this year, 26-27 October. Check the website for details.
- This year's SPAA Conference is on 13-16 November at the Gold Coast. Register on the website, which will be progressively updated with speakers and sessions.
- The AFC's Industry and Cultural Development Division proudly supports the following upcoming festivals and events:
Electrofringe 2007
28 September - 2 October (Newcastle)
Australian Directors Guild Conference and Awards 2007
12-14 October - Conference (Sydney)
13 October - Awards (Sydney)
ATOM Awards 2007
19 October (Melbourne)
AWG National Screenwriters Conference 2007
19-21 October (Melbourne)
SPAA Fringe 2007
26-27 October (Sydney)
Canberra International Film Festival
25 October - 4 November (Canberra)
SPAA Conference 2007
13-16 November (Gold Coast)
- The ACT Filmmakers' Network holds regular events and hires out equipment.
- Metro Screen is a non-profit organisation that offers training, equipment hire and production support to filmmakers and digital media practitioners. They have monthly Metro Screen Network meetings and Filmmakers' Studio events.
- mo:life monthly is an informal gathering on the second Monday of every month, that offers the opportunity to discuss the latest advances and opportunities in mobile media technology and culture. Contact d.opitz@metroscreen.org.au
- OPEN CHANNEL is a screen resource organisation located in Melbourne's Docklands. They run training courses, have support programs and hire out production equipment.
- OzDox, a joint initiative of documentary filmmakers, industry bodies and academics, to foster, promote and provide a monthly forum for documentary culture, holds regular industry events.
- ScreenWest and PAC Screen Workshops run the PAC Script Labs, rehearsed readings of WA feature film scripts on the last Wednesday of every second month. The aim is to hone WA scripts and increase the profile, quality and awareness of WA film projects.
- Popcorn Taxi, a regular film event where filmmakers and film lovers can meet, watch films of all types, and discuss the filmmaking process all year round runs in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Darwin.
- IF Magazine's What's On in Film guide to screen events is sponsored by the AFC. The July to December 2007 calendar is now available as a PDF on the AFC website.
- Other AFC-supported activities and events.
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The Australian Directors Guild Conference is on in Sydney 12-14 October.
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