Author: Kyle Goldfinch

Take 48 Sydney Underground Film Festival

Sydney Underground Film Festival Take 48 Challenge

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

TAKE48 is a filmmaking challenge that presents a fun way to test your filmmaking abilities whilst working alongside your friends to battle against the clock over an intense and exciting 48 hours! The challenge sees participants script, shoot and edit their films all within a 48-hour window. Prior to the start of the challenge, a theme is announced. All films must include the theme in order to qualify for screening and prizes. With only 48 hours to write, shoot and edit, participants are challenged to change the way they think about filmmaking! The best films are then chosen and curated by the TAKE48 and SUFF teams for screening at the TAKE48 screening session during the Sydney Underground Film Festival! You can register at https://suff.com.au/take48.html, Tickets are $20 for students / $25 for regular

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

The Melbourne International Film Festival has announced the winners of the 2021 MIFF Shorts Awards, which reward filmmakers with more than $63,000 in prizes. The awards are accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, resulting in half of the MIFF Shorts category winners now being eligible for next year’s Oscars. In a virtual ceremony hosted on MIFF Play (Melbourne International Film Festival’s Virtual Platform), eight out of the 80 films in the program received awards from the jury consisting of award-winning journalist Osman Faruqi, writer/director Natalie Erika James and industry expert Alexandra Burke. Winners are below: The Game(dir. Roman Hodel)City of Melbourne Grand Prix for Best Short Film Baltasar(dir. Brietta Hague)Film Victoria Erwin Rado Award for Best Australian Short Film Reptile(dir. Jordan Giusti)Award For Emerging Australian Filmmaker Lili Alone(dir. Zou Jing)Award For Best Fiction Short Film Listen To The Beat Of Our Images(dir Audrey Jean-Baptiste and Maxime Jean-Baptiste)Award For Best Documentary Short Film Gravedad(dir. Matisse Gonzalez)Award For Best Animation Short Film Happy Valley(dir. Simon Liu)Award For Best Experimental Short Film Lizard(dir. Akinola …

SUFF

SYDNEY UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PROGRAMME

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

Sydney’s leading festival for cult, underground and independent films, the Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF), returns with a packed virtual program for its 15th year, from Thursday 9th September to Sunday 26th September. A cinematic trip you can take without leaving your living room, the 2021 line-up features 30 feature films and documentaries, 20 Australian premieres, a special 40-year anniversary film, and over 100 wild and wacky shorts across nine themed sessions. Joining the program for its third year will be much-loved filmmaking competition TAKE48 Film Challenge. Putting filmmakers’ abilities to the test, TAKE48 takes place for 48 hours from Friday 3rd September to Sunday 5th September. This year’s Challenge will also be entirely online, with entries open to Sydneysiders as well as interstate and international participants, and over $16500 in prizes to be won, including camera prizes from SONY Australia. 2021 Festival highlights include: – Opening film SWEETIE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT, from Kazakhstan-based director Yernar Nurgaliyev, a hilarious no-holds-barred road trip film about a man who decides to get away from his nagging …

Queer Screen Pitch Off

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

Calling all aspiring LGBTIQ+ filmmakers! Do you have what it takes to publicly pitch your short-film project with passion and conviction? Queer Screen’s Pitch Off offers Australian LGBTIQ+ filmmakers up to $10,000 of funding towards the production of a short film (narrative, documentary or a stand-alone web series pilot) dealing with the experiences of people of diverse genders and sexualities. To qualify, all film projects submitted must meet the eligibility requirements. After an initial assessment of all eligible film projects, up to six filmmakers will be chosen to spruik their film proposal to a panel of expert assessors at an online Pitch Off Event on Sunday, September 26 2021 as part of the 9th Queer Screen Film Fest. Finalists will have no longer than five minutes to pitch their proposal and impress the panel and public, so make your time count! Review detailed information, including terms and conditions and how to submit. Applications close:Queer Screen Members: Sunday 5th September 2021Non-Members: Sunday 29th August 2021

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SHORT FILM AND EUROPE! WOMEN IN FILM PROGRAMMES

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

The 68th Sydney Film Festival (3-14 November 2021) has today announced the return of the 52nd Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films and the sixth annual Europe! Voices of Women in Film program, in partnership with Dendy Cinemas and the European Film Promotion respectively. SHORT FILM AWARDSSydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley said, “The Festival is proud to once again showcase the incredible works of Australian filmmakers as part of the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films. Having launched the careers of countless renowned directors, writers, producers and other film creatives over the course of its 52 year-history, the Festival will premiere another cohort of 10 superb new short films.” Ten finalists for the prestigious Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films will screen in the Festival. Australia’s longest running short film competition is now in its 52nd year and has been sponsored by Dendy Cinemas since 1989. Finalists:– DWARF PLANET | 2020 | Australia | Director, Screenwriter: Adrian Chiarella– FREEDOM SWIMMER | 2021 | Australia | Director, Screenwriter: Olivia Martin-McGuire– LIFEBLOOD | 2021 | Australia …

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL MOVES FESTIVAL DATES

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

In light of the Sydney lockdown extension announced by the NSW Government, Sydney Film Festival has announced that the 68th Edition will now be held 3-14 November 2021. From Wednesday 3 November to Sunday 14 November 2021, the 68th Sydney Film Festival offers Sydneysiders another exciting season of cinema amidst a whirlwind of premieres, red-carpet openings, in-depth discussions, film guests and more. Sydney Film Festival is a major event on the New South Wales cultural calendar and is one of the world’s longest-running film festivals. For more information, visit sff.org.au. The 68th Sydney Film Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW, the Federal Government through Screen Australia and the City of Sydney.

FFG RADIO EPISODE 5

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

In Episode 5 of Film Festival Guide Kyle Goldfinch sits down with Flickerfest festival director Bronwyn Kidd about submitting your film into the 2022 Festival and Programmer Paul Struthers about his career working across some of the biggest film festivals both here and Internationally. Listen Here:

Flickerfest

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

Australia’s premier international short film festival will again be held under the summer stars on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach in January 2022. ln 2022 Flickerfest will celebrate 31 years of screening the best short films from Australia and around the world in competitions and special showcases.  The 2022 Festival will include the following competitions: ●  International competition – Academy® Award and BAFTA qualifying for Live Action and Animated Shorts. ●  Australian competition – Academy® Qualifying. ●  Documentary competition – Academy® Award and BAFTA Qualifying. ●  Rainbow Shorts LGBTQI competition for international and Australian Shorts. ●  SAE FlickerUp – Australian School Students Competition. ●  Flickerfest will also screen special showcases out of competition including Comedy, Love Bites Relationship shorts and Flickerkids for shorties and their families. Entries close: 8th Oct 2021 for general competitions SUBMIT NOW – More info: flickerfest.com.au/entries

Brisbane International Film Festival 2021

Published by Kyle Goldfinch

Entries are now open for the Brisbane International Film Festival 2021, with the 27th festival to be held in cinemas across the River City from 21 – 31 October 2021. Submissions are open in two categories – feature films and shorts films – and the festival welcomes submissions across all genres and from all corners of the world. Festival Director Emily Avila said with international borders currently closed, the power of cinema to transport audiences was more potent than ever. “Our programming team is seeking films that are bold, diverse, immersive and unforgettable – work that is both thought-provoking and creatively ambitious,” Avila said. “More so than any other time in recent history, films programmed at BIFF will also be portals for us to visit regions of the world that are currently beyond our reach, and we look forward to considering works that connect Brisbane to our wider world through the shared cinema experience.” BIFF strongly encourages submissions from filmmakers who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, female, LGBTQIA+, living with disability, regionally-based and …