events
FRAMED #03 – Telling & Selling Australian Stories for Screen
Speakers
FACILITATOR:
Deb Verhoeven
Deb Verhoeven is a writer, broadcaster, film critic, commentator and lecturer. Deb is currently Associate Professor of Screen Studies in the School of Applied Communication at RMIT University where she also manages the AFI Research Collection. Between 2000 and 2002 she was CEO of the Australian Film Institute (AFI). Deb is an active film critic and member of the Australian Film Critics Association and the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique (FIPRESCI). She has worked on several film juries and festival pre-selection committees over the years: Bangkok Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, Real Life on Film, Comedy Channel Short Film Festival, The Antennas, Watch My Shorts, Daffodil Day Awards, Black and White Festival. Deb is an Honorary Life Member of Women in Film & Television; Editorial Board member of Studies in Australasian Cinema and Board Member of the highly successful Australian based online film journal Senses of Cinema. She is a founding member of the Screen Economics Research Group (SERG). Deb is also author of more than 30 scholarly journal articles and book chapters. Her book Sheep and the Australian Cinema was published in 2006. In 1999 she edited a collection of essays titled Twin Peeks: Australian and New Zealand Cinema (Damned). Her most recent book, on the Australasian director Jane Campion, was published by Routledge in January 2009.
David Lightfoot
David Lightfoot is an Australian film producer. His credits include 2007's $30m action/thriller feature film Rogue for The Weinstein Company and Roadshow Films, and 2005 horror/thriller Wolf Creek. David is currently in production on the Screen Australia financed thriller Coffin Rock with worldwide sales being handled by Bankside Films in London. In addition he is executive producing Michael Craft’s psychological thriller ‘Storage’. Wolf Creek created a storm, being bought heavily by US company Miramax/Dimension Films for seven times its budget and being the first FFC backed Australian film to go into substantial profit before release. It was selected in the World Cinema Competition at Sundance 2005 and was in Official Selection in Director's Fortnight in Cannes 2005. Wolf Creek also achieved the highest-ever Box Office return for an 'R' rated Australian film in Australia and debuted in the top ten films in the US on its release on Christmas Day in 2005. Lightfoot also worked on Bad Boy Bubby (1994) as the Production Supervisor/Associate Producer, was Producer of the mini-series, Three Forever (1996), an Australian-Italian co-production, and Producer of the feature film "Spank!" (1998). He was also Co-Producer and Line Producer of The Sound of One Hand Clapping (1997); Consulting Producer on 'Innocence' (1999) and Line Producer on Japanese Story (2003). Lightfoot commenced a traineeship at the South Australian Film Corporation in 1982. Since then, he has held numerous positions in the film industry, including numerous feature film credits in roles as varied as Location Manager, Production Manager and 1st Assistant Director before becoming a producer. He has worked on numerous occasions with international renowned directors including Rolf de Heer, Greg McLean and Paul Cox, has line produced many other productions as well and has consulted on numerous occasions to the S.A. Film Corporation, Screenwest, leading film study education institutions and completion guarantors. Today he is considered one of the most experienced and accredited production execs in Australia. Lightfoot is also the founding director of the SHORTS Film Festival, a biennial Adelaide festival of short Australian films that awards the winning filmmaker with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Cannes Film Festival.
Alkinos Tsilimidos
Alkinos has been described as one of Australia’s most important contemporary film directors. He has a reputation for being an actor’s director and is renowned for his uncompromising approach to stories of social relevance. He graduated from Swinburne School of Film and Television (now VCA) in 1988. His début feature film Everynight…Everynight (1994) won international critical acclaim. It was awarded Best First Film (Prix D’Montreal) at the Montreal World Film Festival and was in Official Selection at the Venice International Film Festival. His second feature Silent Partner (2001) was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the AFI and Film Critics Awards and was in Official Selection at the Toronto, Montreal, Newport, US Arts Comedy, Athens, Singapore and Bangkok International Film Festivals. In 2004, Tom White was released to extensive critical acclaim. It received thirty-one Australian feature film award nominations, Colin Friels winning the FCCA and the IF AWARD for Best Actor. Tom White was invited to participate at many international events including Montreal, Hof, and Pusan International Film Festivals. Em 4 Jay (2006), his fourth feature, participated at Melbourne, Brisbane, Athens, Mostra De Valencia – Spain, Newport Beach – US, Titanic - Hungary and New Zealand International Film Festivals. Variety said: “Authenticity makes EM 4 JAY a Down Under low budget TRIUMPH.” Alkinos is currently working on his fifth feature, Rambles.
Jonathan Auf Der Heide
Jonathan's graduating film 'Hell's Gates' won Best Film, Best Director and Best 3rd Year Film at the 2007 VCA Film & TV Awards. Hell's Gates has since screened at MIFF taking out the Best Student Film and Best Emerging Filmmaker Award, 2008. His first feature 'Van Diemen's Land', the follow up to 'Hell's Gates', premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival earlier this year and has a national cinema release on August 27 2009. An experienced actor, Jonathan has performed with many Victorian companies including the Melbourne Theatre Company and ensemble outfit The Keene Taylor Project. His film and television credits include: The Independent, Tom White, Em4Jay, Blue Heelers, John Safran Vs God, Stingers and City Homicide.
John Evagora, Director
John graduated from VCA in 2007. In 2008, his graduation film 296 SMITH ST won the ADG’s Best Direction in a Student Film Award, Best Short Film in the Melbourne International Film Festival, Film Victoria’s Erwin Rado Award for Best Australian Short Film and the Australian Writer’s Guild Award for Best Short Screenplay.
RESOURCES
AFI Research Collection
www.afiresearch.rmit.edu.au
Jane Campion
www.routledgemedia.com/books/Jane-Campion-isbn9780415262750
Sheep and the Australian Cinema (MUP, 2006)
www.mup.unimelb.edu.au/ebooks/0-522-85240-8/index.html
Studies in Australasian Cinema
www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals.php?issn=17503175
FRAMED 2009 is generously supported by Film Victoria.
Supporting Partner
