Press release from Sydney Film School
The 5th Sydney Film School Robin Anderson Scholarship winner will be announced by no other than Bruce Beresford, one of the most celebrated Australian film directors, writers, and producers, whose credits include Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy and most recently Mao’s Last Dancer.
Each year, Sydney Film School teams up with the Robin Anderson Film Festival, an annual competitive film festival for secondary school filmmakers, to offer a one-year, full time scholarship to one lucky secondary school filmmaker (Years 11-12) to study in a Diploma of Screen and Media Program, valued at $14,500.
After seeing 20 finalist films, both documentaries and dramas, a panel of Sydney Film School tutors selected six candidates to compete for the outstanding opportunity to further their studies in a practical and educational filmmaking environment.
The winner will be announced on Wednesday December 16 at the Awards Night of the Sydney Film School Festival held at the Palace Academy Twin Cinema in Paddington.
Twice yearly at the end of each semester, the SFS Festival celebrates the completion of the semester’s productions and the graduation of the 1-year Diploma students.
Two days of student film screenings attract a full house of general public, actors, aspiring filmmakers, media and industry leaders and offers a wide range of New Wave films, panel discussion, international perspective foreign film school screening and the awards ceremony specially addressed by the keynote speakers chosen equally for their ability to inspire passion as for their insight into the realities of the film culture of Australia.
This semester Sydney Film School has the privilege to welcome Bruce Beresford – one of Australia’s best-known filmmakers – as their special keynote speaker.
The Academy Award nominated director will address the festival audience on the final night of the festival, Wednesday December 16.
The day before, Tuesday 15th of December, the Festival will host the panel discussion ‘What is a ‘winning’ idea? : Funding Opportunities for Graduates’.
Representatives of public and private funding schemes, Sam Jennings,
Development Executive at Screen NSW, Julia Overton, Documentary Investment Manager at Screen Australia, Caterina DeNave, Executive Producer Drama/Comedy at SBS, Peter Newman, Executive Producer factual content, SBS, Rachel Okine from theatrical & DVD distributor Hopscotch Films and Nicole O’Donohue, independent producer of the new feature film "Griff the Invisible" will discuss and exchange their views on what constitutes a ‘winning idea’ or a ‘winning project’ and will provide guidance to emerging filmmakers on how to develop and produce their film projects in line with existing funding opportunities and to understand the expectations and criteria set by their respective constituents.
Sydney Film School invites you to join their festival and participate in one of the most exciting film events in the city!
All sessions are free and RSVP is essential for the Awards Night.
To RSVP email marketing@sydneyfilmschool.com
SYDNEY FILM SCHOOL FESTIVAL
Festival Dates: Tuesday 15th December 2009, Wednesday 16th December 2009
Festival Venue: Palace Academy Twin Cinema, 3A Oxford Street, Paddington
Panel Discussion: Tuesday 15th December, 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Awards Night: Wednesday 16th December 2009, 6.00pm start
General RSVP: marketing@sydneyfilmschool.com
MEDIA REGISTRATION
Contact: Ira Parameshwari Keller, 0404 827 956, ikeller@sydneyfilmschool.com
ABOUT THE SYDNEY FILM SCHOOL FESTIVAL
Twice yearly at the end of each semester and its production period, Sydney Film School hosts the popular SFS Film Festival to celebrate the completion of the semester’s productions and the graduation of the 1-year Diploma students.
Two days of student film screenings are a great opportunity for current and future filmmakers to come together.
The full house of general public (students, graduates, film crew members, their families and friends), actors, aspiring filmmakers, media and industry leaders is specially addressed by the keynote speakers chosen each year equally for their ability to inspire passion as for their insight into the realities of the film culture of Australia.
Experienced industry people invited so far have been renowned Australian directors Gillian Armstrong, Phillip Noyce, George Miller, Bob Connolly, Philip Hearnshaw and Tom Zubrycki, actors Barry Otto and Matthew Newton, and the former Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating, known for his active support of the Arts in Australia.
Beside the industry professionals, each semester Sydney Film School Festival presents one short film produced by another internationally based film school. Nine short films from nine international film schools have screened to this date. Countries presented so far are: Thailand, Denmark, China, Croatia, Singapore, Japan, France, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
The culmination of two days of screenings is the Awards Night, where students’ and graduates’ contributions across all areas of the filmmaking process are recognised in a post screening award presentation, with generous prizes provided by industry sponsors. Each category is judged by the teaching staff and outside industry professionals particular to each discipline.
ABOUT THE SYDNEY FILM SCHOOL
In its fifth year and approaching its 11th Film Festival, the Sydney Film School is a premier creative institute for emerging filmmakers, specialized in both 16mm and digital film training.
The Diploma of Screen and Media combines the teaching of theoretical/creative processes and practical hands-on film production, with the emphasis on practice.
The classes in both drama and documentary production cover all essential aspects of filmmaking: from Pre-production (research, script writing, pitching, casting, production management, design etc), to Production (crewing, working with actors, lighting, filming, recording etc) and Post-production (editing, music, sound mixing copyright, distribution etc).
The practical process is supported with sessions in Screen Language, Australian Cinema and Meet the Filmmaker special guest screenings.
An average of a hundred students, both from Australia and abroad (25 different countries are represented in 2009), study together to explore and develop their passion for film and prepare themselves for what awaits afterwards.
More than one hundred quality documentaries, dramas and individual thesis films, exploring all manner of cinematic forms are being produced each year, dozens of them participating at prestigious local and international festivals.