Press release from JVC Professional
Broadcast and film equipment specialist JVC Professional Australia/NZ today announced that it will again be sponsoring the Newtown Flicks short film festival, now in its fifth year.
The festival, which is the brainchild of directors and founders Martin Kelly, Spiros Hristias and Bill Jordan, has one very distinct difference to all other short film festivals according to Kelly, “We are the only real grass roots festival in Sydney. Our motto is ‘Supporting, Assisting, Showcasing’ and we apply this to everyone who submits a film. Unlike other festivals, everyone who enters has their film shown and everyone is eligible to win an award.”
Newtown Flicks is a non-profit organisation initially established in 2005 to meet the demands of the underground Sydney short film industry. Born over breakfast in one of the many cafes in downtown Newtown, the festival is committed to the long-term development of the company and its ideals.
Kelly continued, “We strongly encourage filmmakers with fewer opportunities and proactively support both Sydney’s and Australia's creative short film making collective by providing a network of knowledge and contacts for aspiring artists and ongoing opportunities for the screening of their work.”
This year JVC offers a range of prizes for the festival with a new JVC Picsio mini HD camcorder being offered on the Newtown Flicks website each month for people sending in one minute films to be judged on their filmic quality and a main prize of a JVCGY-HM100E camcorder to be won at the festival itself.
JVC Professional National Sales and Marketing Manager Australia/NZ Noel Oakes said, “The GY-HM100E camera (the industry's first professional model to record files directly to solid state media in the native format used by Apple's Final Cut Pro™ editing system and in XDCAM-EX format for use with other editing systems) was developed for mainstream production, electronic newsgathering and independent film cinematography and is perfect for recording high-quality images on the move, as they ensure a quick shoot-to-edit workflow.”
Kelly added, “The festival has gone from strength to strength. We have also made a collection of films from last year’s festival that is touring Australia and showing in local film micro communities with a percentage of the ticket proceeds going to the filmmakers. This is another way we are trying to support Aussie filmmakers and give something back to the Australian film industry.”
The judges for this year’s festival include Hannah Hillard (previous winner of the Berlin Short Film Festival), Pia Miranda (Looking for Ali Brandi), Luke Eve (previous Tropfest winner), Garry Maddox from the Sydney Morning Herald and acclaimed director Bruce Beresford.
Beresford said, “It was great being a judge on the Newtown Flicks. The standard of entries was high; so encouraging for the film industry in Australia. I’m delighted I have been asked to judge again this year!”
Garry Maddox added, “Having been a judge at the Newtown Flicks Festival for the past five years, I think it – and festivals like it – are really valuable grassroots events for encouraging emerging film-makers.”
JVC Professional National Sales and Marketing Manager Noel Oakes said, “JVC are very proud to be sponsoring the Newtown Flicks Festival. We have been long term supporters of grass roots efforts to build the independent short film industry in Australia and this festival does just that.”
Martin Kelly concluded, “Last year there were over 102 films shown and this year we are expecting even more. There are over $20,000 in prizes which include prizes for the audience and an Audience Revenge Prize voted for after each session. We also have some more announcements to come so watch this space!”
The Newtown Flicks Festival runs from 4-6 June 2010 at the Pact Theatre in Erskineville, Sydney.
More information and entry forms can be found at www.newtownflicks.com.au