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Short film ‘Judas Collar’ wins big at inaugural WA Screen Culture Awards

Alison James (Photo: Anthony Tran).

Short film Judas Collar was among the star performers at the WA Screen Culture Awards yesterday, taking out five categories at the inaugural event.

Held as a conclusion to the Revelation Perth International Film Festival, the awards recognise new, established, and emerging screen practices across 18 divisions.

Alison James’ story of a tracking device known as a Judas Collar that captures the journey and betrayal of a feral camel in Australia’s Outback added to its inclusion on the long list for the Academy Award for short film last year, winning each of its nominated fields, including Innovation in Short Film or Animation.

James told IF innovation was at the heart of her film, which contains no dialogue and involved helicopter stunt work in the remote outback.

“There’s no road map for how to make a film like this,” she said.

“We were filming camels without ropes, so we had to work by trial and error and adapt quickly.

“All film shoots are hard, but in our six-day shoot we endured eight flat tyres, two bogged vehicles and a blown head gasket on our camel truck.

“It was 40 degrees Celsius and we were covered in flies and red dust, but when the camels did exactly what we needed them to do, we all felt incredible.”

Netflix’s I Am Mother took the gong for Innovation in Virtual Reality, 360°or Augmented Reality, while assisted dying documentary Laura’s Choice won the award for Innovation in Feature Documentary/Non-Fiction.

In the individual categories, production designer Clayton Jauncey (RAMS, The Furnace, Hounds of Love, Last Cab to Darwin) received the Outstanding Contribution to Industry award, and Perth director Robert Woods was given the Independent Spirit Award.

The WA Screen Culture Awards were launched by Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada earlier this year as a successor to the WA Screen Awards, which were last held in 2016.

He said the awards’ focus on innovation and achievement across games, art, immersive and traditional forms had worked to unite what is often a compartmentalised sector.

“It’s been a pleasure and an honour for our judges and the festival team to have had the opportunity to be part of the life of all the films that entered, and to explore the depth and diversity of the local screen industry across all its forms,” he said.

“If we can, in some way, highlight the exciting critical mass and surprising connections across the breadth of the sector, the awards have done their job.”

Cathy Henkel, Sam Lara and Ryan Hodgson.

WA Screen Culture Awards winners:

Innovation in Narrative Feature Film

An Ideal Host

Innovation in Feature Documentary/Non-Fiction

Laura’s Choice

Innovation in Short Film or Animation

Judas Collar

Innovation in Music Video

Leaving LA

Innovation in Game Design

First Contact

Innovation in Virtual Reality, 360°or Augmented Reality

I Am Mother

Innovation in Moving Image and Installation Art

The Light of the Star We Are Seeing Right Now

Innovation in Web Series or Online Content

KGB

Outstanding Achievement in Directing

Judas Collar

Outstanding Achievement Cinematography or Visualisation

Judas Collar

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music

Below

Outstanding Achievement in Writing

Judas Collar

Outstanding Achievement Performance (incl voice)

Yulubidyi – Until The End

Outstanding Achievement in Production Design

Carmentis

Outstanding Achievement in Editing

Judas Collar

Outstanding Achievement Sound

Yulubidyi – Until The End

Outstanding Contribution to Industry

Clayton Jauncey

Independent Spirit Award

Robert Woods