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TAFE students thrilled at Australian Film Award win

MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, 31 January 2014

TAFE students involved in the making of “The Rocket” are today thrilled to learn that the Australian-Lao film secured award for Best Original Screenplay at the 3rd Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards last night in Sydney.

The Lao language film follows the story of a Lao boy who leads his family, along with a couple of ragged misfits, across war-torn Laos to the dangerous Rocket Festival competition, where he builds a giant rocket to try and prove he’s not cursed.

Seven Diploma of Interpreting students from TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute’s (TAFE SWSi’s) Granville College played an important role in providing the voiceover work in the post-production of the film.

TAFE SWSi Languages Head Teacher Padmini Sampathkumar said the involvement in AACTA award-winning film was a first for TAFE students.

“TAFE SWSi is very proud of the role our students have played in the making of “The Rocket”,” Ms Sampathkumar said.

“The decision by Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts to declare the film the winner for Best Original Screenplay is both an honour and a huge boost for south western Sydney’s Lao community located around the suburbs of Bonnyrigg and Fairfield.”

Ms Sampathkumar also paid tribute to Pauline Phoumindr, a TAFE SWSi Teacher of Interpreting in Lao and an assistant producer of “The Rocket”, for giving TAFE students this opportunity to work on the film.

She said this was another example of TAFE teachers providing practical experience for their students whenever possible.

The AACTA win is the 31st international award won by “The Rocket” since it premiered last year. Awards the film has won include Best First Feature and Amnesty International Film Prize at the 2013 Berlinale as well as Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor and the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.