AFTRS is celebrating the selection of the short film Dots, written and directed by Eryk Lenartowicz, for the 71st Cannes Film Festival in the Cinéfondation section.
The film was made while Eryk was completing his Master of Screen Arts at AFTRS.
Only 17 films were selected from 2426 submissions from film schools across the world with fourteen countries on four continents being represented in the final program.
Dots is the only Australian film in Cinéfondation.
Eryk Lenartowicz completed the Master of Screen Arts course at AFTRS in 2017, specialising in writing and directing. He also graduated from the Gdynia Film School (Poland) in 2014 and his earlier short films Fast Food and Sunday have screened at several international film festivals.
AFTRS has a proud history of its student films being selected for Cannes, including such alumni greats as Jane Campion. This is the first success of the School’s recently rebooted Master of Screen Arts program.
Neil Peplow, CEO of AFTRS, said: “We’re thrilled that Eryk’s graduate film Dots will have its world premiere at Cannes this year. To be once again selected for such a prestigious festival highlights the calibre of films and the exceptional talent emerging from the School. Eryk has a unique voice, and we are very pleased to have supported him in developing his film during his Master of Screen Arts course at the School. We look forward to seeing him flourish.”
Eryk Lenartowicz said: “It is every filmmaker’s dream to have their project screened at the Cannes Film Festival and I am truly grateful to have this privilege at such an early stage of my career. Now I know what it feels like when a dream becomes reality; a beautiful combination of weirdness, adrenaline, hope, fear, excitement and pure joy all at once.”
Dots, produced by Rebecca Janek tells the story of a small Australian town where people start dying after the arrival of a mysterious stranger. Despite this, the local police officer is too preoccupied with his dream Mercedes to pay attention to the deaths surrounding him.