Alumna Kerinne Jenkins (Master of Screen Arts, 2017) and current student Nathan Mewett (Master of Arts Screen: Screenwriting, 2018) have both been selected to participate in this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival Accelerator Lab.
The lab aims to transition short filmmakers into the world of feature film making, and features four days of workshops, screenings, and seminars on the creative and business aspects of the film industry, led by leading local and international filmmakers. The lab culminates in each participant pitching their in-development feature film to an industry professional. Previous participants of the lab include Sophie Hyde (52 Tuesdays), Justin Kurzel (Snowtown), David Michôd (Animal Kingdom), and Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople).
Jenkins will also be attending the festival with her short sci-fi drama film Cattle, made as her AFTRS Master of Screen Arts final project and a proof-of-concept for her in-development feature film of the same name. Mewett will be attending with his short film Yulubidyi – Until The End, co-directed and co-written with frequent collaborator Curtis Taylor, who is also a participant of the Accelerator Lab. Recently Mewett and Taylor were selected as recipients of this year’s Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship at Sydney Film Festival. Both films screen in the Accelerator 2 short film program.
In other MIFF news, Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student André Shannon has been selected to participate in this year’s MIFF Critics Campus. Andre will join seven other emerging Australian film critics in an intensive five-day lab aimed at developing their skills in a live festival setting, all while being mentored by writers from around the globe. Alumni of the lab have gone on to write for publications including The Age, Senses of Cinema, The Monthly, Little White Lies, and The Guardian among others.
Currently André’s radio show, made with frequent collaborator Jack Jen Atherton (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2017), Movies Movies Movies, can be heard every Monday morning on Sydney’s FBi 94.5 at 10:10 am.
Overall, the works of 17 alumni are featured amongst the short films, 3 amongst the feature documentaries, and 9 amongst the feature fiction films selected for the festival. Alumni are also well represented as panellists and moderators at MIFF Talks. The School would like to send a big congratulations to all AFTRS alumni who are involved in this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
Features
Director: Stephen McCallum (Graduate Diploma in Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction), 2011; Graduate Certificate: Directing, 2010)
Co-Producer: Michael Pontin (Graduate Diploma in Producing & Screen Business, 2011)
SPIRITS OF THE AIR, GREMLINS OF THE CLOUDS
Director: Alex Proyas (Certificate, Film & Television: Cinematography, 1982)
Cinematographer: David Knaus (Diploma in Cinematography, 1981)
Composer: Peter Miller (Diploma in Sound, 1978)
Director: Miranda Nation (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction), 2010)
Producer: Lyn Norfor (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010)
Cinematographer: Bonnie Elliot (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media – Cinematography, 2006)
Editor: Julie-Anne De Ruvo (Master of Arts (Film & Television) – Editing, 2001)
Documentaries
Cinematographer: Hugh Miller (Master of Arts (Film & Television): Cinematography, 2002; Cinematography Documentary Certificate, 2000)
Made with support of AFTRS Creative Fellowship
Executive Producer: Robert Connolly (Bachelor of Arts: Producing, 1994)
Co-Producer: Rachel Clements (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Producing, 2000)
Shorts
Director/Screenwriter: Vanessa Gazy (Master of Screen Arts, 2014)
Executive Producer: Lyn Norfor (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010)
Co-Producers: Liam Heyen (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014), Cyna Strachan (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014)
Cinematographer: Ross Giardina (Graduate Diploma: Cinematography, 2009)
Production Designer: Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012)
Composer: Freya Berkhout (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2013)
Cinematographer: Zoe White (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008)
Director/Screenwriter: John Harvey (Graduate Certificate: Screen Drama – Screenwriting & Producing, 2008)
Cinematographer: Eric Murray Lui (Master of Arts (Film & Television), 1999)
Sound Editor: Andrew Belletty (Specialist Extension Course Certificate in Sound, 1994; Master of Arts by Research, 2011)
Stars: Deborah Brown (current student: Master of Arts Screen: Directing, 2019)
Co-Director/Co-Screenwriter: Nathan Mewett (current student: Master of Arts Screen: Screenwriting – 2018)
Director/Screenwriter: Kerinne Jenkins (Master of Screen Arts, 2017)
Composer: Damien Lane (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2011)
Sound Designer: Andrew Simmons (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2011)
Cinematographer: Adric Watson (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2013)
Director: Tom Noakes (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non Fiction), 2009; Graduate Certificate: Screen Drama – Directing & Screenwriting, 2008)
Screenwriter: Will Goodfellow (Master of Screen Arts, 2014; Graduate Diploma: Screenwriting, 2009; Graduate Certificate: Screen Drama – Directing & Screenwriting, 2008)
Co-Producer: Lucy Gaffy (Master of Screen Arts, 2012; Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non Fiction), 2009; Graduate Certificate: Screen Drama – Directing & Screenwriting, 2008)
MIFF Talks
MIFF Talks – Debra Granik In Conversation
Moderator: Miranda Nation (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction), 2010)
Panellist: Tony Ayres (Certificate in Scriptwriting, 1989)
Panellist: Miranda Nation (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction), 2010)
MIFF Talks – Urban Design and Film: Building the cities of tomorrow
Panellist: Alex Proyas (Certificate, Film & Television: Cinematography, 1982)
The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from 2–19 August, 2018. View the full program here.