Twenty-one works by AFTRS students and graduates will be on show at Adelaide Film Festival’s 2020 edition, running in cinemas from 14-25 October. The festival’s program boasts 22 world premieres – including several for AFTRS alumni – 27 Australian premieres across 54 feature films and dozens of shorts from more than 40 countries.
AFTRS student short film, Necktie, directed by 2019 Master of Arts Screen graduate Jeremy Nicholas will make its world premiere at the festival, screening with feature film Blackbird. The short was made with fellow students and alumni, producer Lauren Clair (Master of Arts Screen, 2018), cinematographer Sidat de Silva (Master of Arts Screen, 2019), first assistant director Peter Skinner (Master of Arts Screen, 2019; Graduate Diploma in Directing, 2013), third assistant director David Luff (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student), boom operator Cy Norman (Advanced Diploma in Production Sound, 2018), unit manager Alicia Easaw-Mamutil (Master of Arts Screen, 2019), VFX artist Yathi Kidambi (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019), colourist Jaclyn Paterson (Diploma in Grading, 2017) and with continuity by Samuel Herriman (Master of Arts Screen, 2019) and current Bachelor of Arts Screen student Orla Doyle.
Making their world premieres in the ‘Australian Indie’ features strand are Damage, directed, written and produced by alumna Madeleine Blackwell (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Directing, 1997), and Chasing Wonders, shot by cinematographer Denson Baker (Graduate Diploma of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2000). Also screening in the strand are Moon Rock for Monday shot by Glen Hanns (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2007), scored by Pru Montin (Master of Arts Screen, 2010) and edited by Rishi Shukla and Daniel J Phillips’ following up its stop in Brisbane, as well as Awoken, produced by Charles Billeh (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2013) selected to screen alongside the debut of Peter Hanlon’s, The Reckoning of Christian Spencer, edited by Tania Nehme (AFTRS certificate, 1990).
Also set for world premieres are several Adelaide Film Festival-funded works showcasing the talents of alumni: Seth Larney’s festival opener, 2067 co-written by Dave Paterson (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting – Series Television, 2017) and produced by Lisa Shaunessy (Graduate Diploma in Screen Business, 2011); ShoPaapaa, produced by Rolf De Heer (Diploma Directing, 1979); Phil Liggett: The Voice of Cycling, directed by Eleanor Sharpe (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011) and produced by Nickolas Bird (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting, 2011; Graduate Certificate in Directing, 2010); Heather Croall’s Yer Old Faither, edited by Tania Nehme (AFTRS Certificate, 1990) and Nicole Miller’s This Is Port Adelaide, scored by Benjamin Speed (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008). Also AFF-supported and set to screen are Unjoo Moon’s (Bachelor of Arts: Film and Television Producing, 1991) I Am Woman, which just made its debut on STAN and 37 Things, produced by Adam Lemmey (Foundation Diploma, 2009) and co-composed by Benjamin Speed, which will head to Adelaide after a scheduled appearance at Brisbane International Film Festival.
Featuring in the Made in SA program is the world premiere of Melanie Easton’s Aquaphobe, produced by current Master of Arts Screen: Directing student, Gilbert Kemp Attrill.
Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, the documentary of director/writer Wayne Blair (Andrew Myer Fellowship, 2007) will follow up its world premiere at Brisbane International Film Festival with a screening in the official documentary competition, while Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground, produced by Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010) and lensed by Andrew Commis (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 1998) will screen as part of the festival’s feature film competition.
Screening alongside features are Hunter Page-Lochard’s (Graduate Certificate in Story Development and Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012) Closed Doors, made with producer Greer Simpkin and a stellar team of AFTRS alumni and AFTRS Talent Camp production and Fun Times, written by 2017/2018 participant Llewellyn Michael Bates.
The festival’s ‘Changing the Status Quo’ strand will showcase three locally-made documentaries featuring the work of alumni: Catherine Dwyer’s Brazen Hussies, made with executive producer Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013), Sally Ingleton’s Wild Things featuring a score by composers Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 1990) and Matteo Zingales (Graduate Diploma (Film and Television) Screen Composition, 2003), and Ili Baré’s The Leadership produced by Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010) and edited by Lindi Harrison (Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1993).
After appearances as Sydney Film Festival and St Kilda Film Festival, Alies Sluiter’s (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2005) ADG-nominated short film Ayaan will screen in the World Shorts session.
See the full 2020 program here.
ALUMNI WORKS AT ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2020
FEATURE FICTION COMPETITION
High Ground
Director: Stephen Maxwell Johnson
Producer: Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010)
Cinematographer: Andrew Commis (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 1998)
FEATURES: AUSTRALIAN INDIE
Awoken (Australian premiere)
Director: Daniel J Phillips
Producer Charles Billeh (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2013)
Damage (World premiere)
Director/producer/writer: Madeleine Blackwell (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Directing, 1997)
Moon Rock for Monday
DOP: Glen Hanns (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2007)
Composer: Pru Montin (Master of Arts Screen, 2010)
Editor: Rishi Shukla (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Editing, 2005)
Chasing Wonders (world premiere)
Cinematographer: Denson Baker (Graduate Diploma of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2000)
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra
Writer/director: Wayne Blair (Andrew Myer Fellowship, 2007)
AFF INVESTMENT FUND
Opening Night Gala: 2067 (world premiere)
Director: Seth Larney
Screenwriter (additional material): Dave Paterson (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting – Series Television, 2017)
Co-producer: Lisa Shaunessy (Graduate Diploma in Screen Business, 2011)
I Am Woman
Director/Producer: Unjoo Moon (Bachelor of Arts: Film and Television Producing, 1991)
Cinematographer: Dion Beebe (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 1989)
ShoPaapaa (world premiere)
Director: Molly Reynolds, Shekhar Bassi
Producer: Rolf De Heer (Diploma Directing, 1979)
Phil Liggett: The Voice of Cycling (world premiere)
Director: Eleanor Sharpe (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011)
Producer: Nickolas Bird (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting, 2011; Graduate Certificate in Directing, 2010)
Yer Old Faither (world premiere)
Director: Heather Croall
Editor: Tania Nehme (AFTRS Certificate, 1990)
This is Port Adelaide (world premiere)
Director: Nicole Miller
Music: Benjamin Speed (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008)
37 Things
Director: Zane Roach
Producer: Adam Lemmey (Foundation Diploma, 2009)
Co-composer: Benjamin Speed (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008)
CHANGING THE STATUS QUO
Brazen Hussies
Director: Catherine Dwyer
Executive producer: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013)EP: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013)
Composer: Amanda Brown (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999)
CO-DOP: Erika Addis (Graduate Certificate: Teaching Creative Practice, 2010)
Production Manager: Samantha Dinning (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011)
Wild Things
Director Sally Ingleton
Music: Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts 9Film and Television) Sound, 1990) and Matteo Zingales (Graduate Diploma (Film and Television) Screen Composition, 2003)
The Leadership
Director: Ili Baré
Producer: Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010)
Editor: Lindi Harrison (Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1993)
SHORTS BEFORE FEATURES
Necktie (world premiere)
Writer/director: Jeremy Nicholas (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Producer: Lauren Clair (Master of Arts Screen, 2018)
Cinematographer: Sidat de Silva (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
First assistant director: Peter Skinner (Master of Arts Screen, 2019; Graduate Diploma in Directing, 2013)
Third assistant director: David Luff (current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
Continuity: Orla Doyle (current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student) and Samuel Herriman (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Boom operator: Cy Norman (Advanced Diploma in Production Sound, 2018)
Unit manager: Alicia Easaw-Mamutil (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
VFX artist: Yathi Kidambi (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Colourist: Jaclyn Paterson (Diploma in Grading, 2017)
Closed Doors
Directors: Hunter Page-Lochard (Graduate Certificate in Story Development and Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012) and Carter Simpkin
Producer: Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010)
Composer: Damien Lane (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2011)
Production designer: Natalie Beak (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Production Design, 2006)
Sound recordist: Nicole Lazaroff (AFTRS Certificate, 1990)
Boom operator: Gavin Marsh
Script supervisor
Starring Wayne Blair (Andrew Myer Fellowship, 2007)
The Reckoning of Christian Spencer (world premiere)
Director: Peter Hanlon
Editor: Tania Nehme (AFTRS certificate, 1990)
Fun Times
Director: Matthew Victor Pastor
Writer: Llewellyn Michael Bates (Talent Camp, 2017/18)
WORLD SHORTS
Ayaan
Director/writer: Alies Sluiter (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2005)
Associate producer: Alejandra Canales (Master of Arts Honours: Film, Television and Digital Media Documentary, 2005;)
Editor: Tania Nehme (AFTRS Certificate, 1990)
MADE IN SA
Aquaphobe (world premiere)
Director: Melanie Easton
Producer: Gilbert Kemp Attrill (current Master of Arts Screen: Directing student)
