An AFTRS student production and two films made by alumni have been shortlisted for the prestigious Iris Prize, the world’s largest LGBTQI+ short film award. Simon Croker’s (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018) graduate film, All Good Things, alumnus Adrian Chiarella’s Black Lips and Sophie Saville’s Peach, made with a team of recent AFTRS graduates will screen at the virtual BAFTA-qualifying Iris Prize Film Festival in contention for the highly-coveted £30,000 prize.
Since premiering at Reeling Film Festival in Chicago, All Good Things has won the $5,000 Queer Screen Emerging Filmmaker prize, a 2020 Australian Director’s Guild nomination, and made appearances at Flickerfest, Brisbane International Film Festival and Melbourne Queer Film Festival. All Good Things was written and directed by Simon Croker, who worked on the production with fellow AFTRS students and alumni, producer Linus Gibson (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017), cinematographer/colourist Lucca Barone-Peters (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017), editor William Tran (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2018; Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017), gaffer Zachary Hardaker (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017), sound recordist Harrison Sharp (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018) and production design assistant Lizzie Dingle (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017).
“This is a dream-come-true moment. Iris sets the benchmark for LGBT+ short-form storytelling. I remember when AFTRS alumnus Brendon McDonall won the prestigious Iris Prize for his student film ‘All Gods Creatures’ in 2014, during my first year at AFTRS. This year the festival has gone online for the first time ever, making it available to everybody in the UK for free! So our inclusion this year feels super special. I hope our film offers a bit of joy and optimism to audiences, at a time when we need it most”
Simon Croker
Sophie Saville’s Peach, made with some of AFTRS best and brightest recent alumni was a festival favourite straight out of the gate: CinefestOZ, Outfest in LA and St Kilda Film Festival. The Iris Prize Film Festival is the next stop for Peach, which features the work of writer/producer Rowan Devereux, (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013), composer Elise Cociuban (Master of Screen Arts, 2017), cinematographer Benjamin Powell (Advanced Diploma in Cine Essentials, 2016), editor Andrew Shanks (Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2016), production designer Courtney Covey (Diploma in Design for the Screen, 2016), first assistant camera Benjamin Ryan (Bachelor of Arts (Screen) 2017; Foundation Diploma, 2017), second assistant camera Alyssa Montgomery (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018), gaffer Lucca Barone-Peters (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017) and best boy/continuity William Suen (Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2016).
Black Lips, written and directed by alumnus Adrian Chiarella (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2012) is also up for the prize, made eligible after winning Melbourne Queer Film Festival’s $5,000 Best Short Film Prize. The festival regular has toured the world over, appearing at Palm Springs International Shortfest, Rhode Island Film Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, aGLIFF (All Genders, Lifestyles and Identities Film Festival) in Austin, Edmonton Film Festival, BFI Flare, Outfest Fusion, Flickerfest and Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney.
The Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival runs from 6-11 October – online and totally free. The full program will be released on Tuesday 15 September.
All Good Things
Director/writer: Simon Croker (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018; Foundation Diploma, 2014)
Story by Simon Croker and Jory Anast
Producer: Linus Gibson (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Cinematographer/colourist: Lucca Barone-Peters (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Editor: William Tran (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2018; Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Gaffer: Zachary Hardaker (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Sound recordist: Harrison Sharp (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Production design assistant: Lizzie Dingle (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Black Lips
Director/writer: Adrian Chiarella (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2012)
Music: David Barber (Graduate Diploma: Screen Music, 2009)
Cine: James Brown (Graduate dip cinematography, 2009)
Editor Danielle Boesenberg (Graduate Diploma editing, 2010)
Production Design: Michael Price Graduate diploma Production design, 2012)
Costume Design: Olivia Simpson (Graduate Diploma in Costume Design, 2013)
Sound Designer: Lana Kristensen (Graduate Diploma: Sound, 2014)
Peach
Director: Sophie Saville
Writer/producer: Rowan Devereux (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013)
Music: Elise Cociuban (Master of Screen Arts, 2017)
Cinematographer: Benjamin Powell (Advanced Diploma in Cine Essentials, 2016)
Editor: Andrew Shanks (Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2016)
Production designer: Courtney Covey (Diploma in Design for the Screen, 2016)
First assistant camera: Benjamin Ryan (Bachelor of Arts (Screen) 2017; Foundation Diploma, 2017)
Second assistant camera: Alyssa Montgomery (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Gaffer: Lucca Barone-Peters (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Best boy/continuity: William Suen (Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2016)
