AFTRS student film, Like How I Remember, will have its world premiere at the 2020 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICCF), screening alongside six works by AFTRS alumni in the festival’s first-ever virtual edition. Currently in its 37th year, the festival is one of only two Oscar-qualifying children’s film festivals in the world and will present 262 films from 52 countries, including 20 features and 242 shorts in the official selection, streaming online from 13 to 22 November.
Written and directed by Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production graduate Brittany Xu during her final year at AFTRS, Like How I Remember is the result of the collective efforts of Xu’s equally talented classmates, including producers Mimi Rosenbaum and Claire Ma, cinematographer/colourist Serena Siow, editor Courtney Mallon, sound designer Rowan Yeomans, sound recordist Tahira Donohoe-Bales and first assistant director Sally Cattle. Like How I Remember follows young boy Lee, who, looking to honour the anniversary of the death of his father, is frustrated when his mother’s work prevents her from continuing a treasured tradition and runs away to go on his own adventure. The film will feature in the ‘Like How I Remember’ short film program.
Selected to screen in the ‘Gender Pioneers’, ‘Gender Journeys’ and ‘Whatever Tree’ shorts programs is the second episode of series First Day, written and directed by Julie Kalceff (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Scriptwriting, 2002). Since debuting on ABC Me earlier this year, the series has been picked up by several international broadcasters including Hulu in the United States, BBC in the UK and is currently nominated for ATOM Awards’ Best Children’s Television Series and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)’s JAPAN PRIZE. Also ATOM Award-nominated and set to screen is fellow ABC Me series Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors?, created, written and produced by Vanna Morosini (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2016). ABC Me’s Thalu, co-directed by Dena Curtis (Graduate Diploma (Film & Television) Television Editing, 2002) and Hunter Page-Lochard (Graduate Certificate in Story Development and Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012) and co-written by Beck Cole (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Documentary, 2001) will feature in the ‘Indigenous Voices’ short film program.
Directed by Tony Thorne (Master of Arts (Film Television) Digital Media, 1997), produced by Alicia Rackett (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010), and featuring the voice of Aaron Fa’Aoso (Master of Arts Screen: Business and Leadership, 2019), Little J & Big Cuz’s ‘Pilot Bird’ episode will also screen, set to feature in the ‘STEM: Human Impact’ program.
Olive, an episode taken from the second instalment of Michi Marosszeky’s (Graduate Certificate in Screen Culture, 2012) AACTA-nominated series, Woven Threads, will appear across the ‘Core Strength’, ‘Postcards to Myself’ and ‘Woven Threads’ programs.
Screening in the feature film program is Damon Gameau’s 2040, which features cinematography by AFTRS alumnus Hugh Miller (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2002). The feature is nominated in the Best Documentary – General prize category at the ATOM Awards, competing against fellow alumnus Cornel Ozies’ (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2011) Our Law.
See the full program for the 2020 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival here.
ALUMNI AND STUDENT FILMS AT THE 2020 CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
SHORT FILMS
Like How I Remember (World premiere)
Writer/director: Brittany Xu (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Producers: Mimi Rosenbaum (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019), Claire Ma (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Cinematographer/colourist: Serena Siow (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Production and costume designer: Aileen Fang
Editor: Courtney Mallon (current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
Original sound: Hanna Holford
Sound designer: Rowan Yeomans (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Sound recordist: Tahira Donohoe-Bales (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
First assistant director: Sally Cattle (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Production Assistant: William Fargas
Assistant camera: Rachel Gammel (Current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student), Tatjana Hamilton (current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
Gaffers: Lucca Barone Peters (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2019), Julian Pertout (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Lighting Assistants: Bronte Nener (current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student), Otto Khoo (Current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
Production design assistants: Vanessa Phang, Isabella Wang
Hair and makeup artist: Tania Strange
Stills photographers: Joey Wells, Sara Indraputri
Woven Threads
Director: Michi Marosszeky (Graduate Certificate in Screen Culture, 2012)
Producer: Paul Sullivan (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010)
Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors?: ‘Cameleers – The Original Ghan Trains’
Creator/producer/writer: Vanna Morosini (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2016)
First Day: Episode 2
Writer/director: Julie Kalceff (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Scriptwriting, 2002)
Cinematographer: Velinda Wardell (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2005)
Costume designer: Rebecca Romans (Graduate Certificate in Costume Design, 2013)
Sound recordist: Martin Demian (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2012)
Sound designer: Lana Kristensen (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2014)
Grip: Marcus Stimson (Graduate Certificate in Editing Drama, 2011)
Little J & Big Cuz: ‘Pilot Bird’
Director/voice director: Tony Thorne (Master of Arts (Film Television) Digital Media, 1997)
Producer: Alicia Rackett (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010)
Voice of ‘Old Dog’: Aaron Fa’Aoso (Master of Arts Screen: Business and Leadership, 2019)
Thalu
Co-directors: Dena Curtis (Graduate Diploma (Film & Television) Television Editing, 2002), Hunter Page-Lochard (Graduate Certificate in Story Development and Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012)
Co-writer: Beck Cole (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Documentary, 2001)
FEATURES
2040
Director: Damon Gameau
Cinematographer: Hugh Miller (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2002)
