The work of over 30 alumni will be showcased across 14 shorts, features and documentaries selected for Melbourne International Film Festival’s 2020 virtual edition, MIFF 68½.
Eight of the nine works screening in competition as part of the festival’s Australian Short Films showcase are that of AFTRS alumni, and almost all are world premieres.
Making its debut is Lillian Paterson’s (Foundation Diploma, 2011) Call History, edited by Amalia Walker (Foundation Diploma, 2011) and produced by Rachel Argall (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012), who makes another appearance in the program as the producer for Madeleine Gottlieb’s Laura, alongside writer/editor James Fraser (Foundation Diploma, 2012), cinematographer Grégoire Lière (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2012), composer Freya Berkhout (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2013) and costume designer Laura Anna Lucas (Master of Arts Screen, 2018).
Don’t Forget to Go Home by 2017 Bachelor of Arts (Screen) graduates, director/screenwriter Victoria Singh-Thompson, producer Linus Carey Gibson and cinematographer Lucca Barone-Peters will also have its world premiere, as will Lianne Mackessy’s (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film, 2016) Not A Wallflower edited and scored by Julian Neuhaus (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017) and featuring title animation by Nicola Macindoe (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018); Sarah-Jane Woulahan’s Objects of my Disaffection edited by Florence Holmes (Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2013); The Moogai with sound design by Sam Petty and production design by Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012), and Nora Niasari’s (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011) Tâm, lensed by Sherwin Akbarzadeh (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2011).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCnuiSflnqC/
The Echo, a short film by director/producer/writer Michael Gupta (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2015), editor Stewart Arnott (Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2013) and production designer Bethany Ryan will be making its Australian debut.
Appearing in a special one-night-only spotlight screening on 19 August will be Mardi Gras Film Festival Best Feature winner Elli & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), made with a team of alumni including first assistant director Hattie Archibald (Master of Arts Screen, 2018; Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2013), Executive producer Brian Cobb (Graduate Diploma in Producing & Screen Business, 2011), editor Nicole Thorn (Graduate Certificate in Editing Drama, 2012), Production designer: Jamie Cranney (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2011) and third assistant director: Nicola Macindoe (Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018).
In another limited festival apparance, feature documentary Looky Looky Here Comes Cookie – directed/written by Steven McGregor (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Directing, 2001), produced by Anna Grieve (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Production Management, 1985) and shot by Eric Murray Lui (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1999; TV Training Certificate, 1994) and Leuke Marriot (Graduate Certificate in Camera Assistant, 2011) – will have its world premiere in a special preview screening on 16 August.
Off the back of its world premiere at Sydney Film Festival, 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) will also screen.
This year the program features a restoration of director/producer Rolf De Heer’s 1991 feature Dingo written by Marc Rosenberg (Certificate: Film & Television Scriptwriting, 1979) and edited by Suresh Ayyar (Conversion Course, 1994). The film features jazz legend Miles Davis in his first and only major feature film role, who in addition to playing one of the film’s leads also composed music for the film.
The festival’s MIFF Shorts Retrospective will revisit Billie Pleffer’s B I N O, produced by Stacey Kwijas (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2013) – which originally screened at MIFF 2012 – as well as Rodd Rathjen’s The Stranger, produced by Nicolette Freeman (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1984).
All films will be available to stream from anywhere in Australia throughout the festival, running from 6-23 August. See the full program and purchase tickets here.
FULL LIST OF ALUMNI WORKS AT MIFF 2020
AUSTRALIAN SHORTS – PRESENTED BY FILM VICTORIA
Call History (world premiere)
Director/producer/screenwriter: Lillian Patterson (Foundation Diploma, 2011)
Producer: Rachel Argall (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012)
Editor: Amalia Walker (Foundation Diploma, 2011)
Don’t Forget to Go Home (world premiere)
Director/screenwriter: Victoria Singh-Thompson (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Producer: Linus Carey Gibson (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Cinematographer: Lucca Barone-Peters (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Editor: Trent Mitchell (Graduate Certificate in Editing Drama, 2013)
Production designer: Aaron Healey (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
The Echo (Australian premiere)
Director/producer/screenwriter: Michael Gupta (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2015)
Editor: Stewart Arnott (Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2013)
Production Designer: Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012)
Laura (world premiere)
(Dir. Madeleine Gottlieb)
Producer: Rachel Argall (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012)
Screenwriter/editor: James Fraser (Foundation Diploma, 2012)
Cinematographer: Grégoire Lière (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2012)
Composer: Freya Berkhout (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2013)
Costume designer: Laura Anna Lucas (Master of Arts Screen, 2018)
Not a Wallflower (world premiere)
Director/screenwriter: Lianne Mackessy (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film, 2016)
Editor/Composer: Julian Neuhaus (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Titles animator: Nicola Macindoe (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Objects of my Dissaffection (world premiere)
Director: Sarah-Jane Woulahan
Editor: Florence Holmes (Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2013)
The Moogai (world premiere)
Director: Jon Bell
Sound Designer: Sam Petty (Extension, 1991)
Production Designer: Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012)
Tâm (world premiere)
Director/producer/screenwriter/editor: Nora Niasari )Graduate Certificate in Documentaru, 2011)
Cinematographer: Sherwin Akbarzadeh (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2011)
FEATURES
Dingo (1991)
Director/producer: Rolf De Heer (Diploma Directing, 1979)
Screenwriting: Marc Rosenberg (Certificate: Film & Television Scriptwriting, 1979)
Editor: Suresh Ayyar (Conversion Course, 1994)
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
First assistant director: Hattie Archibald (Master of Arts Screen, 2018; Graduate Certificate in Directing Fundamentals, 2013)
Executive producer: Brian Cobb (Graduate Diploma in Producing & Screen Business, 2011)
Editor: Nicole Thorn (Graduate Certificate in Editing Drama, 2012)
Production designer: Jamie Cranney (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2011)
Third assistant director: Nicola Macindoe (Bachelor of Arts Screen, 2018)
FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
Looky Looky Here Comes Cookie (world premiere)
Director/screenwriter: Steven McGregor (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Directing, 2001)
Producer: Anna Grieve (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Production Management, 1985)
Cinematographers: Eric Murray Lui (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1999; TV Training Certificate, 1994), Leuke Marriot (Graduate Certificate in Camera Assistant, 2011)
The Leadership
Director: Ili Baré
Producer: Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010)
Editor: Lindi Harrison (Specialist Extension Certificate Editing, 1993)
MIFF SHORTS RETROSPECTIVE: CONNECTIONS
B I N O (2011)
Director: Billie Pleffer
Producer: Stacey Kwijas (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2013)
The Stranger (2010)
Director: Rodd Rathjen
Producer: Nicolette Freeman (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1984)
