Xanthe Dobbie’s (Master of Arts Screen, 2019) graduate work, Elagabalus, will have its international premiere at the 32nd annual NewFest, New York’s largest showcase of LGBTQI+ film and media. The short will screen alongside alumni works Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) and Kids on Fire in the festival’s first-ever virtual edition as part of a stellar lineup boasting over 120 films and series from 29 countries, panels and conversations, virtual live events and drive-in screenings.
Directed and edited by Dobbie as their Master of Arts Screen capstone project, Elagabalus, a drag-ball retelling of the past set in the future, was made by a team comprised mainly of recent Master of Arts Screen and Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production graduates, writer Samuel Herriman (with story by Xanthe Dobbie and Samuel Herriman), producer Alexis Talbot-Smith, cinematographer Sidat de Silva, composer Jorde Heys, production designers Lily Bennet and Max Boutwell Draper, costume designer William Tran, sound designer Rowan Yeomans, sound recordist Tahira Donohoe-Bales, first assistant camera addition camera Petra Leslie, first assistant director Archie Chew, second assistant director Didi de Graaf, production assistant Alicia Easaw-Mamutil, standby props by Jayden Chessells, assistant editor Hannah Smith and pre-production VFX supervisor Andrew Brown.
Streaming online across the United States from Friday 16 October, Elagabalus will appear in the ‘Dream a Little Dream With Me’ short film session. The selection follows the film’s world premiere at this year’s CinefestOZ in August, alongside a stack of other student and alumni works.
Continuing its multi-stop world tour is festival hit Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), which showcases the work of recent alumni, 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). Since having its world premiere at Mardi Gras Film Festival, where it won the Best Feature Film Audience Award, the feature has been selected for Outfest in LA, CinefestOZ, Melbourne International Film Festival and BFI Flare in London and is scheduled for an appearance at Brisbane International Film Festival in October.
In the short’s next stop following runs at Melbourne Queer Film Festival and Mardi Gras Film Festival, Tommy Hart’s Kids on Fire, produced by Olivia Fay (Foundation Diploma, 2012) will also screen.
NewFest runs from 16-27 October and features three drive-in screenings, 24 narrative features in competition, 14 documentary features in competition, three full-season episodics, one global episodic showcase, and 10 shorts program screenings. See the full lineup here.
Elagabalus (international premiere)
Director/editor: Xanthe Dobbie (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Writer/continuity: Samuel Herriman (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Story: Xanthe Dobbie, Samuel Herriman (both Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Producer: Alexis Talbot-Smith (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Cinematographer: Sidat de Silva (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Composer: Jorde Heys (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Production designers: Lily Bennet (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017; Foundation Diploma, 2013), Max Boutwell Draper (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Costume designer: William Tran (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2018; Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Sound designer/boom operator: Rowan Yeomans (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Sound recordist: Tahira Donohoe-Bales (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
First assistant camerapeople: Jeffrey Truong, Petra Leslie (Second-year Master of Arts Screen: Cinematography student)
Second assistant cameraperson: Nicola Kirkby
Camera operator/third electrics: Eduardo Castello
First assistant director: Archie Chew (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Second assistant director: Didi de Graaf (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Production and unit manager: Gita Raju
Production assistants: Alicia Easaw-Mamutil (Master of Arts Screen, 2019), Jeremy Heddle, Kate Searle, Danielle Stamoulos
Gaffer: Martin Perrott
Key grips: Tony Bosch, Kristian Bruneteau
Standby props: Jayden Chessells (Bachelor of Arts (Screen) 2017; Foundation Diploma, 2014)
Art department assistants: Charlotte Van Ewyk, Calum Wilson-Austin
Costume assistants: Rachael Williams, Brooke Harnett
Makeup/hair supervisor: Jade Diaz
SFX/makeup artist: Adeline Li
Makeup assistants: Andrew Annas, Erin Jayne, Emily McDonnell, Bianca Tamanini
Still photographers: Jamie McVicker (Master of Arts Screen, 2019), Lexy Potts
Assistant editor: Hannah Smith (Diploma in Editing, 2017)
Preproduction VFX supervisor: Andrew Brown (Master of Arts Screen, 2019; Advanced Diploma in Visual Effects, 2017)
Colourist: Yanni Kronenberg
Score producer: Cameron Patrick
Music mixer: Greir Gunnerson
Sound mixer: John Hresc
Assistant score editor: Noah Heys
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
Director: Monica Zanetti
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)
Kids on Fire
Director: Tommy Hart
Producer: Olivia Fay (Foundation Diploma, 2012)
