A staggering 36 AFTRS student and alumni films are making their way to West Australian audiences this month for the 14ᵗʰ edition of CinefestOZ Film Festival. This year’s lineup includes 270 films and events, with a stack of features, documentaries, shorts and experiential releases heading to venues across the South West region from 25 – 29 August.
Celebrating its world premiere will be 2020 Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production film, Kafana, directed by Marko Cvijanovic and made in collaboration with fellow Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production students, producer Stavros Kourounis, first assistant director Omri Goldberg, sound designer Linus Ferris, sound recordist Samuel Walker, script supervisor Geordie Brown and second camera assistant Otto Khoo.
All of this year’s feature film finalists for CinefestOZ’s Film Prize feature the work of AFTRS alumni. Contending for the $100,000 prize are Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, executive produced by Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015), Jennifer Peedom’s River, Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, produced by Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010), and anthology Here Out West, boasting a dynamic all-female directing team including Lucy Gaffy (Master of Screen Arts, 2009) and Julie Kalceff (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Scriptwriting, 2002). All films will screen alongside a filmmaker Q&A, and the winner will be selected by a jury chaired by award-winning Australian filmmaker Nadia Tass.
Ten short films featuring alumni work are screening as contenders in this year’s Short Film Competition, while 19 features involving alumni are screening in official selection, with five of those celebrating world premieres and two debuting locally. Craig Reucassel’s Big Deal, produced by Aline Jacques (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Producing, 1998), Jennifer Peedom and Bridget Callow-Wright (Advanced Diploma in Script Editing and Development, 2018; Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015), Bentley Dean’s Facing Monsters, edited by Tania Nehme (AFTRS Certificate, 1990), Socratis Otto’s Homespun, edited by Lily Davis, Eric C. Nash’s Love You Like That, scored by Mark Smythe (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008) and Genna Chanelle Hayes’ Akoni, made with several AFTRS alumni, are all making their debut.
Full list of student and alumni films in the 2021 program –
CINEFESTOZ FILM PRIZE
The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson
Director: Leah Purcell
Producer: Greer Simpkin (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2010)
Nitram
Director: Justin Kurzel
Executive producer: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015)
River
Director: Jennifer Peedom (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2017)
Producers: Jo-Anne McGowan (Specialist Extension Certificate Producing, 1991), Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015)
Here Out West
Directors: Julie Kalceff (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Scriptwriting, 2002), Lucy Gaffy (Master of Screen Arts, 2009)
Producers: Sheila Jayadev (Graduate Certificate: Producing, 2011), AFTRS’ Head of Producing Lyn Norfor (Graduate Diploma: Screen Business, 2010)
Production designer: Roslyn Durnford (Graduate Diploma: Production Design, 2010)
Titles designer – opening sequence: Michelle Hunt (Certificate Titles & Broadcast Design, 2005)
Sound designer: Liam Egan (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1986)
Sound recordist: Glenn Finnan (Graduate Diploma: Film, Television and Digital Media Location Sound Recording, 2004)
Assistant editor: Becky Evans (Master of Arts Screen, 2020)
Assistant production coordinator: Sharon Abela (Graduate Certificate Screen: Creative Producing, 2017)
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Akoni (world premiere)
Director: Genna Chanelle Hayes
Dialogue editor: Derryn Pasquill (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Sound Design, 2003)
Second assistant camera: Han Cheng (Diploma in Camera, 2017)
Sound effects editor: Andrew Miller (Master of Arts: Film and Television – Sound Design, 2009; Graduate Diploma in Location Sound Recording, 2007)
Assistant camera: Trudi Gulton (Diploma in Camera, 2017)
Production assistant: Joyce Vasta (Graduate Certificate Screen: Documentary, 2017)
Anonymous Club
Director: Danny Cohen
Producer: Samantha Dinning (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011)
Araatika! Rise Up
Director/screenwriter: Larissa Behrendt (Graduate Diploma in Documentary 2013; Graduate Producer: Diploma in Screenwriting, 2012)
Sam Griffin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2017)
Cinematographer: Justine Kerrigan (Bachelor of Arts (Film &Television) Cinematography, 1996)
Editor: Andrea Lang (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 1998)
Big Deal (world premiere)
Dir. Craig Reucassel
Producers: Aline Jacques (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Producing, 1998), Jennifer Peedom(Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2017), Bridget Callow-wright (Advanced Diploma in Script Editing and Development, 2018; Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015)
Blind Ambition
Directors: Robert Coe, Warwick Ross
Assistant camera: Juntra Santitharangkun (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2012)
Facing Monsters (world premiere)
Director: Bentley Dean
Editor: Tanya Nehme (AFTRS Certificate, 1990)
Hating Peter Tatchell
Director: Christopher Amos
Editor: Bergen O’Brien (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 2000)
Homespun (world premiere)
Dir. Socratis Otto
Editor: Lily Davis (Diploma in Editing Fundamentals)
Iggy & Ace (Australian premiere)
Dir. Monica Zanetti, Ab Morrison
Story producer: Jess Paine (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2012; Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2011)
Editor: Melanie Annan (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Editing, 2004)
Sound recordist: Alex Wilson (Advanced Diploma in Music Scoring for the Screen, 2016)
I’m Wanita
Director: Matthew Walker (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Editing, 2004)
Producer: Claire Lewis (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2011)
Composer: Jonathan Dower (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2004)
Cinematographer: Simon Cunich (Graduate Certificate in Documentary, 2004)
Jaimen Hudson from Sky to Sea
Director: Leighton de Barros
Assistant camera: Andrew McKenzie (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2014)
Development writer: Fiona Tuomy (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Producing, 1995)
Lone Wolf
Director/writer/co-producer: Jonathan Ogilvie (AFTRS Certificate, Video, 1989)
Producer: Mat Govoni (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013; Graduate Diploma in Directing, 2012)
Editor: Bernadette Murray (Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2012)
Sound designer: Liam Egan (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1986)
Love You Like That (world premiere)
Director: Eric C. Nash
Composer: Mark Smythe (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008)
Off Country
Directors: John Harvey (Graduate Certificate: Screen Drama – Screenwriting & Producing, 2008), Rhian Skirving
Produce: John Harvey
Screenwriter: John Harvey
Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story (Australian premiere)
Dir. Nadia Taas
Screenwriter/editor: Cory taylor (Certificate Scriptwriting, 1980)
Rhapsody of Love
Director: Joy Hopwood
Cinematographer: Goldie Soetianto (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2013)
Editor: Jon Cohen (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Cinematography, 1994)
Ruby’s Choice
Director: Michael Budd
Cinematographer: Steve Arnold (Diploma Cinematography, 1978)
Editor: James Manché (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Editing, 1986)
First assistant director: Nicholas Hadland (Foundation Diploma, 2011)
Boom operator: Sue Kerr (Certificate, Film & Television Sound, 1982)
Streamline
Director: Tyson Wade Johnston
Starring: Hunter-Page Lochard
Composer: Angela Little (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2007)
Assembly editor: Stephanie O’Brien (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2017)
Dialogue editor: Liam Price (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1999)
Uluru and the Magician
Director: Anna Broinowski
Producer: Rachel Clements (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Producing, 2000)
Under the Volcano
Director: Gracie Otto
Story consultant: Jennifer Peedom
Cinematographer: Hugh Miller (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 2002)
Editor: Karen Johnson (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Editing, 1995)
Addition sound recordist: Gareth Evans (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2012)
Additional camera assistant: Sian Bates (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2011)
Additional camera operator: Tania Lambert (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008)
FAMILY FILMS
Dive Club (world premiere)
Creator: Steve Jaggi
Writer: Claire Harris (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013)
Maya The Bee 3: The Golden Orb
Coordinating producer: Pip Francis (Advanced Diploma in Producing: Story, Audience, Finance, 2015)
SHORT FILMS
Kafana
Director: Marko Cvijanovic (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2020)
Producer: Stavros Kourounis (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2020)
First assistant director: Omri Goldberg (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2020)
Cinematographer: Anton Syzonov
Editor: Aleks Wynne
Sound designer: Linus Ferris (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2020)
Sound recordist: Samuel Walker (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2020)
Script supervisor: Geordie Brown (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
First assistant camera: Anton Humala
Second assistant camera: Otto Khoo (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2020), Djulia Sniatynskyj, Jasmine Suivi
Gaffer: Richard Hawkins
Production designer: Sharna Graham
Art department assistants: Trishia Suministrado, Soham Apte
Hair and makeup artist: Julianne De Matos
Hair and makeup assistant: Lucy Luo
Costume designer: Soham Apte
Accordionist: Dragan Vujadinovic
Script translator: Stefan Stefanovic
After Saturn
Director: Samuel Lucas Allen
Composer: Pru Montin (Master of Screen Arts, 2010)
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)
Choice
Directors: Claire Leach (Graduate Diploma in TV Producing (Non-Drama), 2002)), Sharnya Thomson Yates
Filters
Director: Lianne Mackessy
Screenwriter: Jillian Wade (Graduate Diploma in Screenwriting, 2014; Graduate Certificate in Story Development and Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2012)
Hy_Brain
Director: Jessica Russell
Producer: Peter Williams (Graduate Diploma in Television Producing (Non-Drama), 1999)
Pools
Director: Luisa Martiri
Cinematographer: Julian Panetta (Graduate Certificate Screen: Cinematography, 2018)
Editor: Stephanie O’Brien (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2017)
Stairs
Director: Zoljargal Purevdash
Screenwriter/producer: Genevieve Clay-Smith (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2014; Master of Screen Arts, 2013)
Sound effects editor: Andrew Miller (Master of Arts: Film and Television – Sound Design, 2009; Graduate Diploma in Location Sound Recording, 2007)
Dialogue editor: Derryn Pasquill (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Sound Design, 2003)
The Moogai
Director: Jon Bell
Sound designer: Sam Petty (Extension, 1991)
Production designer: Bethany Ryan (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2012)
What Was It Like?
Directors: Joni Campbell, Liam Vosu, Nathan Basha, Shay Bell, Chloe Morrison-Greet, Sangeetha Punnia-Moorthy, Jack Leighton, Ricky Kremer
Writers: Genevieve Clay-Smith (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2014; Master of Screen Arts, 2013), Lianne Mackessy (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film, 2016)
Producer: Genevieve Clay-Smith
