Twenty films by students and alumni will be on show in this year’s edition of Gold Coast Film Festival, running in theatres from 14 to 21 April. The festival returns after a year-long hiatus with a stacked lineup of World and Australian premieres, exclusive preview screenings, pop-up cinemas, red carpet screenings, industry panels, and special events, along with a selection of the program also available to watch online.
Four AFTRS capstone projects will screen as part of SIPFest, the festival’s national short film competition, offering $5,000 in cash prizes across seven categories and the $1,000 People’s Choice Award. Deborah Brown’s (Master of Arts Screen, 2019) Bala, Brittany Xu’s (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019) Like How I Remember, Victoria Zerbst and Sophie-Eugenie Dessertaine-Williams’ (Master of Arts Screen graduand) The Retreat and Jaslyn Mairs’s (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019) Sunburn will feature in the showcase on Saturday 17 April, to be followed by the evening’s awards ceremony. Appearing alongside them is Jessica Smith’s The Test showcasing an original composition by Thomas Rouch (Graduate Certificate: Screen Music, 2009).
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After celebrating its world premiere at Mardi Gras Film Festival, where it won the Best Narrative Feature Audience Award and securing an international premiere at BFI Flare: LGBTIQ+ Film Festival (17-28 March), 2017 Master of Arts Screen graduate Thomas Wilson-White’s debut feature The Greenhouse will appear at the festival along with a Q&A after the screening. Made with the help of a $10,000 grant from Queer Screen in association with the Mardi Gras Film Festival, writer/director Wilson-White commenced work on the film during his final year at AFTRS, collaborating on the project with a team of fellow AFTRS classmates.
In acknowledgement of her contribution to the Australian screen industry, producer Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013) has been selected as the Chauvel Award recipient for 2021, to be presented at the festival’s Industry Gala Awards Awards ceremony. Four of Maslin’s most distinguished films will screen in a special retrospective celebrating her work. Produced by Maslin, Jocelyn Moorhouse’s The Dressmaker (Diploma Directing, 1983), Sue Brooks’ Road to Nhil and Ben Steel’s The Show Must Go On will all screen, along with her feature debut Thanks Girls and Goodbye.
Making its Australian debut in the festival’s opening night gala is the Sundance-selected Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, made with a stellar team of AFTRS alumni including executive producer Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015), composer Caitlyn Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition), cinematographer Judd Overton (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2003), editor Adrian Rostirolla (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Editing, 2003), dialogue editor Yulia Akerholt (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1995) and sound effects editor Jared Dwyer (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Sound Design, 2007). Cast and crew will be in attendance for a Q&A after the screening on Wednesday 14 April.
Showing in a special preview screening will be JJ Winlove’s June Again, produced by Michael Pontin (Graduate Diploma in Producing & Screen Business, 2011) scored by Brendan Woithe (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 2002) and lensed by Hugh Miller (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 2002). The team behind the film also includes dialogue editor Derryn Pasquill (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Sound Design, 2003), extras coordinator Bokkie Robertson (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018), art department buyer Belle Blamey (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2013), art department runner Bianca Tomchin (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017) and lighting assistant Gabriel Morrison (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019).
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Celebrating world premieres will be Christine Luby’s This Little Love of Mine, featuring production design by Jamie Cranney (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2011) and an original composition by Jazz D’Arcy (Graduate Certificate Screen: Music, 2017); Joy Hopwood’s Rhapsody of Love lensed by Goldie Soetianto (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2013) and edited by Jon Cohen (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Cinematography, 1994); Paul Meins’ Chasing Wonders shot by Denson Baker (Graduate Diploma of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 2000) and featuring production design by Felicity Abbott (Master of Arts (Film & Television) (Hons) Design, 1998); and series, Steve Jaggi’s Dive Club co-written by Claire Harris (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013).
Screening as part of the festival’s ‘Dark Nights and Fantastic Fans’ program is Enzo Tedeschi’s horror anthology Deadhouse Dark, featuring short film No Pain No Gain written and directed by Megan Riakos (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction and Non-fiction, 2010) and made with composer Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002), sound recordist Gareth Evans (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2012) and casting assistant Hannah Darkling (Advanced Diploma in Script Editing and Development, 2018; Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting Feature Film, 2017).
Natalia Ladyko’s Bad Maid, featuring production design by Valentina Iastrebova (Diploma in Screen Design, 2016) and Benno Thiel’s Dead Centre, lensed by Master of Arts Screen graduand Sam Steinle will both screen in competition as part of the Web Series showcase.
Ben Lawrence’s Hearts and Bones lensed by Hugh Miller (Master of Arts: Film & Television Cinematography, 2002) and assistant produced by Sleena Wilson (Graduate Certificate Screen: Creative Producing, 2018) will also feature in the festival’s special ‘Best of 2020’ program, screening in theatres and online.
Festival prizes are set to be announced at the Screen Industry Gala Awards, which will feature Sue Maslin for the Chauvel Award presentation.
See the full Gold Coast Film Festival program here.
Bala
Director: Deborah Brown (Master of Arts Screen, 2019)
Writer: Melissa Lee Speyer (Master of Arts Screen, 2018; Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2016)
Producer: Georgia Noe O’Brien
Cinematographer: Meg White
Production/costume designer: Emma Rose White
Editor: Anthony Watson
Composer: Steve Francis
Sound designer: Oliver Brighton (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Sound recordists: Tahira Donohoe-Bales (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018), Rowan Yeomans (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Boom operator: Nathaniel Keesing
First assistant camera: Brendan Blacklock (Advanced Diploma in Cine Essentials, 2016)
Second assistant camera/data wrangler: Tom Phillips
Underwater cinematographer: Nays Baghai (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2016)
First assistant director: Holly Fraser
Continuity: Sarah Vaughan, William Hadinata (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Production assistant: Andrew Fraser
Gaffer: John Domeney
Grip: Patrick Butler
Lighting assistant: Terri Ferreira
Production design assistant: Nicki Brancatisano
Hair and makeup artist: Jade Diaz
WHS risk assessment: Kieran Cato at Cato Logistics
Safety officer: Ben Toyer
Stills photographer: Trudi Gultom (Diploma in Camera, 2017)
Colourist: Greg Constantaras at Heckler
Like How I Remember
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
The Retreat
Writer: Sophie-Eugenie Dessertaine-Williams (Master of Arts Screen graduand)
Director: Victoria Zerbst
Producer: Zaina Ahmed
Cinematographer: Kate Cornish
Production and costume designer: Alexandra Muir (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Editor: Becky Evans (Master of Arts Screen graduand)
Composer: Julia Potter (Master of Arts Screen graduand)
Sound designer: Chloe Turner (Master of Arts Screen graduand)
Casting directors: Alison Fowler, Stephanie Pringle
Sound recordist: Nicole Matouk
Boom operator: Amruta Apte, Jubilee Chan (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
First assistant camera: Danielle Payne (Diploma in Camera Fundamentals, 2016; Foundation Diploma, 2013), Rose Newland
Second assistant camera: Shamini Singhal, Jubilee Chan
Data wrangler: Jasmine Bishop (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student), Viv Duong
First assistant director: Alex Culliver, Sophie Hattch (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017), Eva Mutuanene (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Second assistant director: Eva Mutuanene
Continuity: Mikaeli Stanton (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Gaffer: Ellie Hayward
Lighting assistant: Lucky Dreamer
Art department and costume assistants: Bella Saltearn, Lucie Wang
Makeup artists: Tina Matti, Annabel Cameron
Production runners: Sarah Lu, Maviel Kaye, Julia Potter, Mandy Chen
Stills photographer: Georgia Moloney
Titles and graphics: Bella Saltearn, Alexandra Muir, Becky Evans
Foley recording engineer: Shauna Doyle
Music mixer: Rose Mackenzie-Peterson
Sunburn
Director/story: Jaslyn Mairs (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Screenwriter/unit manager: Claudia Bailey (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Producers: Ben Bauchet (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019) and Lev Jutsen (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Cinematographer: Gabriel Morrison (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Production and costume designer Sidonie Pitot (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Sound recordist: Tahira Donohoe-Bales (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Editor: Angus Roche (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Continuity: Vanessa Bray (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
First assistant director: Bokkie Robertson (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
First assistant camera: Tom Pennell (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production graduand)
Sound designer: Aidan Jessup (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018), Eli T. R. Potter
Sound mixer: Aidan Jessup
Colourist: Roger Stonehouse (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
Location Managers: Bokkie Robertson, Lev Jutsen
The Test
Director: Jessica Smith
Composer: Thomas Rouch (Graduate Certificate: Screen Music, 2009)
The Greenhouse
Writer/director: Thomas Wilson-White (Master of Screen Arts, 2017; Graduate Diploma in Directing, 2014)
Producer: Lizzie Cater
Associate producer/production manager: Jemma Douglas
Executive producers: David Gilbery, Spencer McLaren, Marlon Vogelgesang
Composer: Freya Berkhout (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2013)
Cinematographer: Daniel Bolt (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2011)
Editor: Christine Cheung
Additional editing: Kelly Cameron (Master of Screen Arts, 2017; Graduate Diploma in Editing, 2012)
Production design: Isabella Andronos
Costume design: Ellen Stanistreet
Hair stylist/makeup designer: Ali Robertson
First assistant director David Burrowes, Ryan Osmond
ADR Recordist: Ryan Granger, David McCarthy
Dialogue editor/re-recording mixer/sound designer: Ben Vlad
sound recordist: Michal Zoltkowski
Stunt coordinator: Igor Breakenback
Post-producer: Emily Tathem
Colorist: Justin Ngy Tran
Post-production assistant: Joyce Escuadro (Graduate Certificate Screen: Editing, 2017)
Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks
Director: Valerie Taylor
Executive producer: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015)
Composer: Caitlyn Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition
Cinematographer (co): Judd Overton (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2003)
Editor: Adrian Rostirolla (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Editing, 2003)
Dialogue editor: Yulia Akerholt (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Sound, 1995)
Sound effects editor: Jared Dwyer (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Sound Design, 2007)
June Again (preview screening)
Director: JJ Winlove
Executive producer: Michael Pontin (Graduate Diploma in Producing & Screen Business, 2011)
Composer: Brendan Woithe (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 2002)
Cinematographer: Hugh Miller (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 2002)
Extras coordinator: Bokkie Robertson (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2018)
Buyer: Belle Blamey (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2013)
Art department runner: Bianca Tomchin (Bachelor of Arts (Screen), 2017)
Dialogue editor: Derryn Pasquill (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Sound Design, 2003)
Lighting assistant: Gabriel Morrison (Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, 2019)
This Little Love of Mine (world premiere)
Director: Christine Luby
Production designer: Jamie Cranney (Graduate Diploma in Production Design, 2011)
Composer: Jazz D’Arcy (Graduate Certificate Screen: Music, 2017)
Rhapsody of Love (world premiere)
Director: Joy Hopwood
Cinematographer: Goldie Soetianto (Graduate Diploma in Cinematography, 2013)
Editor: Jon Cohen (Specialist Extension Course Certificate Cinematography, 1994)
Dive Club (world premiere)
Creator: Steve Jaggi
Writer: Claire Harris (Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting Fundamentals, 2013)
Chasing Wonders
Director: Paul Meins
Cinematographer: Denson Baker (Graduate Diploma of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 2000)
Production designer: Felicity Abbott (Master of Arts (Film & Television) (Hons) Design, 1998)
Deadhouse Dark
Creator/director: Enzo Tedeschi
Director/writer: Megan Riakos (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction and Non-fiction, 2010)
Music: Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002)
Sound recordist: Gareth Evans (Graduate Diploma in Sound, 2012)
Casting assistant: Hannah Darkling (Advanced Diploma in Script Editing and Development, 2018; Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting Feature Film, 2017)
Retrospective: Sue Maslin AO, 2021 Chauvel Award recipient
Thanks Girls and Goodbye (1988)
Director/producer: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013), Sue Hardisty
Cinematographer: Nicolette Freeman (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1984)
Road To Nhil (1997)
Director: Sue Brooks
Screenwriter: Alison Tillson (Specialist Extension Certificate Scriptwriting, 1983)
Cinematographer: Nicolette Freeman (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1984)
Producer: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013)
The Dressmaker (2015)
Director/writer: Jocelyn Moorhouse (Diploma Directing, 1983)
Writer/producer: P.J Hogan (Diploma Scriptwriting, 1983)
Producer: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013)
Assistant to producers: Katia Nizic (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2012)
The Show Must Go On (2019)
Director: Ben Steel
Producer: Sue Maslin
Hearts and Bones
Director: Ben Lawrence
Cinematographer: Hugh Miller (Master of Arts: Film & Television Cinematography, 2002)
Assistant producer: Sleena Wilson (Graduate Certificate Screen: Creative Producing, 2018)
Bad Maid
Natalia Ladyko
Production designer: Valentina Iastrebova (Diploma in Screen Design, 2016)
Dead Centre
Benno Thiel
Cinematographer: Sam Steinle (Master of Arts Screen graduand)
