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AFTRS launches Black Shot talent lab for indigenous cinematographers

AFTRS Black Shot participants..

AFTRS has invited nine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cinematographers to participate in Black Shot, an intensive lab for emerging Indigenous cinematographers underway this week.

Two of the participants hail from Alice Springs, one from Broome, one from Perth, one from Townsville, one from Brisbane, one from Sydney and two from Yirrkala in the Northern Territory. Three of those selected are women.

“The workshop aims to develop the cinematography skills of emerging Indigenous cinematographers who have demonstrated the ability and willingness to pursue opportunities to develop their craft,” said Head of the AFTRS Indigenous Unit Kyas Sherriff.

As well as the five-day intensive run by Indigenous cinematographer and AFTRS alum Allan Collins ACS, AFTRS is spearheading industry placements for the nine participants.

“The AFTRS Indigenous Unit wants to create a pathway for cinematographers to get deeper into their craft and art with strategic mentoring and skills training", Sheriff said.

"In the workshop they will learn core craft skills of cinematography including operating commercial cameras, lensing and exploring depth of field for storytelling and visual language as well as on set cultural practices."

“This talent lab is designed to embed craft and inspire the next wave of Indigenous cinematographers. It’s 20 years since Warwick Thornton, Allan Collins, Jason Ramp and Murray Lui trained here at AFTRS and our most recent graduate was Cornel Ozzies in 2011. We want to proactively develop the next generation of Indigenous cinematographers. I am very pleased to say that we have one Indigenous student studying cinematography this year and I hope that Black Shot will inspire others to join him.”