Press Release from the Lantern Group
A panel of Australian and International film experts have been chosen as Jury members for the 20th Flickerfest Short Film Festival, opening at Sydney’s Bondi Beach Pavilion on Friday 7th January 2011.
After receiving a record breaking 1793 entries, Flickerfest in 2011 will screen 108 films officially in competition, of which 11 will be world premieres and 46 will be Australian premieres.
The Jury will be headed up by renowned Polish film expert Kryzystof Geirat, who is the instigator of the Krakow Film Foundation and the “Film Polski” Foundation amongst many. In the Best of International programme, he is joined by Australian luminaries such as Renee Brack, the face of Movie Network Channels “Movie Extra”, and Hannah Hillard whose short film Franswa Sharl, had its world premiere at Flickerfest in 2010 where it won the Audience Award for Most Popular Short, before going on to win the prestigious Crystal Bear Award for Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Jury members for the Best of Australian programme include Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director of the Academy® Award Accredited Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto, esteemed Australian actress Susie Porter (East West 101, Little Fish), and Academy ®Award Nominee Luke Doolan, whose short film Miracle Fish was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 after screening at Flickerfest that same year.
Anne Vierhout will judge the Best of Documentary programme, whose background as Producer for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam brings international know how to the proceedings. She is joined by Peta Watermayer, National Geographic Channel’s Program and Acquisitions Manager, and Tom Zubrycki, internationally renowned Australian documentary director (Temple of Dreams, Molly & Mobarak).
The full program of films is now online at www.flickerfest.com.au, and is made up of an incredible smorgasbord of cutting edge films from all around the world. As the only Academy ®Award accredited short film festival in Australia, and new to 2011 the only BAFTA recognised short film festival in Australia, Flickerfest continues to attract the best short filmmaking the world has to offer.
Since 2002, Flickerfest has screened 30 films that have gone on to be nominated for or to win an Academy ®Award. The festival is an incredible platform for discovery of the next generation of feature film directors, including multi-award winning director David Michod (Animal Kingdom), Cannes Film Festival winner Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah), Oscar winner Adam Elliot (Harvey Krumpet), and soon to screen at Sundance Film Festival Director Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards).
Flickerfest launches under balmy summer night skies with the crème de la crème of Australian film celebrities in attendance on Friday 7th of January at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach Pavilion. It wraps up ten days later on Sunday 16th January before hitting the road on a national tour covering 30 hot spots across the country.