Press release from FTI
Filmmaker Don Sivyer has been elected a Life Member of the Film & Television Institute WA at the 2009 Annual General Meeting on 22 April.
FTI CEO, Graeme Sward said, “We would like thank Don for his strong support of the organisation over many years and his personal commitment to assisting young filmmakers in Western Australia. I congratulate Don on becoming a Life Member at FTI.”
Don first became an FTI member in 1985 and has regularly renewed his annual Membership over 24 years making him one of the longest financial FTI members during its 38-year history.
Don grew up in a photographic family in the post World War II era. His father operated Sivyer’s Photographers until the early 70s and his grandfather’s hand built enlarger is in the WA Museum.
According to Don his first filmmaking effort in 1972 was a disaster using a small 1/2-frame 8mm camera that was damaged at the beginning of an Army patrol in Papua New Guinea.
Subsequent efforts were primarily concerned with recording community activities and in more recent years, trading as `Parrot Pictures’, he completed productions for arts, Indigenous, disadvantaged and youth-based community organisations, many with a training flavour.
As one of three enthusiasts, Don founded the One-Up Film Association 18 years ago in 1991 whose aim was to provide training opportunities for disadvantaged youth to enter the industry of filmmaking, a pathway now well serviced by FTI.
Winding up the Association in 2008, Don approached FTI CEO, Graeme Sward, to offer the organisation’s equipment and cash reserves of approximately $4,000 to FTI on the proviso that it used to assist disadvantaged youth.
FTI and Don created the One-Up Film Scholarships to offer two disadvantaged filmmakers the opportunity to complete the suite of five Filmmaking Fundamentals weekend workshops at FTI.
The successful applicants were Devorah Herdman-Wedlake and Corey Lorite who have since completed the program.
“FTI members and staff have provided me with immense, genuine encouragement over many years, so, in a small way, the One-Up Film Scholarships has assisted in`handing on a skill’ to a couple of worthy future artisans.” says Don.
“To be offered a life membership of FTI is both a delight and an honour.” he said.