Press release from Origin8
Back for its third year, the Origin8 Fast Film Festival is promising to be bigger and better!
For the first time, groups outside the Toowoomba region may submit their films online, allowing entrants to participate from all over the world! Origin8 is a 24 hour film-making competition open to budding Speilbergs of all ages. Teams of up to 8 people can register for the events, held over the weekend of August 12 – 14, 2011.
Empire Theatre Artistic Director, Lewis Jones, said the Origin8 Fast Film Festival was about originality, creativity and innovation. “Origin8 has been designed specifically to provide an opportunity for emerging film-makers to develop their skills and be rewarded for their efforts,” Mr Jones said. “In 2011 we are encouraging people not only in the Toowoomba region, but further afield, to get a team together, get creative and join in the fun!” he said.
In 2010, Toowoomba mother Sita Borhani did not think she could become an award winning filmmaker in just one night. But she soon realised that anything was possible with The Empire Theatre’s Origin8 Fast Film Festival. She sat patiently at the festival’s Top8 Screening and humbly told her four-year-old daughter they probably would not win the top prize.
But the quirky film, For Layla, about the trials of modern marriage and parenting conjured up by her and husband, Borhan, proved the perfect recipe for triumph. Mrs Borhani heard about the festival by chance from a friend involved with the Empire Theatre. She immediately knew she had to throw caution to the wind and enter. “My husband has family who have been heavily involved in the Bollywood film industry and he’s always been interested in cinematography, so he was interested in lighting and designing the shots and filming.
“I’ve always loved writing and developing creative pieces, so we thought we’d make a good team,” she said. “To make it to the top eight films in the competition was incredible for us, and as I watched the other films, which were excellent, I thought ‘no way are we winning this!’." “Our short film, For Layla, was a quirky and heartfelt look at our suburban family life with our two gorgeous kids. It was a comment on some of the trials of the modern marriage and parenting and how they can be overcome,” she said.
Mrs Borhani said just being involved was the most exciting aspect of the festival. “I love the fact that it is such a rush to the finish line. It is great fun. Because I have a young family I can’t afford to spend months making a short film, so the idea of it all being done in 24 hours really appeals to my husband and me,” she said. This year, Colin Mackay & The Good Guys, together with the Empire Theatres Foundation, will provide the prize pool, which includes $5000 cash for the best fast film, $500 cash for best individual performance, best script or concept, best cinematography, best 18 and under and best sound design.
Also for the first time, there will be an award for the best school entry, with the winning team walking away with an E-Camera Stabiliser, worth $770, from Evolution Studios. Team registrations for Origin8 Fast Film Festival must be received by Friday 12 August when teams collect their “Integr8 list” of special themes which their films must be based on.
Finished films are to be submitted on Saturday 13 August by 8pm and the screening of the Top 8 films will be held at the Empire Theatre on Sunday 14 August at 6.30pm.
For more information check out the Empire Theatre website: www.empiretheatre.com.au