The annual festival takes place Queen’s Birthday weekend, celebrating the opening of the ski season, with the intimate village of Falls Creek providing the perfect backdrop to the festival’s hothouse environment – the ‘filmmakers festival’.
This year’s highlights include:
The Victorian premiere screening of Peter Duncan’s new feature Unfinished Sky from Dutch/Australian company New Holland Pictures. Peter Duncan has adapted Dutch film De Poolse Bruid (The Polish Bride) and transposed the political undertones of this passionate romantic drama, into a contemporary rural Australian context. Starring William McInnes (Look Both Ways, East West 101). Join the film’s Director in an exclusive Q&A.
Special retrospective screening of Children of the Revolution with an intimate fireside forum with director Peter Duncan and the film’s casting director, independent producer Robyn Kershaw (Looking for Alibrandi, Kath & Kim, Bran Nu Dae).
Direct from Cannes 2008, and winner of this year’s prestigious Jury Prize, Julius Avery (Jerry Can) will direct a live cast workshop of his new feature script End of Town which won the ZTudio What IF? Award for Best Unproduced Screenplay at the 2006 Inside Film Awards.
Shorts @ Falls with a prize pool of over $35,000, showcases filmmakers ahead of the curve – Shorts @ Falls winners have gone on to be selected in competition for Sundance, Cannes and the Academy awards.
Fireside Forum industry luminaries and key decision makers engage with filmmakers and audience on the crucial issues of financing, getting a first script up, and the pitfalls and wins on the path from short to feature.
Snow Dome Awards: attended this year by the Minister for the Arts, Lynne Kosky, the culmination of the festival in the ultimate après ski closing night ceremony. With awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Script presented by our prestigious jury: Joel Pearlman, Managing Director Roadshow Films Australia (Lord of the Rings trilogy, Look Both Ways); Claire Dobbin, Chair, Melbourne International Film Festival. Also a highly successful producer and script editor on films including Japanese Story and Rabbit Proof Fence; Antony Zeccola, Senior Script Advisor Palace Films (10 Canoes, Forbidden Lies, Lantana, Chopper); Robyn Kershaw Director, Robyn Kershaw Productions; Richard Sowada, Head of Film Programs, ACMI. Also the founder/director of Revelations Film Festival, Perth; and Richard Lowenstein, Director (Dogs in Space, He Died with a Felafel in his Hand); Producer Ghost and Fandago (Ten Canoes, Dr Plonk)
Free Children’s Screening provides celluloid links to our cinematic past with this year’s presentation of Playing Beattie Bow.
‘It’s a pleasure to curate a unique regional program and to attract this calibre of filmmakers and industry to Falls Creek’ says Festival Director, and founder, Sally Hussey.
‘This year’s strong uptake of films shows an astounding cross-section of Australian film talent. And, as the ‘filmmakers festival’, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate such talented filmmakers with industry mixing it up at altitude.’
Film Fest @ Falls is proudly supported by the Falls Creek Resort Management Board, Palace Films, VCA Film & Television, Cameraquip, Labsonic, Digital Pictures, Kodak, Cinevex, Heydon Films, Crumpler, Metro Magazine, Silverski Lodge, Astra Lodge.
[release by CG Publicity]