Press release from AUM
A film from this year’s Heart of Gold short film program – ‘Franswa Sharl ‘ – has just been awarded the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at Berlin International Film Festival as well as being nominated for a Teddy Award at the same festival. This highly coveted international award comes just weeks after receiving Australian acclaim when it won the IF Media award for Most Popular Film at Flickerfest (Sydney) in January and achieving selection for the 2010 Aspen Shorts Festival in the USA.
The jury stated “We couldn’t help laughing when we saw this charming and funny story based on a true story. Non stop fun! For a moment we forgot the world around us. The actors were simply great.”
Directed by Hannah Hilliard and produced by Linda Micsko, ‘Franswa Sharl’ tells the story of a twelve year-old boy who while on holidays with his family in Fiji, reinvents himself as a French girl so he can enter a competition – much to his father’s dismay. This film is based on a true story and is framed in the exotic and colourful landscape of a Fijian resort in 1980.
Hilliard says “My main motivation for making films is to tell stories that make people feel something on an emotional level. ‘Franswa Sharl’ is a story about being your own hero – and feeling good about yourself. The audience reaction in Berlin has been amazing – the best response a filmmaker could possibly hope for and I am completely thrilled and honoured to be part of the program of excellent films at the Heart of Gold International Film Festival.”
The Heart of Gold Festival is committed to exclusively screen uplifting, positive and thought provoking films, making ‘Franswa Sharl’ which has plenty of heart, humour and a hint of magic, a perfect fit the program and is set to premier next Friday 12th March at 2.00pm as part of the Shorts 7 Program.
Major international awards for upcoming Australian short filmmakers who have been selected in the 2010 Heart of Gold program, don’t stop there. ‘Glenn Owen Dodds’, starring David Wenham and directed by Frazer Bailey, picked up the International Prix Canal + prize from Clermont Ferrand (France), the world’s most prestigious film festival. This hilarious short film which carries the tag line – “Want to know the meaning of life? You’ve got 5 minutes.” – will have its Australian premier at the Heart of Gold Festival on Friday 12th March, 9.00pm at the Gympie Civic Centre.
The 2010 Heart of Gold International Film festival runs from next Thursday 11th March until Sunday 14th March.
For more information and tickets to any of the 166 short films, 5 feature length films and the special events, documentaries, workshops and seminars, go to www.heartofgold.com.au