[press release from Shanks Pony Pictures]
Streetsweeper, an independent feature film, has won the Golden Oosikar Jury Prize for Best Film at the Anchorage International Film Festival 2008.
The marginal micro budget film has received a warm reception in the cold Alaskan winter, with director Neil Mansfield in attendance at the three screenings of the film.
Festival Director and Founder, Tony Sheppard , who championed the film says "It’s completely mesmerizing and provoking… a stunning composition of light and movement".
It’s a big achievement for a film made completely outside of the traditional routes of funding and production in Australia. Financed by micro donations and word of mouth crowdsourcing, the film was shot in 72 hours with one actor, Marin Mimica, who plays a street spirit speaking poetry and spoken word only.
The guerilla production sought no permissions to shoot in Newcastle and used a skeleton crew to move quickly, shooting the journey of a forgotten Australian throught the streets and suburbs of the city.
Largely ignored by local festivals in Australia, the filmmakers are gearing up for their own grassroots tour of the film in 2009.
Producer Toby Ralph says "We want to bypass the gatekeepers of mainstream filmmaking in this country, and show them that despite their stagnant complacency, truly independent cinema is alive and well."