A 60-second movie, filmed entirely on a mobile phone, has scooped the pool at the Sydney Film Festival ‘Telstra MobileMovie Awards’ last weekend.
The film was crafted using only ‘found words’ filmed from Gosford CBD signage. The graphical tapestry revealed a story of desperation as the city’s business district struggles to keep retailers from fleeing to the bigger shopping complexes – yet also unfolds a message of hope by asking viewers to bring people back into Gosford’s heart in a kind of geographical resuscitation.
Created by Central Coast film maker Jason van Genderen, My Town is Broken received a rousing applause at it’s screening in front of a packed house at Sydney’s State Theatre on Saturday night, as part of the Sydney Film Festival’s closing night celebrations.
Telstra Group Managing Director, Dr Phil Burgess, handed Jason a trophy & prize package; a trip for two to Canada including Toronto Film Festival passes, a Nokia N95 mobile phone plus industry memberships worth $15,000 in total.
“To be honest I really expected a comedy to win,” van Genderen said. “For a 60 second drama to take the top gong was a great personal milestone, and also a great stage for drawing attention to Gosford’s need for rejuvenation. It goes to show that even without flashy camera gear story is king.”
The three-time Shootout Film Festival winner certainly isn’t resting on his laurels.
After directing last year’s controversial political documentary Lockout, which shed light on the bloody Rothbury Mine riots in 1929, van Genderen has already commenced production of a new feature documentary aimed at casting a global eye on the struggles of the Tasmanian Devil.
[release from Treehouse Creative]