Sydney Film Festival has announced the winner of the Rouben Mamoulian Award as part of the 20th annual Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films – Summer Breaks directed by Sean Kruck and produced by Caroline Barry.
All six Dendy Awards were presented on Monday June 16 at Sydney Opera House. The 15 shortlisted films were screened at State Theatre on Friday 13 June.
The finalist films include documentaries, fiction and animation, with stories and topics ranging from tattoos, funerals, racism, endangered chickens, ten pound Poms and chainsaws to detention centres and guitar shops.
The winners are:
2008 Dendy Award for Short Documentary ($5000 cash prize): Rare Chicken Rescue
Director Randall Wood; Producers Trish Lake, Vickie Gest
After a long battle with depression, a Queensland chicken breeder starts a mission to protect the endangered chickens to which he owes his life.
2008 Dendy Award for Short Fiction ($5000 cash prize): Ali and the Ball
Director Alex Holmes; Producer Helen Panckhurst
A boy lives in a detention centre with his mother and little sister. When his mother loses her greatest treasure, the boy must find a way to replace it.
2008 Dendy Award for Most Innovative Short Film ($5000 cash prize): Ephemeral
Directed and produced by Tony Radevski and Jongsu Oh
A group of weary travellers get more than they expect on their train ride home.
2008 Yoram Gross Animation Award ($4000 cash prize): Mutt
Director Glen Hunwick; Producer Beth Frey
All work and no play leads to imminent disaster for a disgruntled farmer, his cow and hardworking dog.
2008 CRC Award ($5000 cash prize): 296 Smith Street
Director John Evagora; Producer Jorge Tsadilas
One man, one place, one day.
Also part of The Dendy Awards are the SBS in Language Award and Rouben Mamoulian Award Sponsored by SHOWTIME. The SBS in Language Award provides subtitles for the winners of the Documentary and Fiction sections (Rare Chicken Rescue, Ali and the Ball) specifically to assist filmmakers in entering their films in international competitions.
The Rouben Mamoulian Award Sponsored by SHOWTIME is a $5000 prize judged this year by Director Vincent Ward, Producer Yukie Iko and Actor/Playwright Steve Rodgers.
Winner of the 2008 Rouben Mamoulian Award ($5000 cash prize): Summer Breaks
Director Sean Kruck; Producer Caroline Barry
Two teenage boys hang about in the suburbs on a sweltering summer’s day.
Sydney Film Festival has had a short film award since 1970, celebrating the diversity and talent of Australian short filmmaking. Finalists and winners throughout the years include Chris McGill, George Miller, Phil Noyce, Gillian Armstrong, Paul Cox, Jane Campion, Rolf de Heer, Rowan Woods and Samantha Lang.
In 1989 the awards became The Dendy Awards, and are now sponsored by Icon Film Distribution and Dendy Cinemas. This year, The Dendy Awards were presented at Sydney Opera House on Monday 16 June, along with the announcement of The Sydney Prize for the inaugural Official Competition.
[Release by nextstepmedia]