In just three days and four nights the 2nd Westgarth Film Festival entertained over 1,500 locals, film buffs and Melbourne movie stars with a selection of homegrown features, silent classics, award winning shorts, comedy, film trivia and live musical performance.
Villains were booed and heroes cheered when the internationally acclaimed Blue Grassy Knoll returned for their first Melbourne performance in seven years, to delight audiences with their live accompaniment to Buster Keaton’s classic Sherlock Jnr.
Talking at the Movies meets Breakin’ kept a sell-out audience on the comedy-ropes with fast-flowing wise-cracks, colourful costumes and even a live ‘dance’ display. Following the night’s relentlessly hilarious success, there are now whispers at the movies that the night will become a regular calendar event in the New Year, stay tuned for details.
An all-star reunion brought together the cast and crew of Melbourne made Moving Out for a special screening 25 years after it’s release. And it was a family affair as the cast, then aged between 14 and 16 years old, arrived with their families and children in tow to relive a tale of local history.
Miss Northcote treated audiences to a journey back in time, which was a little more familiar for some: Local Fairfield resident Ms June Ball relived her own family history to see her mother Evelyn Rowan, aged 16 at the time of filming, as part of the 1926 Miss Northcote Beauty Contest!
2007 award winners included:
– Richard Greenhalgh for his short film The Apprentice as part of the 10 Minute Wonders programme
– Nine-year-old Jordan Tzoulas with his animated short Jordan’s Little Guy as part of the Young Guns programme
– Northcote filmmaker Kate Herbert for her victory film pitch, Sex, Drugs and Walking Frames as part of the filmmaker industry event Pitch It or Ditch It
After a hugely successful festival, the team at Westgarth Cinema looks forward to programming the 2008 film festival as an ongoing calendar event. For further details join the Palace Cinemas mailing list http://www.palacecinemas.com.au/
The Westgarth Film Festival celebrates its 2nd year in 2007 and is proudly supported by Palace Cinemas, The City of Darebin, Yarra Trams and NiceShorts.com.au
[release from Oh Traveller Publicity]