[press release from The Lantern Group]
Jane Schoettle, pre-selector for the Toronto International Film Festival, will be in Australia from late February to conduct script advisory sessions on selected Screen Australia and South Australian Film Commission projects and to attend the 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival (BAFF). Screen Australia is also arranging for Jane to view new Australian feature films as part of her visit.
“We are thrilled that Jane has agreed to provide script advice for a project currently receiving development support from Screen Australia,” says Martha Coleman, Screen Australia Head of Development. “Jane’s insights will allow these filmmakers to find creative solutions to realise the potential of their scripts.”
“It will be wonderful having Jane here for those last weeks in February when Adelaide becomes the undisputed centre of the Australian film industry,” said Richard Harris, CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation. “Her presence will be of great value to the four South Australian teams who she will meet with in person, and help them to take their projects to another level.”
Jane will visit Adelaide as a guest of the BAFF to view Australian films screening as part of their program, and to offer script advice for the winner of InSite – the biennial unproduced screenplay competition run by BAFF and the Australian Writers’ Guild.
“It’s wonderful to have Screen Australia’s support to enable Jane to visit,” says Katrina Sedgwick, BAFF Festival Director. “Not only will she bring invaluable advice to a number of local teams with scripts in development – and to our InSite winner – but to have Jane here on behalf of Toronto along with other international festival programmers greatly enhances the benefits for Australian filmmakers in screening their film in Adelaide’s festival program.”
Filmmakers with an eligible feature film that they would like Jane to see should first confirm their film’s eligibility as per the conditions on the TIFF website (http://tiff09.ca/splash.html). Following this please contact Martina Vascotto at Screen Australia for the submission form at martina.vascotto@screenaustralia.gov.au or 02 9321 6446 or toll free 1800 226 615 (if outside NSW).
Submission deadline is 24 February 2009.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs 10 – 19 September 2009.