St Kilda Film Festival has revealed an action packed 10-day event calendar for its 35th instalment. Proudly produced by the City of Port Phillip, the Festival is Australia’s longest running publicly owned short film festival, running from Thursday 17 May to Saturday 26 May 2018. The festival’s Opening Night will take place at the Palais Theatre on Thursday 17 May. More than 2,800 film and television guests and industry professionals will walk the red carpet to preview a selection of short films that represent the range of programs screening at the 2018 Festival.
City of Port Phillip Mayor, Cr Bernadene Voss praised the calibre of filmmakers and welcomed the diversity of films and topics presented in the 2018 program.
“The selection of films in this year’s Festival represent the Australian filmmaking industry in all its glory – diverse, creative, talented and exciting. We are proud to continue offering a platform for filmmakers and industry heavyweights alike to screen their works, while also providing education and development opportunities to the next wave of Australian filmmakers.” Cr Voss commented.
Festival Director Paul Harris, now in his 20th year as Director, said he was delighted to announce a world-class line up of short films created by some of Australia’s most talented filmmakers. Harris went on to explain that the St Kilda Film Festival provides a comprehensive overview of the national short film industry, screening the Top 100 short film entries received each year from across Australia, the SoundKILDA Music Video Competition, an International program, special screenings and events, plus Australia’s largest free Filmmaker Development Program.
Harris went on to point out that on Thursday 24 May, the Festival will also showcase the country’s best music videos made by Australian filmmakers, featuring local and international musicians. SoundKILDA will feature music videos from the likes of Client Liaison, Montaigne, Flight Facilities, Peking Duck and Gordi.
Other special programs and screenings outside of the Top 100 program include the Under the Radar youth short film competition, a selection of Mexican cinema presented by the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) and a special presentation of music television from the 1970s, Right There on My TV. Harris also said that The Big Picture, one of Australia’s largest free Filmmaker Development Programs, grants attendees access to forums, workshops and stallholders with leading industry professionals and organisations. Topics explored will include Directing Actors, Smartphone Filmmaking, Designing Audio for VR, Underwater Cinematography and Making Music Videos.
Highlights from the 2018 Top 100 Short Film Competition include:
• For Your Sins – Comedy. A young man seeks the help of a boutique communications agencyto help raise awareness for his cause: your sins. Starring Ryan Shelton, Dave Lawson, Michala Banas, Tegan Higginbotham, Sam Watkins
• The Story – Drama. A man reflects on a time that he witnessed an emergency. Directed by Steven J. Tandy, Starring Tim Rogers and filmed in St Kilda.
• Cooee – Drama / Science Fiction. Four wild girls race through a futuristic Australia in their solar-powered Holden Commodore searching for drinks, drugs and reality. Starring Odessa Young, Airlie Dodds and Sapphire Blossom. Filmed on location in the Snowy Mountains.
• Mrs McCutcheon – Comedy. 10-year-old Tom prefers to wear dresses and to be known as Mrs McCutcheon, although it adds some extra challenges when starting at a new school. Directed by John Sheedy and Starring Alec Golinger, Wesley Patten, Nadine Garner and Virginia Gay