Newtown Flicks Short Film Festival

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Newtown Flicks Short Film Festival is held annually in and around the Sydney suburb of Newtown, Australia. Established as a non-profit organization in 2006.

The festival was the brainchild of Martin Kelly, Bill Jordan and Spiros Hristias, who discovered a mutual love of film while operating equipment in the bio box of New Theatre, a live performance venue in Newtown. Over coffees in local cafes, they developed the festival's name and logo, its aims (to support emerging filmmakers and showcase their works) and awards categories. After setting up the enterprise with their own money, they looked for outside sponsorship. The major sponsor since 2006 has been JVC Professional, donors of filmmaking equipment. The JVC encouragement award is presented to a filmmaker showing potential not yet fully realised. Cash prizes are offered in the other categories together with bags for audio-visual accessories made by Crumpler and statuettes made by a local arts collective. Over the years Newtown Flicks have received grants from City of Sydney and Screen NSW; Newtown Flicks became a national film festival in 2009. Past judges have included critic Garry Maddox, writer Phillip Gwynne, stuntman Grant Page and actors Mark Lee and Genevieve Lemon. Design of the statuettes and posters changes with each festival.

With Newtown Flicks now in its 6th year, and currently calling for entries up until 6 July 2012, their focus is on encouraging filmmakers with fewer opportunities by providing a festival and associated network for aspiring and emerging Australian artists. They also provide ongoing opportunities for the screening and touring of their work. Bruce Beresford, the Academy Award-winning director of Driving Miss Daisy and , is now the patron for the 2012 Festival.

2006 Festival[]

Held at the New Theatre between 15–17 April

Winners

Award Winning Title
PICK OF THE FLICKS # 1 Tackle
PICK OF THE FLICKS # 2 The Chess Set
DIRECTORS CHOICE # 1 Birthday Present
DIRECTORS CHOICE # 2 Europe

2007 Festival[]

Held at the Newtown Theatre between 30 March - 1 May

Winners

Award Title Director
BEST STUDENT FILM Still Life Tahnee McGuire
BEST INDEPENDENT Transient Craig Boreham
BEST TREEHOUSE Wally Tonnette Stanford
DIRECTORS CHOICE The Death of an Official Natalie Lopes & Marlene Palmeiro
JVC AWARD Not Sitting Still Sarah Antill

2008 Festival[]

Held at the Pact Theatre between 20 May – 1 June

Winners

Award Title Director
BEST STUDENT FILM Modern Primitives Kate Witchard
BEST INDEPENDENT Playground Eve Spence
BEST TREEHOUSE Floating Chih-Kuang Tu
DIRECTORS CHOICE The Cypriot Vincent Taylor
JVC AWARD One Shoe Billy Aiden Koegh

2009 Festival[]

In May 2009 Newtown Flicks Short Film Festival returned to the New Theatre, where the judging panel was led by twice Academy Award-nominated director Bruce Beresford.

Winners

Award Title Director
BEST STUDENT FILM Reach Luke Randall
BEST INDEPENDENT Fade Vincent Taylor
DIRECTORS CHOICE Burden Ben Field and Liam Doyle
JVC AWARD Mercury Vapour Zoe Barnes

2010 Festival[]

In June 2010 Newtown Flicks Short Film Festival landed at the , where the judging panel was led by twice Academy Award-nominated director Bruce Beresford.

Winners

Award Title Director
BEST STUDENT FILM Tundra Claire Phillips
BEST INDEPENDENT Frail Alex Murawski
DIRECTORS CHOICE Identity Theft Stuart White
JVC AWARD Me, Myself and iPod Aidan Prewett
PANAVISION AWARD What If Girl Heremaia Rudkin

Notable Participants[]

In addition to showcasing the future of the Australian film industry, the following industry personalities have been involved with Newtown Flicks :

• Bruce Beresford - director (Driving Miss Daisy, Puberty Blues, Double Jeopardy, Mao's Last Dancer)

• Mark Lee - actor (Gallipoli, Sahara)

• Grant Page - stuntman (Mad Max, The Pact)

• Genevieve Lemon - actor/singer (The Piano, Holy Smoke!, Billy Elliot)

External links[]

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