The Dungog Film Festival is an annual 4-day festival held in the cosy northern NSW town of Dungog – in the Hunter Valley region.  It screens only Australian movies (both unreleased and classics), and puts an emphasis on bringing the film-maker and the film-goer together.  As the festival is about to launch into its 3rd year (28th May to 31st May 2009), Two Flat Whites had a chat to festival director and co-founder, Allanah Zitserman.

First of all, the whole concept of the Dungog Film Festival (DFF) is just so un-pretentious and refreshing. The relaxed and welcoming vibe you guys have created feels very Australian, was this exactly how you and Stavros Kazantzidis (co-founder of the DFF) envisioned it to be? How did this idea come about?

Yes, this was the basis of our original vision for the event. Stavros and I came at it from two key perspectives; the filmmaker and the Aussie filmgoer. We thought about what would we want from an Australian film festival and four key things sprung to mind. One was that we wanted an event that was non-competitive, stripped of any rivalry. We felt that just having the opportunity to be a part of the local film industry was a prize in itself. We also felt that in order to move into the future of cinema we needed a context of our past and that was the reason for showcasing films from the past and including established filmmakers in the program. We wanted an event outside of the hustle and bustle in a friendly relaxed environment. Finally we wanted to put the focus on the dynamic and diverse and extremely valuable Australian film industry. With these four ingredients we hoped that we would create a completely original event that helped bridge the gap between filmmakers and filmgoers and at the same time bring the film community closer together.

It sounds like the entire population of Dungog embraces the festival with open arms. In fact, with only 50 actual tourist beds in the town, the people of Dungog offer cheap accommodation for visitors, in their own homes.  Shop-keepers adorn their window-fronts with Australian film-themed displays.  Cinema has always had the potential to create a feeling of unity amongst a community.  Do you feel the giant multiplex cinemas so prevalent today have taken away some of that purity, or magic?

We are very lucky to have such a great community to work with in Dungog and their commitment and involvement in the festival has been part of what makes it so unique.  There is something magical about going to a community cinema, whereas multiplexes provide a very different experience for cinemagoers. I think that each has a place in today’s society but there’s no doubt that with community cinemas there is an intimate feeling like you’re going to a friends place to watch a film which is refreshing.

Whilst the DFF seems to be all about relaxing and watching movies in a picturesque country town, it is also a great opportunity for film-makers to build some hype on their unreleased films. The buzz surrounding the screening of ‘The Jammed’ at last year’s festival went a long way to securing national distribution for the film. What has this meant for the level of interest you now receive from film-makers, as well as distributors?

The festival is set up for helping build a healthier local industry. It aims to connect screen industry practitioners and give films looking for distribution a platform to be discovered.  Dungog achieves significant national coverage and can be very useful in assisting distributors with their release strategies. Last year Unfinished Sky was included in 85% of national coverage achieved for the event. This contributed to the film becoming the second highest Australian-produced box office earner of 2008. The level of interest from filmmakers that don’t have distribution has increased but the distributors are still playing it safe choosing city based festivals over Dungog. I believe this will change as the festival matures.

Speaking of distribution, I read that you and Stavros started your own film distribution company, the Australian Film Syndicate (AFS), as a result of the growing success of the DFF. The AFS handled the distribution for the recent Australian film ‘The Combination’. The film was only screened in specific suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne – areas in which you felt people would be interested to see the film. This is quite an original strategy. Do you feel that it worked well for ‘The Combination’, and will this be a strategy the AFS will use into the future?

The strategy for The Combination was very effective. The film was the Number 1 earner against US product at the NSW sites it was playing in its first few weeks.  We believe that each film requires a very unique strategy that makes sense to reaching its desired audience. AFS is not interested in formula distribution it carefully constructs its release strategies specifically to the target audiences.

It’s no secret that the relationship between the Australian film industry and the general Australian population isn’t very healthy. Over the last 10 years, just 4% of Australia’s box office revenue has come from Australian films.  Do you see a positive future for our film industry?

There’s no denying it has been a pretty bad few years for the Aussie film industry. I do believe that things are changing and we are already seeing that with the strength of the work being released in 2009. I also am encouraged about the marketing focus being made by Screen Australia. I’ve always felt part of the issue is the fragmentation within the local community.  Part of the reason Stavros and I decided to start the festival was to help build bonds within the film community. Encouraging dialogue, making real connections and being honest with each other will help us inspire each other creatively and together we will find ways to help build a healthier industry.

Final question – what were some your personal highlights of last year’s festival, and what are you most excited about for this year?

The opening night with Unfinished Sky was a real winner as was the NSW Mining’s party on Saturday Night — people are still talking about it.  The whole program this year is super exciting. I can’t wait for audiences to sink their teeth into it.

Dungog is located 228 km north of Sydney – 3 hours by car or train.  You can find all ticketing, accommodation and festival program information on the official Dungog Film Festival website .  We hope to see you there!

Interview by Ryan Nance.

Writer/Director Warwick Thornton is from the Katej people of Central Australia and grew up in Alice Springs.  His passion is to document his people’s stories and share them on a big screen.  He makes movies about his community, for his community.  While Thornton’s short-films have received numerous accolades from international film festivals, ‘Samson & Delilah’ is his debut feature-length film.

‘Samson & Delilah’ follows a straight narrative, with a beginning, middle, and end – or three acts.  The first shots of the film are centred on an adolescent Aboriginal boy, Samson (played by first-time actor Rowan McNamara), as he wakes up in his makeshift single-mattress bed.  The blazing Central Australian sun is streaming into his room, and his radio, tuned to an Indigenous country music station, is bursting with song praising the beautiful new day.  Samson adorns himself in a radiant yellow checked shirt, sweeps his sun-bleached matted hair from his face, and reaches for his morning mug.  These images are all quite delightful, so when we then see Samson engulf his entire mouth and nose in the mug, and inhale deeply, the depressing reality shatters this illusion.  Inside the mug is not freshly brewed coffee, as one may have thought, but greasy, grotty petroleum.  This opening montage sets the tone for the film, and informs the audience that there will be no rose-coloured glasses approach.

Despite this grim introduction, Thornton’s film is still best labeled as a (very raw) love story.  Samson’s clumsy and juvenile displays of affection are directed towards Delilah (also a first-time acting performance, played by Marrisa Gibson) – a girl around the same age, who lives with and cares for her elderly grandmother (Mitjili Naparangka Gibson).  At first, Delilah shrugs off Samson’s persistent advances, although her grandmother cackles at what she sees as an inevitable romance.  It is not until Delilah by chance spots Samson dancing in the middle of the night that she sees something in him that sparks an unconditional love.  Even as a voyeuristic audience member, there is a real feeling of intimacy in watching the half-naked young man express himself free of all inhibition.  Perhaps this outpouring of pure freedom is what ignites Delilah’s senses, and gives her a vision of hope for a brighter future.  In any case, it is a really profound moment and one that will be forever etched into the history of memorable scenes from great Australian films.

(more…)

Design Federation took time out to speak to George Basha about his new film The Combination , and like the film he holds no punches. George is the writer, one of the main actors & an executive producer. The Combination hits our cinemas on the 26th February 2009.

This is your first foray into film, why did you choose this story?

Look, it was a story that needed to be told. What really got to me the last few years was most of the ethnic films being made have been spoof films (comedy). This story needed to be told because we have issues, not only in the west, but all over Australia – things such as guns, drugs and the biggest issue is racism, all over the world. It’s a powerful story to show what Australia is really like, this is what it really is. Almost everything I see shown on TV (related to this) is a load of crap… This is how I see Australia.

Check out the full interview on Design Federation here .

Two of Australia’s most widely recognised and respected film critics are undoubtedly David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz .  Both have a long-standing, often symbiotic, relationship with the Australian film industry, and both are as supportive as they are critical towards any new release film produced by our nation.  Like most others with an interest in quality adult cinema, it is with great pleasure that I tune into their weekly film review TV show, ‘ At The Movies ‘.  Mostly I agree with their opinions.  However, while discussing the 2008 Australian film, ‘ Ten Empty ‘, a bemused David pondered, “what audience the film is targeting?”  Margaret hummed in agreement.  This comment has been floating around in my head whenever I think about the state of the Australian film industry.

Having seen, and really enjoyed “ Ten Empty ”, I struggled to understand this somewhat dismissive remark from such highly influential reviewers.  The film is basically a winter version of the comparatively sun-tanned Australian production ‘ The Black Balloon ‘ (a film which was both critically and commercially well received).  Both films centre around the son in a disadvantaged family and his journey to find his position within the family. The films are thematically similar, though the tone is much bleaker and more realistic in ‘ Ten Empty ‘.  Both are very powerful films, and both are superb representations of Australian filmmakers exploring meaningful social realism.

What audience does it target?  My immediate reaction was “anyone and everyone”.  Whether or not you personally relate to the situations in the film, there is still a great deal of empathy one can gain through the shared experiences of others – on and/or off screen.  However, I understand where David and Margaret were coming from: both are well aware of the dire state of the general public’s attitude towards Australian films.  Over the last 10 years an average of just 4.3% of box office revenue in Australia has come from Australian films.  American films swallow up a greedy 82%.

Should this mean that we gear our movies towards a more US-centric audience?  Well, they would probably be more profitable (‘ The Black Balloon ‘ focused its marketing campaign around its tabloid magazine co-star, Gemma Ward ), but would they remain an honest and credible reflection of Australian culture and values? ( Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia ‘, for all its joy and heart, is still very much tailored to an American mythology of Australian life).

And since when does the notion of profitability act as any kind of barometer of the success or relevance of a film?  That in itself is an Imperialist American theology. Discussing his most recent film, 2007’s ‘ The Diving Bell & The Butterfly ‘, artist/director Julian Schnabel scoffed at the question of how profitable the film would be:  “I make money from selling my paintings, I don’t expect to make any money from my films, I make them because they are stories I want to tell”.  If one were to judge the success of  “ The Diving Bell & The Butterfly ” by how it affected people, then it wouldn’t be off the mark to label it as one of the most successful films ever made.  The film, based on the real-life story of a man with a severe disability conveying his memoirs to a nurse, was screened in hundreds of hospitals around Europe, inspiring patients who were uplifted by the brave and determined tale.

Filmmaking coming from this ethos – of giving rather than taking – is what makes cinema, as an art form, so wonderful.  “Film should act as a mirror to society, it should make people think”, declared Greek director Costa Gavros .  Australian cinema has a long, proud history of making good quality Australian stories.  Whilst the general public’s apathy towards our industry is an issue that needs to be addressed, I don’t think that compromising to cater for their current tastes is in any way helpful.

Finally, a quote from James Jupp (author of ‘From White Australia To Woomera, The Story Of Australian Immigration’), which I believe can be aptly applied to the future of the Australian film industry –  “I accept that politicians must work within limits set by public opinion.  But I do not accept that majority opinion is always right.  Changing public opinion is a necessary feature of democracy and, in this area, often essential”.

Article written by Ryan Nance.

Ryan’s passion for good adult cinema has really blossomed, and shows no sign of waning. Check out some of his other reviews right here .

We had a wonderful response to the Newcastle tickets giveaway & the winners are in. The winners are: –

M. Haertsch – Newcastle, NSW
C. Abouchar – Surry Hills, NSW
M. Hopkins – Berefield, NSW
M. Richa – Sydney, NSW
W. Zheng – Erskineville, NSW
K. Hatch – Melbourne, VIC
E. Bakkalis – Dingley Village, VIC
M. Charters – Glenelg, SA
T. Parker – Hervey Bay, QLD
M. Went – Canberra, ACT

Well done to you all & the tickets will be with you this week. Thank you to everyone that entered the competition.

The Sydney Underground Film Festival is dedicated to nurturing an alternative film culture through the promotion of independent and experimental films. The festival seeks to support filmmakers who operate outside established film industry infrastructures, by providing a platform for exhibition, exposure and critical discussion.

Founded in 2007 by filmmaking team Stefan Popescu and Katherine Berger and assisted by a dedicated team of volunteers, the Sydney Underground Film Festival achieved vast success in its first year with a sell out opening night and with weekend crowds of around 2000 guests. The 2008 festival takes place from 11th – 14th September at The Factory Theatre, Enmore.

Co-presented with the Melbourne International Film Festival, lashings of gratuitous sex, violence and fuel-injected muscle car mayhem – the 70s and 80s Aussie exploitation films that broke all the taboos. Co-curated by director Mark Hartley and inspired by his long awaited documentary Not Quite Hollywood, these legendary works smash their way back onto the big screen after prowling the filmic wilderness for decades.

ACMI is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image . From the wonders of more than a century of cinema, to television, computer games and the screen-based art of the future, ACMI is the place to find out everything about the moving image. The films run from Friday 25th July to Sunday 10th August 2008.

Two Flat Whites recently viewed a wonderful little Aussie flick titled ‘ All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane (2007)’ . Anthea (Charlotte Gregg) is in her early twenties, single, hates her job & all her friends are leaving Brisbane. Should she follow the herd to Sydney or London? Is there anything worth staying for now that her best friend Michael finally has a girlfriend? This film tells a universal story about finding your place and yourself.

The leading lady Charlotte Gregg, who plays Anthea does a fantastic job portraying a young woman who has grown up in a close nit neighbourhood. She has a great job & good friends, the issue for Anthea is that all her friends have moved on with there lives either travelling or by getting married & Anthea faces the realization that she needs to make some life decisions that will move her out of her comfort zone.

The leading guy Matt Zeremes, who plays Anthea’s best friend Michael, has been hanging on to the fact that he loves Anthea more than just a friend. Situations come to a head through a drunken encounter & Michael is the typical nice guy in the film.

The supporting cast was very good, including Tyson (Ryan Johnson), Michael’s best mate & underbelly star Gyton Grantley, who plays Anthea’s boyfriend. The movie was well written by Stephen Vagg & many young Australians will certainly be able to relate to this movie. Special mention must also go to Director Louise Alston who brought the best out of the young cast. Grab yourself a copy & watch the flick!

Movie reviewed by Liam Gibbs.

Get ready to strap yourselves in for a six day blast of exceptional animation from around the world in the 8th edition of the Melbourne International Animation Festival 2008!

This will be your only opportunity in Australia to see such a comprehensive line-up of current animated short films in competition and specially curated programs that highlight recent productions and absolute gems from the archive.

MIAF aims to challenge and inspire audiences with thematic, aesthetic and technical diversity from award winners, outstanding industry veterans and those wonderful newcomers who are exploring their talent on screen for the very first time. The festival runs from the 16th June to 22nd June 2008.

Two Flat Whites loves it’s Australian flicks & is proud to continue it’s support of the Australian Film Industry. Over the coming months, we plan to give you, our readers, insights & film reviews of some of our best flicks over the last 30 years. We have some of the worlds best actors, directors & film makers, so why not show them off!

We thought we would start with one of our favourites, a movie that was released in 2006 with some wonderful acting & an unusual story line. Kenny (2006), which outlines a simple, undeniable truth of mankind, one which crosses culture, political and religious belief & that is – everybody poos!

The film is about the day to day existence of those who deal with the mess we’re all compelled by nature to make. Kenny follows the Melbourne based port-a-loo installer in mock documentary style, as he goes about his business, or rather, his clients do.

Kenny endures the complications of summer plumbing at music festivals, the larrikinism of the drag racing, and the disrespect of those who think he is below the excretion of his customer base, with unshakeable good grace, a self-deprecating sense of humour, and an ockerism for every occasion. His world is complicated by his needy co-workers, evereyday family dramas, and a trip to a sanitation conference in the United States that opens his eyes to the potential for career progression, friendship and a new love.

Shane Jacobson stars as Kenny, the guy that cleans up the poo. He comes across as a warm & considerate guy, always trying to help out. Shane’s acting is first rate & his support cast of Clayton Jacobson & Eve von Bibra are also very good. The screenplay was constructed & movie directed by Clayton Jacobson.