The story of two rival painters and one great big white city has captured the attention of Australia’s leading and most respected competitive short film festival.

Barbouillageville, by Griffith Film School graduates Declan Byrne and Connor Johnston will screen at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival (10-19 January) in the Flicker Kids program.

Flickerfest is the only Academy accredited festival in the country and is renowned for its status as an Oscar-qualifying event. Barbouillageville’s entry marks the first time a graduate film from Griffith University will be screened at the festival.

The duo describe the scene, set in a serene European town of all white, with two painters — one blue, one yellow — who find themselves in a bitter but comical battle that grows rapidly out of hand, from paint brushes and spray cans to pirate ships and dragons!

Declan says the story idea came out of a “casual conversation” between the two in their final year of study. It was an idea that eventually grew into the story that has now been screened all over the world – even to audiences at the prestigious Cannes Short Film Corner earlier this year.

Declan graduated in 2012 and now works as an animator at Brisbane design and digital studio Bigfish, while Connor has just completed his honours year at the Griffith Film School.

Watch the short film here: http://vimeo.com/75545293.

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