Young Australian filmmakers will be out in force at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, after 10 student productions from the Griffith Film School were selected for screening in the Short Film Corner.
Each film will be screened in the Cannes Court Metrage; an initiative within the festival designed to encourage emerging talent, featuring more than 2,000 registered films from more than 90 countries worldwide.
This Festival marks the fifth year that Griffith Film School has been invited to participate and according to Professor Herman Van Eyken, it is the opportunity for the next generation of filmmakers to make industry connections that may launch a coveted international career.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be in Cannes, surrounded by the world’s best in the industry — it’s an experience every young filmmaker aspires to,” he says.
“The quality of this year’s student films is such that they deserve to be shown on the world stage and I believe they will actively reveal the depth of talent coming out of Australia.”
The Griffith Film School delegation is being led by one of Australia’s leading producers Trish Lake, who is mentoring the 15 students through their Cannes journey.
Under her guidance, the students are meeting with leaders in the industry from the likes of Fox Searchlight (US); Hanway Films, Acme Films, Bankside Films and Protagonist Pictures (UK); Greiner Films Boutique and Global Screen (Germany); and Greenlight Productions (Finland).
“A host of other events, meetings and workshops are also scheduled throughout the Festival along with the screenings to ensure the students benefit to the fullest extent from this amazing experience,” he says.
“The ambition and initiative shown by these young filmmakers is something that will put them in good stead as they look to forge their professional lives after graduation.
“At this time in their lives, it will be a fantastic learning experience to see their work on screen during one of the world’s most celebrated festivals and speak first hand with the people who lead the industry worldwide.”
Master of Screen Production candidate Amanda Dettrick, who touched down in France with the delegation last week to promote her film Die Violine, has already attended the premiere of Mr Turner and the “uber-glam” opening night of Grace of Monaco.
“I’ve been so lucky already to have met with distributors and sales agents and to have attended a co-production workshop for the French Film commission,” she says.
“They are incredibly well set up and it’s been really encouraging to see how supportive they are of us newbies — it’s such a positive experience.”
The student films selected for this year’s Cannes Court Metrage include undergraduate and postgraduate work from animation and live action, as follows:
- Home
- Jackrabbit
- The F-Word
- One Step Ahead
- Sailboats
- Ouroboros
- Die Violine
- The Skin Factory
- Monument
- Squats
View the trailers here and/or register to attend the Brisbane screening of the films.
To meet entry criteria, this will be the first time each of the 10 films has been presented internationally.
The films will be screened on Thursday 22 May, 1.30pm on the Palais F.
The 67th Cannes Film Festival runs from 14 — 25 May.
Griffith Film School is the largest film school in the country by enrolment and has strong industry ties both throughout Australia and internationally.
Media Contact: Lauren Marino, 0418 799 544, [email protected]