Twelve student films from Griffith Film School will screen at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival this year.
The Neon King — a film exploring one explosive night between two best mates in 1970s regional Australia – will have its official premiere at the Festival, with students Cameron March (Director), Jordan Lynagh (writer/producer) and Danielle Redford (Producer) in France this week for the occasion.
The crew says they’re excited for the opportunity to see their work screened before a global audience.
“It’s always interesting seeing the responses you get from people whose backgrounds vary so much from your own, and with such an Australian story we’re looking forward to hearing the responses and seeing how our work is perceived,” Danielle says.
“Cannes is a fantastic learning environment and provides the opportunity to connect with people within the industry from all over the world.
“We’re looking to make new connections and form relationships which will continue to play a part in our future work,” she says.
Invaluable industry connections
Griffith is the only Australian film school invited to screen at the prestigious Festival and this trip marks the eighth year students have been offered the invaluable opportunity, says Professor Herman Van Eyken.
“It is the ideal opportunity for the next generation of filmmakers to make industry connections that may launch a coveted international career,” he says.
“We give students all the logistical support they need to attend — we send their films, we organize their artwork, provide all the supporting documentation and prepare them for the immersive environment.
“Being at Cannes is incredibly intensive, but that’s exactly why it works and can’t be replicated anywhere else.”
For The Neon King crew, following Cannes they will each continue to pursue their goals in film. Jordan and Danielle are working on a feature film with the goal of completion within the next two years, and Cameron is currently producing for Gold Coast-based production company, The Dreamers,who specialise in high end viral web videos and TVCs, while he looks to develop feature films over the next few years.
Danielle says studying the Bachelor of Film and Screen Media at Griffith Film School was a great opportunity to build a network over the course of the degree, which will now assist them to forgetheir careers.
“We had a great support network from our lecturers and fellow peers,” she says.
“They have also been extremely helpful in the lead up to Cannes, introducing us to veteran producers Trish Lake and Pam Collis who have been providing us with little nuggets of gold with their extensive experience and knowledge of the festival.”
Each film from Griffith 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. Screening will take place at11.30amon18 May. The 69th annual Cannes Film Festival runs from 11-22 May.
The full list of Griffith Film School students and their films set to screen this year include:
- THE NEON KING – Jordan Lynagh, Danielle Redford, Cameron March
- THE TOP SECRET FINDINGS OF ETHEL P CLEARWATER – Alleta Perrett, Maeve McKenna
- PAIN IN THE RICHSHAW – Myfanwy King
- SAMUEL OF THE SEA – Daniel Gibbs, Robert Corless
- THE HUNTER – Braden Trotter
- WHEELS ON THE BUS – Stephanie Liquorish, Joshua Long
- ISADORE – Brooke Paxton, Stafani Speerin
- ELLY – Lachlan Linton-Keane
- EMPATHY IS THE DEVIL – Carey Ryan
- SCRAPS – Elizabeth Witt
- JUHUA – Bridgette Perrers
- LITTLE KINGDOM – Rachel Liviero and Rachel Anderson
Learn more about The Neon King and the Griffith Film School.