Young filmmakers find the spotlight

THIS February young Victorian filmmakers will be given a space to share their talent at the North Bellarine Film Festival (NBFF).
The annual film festival will be held Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26 at the Potato Shed Theatre in Drysdale, after being postponed twice due to COVID-19.

This year the festival’s focus will be an award ceremony on the Saturday evening where the festival will present a jury-selected award to recognise Victorian filmmakers under the age of 25.

The Emerging Filmmaker Award seeks to reward young Victorian filmmakers who demonstrate excellence, talent and commitment to their craft, with the wining film and runner-up films to be screened from 7.30pm, doors opening at 6.30pm.

Festival chair Bill Lussier said the decision to this year screen runner-up films as well as the winning film reflects the strong focus of the festival on celebrating young Victorian filmmakers.

“The award ceremony on the Saturday evening of the festival will be a celebration of some of Victoria’s best young filmmakers,” Mr Lussier said.

“The award was established in 2019 to recognise Victorian filmmaker 25 years of age or younger and has identified some terrific filmmaking talent since its inception.”

Mr Lussier said the decision was made this year to screen runner-up films as well as the winning film.

“What we’re trying to do is recognise these young people and put their work out there in the public arena,” Mr Lussier said.

“It recognises these young film makers, even if they don’t win the award, and it recognises their work. It puts it our there as a really good piece of work by a really good quality filmmaker. So we’re hoping really that it gives people confidence to keep going.”

Mr Lussier said since its inception in 2019 The Emerging Filmmaker Award has provided a way to recognise and celebrate young talent and encourage the arts.

He said the film festival provides high quality cinema to regional residents and visitors alike and has become an important part of the area’s arts and culture scene in the Bellarine since it began in 2017.

The festival will kick off at 7:30pm on February 25 with a screening of the feature film The Lobster, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman, with doors opening at 6.30pm.

On the Saturday, February 26 festivities will continue with two sessions of Australian and International short films beginning at 1pm, doors open from 12.30pm.

Tickets can be purchased at the Potato Shed ticket office, at City of Greater Geelong Customer Service
Centres, by telephone at 03 5251 1998 or online at https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/potatoshed/events/default.aspx.
To find out more head to www.northbellarinefilmfestival.org.