Griffiths wins emerging filmmaker award

Grace Griffith won the prestigious North Bellarine Film Festival’s Emerging Filmmaker award earlier this month.

Griffith, who is a Swinburne University Film and Television graduate, claimed the award for her short-film ‘Fallen’.

Fallen is a period drama based on the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin in France during the first World War.

Griffith, 24, directed and produced the film and co-wrote the script with Ella Keys. The film has won two other awards in the United States and Canada this year.

The award attracted 66 submissions with applicants needing to be, or previously have, a Victorian resident and 25 years old or younger. Selection panel chair Bill Lussier was impressed with the quality of films.

“The quality of the films submitted for consideration was fantastic,” he said.

“It’s great to see such a high level of talent and dedication in the next generation of filmmakers. The festival is committed to presenting this award into the future and will open the next submission period in April 2021.”

Griffiths, based in Traralgon, accepted the award with a pre-recorded video message at the online event.

Pearl Wilson, part of the North Bellarine Film Festival team, said the festival ran very well in its first-ever virtual instalment.

There was plenty of work put in prior to the event and she said the team was stoked to receive positive feedback.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Ms Wilson said.

“It wasn’t the same as having it in the theatre… it was very unknown waters, but all-in-all it was really good.

“We’ve had a good response from filmmakers and people who saw it on social media.”

Ms Wilson confirmed the event would go ahead next year, set to be held on November 12-14, with submissions for the Emerging Filmmaker Award to open in April.