FilmINK Awards

Its FilmINK awards time!

So if Into the Shadows, frustrated you, fired you up or just made you think about film at large then go to this link and place a vote! Thanks!!

SPAA FRINGE: Friday, Day 2

After an OKish sleep on the couch, a hurried shower and hot cappuccino from the POINT Cafe on Broadway I was in a taxi again and off to Paddington Town hall.

I was marginally late but it meant I got a free run at the bar and headed into the opening session with a bottle of water and Banana bread (not a bad breaky on the run?). Peter Broderick opened Spaa Fringe by handing the microphone over to the crowd and asking for people to stand up and offer their skills up to other producers in the room. Last year I stood up and asked for anyone with a story about indie cinemas to come chat to me and as the speakers behind the microphone went from offering up skills, to asking for collaborators to introducing oneself, I thought I mise well get up and plug the doco. I tried to slant the website as a space where people could 'continue the conversation of Spaa Fringe' but that has not happened as yet? Anyone? Feel free to be write inspired words on the blog.

I stayed for Peter's session on Hybrid Distribution and could hear his interview playing over in my head. Cathy Henkel from The Burning Season provided a great example of how an Aussie can use the power of the net and Hybrid Distribution to great effect. The Burning Season looks like a powerful film and I hope it helps to promote the cause of the Orangutan and the survival of Rain forests globally.

Afterwards I bumped into Andy K 'the intern from Melbourne' and we got a bite to eat from a nice cafe on Oxford Street. The weather had changed! And now we were enjoying a chance for fresh air in the warm Sydney sun.

Then came the surprise session of the day: Melanie Coombs talking about making Mary and Max. I'll write about this in detail later. After that session Andy and I went down to the Fringe bar and got an early start on drinks. Shortly after other Spaa Fringe attendees turned up and we had some fun networking before going our separate ways.

MUFF 2008 DEBUT

On Saturday, at 5pm at the Noise Bar I delivered the first public presentation on Into the Shadows. As part of Melbourne Underground Film Festival I was asked to give a talk about Into the Shadows as a work-in-progress documentary.

It was small but intimate crowd who listened on and I would like to give a big shout out to:

Rachael Lucas, director of Bondi Tsunami, who turned up in support. James Olof Collins and Christian Doran (friends from Canberra) who now live in Melbourne and suprised me by showing up to have a listen. And big thank you to Claude and Marina who were holidaying in Melbourne and came and filmed me giving my speech.

The people after the talk were really impressed with the sneak preview I gave them and were all keen to ask questions and want to see the film when it is finished.

So one small step for me, one giant leap for Into the Shadows.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support, it has given me a renewed energy to surge on and finish the film.

Cheers,
Andrew.

Intern Journal

Hello, its Andy (the intern) here.

I decided to take a journey up from Melbourne to see what this film was about. The subject matter was the thing that drew me here. If no one is watching Australian films, and I want to make films in the future, what's the point if no one will be watching them? So this documentary had me interested from the start and I've tried to help Andrew and Phil tell this story over the past two weeks.

Since I arrived, the film has gone through a phase of intense editing into a rough cut which is almost complete. There have been many long nights. Copious amounts of red bull have been drunk, much to the dismay of Phil's dentist and many of Andrew's so called 'concept' maps drawn leaving the white board completely coloured in and me more confused. Quite a few road maps constructed also, so I don't get lost around Canberra. However, much progress has been made! Hopefully in a couple of days there will be a rough cut done and ready for a private screening and feedback from a select few. From there its a matter of overlaying the basic structure, with additional footage which we are gathering from the archive and with animations from Owen, as the film comes to life.

It is an exciting time and what I've observed is a new found motivation from the guys as the film starts taking shape and coming to fruition. Hopefully by the end of the month a fine cut will be complete and the movie will shake up an industry which is waiting to be rejuvenated.

Watch this space!

Into the Documentary Australia approved list

I know Andrew blogged about this before, but now Into the Shadows is actually on the list!

Click here for more information about the approved list and the awesome Documentary Australia Foundation website.

Foundation Approved

All our time filling in forms and writing up applications has not been an entire waste!

Into the Shadows has been approved by the Documentary Australia Foundation to be a documentary deemed worthy of philanthropic support. Phil and I have issued the Foundation with a production still and synopsis, which will be added to their website shortly. In time Into the Shadows will appear on the Foundation's website 'Approved List' for all to view.

So, if you or someone you know, would like to donate to the production or post production costs of Into the Shadows you can, knowing that you are supporting an offical, charitable production. This also means you can now recieve tax breaks from your donation to the making of the film.

Support the making of Into the Shadows and share in the creation of the film that will raise the awareness, of the need for a fresh, dynamic, vibrant Australian cinema culture.

-Andrew.

AIDC End

So much for posting an entry every day of the AIDC. I guess that's what you get for not having wireless abilities on your mac.

It's all about meeting people at these conferences. Andrew and I met a lot of people. And I mean, a lot! The common questions of course were what are you doing here and what is your project about? Personally I liked to talk about anything but my project. It wasn't because I dont like my project or ashamed or anything like that. In fact, quite the opposite. I am so proud and happy with our project that I didn't want to sound conceited.

I talked about my project when I had to, and I discussed it with enthusiasm when I did. Overall, the other delgates were very positive with their feedback. Some great interest from filmmakers, distributors, local broadcasters and surprisingly, international braodcasters.

Even though Into the Shadows is a very local story, the international correlations are obvious. Especially when in Into the Shadows, we turn around and look outward to see how other countries dealt, deal, and are dealing with the same or similar struggles and challenges our own filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors and government funding bodies etcetera are dealing with in our story.

They seemed to like the Australian focus and felt it could be used as an education of the industry for their industry.