Opening the 2009 Melbourne Underground Film Festival

Its Official! Into the Shadows will opening the 2009 Melbourne Underground Film Festival!

Here is how the organisers of the festival summed up the documentary. Hope to see you there.

Into the Shadows
dir. Andrew Scarano / AUS

For ten years MUFF has been championing independent and
underground filmmaking and highlighting the appalling state
of the Australian film industry. This year, we are proud to
screen Andrew Scarano and Phil Hignett’s feature documentary
(fresh from last year’s MUFF Academy), which follows these
exact issues with precision and integrity. The film tracks the
development of Australian film from its inception, through
the glory years of the 1970s to the travesty of today, and
emphasizes the need for a rebirth of independent cinema
and for new and revolutionary ways of screening films.

Featuring exclusive must-see interviews from Andrew Denton,
George Miller, Rolf De Heer, Scott Hicks, Bruce Beresford,
representatives from Disney, Sony, Madman and scores of
independent Aussie cinemas and festivals, and many many
more (including MUFF’s own Richard Wolstencroft!) as well
as amazing footage of landmark events such as the closure
of independent cinema Electric Shadows in 2006. You won’t
believe how much you’ll learn from this film. It’ll open your
eyes, move you, enrage you, and force you into action. Into
the Shadows is not only a fantastic film, it’s an important one
- for anyone who identifies with MUFF’s ideology, who despairs
at the state of our nation’s film industry, who laments the
dominance of the multiplex over the independent theatre, and
asks – why? And more to the point – what can we do about it?
Q&A with filmmakers to follow.

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!

Last plane to Melbourne

It's 5am and I am about to head out to the airport for what will hopefully be our last plane trip to Melbourne (time for a morning coffee).

We have 5 interviews planned with some great Australian directors, an actor and a past exhibitor and all round film buff.

If all goes to plan we will be back in Canberra on Wednesday night with plenty to blog about. So until then, stay safe and have a great week!

-Andrew.

Highlights so far...

What a whirlwind tour. Interviews, running out of money, changing schedule, the red carpet of the AFI’s! It’s been hard going but great all the same. We have some really good interviews on tape and great colour from the AFI’s.

Highlights of this week included an encouraging chat with Robert Connolly, great discussion with Dee McLachlan and Andrea Buck from The Jammed and interviewing George Miller on the red carpet at the AFI’s.

On to Melbourne

Ah the ole City Limits. It’s a little hotel tucked away on Little Burke street, but its got all the right comforts, nice staff, brekky in the fridge and cheap internet– great for any indie filmmaker looking for a place in Melbourne.

Adelaide is down, Melbourne and Sydney to go. Spoke with a taxi diver this morning about the upcoming Indian tour of Australia. Meeting with Paul Wiegard from Madman today followed by Robert Connolly, Richard Wolesncroft and Antony Ginnane tomorrow.

Who are we interviewing?

Two big interviews today and they went really well. Talked with Didier Elzinger from Rising Sun Pictures about the VFX industry and the way he believes Australian filmmakers and VFX artists could evolve in Australia. In the afternoon we had a lengthy discussion with Murali, director of 2:37. He shared some insightful thoughts about the way forward for young filmmakers in Australia and how we can be making cinema people want to see.

Tonight I am watching Alexandra’s Project, ahead of an interview with Rolf De Heer tomorrow. Then in the evening we will interview Richard Harris, which rounds out our time in SA.

It’s been worthwhile; hopefully we can muster two good interviews tomorrow and head to Melbourne with our heads up. Phil is tired and hungry, my stomach is growling...time for some takeaway.

Organising trips away

Andrew has half a day off work today so we are working together trying to organise trips away to Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane. Tough to do with only a few weeks before Christmas, so we'll see how we go.