15/15 Film Festival - Friday 30th October @ 7pm

Just before midnight on a cold night in July, three filmmakers from Warrnambool came together to celebrate having each made a film in the preceding fifteen hours. James Russell, Sidney Sprague and Colleen Hughson joined 168 filmmakers from six countries across the globe completed a task set that morning: to create an entire short film in 15 hours from scratch. Their films will all be shown as part of the ninth annual 15/15 International Film Festival this Friday in Port Fairy.



Participants in the 15/15 Film Festival were challenged to make a short film of no longer than 15 minutes within 15 hours on July 18, 2009, using the prompt of an object and quote revealed on the filming day. The screening will feature local films as well as those nominated for awards.

Festival Director Amadeo Marquez Perez says the screening is a chance to see exciting films from across the globe.

"We have some amazing local and international talent on show this year," said Amadeo. "The audience is always blown away by what people can do in 15 hours, and, we’re going to see some really great work."

After beginning as a regional event, the 15/15 Film Festival has been running successfully for eight years and grown to cover all corners of the globe, with entries from diverse places such as Spain, France, UK, Malaysia, Thailand and Puerto Rico.

The festival is not for profit and provides emerging and independent filmmakers from around the world with the opportunity to have their work screened internationally as well as in their home town.

"It means that if you make a film in Warrnambool, we come and screen your film and others in Warrnambool - this allows emerging filmmakers to have a dialogue about their work and compare it to films from around Australia and the world," said Amadeo.

Port Fairy Film Society President Damien Becker, who helped out on Colleen Hughson's production 'Fred's Big Adventure', said being part of such an event both was unique and thrilling.

"This is speed filmmaking," he said. "It gets back to the basics of cinema, which is how to tell a good story simply and effectively on screen."

"There was no time to procrastinate, just get the right shot then and there and move on. Colleen had a clear vision of what she wanted and this allowed her natural talents to show through."

Five dollar entry at the door. More Info at http://www.filmfestival15.com/

Stats:
590 Filmmakers involved: 6800 Final films: 168
2009 15/15 Object: Balloon
2009 15/15 Quote: The most important thing is to be happy
2009 Countries participating: 6 (France, Spain, Australia, Netherlands, Puerto Rico and UK)

Summer Hours - Friday October 16th, 7.30pm

Port Fairy Film Society invites you to share in the delights of a summer table in provincial France this week with Olivier Assayas' Summer Hours.

Helene has a house full of family treasures and little time left to enjoy them. She asks her son Frederic to make sure they are preserved after her death. Once she's gone, however, Frederic must convince his sceptical brother and sister that memories are worth honouring.

With each revelation, the children and grandchildren gain an unfolding sense of a woman - and their own family's - true story. Juliette Binoche continues her dazzling career with another terrific performance as Helen's self-absorbed daughter Adrienne, while Isabelle Sadoyan plays to the film's heart as the elderly housekeeper.

The film was co-sponsored by the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and Assayas renders the aesthetic quality of these beautiful objects by making them, in a sense, co-stars of the film. More than beauty, however, this film is about loss, the preservation of stories and of the peculiar dynamic of a successful, lonely family.

"It's a rich, ambitous piece of work...this is a mature film by an accomplished director," wrote Paul Byrnes of the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Maybe this beautiful film will be too slight for many but it's certainly one of the better French films of the last year... fours stars," David Stratton said.

Summer Hours screens this Friday 16th October at 7.30pm after the Port Fairy Film Society Annual General Meeting at Reardon Theatre in Bank Street. Memberships available at the door with free tea and coffee provided.