Australian Shorts
MONDAY 26 APRIL | 6:30PM
ACMI CINEMA 2
FEATURING A FILMMAKER PANEL AFTER THE FILMS
Total runtime: 60 minutes
Screening location: ACMI Cinema 2, Federation Square, Melbourne | Plan your visit to ACMI **Please enter through the Fed Square entrance
TWO SANDS
Poppy van Oorde-Grainger / Australia / 2020 / English / 7 / Narrative / Aus Prem
As Garang struggles on his first day at high school in Australia, memories of being lost in South Sudan are triggered. When past and present collide, Garang must find a way to bridge the gap between where he is and where he's come from.
CHICKEN
Alana Hicks / Australia / 2019 / English / 10 / Narrative
All Barbara wants to do is watch The Simpsons, but her recently migrated mum has just been overcharged at the local shops, and it’s up to Barbara to sort it out. As usual.
Ngumpin Kartiya
Ben McFadyen / Australia / 2020 / English / 18 / Documentary
Produced by the Gurindji Aboriginal Corporation, this film tells untold stories of the Wave Hill Walk-off and the Gurindji people while also revealing the true significance of the iconic song From Little Things, Big Things Grow.
A RARE BREED
Thomas José Field / Australia / 2019 / English / 11 / Documentary
Rob is a world-renowned chicken breeder from Tasmania who has travelled all over the world to exhibit his chickens, as well as his own body…
THE INCLUSIVE FILMMAKER
Sophie Hawkshaw, Genevieve Kaiser / Australia / 2019 / English / 5 / Animation
Through stop motion animation, three creatives share their experiences in living with a disability in the Australian film industry.
SAVE OUR SOUL
Chloë Beckley / Australia / 2020 / English / 7 / Documentary / Australian Premiere
Follow the sacrifices and triumphs of June, an elderly activist desperately trying to save the Great Barrier Reef.
PANEL DISCUSSION
THOMAS FIELD
Thomas José Field is a 29 year old filmmaker from Launceston. After years of working odd jobs and bludging in Melbourne, Thomas went home and studied a Diploma of Screen in 2017 at TasTAFE. He began to work as a runner on TV productions filming in Tasmania at the time, which is where Thomas met Rob Wilson: the subject and hero of A Rare Breed. Thomas is currently based in Melbourne and works freelance as a producer/camera operator/whatever in TV, or makes things independently with Red Wombat Productions. Thomas loves watching documentary films and is particularly interested in unheralded stories.
AUDREY O’CONNOR
Hello, my name is Audrey O’Connor and I am a young adult who is an Actress, Filmmaker, Writer and Advocate. I also have Down Syndrome. This has never stopped me from doing what I love. Since 2007, I have played the lead in many short films and in 2019 I had a featured role in my first Feature Film, Kairos.
I discovered a passion for film when I was cast as the lead in my first short film, ‘Yolk’ when I was 15yrs old. It was a terrible time in my life as I was being bullied on a daily basis and for three weeks, I was transported to the wonderful world of make-believe where any dream could come true.
I have been fortunate to be a student with Bus Stop Films since it began in 2010 and I have been learning about film making ever since. I have had some wonderful experiences with BSF including acting, camera and editing.
I also received an internship with Giant Dwarf to work on their series ‘The Letdown. I recently started another internship at AFTRS in the Art Department.
I am currently writing my own stage play called ‘The Ordinary Girl’ about my experience of having a disability and going to a mainstream school, so look out for it! I am being mentored in Stage Production to make my story a reality.
I am an advocate for people like me who have an intellectual disability and all people with a disability. We need to be seen and heard. I have been a part of several Government Campaigns including Don’t DisMyAbility 2011.
PETER GAK
Peter Gak is the CEO of the South Sudanese Australian Traditional Wrestling Association. He is a respected community leader who regularly organises interstate traditional wrestling tornaments and advocates for the South Sudanese community in Melbourne.
Chloë Beckley
Chloë Beckley is a young, motivated documentary producer and director and travel and sustainability writer. Inspired by real people and the world around her, she aims to create beautiful, intimate, character driven works connecting people to each other and to the environment in the hopes of making a social change.
Chloë graduated 'The Australian Film, Television and Radio School' (AFTRS) in 2020. Her most recent credits include short environmental documentaries ‘Save our Soul’ and ‘Operation Straw’ which received acknowledgement from World Economic Forum, Global Citizen and SBS. Chloë is currently living on the road as she explores Australia, always searching for the next story and being open to any opportunity that comes her way.
Tracey Corbin-Matchett
Tracey Corbin-Matchett has a passion for diversity, inclusion and connecting people. Having worked with many state and federal government agencies in policy, stakeholder relations and communications roles for over 25 years, her career has crossed many sectors including social housing, women’s domestic violence services, small business education and the screen industry.
Tracey moved into her “dream job” in July 2019 as CEO of Bus Stop Films, the award-winning organisation which has pioneered #inclusivefilmmaking for over 11 years, using filmmaking and the film industry to raise the profile of people living with disability on both sides of the camera. At Bus Stop she has led the organisation's expansion into Wollongong, Parramatta, Canberra and Brisbane, via partnerships with leading film organisations, as well the development of their Inclusion in Action training program, resulting in a number of long term employment opportunities for students.
Previously she worked at Screen NSW leading strategies including She Shoots and Screenablity, focusing on gender equity and disability employment in the screen industry. Prior to that she was the State Manager of the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Program with NSW Legal Aid and won the Elle Magazine Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Award for her work in community development in social housing.
Tracey has bi-lateral sensorineural hearing loss and is also a Director of Deaf Sports Australia.
Vyshnavee Wijekumar (MODERATOR)
Vyshnavee Wijekumar is a marketing professional and writer. She currently works at Footscray Community Arts Centre and is also on the board of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Through her work, she is passionate about platforming voices and communities that are underrepresented in the mainstream.