St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) launched with a bang last night at the Palais Theatre, kicking off a diverse range of short films, premieres, special events, panels and workshops from talented filmmakers and special guests from across Australia. SKFF runs until 12 June and highlights of the first few days include:
The ever-popular FREE Filmmaker Development Day: The Big Picture on Saturday 3 June will continue to help budding creatives hone their craft at JMC Academy’s Park Street Campus. Participants can upskill with a unique series of hands-on workshops, forums, panels, exhibitions, screenings and Q&As on a diverse range of filmmaking topics with some of Australia’s top emerging and established film talents.
This year’s festival features an array of special events and screenings. Delivering refreshing humour, the Australian Comedy Showcase is stacked with exciting and original comedy shorts (Friday 2 June, The Astor Theatre):
Opposites Day (Director Elliot Clifford) tells the story of a runaway bride asking her lifelong friend a question they’ve both been afraid to answer for years.
Flappy (Director Darcy Conlan) follows the story of a thief being stalked by a car yard mascot after stealing one of its vehicles.
The Australian Documentary Showcase is the program’s favourite as it explores extraordinary real life events that are both mind-blowing and educational (Sunday 4 June, The Astor Theatre):
Requiem (Director Rowena Potts) takes an imaginative approach to showcase the last remaining astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) bidding farewell to their vessel before it is deorbited and crashed into the remote Pacific Ocean (an event scheduled to take place by the end of 2030).
Declutter (Jackson Hayat) tells the story of tenants trying to search for their callings while battling with their own mental health.
Approaching horror with creativity, Dark Matters is one of the program’s most popular showcases, (Friday 2 June, The Astor Theatre):
Prepared to be terrified with Street No. 4 (Director Lark Lee), a story of a pregnant woman determined to prove to her partner that their new eucalyptus house is perfect for their family, only to discover that there’s more to the house than what was advertised.
Our Haunt (Director Daniel Ashley Reisinger) follows a young couple who are forced to confront their new home’s haunting past, and the stakes are the highest imaginable: the life of their infant child.
The International Family Animation Explosion #1 showcase is rich in creativity and imagination, designed to delight children and captivate adults (Sunday 4 June, The Astor Theatre):
The colourful, short animation, Hi (Director Ling Ling Xu) explores the many different ways and reasons to smile and say “Hi”.
Andy, A Dog’s Tale (Director James Wheless) follows the journey of a puppy attempting to overcome a series of obstacles to find his purpose in life.
Brave New Worlds: Australian Cinematic Visions – Part 1 is a screening that celebrates the creative and imaginative narratives, promising to inspire future cinematic works (Sunday 4 June, The Astor Theatre).
Echoes of Darkness (Director Jonathon Le Grice) is inspired by the five stages of grief, centring on an ageing man haunted by memories from his youth, and the resulting emotions that he has grappled with throughout his life in journeying to a place of reconciliation and acceptance.
Body Rhapsody (Director Yangming Liu) visually depicts women’s pleasure and the beauty of the female body.
CLIPPEDKilda: Cinematography in Music Videos showcases new Australian music videos, encompassing a range of cinematographic styles and forms from various talented cinematographers (Monday 5 June, The Backlot Films).
SKFF is Australia’s longest-running short film festival, recognising the genre of short film, including music videos, gaming and immersive forms, celebrating some of Australia’s best local short filmmakers and screen artists.
Now in its 39th year, the St Kilda Film Festival (SKFF) continues to Monday 12 June 2023. For more information, full program and bookings, visit: www.stkildafilmfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Palais Theatre, St Kilda – photo by Rohan Shearn