Your Place – a new short film competition for regional filmmakers

AAR SKFF Richard SowadaThe City of Port Phillip, through the St Kilda Film Festival, has unveiled Your Place – a digital film competition aimed at encouraging filmmakers in regional Victoria to create short films about their experiences.

Your Place will form part of the 37th St Kilda Film Festival which, for the first time, audiences throughout Australia will be able to enjoy the festival when it screens free online from Friday 12 June to Saturday 20 June 2020.

The St Kilda Film Festival usually hits the road each year, taking award-winning short films to over 20 regional locations in Victoria, including Mallacoota, Queenscliff and Echuca. Given the government restrictions in place to minimise the spread of COVID-19, the tour is not possible this year, so Your Place was created.

“The St Kilda Film Festival won’t be able to visit regional locations in person this year – but we still wanted to maintain that connection,” said City of Port Phillip Mayor, Bernadene Voss. “Through Your Place we hope rural filmmakers will share their unique stories and creative insight into life outside the city.”

Regional filmmakers of all ages are encouraged to create, share and tell their own stories and to lead the online conversation using #YourPlace and #stkildafilmfestival. Films can be documentary, fiction, animation or experimental and no longer than 3 minutes including credits. Entries are now open and due before 29 May 2020. Competition entry is free!

Shortlisted films will be announced on Friday 5 June and available to watch at stkildafilmfestival.com.au as part of the St Kilda Film Festival program. The winning entries as judged by Festival Director Richard Sowada will share in $5000 cash prize and have the chance to win a state-of-art home editing studio. Winners will be announced on the Festival closing night.

The St Kilda Film Festival will also run free filmmaking webinars in the lead up to the festival specifically created for our regional audiences. Festival alumni and experienced filmmakers, including Grant Scicluna and Kelly Lefever, will provide support, direction and guidance regarding ways to tell your story.

“The imagination of regional filmmakers is legendary,” said Festival Director Richard Sowada. “Whether you have access to high-quality camera equipment or a TikTok account, whether Your Place involves the weird, wonderful or is destined for cult following, we want to hear from you.”

The 2020 St Kilda Film Festival will feature a number of curated sessions, plus Australia’s Top 100 Short Film competition. All films and programs will be available to watch FREE via the St Kilda Film Festival website from Friday 12 June until Saturday 20 June 2020. Content will only be accessible within Australia.

For more information about the Your Place Regional Competition, visit: www.stkildafilmfestival.com.au for details.

Image: Richard Sowada – courtesy of St Kilda Film Festival