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Mixed Bag of Film
In the lead up to the Australian Film Festival, Filmink caught up with two of the filmmakers whose movies are being screened at the fest.
According to Programming Director Peter Castaldi, one of the aims behind the inaugural Australian Film Festival was to expose audiences to Australian films they may not have heard about or did not know existed.
Indeed, if one looks at this year's line-up, which includes hard-hitting gritty pictures, romantic comedies and genre pieces, you may be surprised to learn that they are all Australian films.
We recently caught up with two of the filmmakers behind two very different films set to screen at the festival.
Megan Doneman's documentary Yes Madam, Sir tells the ‘David and Goliath' story of Kiran Bedi, India's first female police officer and a revolutionary figure who has defied the odds to affect change in a centuries old world.
Doneman (pictured) was first inspired to create a film about this woman after watching her on a TV interview and realising that she would make a fascinating film subject. "So then I just started emailing her and basically when I had a break between films, I pretty much just went to the airport, bought a camera, read the manual on the plane and flew into Bombay... took the overnight train to Delhi and arrived on Kiran's doorstep with not much except my camera."
Previously working as an editor's assistant on major films, this documentary marked Donemon's first foray into directing a feature film. Shot over six years, it was definitely a challenging first film to make. "I had so many obstacles over there being a one person crew, so it was not fun. But the observational aspect for me of being in her company and the kind of experience and adventure I had doing it was just priceless."
Another film, of a different genre, set to screen at the festival is the romantic comedy Girl Clock directed by Jennifer Ussi. Largely drawn from her own life experiences, Ussi describes the film as a ‘coming-of-middle-age-comedy.' "It's about what happens when you hit forty and the whole world goes pear-shaped and just how you deal with it. And so many weird things happen and you have to laugh at it," she explains.
Like Doneman, this was also Ussi's debut as a feature film director and she encountered numerous obstacles. "We shot with $200,000, so of course, everything was a challenge but everyone believed so much in the script that people worked extraordinary hours and never complained. There was a great spirit on set," Ussi says.
Both Doneman and Ussi are excited to be involved in the first Australian Film Festival. Doneman, who took Yes Madam, Sir on the Festival circuit last year, to critical acclaim, said she had not intended to enter the film into any more festivals but made an exception. "This festival sounds really amazing and supportive of Australian film and that is so essential in this economic climate and in the climate of the film industry. It's so important to support Australian films and nurture them," Doneman says.
Yes Madam, Sir will be screening at the Australian Film Festival on February 27 and Girl Clock will be screening on March 1. For more information and the full line-up, head to the website here.