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Young Chicks Make Digital Flicks
Young filmmakers are coming together to share their dreams and aspirations at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.
‘CHICK FLICKS' is a digital storytelling initiative for young women in Western Sydney. There will be 14 mini films produced by young women from the Hawkesbury region telling stories on what they treasure, love and hope for, and screened at a gala event, and through an ongoing exhibition.
Emily Kemp, a 16-year-old participant in CHICK FLICKS, says she made a film that was based on her passion for music and performing called With Every Bar.
"I have always had an interest in filmmaking and it was great to create a digital story about my interests," she said. "I think digital filmmaking is a brilliant way to collect memories and journal special parts of your life. I also love photos so was thrilled to learn about photo editing and I am now thinking about studying in that area.
"I am a little nervous but also excited to share my finished film with my friends and family at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery," Emily added.
Young women aged 11 to 25 from the Hawkesbury area participated in CHICK FLICKS. Two five-day workshops ran during the school holidays in 2009. The first workshop was part of the Women's Cottage Young Women's Mentoring Program. The second workshop was funded by Artstart.
The workshops introduced skills in new media to allow participants to create their very own digital story. The aim of the workshops was to ignite interest and to encourage young women to learn and expand their multimedia skills.
The skills that were introduced included digital photography, film editing, sound recording and scriptwriting.
Maylei Hunt, Project Co-ordinator, from the Information and Culture Exchange says the CHICK FLICKS program offers a fantastic opportunity for young women to learn new skills in the growing multimedia industry. "We have seen growing interest and identified a need for new media workshops in this region," she said.
Globally, digital stories, also called mini films, are quickly becoming the format for relaying experiences and ideas.
Ms. Hunt also says that by developing multimedia skills and harnessing their creative ability, young people can create powerful stories in a medium that appeals to the youth of today.
"With the increasing popularity of websites such as YouTube, these workshops provide participants with the latest communication skills," said Hunt. "The CHICK FLICKS launch event presents a great opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the diversity and achievements of young women in Western Sydney."
The event will be officially launched by Hawkesbury Mayor Bart Bassett and will begin with a screening of the 14 mini films about young women, by young women.
Aspiring filmmakers, film lovers and culture vultures are invited to the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Deerubbin Centre, 300 George Street, Windsor. It's free and there's refreshments. The launch is on Saturday November 14 from 1pm until 2:30pm and everyone is invited. You will need to book though, so RSVP to Ice on 02 9897 5744 or email. Following the launch, the CHICK FLICKS mini films will be exhibited at the Gallery and online until December 6, 2009.
Picture caption: A still from Emily Kemp's film With Every Bar.