by Greg Dolgopolov
It is not often that a festival director has the opportunity to write about their festival after it has finished. Most spruik their festival as part of the promotion in the lead up to make the event appear as enticing as possible. Or they produce a press release with a list of winners in various categories at the very end.
So, I will take this opportunity and assert that this year was phenomenal for the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in sunny Winton. For one, the festival, although rigorously Covid-safe, took place in the relative freedom of the 103 year old Royal Theatre under the wide open skies at the same time as the rest of Australia was quickly sliding into hard lockdown. It was, in terms of attendance and the number of films screened, the biggest audience in the festival’s eight years, helped no doubt by the travel limitations around the country and by a strong selection of recent Australian films.
Compared to previous years, 2021 was a breeze – strong attendances for most films, so much positivity from audiences and locals, a larger and improved screening venue in the Shire Hall to accommodate daytime screenings, but aside from a number of guests stuck in various lockdowns and unable to travel, reduced sponsorship for obvious reasons and a little John Jarratt drama when he reprised his Mick Taylor character on Closing Night, there were very few things that didn’t work out.
The Closing Night is always a sell-out, featuring the best short films for the year from around Australia and the second half of the program devoted to short films made in Winton during the festival featuring locals as actors. The Open winner was awarded to the cute and laconic animation Welcome to Winton by Julen Goñi.
The best student film made during the festival went to The Negotiation (directed by Agastya Yeturi) – an unexpectedly twisted black comedy thriller. The Audience Award was picked up by The Pause (directed by Jacquelynn Auger), a sophisticated romantic drama filmed in Winton prior to the festival and featuring stand out performances by locals.
In a festival featuring some 50 films both new and old, there will always be programming highlights and poor decisions – whether they be based on scheduling or just the wrong film for the prospective audience. But this year, the highlights definitely outweighed the head-buried-in-hand misses.
Surprisingly, The Man from Snowy River was one of the biggest sellers and produced the most satisfied audiences. In terms of programming, in some ways it was an obvious choice – Winton is the home of Waltzing Matilda (the poem was written and performed in the district more than 100 years ago and therefore there is a connection with Banjo Patterson. But on the other hand, it is a film that has been on TV nearly every year and readily available on DVD. And yet, it was amazing to see it on the big screen with big sound. A few excessive moments aside, the film stands up really well, especially seeing it with a big audience. It remains at once an uplifting and powerfully emotional experience that was a surprising hit of the festival.
A standout theme emerged across the festival, with a number of fresh docos featuring feisty and determined, brilliant women: Love Opera, Brazen Hussies, Wild Things, Girls Can’t Surf and the country music biopic about Australia’s Queen of honkytonk, I’m Wanita. Wanita and her musical partner, the enigmatic Archer, rocked into town and produced some of their most memorable musical performances late at night on the balcony of the North Gregory Hotel. Wanita is a delightful hot mess and a force to be reckoned – she fills any pauses with music or unfiltered commentary about the world and herself. She must be seen and heard live as she is a bundle of endless energy. She really expresses the genuine pain and suffering and heartache and the will to survive that is at the heart of country music. Brilliant film!
Similarly, Love Opera about Brisbane’s world-class Lisa Gasteen National Opera Program – a film that followed a bunch of hopefuls from their auditions and preparations and finally the performance of Carmen with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Directed by Liselle Mei and produced by Trish Lake (who were dynamic guests of the festival), this was a wonderful insight into the world of opera enjoyed by many who had very little familiarity with the form. There was a moment that highlighted the brilliantly memorable experience of a live festival event – during an incredible aria by one of the students who was struggling the most in the film – it had the entire full house audience weeping in unison. These are the festival moments that everyone remembers.
Trish Lake’s other film, Meet The Wallers was an extraordinary portrayal of a couple over twenty years as they struggle with big dreams, massive disappointments and raising a family while maintaining an art practice and integrity in trying to make the art work into a business. Fascinating stuff and for many viewers, a film that cut close to the bone.
Another musical highlight was the ‘Silent Night Extravaganza’ – featuring a selection of the Corrick Collection – these are remarkable, short magical films from Australia’s earliest movie making history (1905 – 1909) that have only just recently been resurrected by the National Film and Sound Archive. This was followed by a knockout improvised musical performance to Buster Keaton’s hilarious The Cameraman by the celebrated Ron West who we dragged out of retirement to the enormous pleasure of many of our audience who have heard him perform at the Majestic Theatre in Pomona since 1987. He performed original, improvised compositions much to the delight of the sold-out audience.
The big releases of the year were not surprisingly, well attended: The Dry, June Again, Peter Rabbit 2, Rams, Dirt Music and Penguin Bloom. In the past, I was wary of screening a big box office success some 9 months after its initial release but I have found that programming for this festival, it is those bigger films that have enjoyed positive publicity and good word of mouth that tend to do especially well in the country.
Sci-fi and horror are the least popular genres in Winton but that didn’t stop me from programming a couple examples of each genre. And to my mind the absolutely crazy, Bloody Hell was a standout – not really a horror film although it does feature violence, torture, blood and gore and some spectacular killings, it is very much a thriller and social commentary on small town life in Finland in the home of some not so friendly cannibals. Directed with great verve by Alister Grierson, it tells the story of a man with a military past who flees from the USA to escape his own personal hell – to unknowingly experience something even more sinister and hellish in a village in Finland. It is weird and delightfully twisted so try to find it because the audience were squealing with fear and delight.
In summarising the outcomes of the year, Festival Director Mark Melrose said “This year was again challenging due to Covid with fresh lockdowns causing planning changes in the lead up and during the festival. Combining this with the financial downturn due to sponsors not being in a position to sponsor the event because of last year’s Covid issues. However, despite these challenges, the festival achieved another record year with attendance up on 2020. It was great see the film students back in town again this year creating some amazing short films. It is always exciting having them in and around town involving the whole community, even a starring role from Mayor Gavin Baskett.”
The festival wouldn’t be what it is without Head of the Vision Splendid Film Institute and Griffith Film School lecturer, Ash Burgess, who oversees the three-week program of film projects, workshops and masterclasses that this year brought students from Griffith Film School, UNSW, Griffith Business School and the Queensland Conservatorium out to Winton to pitch, produce and present films made during the festival and to take part in a filmmaking bootcamp.
The clearly exhausted and yet exhilarated Ash Burgess said “we had a great turnout this year with new streams in business and screenwriting, but most exciting was the bootcamp alumni coming back to make a film in the lead up to the festival and then staying on to mentor the new cohort and take out the audience award. With over 100 people involved in the education program it was a great success for the festival and the Griffith Film School.”
The students really transform the small town of Winton with their boundless energy and need for quality cast, props and locations as they frantically scramble to transform their pitches to completed projects ready to present to the sold out audience on closing night and made on no budget over the course of one week. The standout feature this year of films made in Winton during the festival was the high quality of the performances by the local cast. Their natural, authentic and clear performances, often in complex situations and with difficult scripts, were noted by seasoned performer and one of the judges on Closing Night, John Jarratt.
Ash Burgess said the immersive experience in the Outback was a life changing experience for Griffith’s young filmmakers. “The students really make the most of it, and it’s often transformative for them,” he says. “There is an incredible energy that comes from being under the pump, and the students come back quite exhilarated. They realise what they are capable of, and their filmmaking takes off in leaps and bounds.”
So, hopefully this wrap-up incites some of you to consider coming out next year to the biggest outback and Australian-made film festival in world. The theme for 2021 is Beach to Bush and as always it will feature the best new Australian features and documentaries as well as some carefully selected films from the past that deserve new audiences, and some exciting new events and special programs that we will announce closer to the date, so book your trip now for 24 June to 2 July in sunny Winton.
For more about the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival, head to the website.
