Industry announcements

Film Victoria's New Feature Writers' Scheme workshop success

Film Victoria held a three-day New Feature Writers workshop in December for six Victorian writer projects selected from nearly one hundred applicants. At the workshop, each participant attended two half-day one-on-one sessions with script advisors Clare Dobbin, Michael Brindley and Fiona Eagger. Victorian writers Sue Brooks, Kris Mrksa and Robert Sutherland also gave valuable lectures to the candidates.

Following the workshop the candidates submitted revised plans for the further development of their projects to Film Victoria and Film Victoria has subsequently provided Script Development investment to Rhys Graham (GALORE), Carolann Castagna (FRACTURED SPACE), and Nova Weetman (AMATEUR PSYCHOLOGY) to develop their scripts to the next draft with the assistance of an experienced script editor.

Writers David Norris, Marion Lee, and David Littlewood and Anthony Catrice will receive a further session with a professional script advisor. We look forward to the future success of their projects and thank all those who participated in the workshop. Film Victoria introduced its New Writers Scheme in 1991 and writer/director Matthew Saville (ROY HOLLSDOTTER LIVE) was one of it's first recipients. In the latest edition of AWG's Storyline, Matthew commented, "I will always think of Flick Vic's nod back then as my 'big break' because it allowed me to think of myself as a writer, without having to construct the usual justifications. Up until then, I felt I had to wear corduroy. Also, it allowed me the opportunity to work with Bill Garner, who kindly agreed to be my script editor [and] I apply what he taught me every day I write."

ƒƒ†’ƒ†€™ƒƒ€ƒ‚‚ Matthew's short feature ROY HOLLSDOTTER LIVE was a hit at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival, and has bagged an AWGIE Award, and two AFI nominations, and earned him both Best Short Film and Best Rising Talent at last year's Lexus IF Awards, and a Dendy Award for Best Fiction over 15 Minutes. For those of you who have not yet seen ROY HOLLSDOTTER LIVE you can catch it from 19 February at Cinema Nova in a double-bill with Adam Elliot's HARVIE KRUMPET.

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