Flickerfest goes green
Films showcasing the wonders of the natural environment are ready for an exhilarating exhibition at Bondi Beach this summer. Flickerfest, Bondi’s annual short film festival kicking off at Bondi Pavilion, is set to feature Greenflicks, a segment about environmental concerns on Sunday, January 20.
“Environmental concerns have become a very common theme among filmmakers around the world,” said festival organiser Bronwyn Kidd. “Greenflicks is a wonderful way to highlight those films and to focus on the universal aspects of the environment.”
This year’s competition features 100 shorts handpicked from a record number of 2,300 entries.
“Issues surrounding the environment are incredibly timely at the moment and these films are very sophisticated, fun and creative,” said Ms Kidd. “It’s people making films that also show some really positive solutions to the environment, which is important.
“Everybody is pretty proactive and aware that we can make a difference in our individual lives as well as a collective. These films showcase lots of positivity as well as dealing with quite serious concerns.”
Now in its 22nd year, the event is Australia’s only BAFTA -recognised short film festival. To maintain the high standard each year, Ms Kidd visits festivals around the world seeking new films, many which have not been seen in Australia.
“It’s incredible that awareness around environmental issues has become so much more focused and global; we’re all part of a bigger solution now,” said Ms Kidd.
“The really great thing about cinema is you can share a story and focus on an issue you can really bring to life. It has a much bigger impact on me personally.
“It’s different from just reading an article in a newspaper or hearing a whole lot of statistics about the environment. It’s a more engaging way of translating a message.”
Filmmaker Romilly Spiers, who made the short film Ten Quintillion, is among the Greenflicks entries. She said the environmental focus is an important way of recognising the intricate aspects of the ecosystem.
“My film is about the microcosmic world within a really small inner city front yard,” said Ms Spiers. “It explores the diverse amount of life that actually can exist within a tiny space.
“I got up close and personal with creatures you generally wouldn’t notice such as snails and spiders … I really wanted to make a point of showing that even in a small space where you wouldn’t expect life to be there is life.
“We need to be aware of that life and aware of the environment around us, and to take care of it.”
Considered in international circles as the leading Australian competitive short film festival, Flickerfest will run from January 11-20 at Bondi Pavilion.
