LEXUS AUSTRALIA SHORT FILM FELLOWSHIP WORLD PREMIERES ANNOUNCED

Published by: Sydney Film Festival | 13-May-2019
Lexus Australia and Sydney Film Festival announces the World Premiere dates for the four short films created by the recipients of the 2018 Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship
Broken Line North by Sunday Emerson Gullifer, Chlorine by Melissa Anastasi's, Jadai: The Broome Brawler by duo Curtis Taylor and Nathan Mewett, and Strangers by Jamieson Pearce will screen on Tuesday 11 June, 7:00pm.

Each filmmaker party received a $50,000 grant, the largest cash fellowship for short film in Australia, to make a film to premiere at the 2019 Festival. The Fellows were selected by a jury of industry luminaries led by Australian actress Marta Dusseldorp (Jury Chair), alongside Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley, Lexus Australia Senior Manager, Marketing, Vin Naidoo, Australian producer Greer Simpkin and President of the Australian Directors' Guild Samantha Lang.

"The Festival is very excited to announce the World Premieres of the 2018 Lexus Australia Short Film Fellows' films," said Nashen Moodley, Sydney Film Festival Director. "The Lexus Fellows have proved to be of the highest calibre of Australian talent, and these are no exception, with engaging and complex stories of family, grief and isolation."

"Lexus is proud to support such talented, up-and-coming filmmakers and we are delighted that their creative efforts will be appropriately showcased at Sydney Film Festival. We hope the world premieres will be just the start of amazing careers in film for all of them," said Vin Naidoo, Senior Manager, Marketing, Lexus Australia.

"The Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship enabled me to further hone my skills and voice, while taking bigger risks and finally being able to pay my team - many of them supportive collaborators for over five years. In a landscape where financial support for emerging filmmakers is increasingly rare, I'm grateful to the Festival and Lexus Australia for believing in what I have to say," said filmmaker Sunday Emerson Gullifer (Broken Line North).

"The Fellowship has been a great opportunity to experiment with process, story and visual style, and create a film that is a true expression of my voice as an artist. With the resources of the Fellowship, and the support of incredible creatives, I was able to fully realize my vision for Chlorine. I've also formed a new team of talented filmmakers who I'm excited to keep making work with," said filmmaker Melissa Anastasi (Chlorine).

"The Fellowship has given us the opportunity to challenge ourselves and grow as filmmakers. It has been amazing and tricky to navigate the logistics to see our project come to fruition. It's been exciting to see the body of work that this Fellowship has made up to date!" said filmmaker Curtis Taylor (Jadai: The Broome Brawler).

"The Fellowship has given us the chance to challenge ourselves and grow as filmmakers. It has also been another amazing opportunity for myself to collaborate with Curtis Taylor whilst we tell the story of his family, and bring to light some rarely spoken about issues that are still prevalent today," said filmmaker Nathan Mewett (Jadai: The Broome Brawler).

"The Fellowship has truly been a gift. What a pleasure it was to make a film and actually have resources to play with. It afforded me the freedom to experiment and grow as a director and it's given me and my team the opportunity to tell a story that I hope will be both challenging and moving," said filmmaker Jamieson Pearce (Strangers).

Lexus Australia Short Films and Filmmakers:

Broken Line North

A Lao-Australian woman driving from Melbourne to Brisbane picks up a teenage hitchhiker at a highway petrol station. For one brief night, these strangers' lives intersect.

§ Sunday Emerson Gullifer has been nominated for two Australian Directors' Guild Awards. Her highly commended short film, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, premiered at SFF 2017.

Chlorine

In a desperate bid for attention from her mother, 11-year-old Keira compulsively steals from pregnant women at her local aquatic centre. But her actions put her at risk of losing the only family she has.

§ Melissa Anastasi's short films have screened at over 40 film festivals. She is currently developing the feature screenplay Bluebirds with support from Screen Australia and Create NSW.

Jadai: The Broome Brawler

Amateur boxer Jadai has promised his family: no more fighting. But the corrupt local cops have other plans, and Jadai's forced into the fight of his life. Based on a true story.

§ Nathan Mewett and Curtis Taylor are filmmaking partners from Western Australia. Together they co-directed Yulubidyi - Until The End, which screened at SFF 2018.

Strangers

An emotional exploration of the complexities of ageing. Adrienne and Stewart must care for their ailing mother in the face of an apparent sexual awakening and a strict nursing home policy.

§ Jamieson Pearce is a freelance director and editor, and a passionate storyteller. His most recent film, Adult, adapted from a story by Christos Tsiolkas, screened at SXSW 2017.

The full Sydney Film Festival 2019 program can be found online at sff.org.au.

Sydney Film Festival runs 5 - 16 June 2019. Tickets for Sydney Film Festival 2019 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.

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