St Kilda Film Festival has revealed an action packed 10-day event calendar for its 35th instalment.
Proudly produced by the City of Port Phillip, the Festival is Australia's longest running publicly owned short film festival,
running from Thursday 17 May to Saturday 26 May 2018.
The highly anticipated Opening Night will take place at the magnificent Palais Theatre on Thursday 17 May. More than
2,800 film and television guests and industry professionals will walk the red carpet to preview a selection of short films
that represent the range of programs screening at the 2018 Festival.
St Kilda Film Festival provides a comprehensive overview of the national short film industry, screening the Top 100 short
film entries received each year from across Australia, the SoundKILDA Music Video Competition, an International
program, special screenings and events, plus Australia's largest free Filmmaker Development Program.
City of Port Phillip Mayor, Cr Bernadene Voss praised the calibre of filmmakers and welcomed the diversity of films and
topics presented in the 2018 program.
'The selection of films in this year's Festival represent the Australian filmmaking industry in all its glory – diverse,
creative, talented and exciting. We are proud to continue offering a platform for filmmakers and industry heavyweights
alike to screen their works, while also providing education and development opportunities to the next wave of Australian
filmmakers." Cr Voss said.
Festival Director Paul Harris, now in his 20th year as Director, said he was delighted to announce a world-class line up of
short films created by some of Australia's most talented filmmakers.
Highlights from the 2018 Top 100 Short Film Competition include:For Your Sins – Comedy. A young man seeks the help of a boutique communications agency to help raise awareness for his cause: your sins. Starring Ryan Shelton, Dave Lawson, Michala Banas, Tegan Higginbotham, Sam Watkins
The Story – Drama. A man reflects on a time that he witnessed an emergency. Directed by Steven J. Tandy, Starring Tim Rogers and filmed in St Kilda.
Cooee – Drama / Science Fiction. Four wild girls race through a futuristic Australia in their solar-powered Holden Commodore searching for drinks, drugs and reality. Starring Odessa Young, Airlie Dodds and Sapphire Blossom. Filmed on location in the Snowy Mountains.
Mrs McCutcheon – Comedy. 10-year-old Tom prefers to wear dresses and to be known as Mrs McCutcheon, although it adds some extra challenges when starting at a new school.
Directed by John Sheedy and Starring Alec Golinger, Wesley Patten, Nadine Garner and Virginia Gay
On Thursday 24 May, the Festival will also showcase the country's best music videos made by Australian filmmakers,
featuring local and international musicians. SoundKILDA will feature music videos from the likes of Client Liaison,
Montaigne, Flight Facilities, Peking Duck and Gordi.
Other special programs and screenings outside of the Top 100 program include the Under the Radar youth short film
competition, a selection of Mexican cinema presented by the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) and a
special presentation of music television from the 1970s, Right There on My TV.
The Big Picture, one of Australia's largest free Filmmaker Development Programs, grants attendees access to
forums, workshops and stallholders with leading industry professionals and organisations. Topics explored will include
Directing Actors, Smartphone Filmmaking, Designing Audio for VR, Underwater Cinematography and Making Music
Videos.
The St Kilda Film Festival is also proud to partner with the Virtual Reality (VR) Cinema by offering a unique viewing
experience for audience members. Patrons will be able to watch a selection of short films and music videos, whilst
wearing VR headsets to be simultaneously immersed in the content. Attendees will view four to five VR shorts
uninterrupted, showcasing the creativity and passion of the burgeoning VR scene.
The St Kilda Film Festival includes a prize pool that totals more than $50,000. Award-winning films from the St Kilda
Film Festival will be eligible for consideration in the OSCARS® Short Film and Documentary Short Awards.
The full St Kilda Film Festival program is now available. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit
www.stkildafilmfestival.com.au