Please note: This site's design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports Web standards, but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device. To see this site as it was designed please upgrade to a Web standards compliant browser.
Title image Title image Title image Title image

 

Flickerfest 2005 Spotlight Programs

November 6, 2004

Australia's premier international short film festival, Flickerfest is to run over ten days, covering two weekends from January 7 to 16, 2005 at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

Flickerfest, Australia's only Academy Accredited international short film festival has fast become Sydney's favourite short film extravaganza through its dedication to showcasing the very best of independent shorts from Australia and around the world.

Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd announced the 2005 special sessions, featuring a cultural spotlight on Mexico, a Horror/Thriller programme, a selection of Music clip shorts from legendary UK Electronic label Warp Records and a programme dedicated to showcasing the very best of animation shorts from Annecy, an international film festival dedicated entirely to animation.

Spotlight on Mexico

Every year Flickerfest shines the spotlight on a particular region of the world, sharing their stories and engaging with their culture through the medium of short film. Flickerfest 2005 will celebrate Mexico's many achievements in the short medium.

As a country of exotic colours, rich history and vibrantly diverse peoples, Mexico has made an outstanding contribution to the history of film. Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd believes that Mexican shorts display a high standard of creativity, originality and technical craft.

"Mexican shorts have always featured strongly in our competitive programmes and awards and it is great to be able to look back over the past 8 years and select a programme of shorts that have engaged and captivated previous Flickerfest audiences from Bondi to Brisbane and beyond," she said.

Despite sharing the border with the biggest film producing country in the world, Mexican short films reject the Hollywood storytelling formulas, depicting their individual stories with the artistry and imagination that has kept the unique screen culture of Mexico alive.

Shorts featured have been celebrated at festivals around the world and feature internationally renowned Mexican stars such as Salma Hayek, unrecognizable as a crazed nun in the short 'Sweet Releases' and a very young Gael Garcia Bernal pre his 'Y Tu Mama Tambien' acclaim in "Guts and Heart".

Spotlight on Warp Vision Music Clips

Flickerfest 2005 will proudly present a selection of the most innovative music clips in recent years with 'Warp Vision' 1989- 2004, from legendary UK Electronic label Warp Records. This program was curated by Warp London exclusively for Flickerfest and includes clips not included on the Warp Vision DVD.

Clips to be screened exclusively at Flickerfest 2005 are Luke Vibert - "I Love Acid", Red Snapper - "Some Kind of Kink", Nightmares on Wax - "Know My Name" and LFO - "Freak".

Also included in the programme is Chris Morris "My Wrongs", which won a 2003 BAFTA. Chris Morris is a controversial, reclusive and highly regarded British satirist. There is also the UK voted most popular music video ever - the Aphex Twin's - "Windowlicker".
Flickerfest 2005 Warp Vision Music Clip programme is anticipated to be highly successful and is essential viewing for all music clip fans as well as all fans of film, art or design.

Beachside Thriller

Dare to be spooked as we present a ghoulish delight of shorts guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Don't come alone and don't look behind you! Selected from past festivals and international research on the Horror Genre, Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd has come up with a programme that promises to be screaming fun.

Titles screening include "The Host" - winner Best Short Film at Seattle and Tribeca Film festivals 2003 and Best Achievement in an Original Screenplay at Flickerfest 2003, "Bloody Christmas", the crazy revenge of a Christmas tree from France and "See You In My Dreams" from Portugal winner of Best Short at Fantasia film festival 2003.

Spotlight on Animation

Flickerfest 2005 presents for the first time ever in Australia the very best of animated shorts from Annecy, the international film festival dedicated entirely to animation. The festival was established forty years ago in the French town of Annecy, nestled at the foot of the French Alps and has grown to incorporate five different categories of animation in competition, promoting a diversity of techniques.

Annecy is one of the biggest and most respected animation festivals in the world. The Flickerfest program of films is curated from the past seven years of Annecy's award-winning films and shows the great imaginative and cultural diversity of the countries represented.

"Annecy is definitely the 'Cannes' of the animation world and is a must for any serious animator providing the perfect opportunity to explore the art-form with the masters from the four corners of the world, " according to Adam Elliot, Director of Oscar winning "Harvie Krumpet".

Annecy shorts featured at Flickerfest 2005 will include, "Brother", directed by Australia's Adam Elliot; "Lorenzo", the tale of a spoiled and pampered cat, from the USA, directed by Mike Gabriel; "Father and Daughter", directed by Michael Dudok de Wit; Creature Comforts: "Cats or Dogs?" from Aardman Animation Studios, directed by Richard Goleszowski and winner of the prize for best video clip at Annecy 2004, from India comes "Deewana".
The Annecy programme is a unique opportunity for the Australian public to view these rich and varied works.

Award Winners Program

In 2005 Flickerfest will present a trip down memory lane with its presentation of the best of Flickerfest prestigious award winners from the past eight years, curated by Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd.

Over the years Flickerfest has supported the careers of many of Australia's leading filmmakers including Cate Shortland 'Somersault' (Winner Best Director for her short film 'Flower Girl' in 2000), Evan Clarry 'Blurred', 'Under The Radar' (Winner Best Australian Short film 1998 'Mate') and Khoa Doh 'The Finished People' (Audience Award 'Delivery Day' 2002)

Many of the international short films screened at Flickerfest have also gone on to win major awards internationally. Films also screening in the winners programme at Flickerfest 2005 include "A Torzija - the Twist from Slovenia", nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action 2004 and "Squash" and the "Red Jacket" both nominated for an Academy Award in 2003.

The Flickerfest Hall Of Fame includes a selection of the most prestigious international shorts films produced in recent years from Australia and internationally.

Lyndel Molloy Avviso PR for Flickerfest

Contact Email Address: lyndelm@avviso.com.au