35 AFTRS Student and Alumni Films on show at Melbourne International Film Festival
via AFTRS
Still from ‘Sunset Country’ | Dir. Petra Leslie
A staggering 35 feature, short and documentary films by AFTRS students and alumni have been selected for the 2021 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).
Three short films made by AFTRS students have been chosen for the highly competitive short film program.
Alba was written and directed by Mariella S. Solano while studying the Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production. Fellow student collaborators on the film included cinematographer Julian Pertout, production and costume designer Chloe Beckley, editor Tiffany Lui and sound supervisor Alex Linder, and several other crew members.
Sunburn was directed by Jaslyn Mairs, written by Claudia Bailey and produced by Ben Bauchet while completing the Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production course, with alum Lev Jutsen co-producing. Student heads of department included cinematographer Gabriel Morrison, sound supervisor Eli Potter and production designer Sidonie Pitot, with AFTRS graduates in key roles, including sound recordist Tahira Bales-Donohoe and editor Angus Roche. The film stars well-known actors Brenna Harding and Zoe Terakes. It has previously screened at CinefestOz, WA (2020); Brisbane International Film Festival (2020); Berlin Student Film Festival, Germany (2021); Flickerfest (2021); Gold Coast Film Festival (2021); and the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, Israel (2021).
Sunset Country will have its World Premiere at MIFF. Director and cinematographer, Petra Leslie, completed the film as part of the Master of Arts Screen: Cinemtography program, with fellow students in key positions including Nathan Turnbull (sound supervisor), James Taylor (editor), Eirena Sapounas (production designer), James Mountain (composer). Petra’s cast include Raelee Hill, Trevor Hanna and Chris Davies.
AFTRS CEO Nell Greenwood said: “These three exceptional short films are brilliant demonstrations of AFTRS’ commitment to the pursuit of excellence and the strength of the creative collaborations that are formed between our student cohort and recent alumni. Our congratulations to all of the cast and crew.”
