18 Sep Queer Screen Pitch Off Finalists Announced
Queer Screen is thrilled to announce the six finalists for Queer Screen Pitch Off, its brand-new filmmaker initiative, proudly supported by St.George Bank.
Queer Screen Pitch OFF is another example of Queer Screen’s ongoing commitment to showcasing quality LGBTQI film content and nurturing emerging filmmaking talent within our community. This initiative offers Australian LGBTQI filmmakers up to $10 000 to produce a short film dealing with LGBTQI experiences.
Queer Screen faced a considerable challenge choosing six finalists from the large pool of impressive submissions they received from talented emerging directors.
After much deliberation, the following projects have been selected to compete at the Queer Screen Pitch Off Judging Event:
- Dwarf Planet – Director: Adrian Chiardella – A brief encounter between a young male sex worker and an overweight teenager.
- Saddest Kids in Sydney – Director: Zanny Begg – A joyful exploration of being brown and Queer in Western Sydney.
- Closet – Director: Tony Radevski – A widowed mother struggles to deal with the monster in her son’s closet.
- Her Own Music – Director: Olivia Alekskoski – A Catholic school student falls in love with another girl and must keep it a secret to preserve her reputation.
- Butch – Director: Harry Lloyd – Butch, a dog from a broken home tries to bring her fur-mums back together.
- Desert Pee – Director: Emmett Aldred – A transgender man finds himself unable to cope when his car breaks down on a desert highway.
These six finalists will spruik their projects to a panel of esteemed judges, each with a wealth of filmmaking experience and expertise behind them. The Queer Screen Pitch Off judges include:
Craig Boreham
Award-winning Sydney-based writer and director whose films have screened at over 20 international film festivals. Craig’s debut feature, Teenage Kicks, premiered at 2016’s Sydney Film Festival to an enthusiastic reception. The Guardian named Craig as ‘strong new voice in Australian Queer Cinema’.
Matthew Dabner
In addition to being a screenwriter and producer, Matthew is a renowned script editor, assessor, development executive and lecturer. Matthew’s screen writing credits include Nash Edgerton’s contemporary noir, The Square. Matthew also produced the IF nominated crime drama, Cedar Boys which won 2009’s Sydney Film Festival Audience Award.
Julie Kalceff
A much-lauded writer, director an d producer. Amongst her many successes in film, Julie is the creator of the international hit multi-platform drama, ‘Starting from Now’. This show has amassed over 100 million views and won multiple awards on the global festival circuit.
Arshad Khan
A multiple award-winning filmmaker, film festival director and film educator from Canada. Abu, Arshad’s first feature-length documentary won numerous awards and garnered critical acclaim internationally. Abu is a much-anticipated inclusion in the 2018 Queer Screen Film Festival
Sam Turner
Sam is the Group Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Westpac and has spearheaded Westpac’s LBTQI Network. Sam was a key driver in the Westpac Group being named 2016 Employer of the Year for LGBTQI inclusion at the AWEI and AHRI Awards. In 2016, Sam won Westpac’s Women of Influence Award for her leadership in expanding the organisation’s commitment to Inclusion and Diversity.
The finalists will have no longer than five minutes to pitch their proposal and impress the judges in what promises to be an entertaining and energetic event.
Join us in supporting an up-and-coming LGBTQI filmmaker transform their pitch into a fully-fledged production with the support of Queer Screen and St.George Bank.
The Queer Screen Pitch Off Judging Event will be held at the Festival Bar at Event Cinemas on George Street at 2.30 pm on Sunday 23 September 2018.
