FFF Update June 2009

If you are wondering why you have not heard much from FFF lately the reason is we have been “under review”. This means we have been looking at the way we do things and what we can do in the future. We have developed a “business plan” that reflects what Fist Full of Films would like to achieve as an organisation, festival and competition. And how we intend to develop screen culture and build the capacity of filmmakers in the Northern Territory. Now we have all these big plans we have to get to work to find the funds to make them happen.

But for now there are a few major changes you need to know about. So please read carefully to see what is in store for Territory filmmakers and audiences.

 

2009 FFF Festival

In 2009 we are celebrating 10 years of stimulating screen culture in the Northern Territory with a series of showcase screenings across the NT. These screenings will coincide with the launch of the new incarnation of Fist Full and the next round of the film competition. The focus for 2009 is the review of the organisation and that includes ensuring a sustainable future for Fist Full as an independent organisation.

Also we are shifting the time of the competition deadline to May and the FFF Festival to June in 2010. Instead of the hectic July and August period, so FFF will become an annual May/June event in future years. We want FFF to stand alone as its own festival and early June seems like the best time to hold our film festival.

 

For all the reasons mentioned above, there will be NO competition in 2009.

If you have made a film in 2009 for Fist Full we will accept it into 2010’s competition. And, we will keep you informed of other opportunities that may arise for screening NT made films or other films festivals that you can enter your film in.

Reading on will tell you more about our future competitions and festival BUT first we will tell you about FFF in 2009.

 

Fist Full of Films 2009 in Darwin

Sunday 23rd August 7.30pm / Deckchair Cinema Darwin’s Waterfront

A Gala event celebrating 10 years of taking Territory made films to Territory audiences.With invited guests and tickets available at the door.

 

Screening “The Best of FFF 1999 – 2009"

A compilation of the winners and peoples choice awards from the past decade.
Our audience will vote in a peoples choice award for “The FFF Film of the Decade”
to win the “Palm Door” the NT’s version of the Palme D’Or.

 

FFF Future Directions Official Launch

New incarnation of FFF formally announced and what the future will bring to FFF and the Territory's filmmakers. And the Launch of the 2010 competition to inspire filmmakers to start creating films.

 

Future FFF Festival Program

FFF will move the competition and festival to May/June each year. The competition deadline each year will be 5pm the Tuesday after the May Day long weekend. The 2010 deadline will be 5pm Tuesday 4 May. The festival will be held in the first week of June each year 2 – 5 June in 2010. FFF in Darwin will become a 4 day festival event that includes 3 screenings of FFF films.

 

· The BEST of FFF 2010 > Galah Awards ceremony screening finalist films
· The BEST of FFF 2010 > 2nd and public screening of finalist films
· The REST of FFF 2010 > Each years non finalist films screening
· FFF Territory Showcase (NT film industry product and content)

 

During the FFFestival we will hold screen culture forums with industry peers, filmmakers, educators and audiences to discuss screen culture and development, exchange knowledge and network. So standby for the locations we will be screening our films and information about our Screen Culture Forums.

 

FFF Touring Screen Program

In 2009 “The Best of FFF 1999 – 2009” will go on tour throughout the Territory.

Katherine Festival - Friday 21st August @ 7.30pm
“The Best of FFF 1999 – 2009”
Screening Venue: Katherine Regional Training Centre
19 Second Street Katherine
$10 per adult / $7 concession and children under 12 free

 

You may have noticed the date of the Katherine screening it is before the Darwin screening! Yes, Katherine gets the exclusive first screening of the NT's best films of the past decade before Darwin.

The Darwin Neighbourhood Screen Program will happen within a couple of other festivals and events in the Darwin area, so you get a chance to see your films on the big screen a few times in Darwin. We will update you as screening locations and dates are confirmed.

Each year, after our FFF festival in early June, the films will become part of the FFF Touring Screen Program, which are screened within regional and remote festivals and events throughout the NT, taking NT made films to the far reaches of the Territory.

If you are a filmmaker or an audience from any area of the Territory and would like a FFF Touring Screen Program in your neighbourhood please contact FFF.

 

Regional and Remote Filmmakers

We know you are out there and we want you to become part of our network, we also want you to keep us updated about whats happening in your area. Like filmmaking projects and workshops etc. who is making films and what they are about. Anything to do with making films for big and small screens we wanna know about it. Please email us on fistfulloffilms@brownsmart.com.au we want to know what you get up too beyond the Berrimah Line.

 

The Competition

The Competition Format will remain in the same but with yearly initiatives and incentives to stimulate and challenge filmmakers.

  • The Competition Deadline each year will be 5pm the Tuesday after the May Day long weekend. This gives filmmakers the entire year to make films and to the wet season to really concentrate on making films and plenty of long weekends in the lead up to the deadline to get your cast and crews together for filming.

  • The “Keyword or Key Object” will remain and be announced early in the year but its use is not compulsory. This means you can make films all year round for FFF and not even consider the keyword. This also means your film may be eligible to enter in other film festivals and we encourage you to see how far your film can go.

  • Short film length will be a maximum of 7 minutes - including titles and end credits.

  • Yearly Incentive and Initiative – Will be sponsor or skills development driven prizes or categories, to challenge and develop the skills of our filmmakers. These may be included within the regular categories or may be a stand alone award or be part of a workshop produced film initiative.

  • Small Screen competition for works for phones, pods, hand and pocket sized screens. With sponsored and skills development initiatives, incentive and an on line festival on www.fistfulloffilms.com.au and viewers choice award, ratings and reviews.

  • New Category for 2010 and in every year after is “Music Clips”, this new category will encourage Territory musicians and filmmakers to collaborate and showcase original NT music. The music clips should be no longer than 4 minutes in length.

 

www.fistfulloffilms.com.au

We are planning big changes for our website, but for a while it will be the same old site (until we find the funds to get the new one up and going) but please still use our website as it is our main source of communication and information. Through our new website we would like to create filmmaking hub for the Northern Territory.

The new FFF website will include;

  • Communication - email bulletins / employment opportunities / work experience opportunities / collaboration connections / festivals and film events / resources / news / issues / initiatives / incentives / workshops / competition information / feedback / notice and message board

  • Education - for technology / content creation / pre production / production /
    post production / tips advice information / educational links

  • Network - an online community of filmmakers swapping ideas, advice, vision, equipment and technologies with forums and blogs and stuff like that

  • Screen – 24/7 viewing site for FFF films, small screen works, NT content, film reviews and on line festival

  • Sound – Links and audio files of royalty free and royalty fee NT original music, sound effects and production music for use in films and a network to NT music makers

  • Filmmaking Resources guide and links to equipment and facilities in the NT

  • NT Filmmakers – guide to production companies, independent filmmakers and specialist skills and service for filmmaking

We also want you feedback on what you need and want on the FFF website. If you are reading this and you are not on our email list please sign up via our website to receive more FFF information. Please encourage your friends to join to so we can create the biggest screen network in the NT.

If you want any info on making short films and find out about just some of the film festivals you can enter go to this new website http://www.flickerfestfilmmakersresource.com/ for now.

 

Screen Development

FFF will work to towards delivering more workshops, short courses, projects and resources that are needed to build the capacity of the NT’s emerging filmmakers across the NT. In the absence of a screen development agency (SDA) in the NT, the “review” process has acknowledged that FFF fulfils some of this role and is well placed to extend this role.

This is where you as a filmmaker needs to support FFF. Tell us what skills development you need, what type of workshops you would like to attend, what type of service and information will help you as a filmmaker to grow.

FFF will endeavour support filmmakers of any and all levels whether beginner or professional from anywhere in the NT. So if you are living in the regions or remotely please let us know how many of you are out there and what screen development needs you have?

We need your input, feedback and support to create our own “screen development agency” in the NT. Check out what the other states SDA’s deliver www.mrc.org.au www.metroscreen.com.au www.openchannel.org.au www.qpix.org.au www.wideangle.org.au

SDA’s are not a film office like the NTFO, they are separate entities, not for profit organisations, that work with film offices to develop emerging filmmakers to assist grow the industry. If you would like an SDA in the NT we need to know and have your support to make it happen.

 

FFF the Organisation

We need to develop our governance, management, finance, operations and assets to become a successful entity in our own right. We aim to be a not-for-profit community organisation that works towards developing screen culture and our filmmakers in the NT. To do this we need a strong management committee to help us achieve our goals. If you are interested in taking filmmaking to new levels in the NT and can dedicate a few hours a month to meetings and some work to make things happen, please let us know you are interested in guiding FFF’s future.

You are invited to attend FFF regular monthly meetings that are held in Darwin on the second Tuesday of each month at the Nightcliff Community Hall 18 Bauhinia Street Nightcliff (in the big meeting room just opposite the front doors) July 7 / August 4 / September 8 / October 13 / November 10 / December 8. If you cannot make it to a meeting please call or email us with topics for discussion.

At the moment we do not have a home base but we are working on finding a home and the funds to pay the rent. So our main contact and communication is by phone, email and website.

Please spread the word and pass this information on to your filmmaking friends and the potential filmmakers of the NT.

Please email FFF on fistfulloffilms@brownsmart.com.au if you have any questions or feedback or contact our Project Officer directly, Dixi Joy on 89811495 / 0403995751 / dixi.joy@bigpond.com

Thanks to the FFF steering committee and the previous project officers as well as the people we talked to during the development of the business plan, your input as greatly appreciated.

Dixi Joy Bankier
Project Officer FFF
Darwin Northern Territory
P - 08 89811495
M - 0403995751
E - dixi.joy@bigpond.com
E -fistfulloffilms@brownsmart.com.au