It’s very nearly a wrap…

Tomorrow night is the closing night of Seen & Heard for 2013 and we’re ready to be shedding a tear.  Before we do though, and before our final farewell, we have another massive night ahead of us – it’s been a big year, our first with guest performers each night and our biggest range of international films.

Tomorrow will also be our biggest night of performances so far: we’ll be featuring musicians Bron Watkins and Si of Golden Orb, comic Greta Lee Jackson, magician Belladonna and band Persian Lovecake.

The Example

Alongside the talent, we’ll be screening films from the UK, Germany and Australia. We’re particularly pleased to be screening our headliner for the night, Gabi, a Puerto Rican film screened at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. A Puerto Rican saying haunts single women in their 30s: “If such a woman is not married by this time, she must be a slut, a lesbian, or a prude.” This is the story of that woman. Gabi Padilla lives a life of pleasure and independence. But after her mother’s unexpected death, she is forced to return to her rural hometown—a place where Gabi’s sensual flair is not welcome. View the Gabi trailer.

Thank you for being a part of everything so far – it’s not over yet! Come to the Red Rattler tomorrow night from 7pm to get your $15 worth.

See you tonight at Night Two!

By Nick Gunn

The second installment of the Seen and Heard film festival takes place at the Red Rattler in Marrickville tomorrow night, and it couldn’t be more topical or timely…

  • Last Friday saw International Women’s Day celebrated across the globe.
  • The Academy Award for Best Director has STILL been awarded to a woman ONLY ONCE in the entire 85-year history of the awards.
  • The ceremony itself was hosted this year by Seth Macfarlane, whose off-colour humour raised the ire of many a feminist critic.
  • In 2011 women made up only 5% of directors in the top 250 domestic grossing films (U.S.), a 1% decrease from 2010, and almost half the percentage of women directors working in 1998.
  • 38% of films employed no women in any major productions role (writing, producing, directing, editing or cinematography.)
  • The HBO series Girls has been the must-see series of the last two TV seasons. Playing like an update of Sex and the City, but skewing towards a younger demographic, Lena Dunham’s creation has been hailed for it’s realistic portrayal of modern urban life, and for shining a spotlight on issues faced by women the big city.

Last week’s opening instalment of the festival played to a capacity audience who were experienced edgy comedy, an astonishing glass-walker, thought-provoking poetry and, of course, three amazing films that highlighted the incredible work being done by woman in film.

So don’t miss out this week: be Seen and Heard.

Starting from 7pm.

Nick Gunn has spent a great deal of his life lurking around the periphery of the arts, occasionally finding the inspiration to write on performance, film and music. Nick supports Seen & Heard because he thinks it’s about time that the other half of the story gets told.

Don’t miss out on Seen & Heard this Thursday

First week has wrapped up, and what a success! Thank you all for coming to our Opening Night last Thursday. If you missed out, fear not, there are still two massive nights to go.

This Thursday we’ll be screening shorts from Australia, the UK and Sweden, along with a documentary by Australian Walkley award-winning filmmaker, Ali Russell, Keeper.

KEEPER

Keeper is the story of two Aboriginal women living in the small town of Ceduna on the far-west coast of South Australia. When more than 20 mining companies start drilling nearby for gold, uranium and mineral sands, Jacinta and Sue’s family is bitterly divided over million-dollar Native Title deals.

Ali was previously on board with ABC’s Hungry Beast and has been creating stories and films since for SBS, Seven Network, Nine Network, Fairfax, NITV and online.

We’ll be featuring more short performances on the night so be sure to buy your tickets online or at the door.

Lynsey Miller: style in the making

Paper Mountains 1UK filmmaker Lynsey Miller, screening three films during Seen & Heard this year, is a woman of style. Her dramatic visuals and delicate pacing make her three films a rich contribution to this year’s offerings.

We speak to Lynsey about the course she’s run as an emerging filmmaker.

After graduating I took a year out to travel before moving to London in 2007 where I began as an intern on a reality TV series, working in a pub in the evenings and weekends to fund myself.  From there I got a job as a runner on a factual show then moved into researching.

How did you come into filmmaking?

After graduating I took a year out to travel before moving to London in 2007 where I began as an intern on a reality TV series, working in a pub in the evenings and weekends to fund myself.  From there I got a job as a runner on a factual show then moved into researching.  Continue reading →

Talking suicide prevention in Australia and making “Keep Me Safe Tonight”

Every ten minutes, someone in Australia attempts to take their own life, and the effects of each attempt are traumatic and far reaching. In KEEP ME SAFE TONIGHT, three Australians take us to the heart of the tragedy.

KEEP ME SAFE TONIGHT is a ½ hour documentary that is in development in association with the ABC. The project was conceived by a team of passionate young filmmakers – Jiao Chen, Corrie Chen and Michelle Law – who want to start a mature conversation about suicide – a subject that has been stigmatized for too long.

KEEP ME SAFE TONIGHT is fundraising on Pozible for the next three weeks – we speak to filmmaker Corrie Chen about the project in its development.

Continue reading →

Tickets now on sale for our event!

Taking place over three Thursday nights in March, S&H will be celebrating women’s achievements in film, both Australian and from across the globe.

Consider buying a Festival Pass to enjoy each night for a discounted price. Tickets available online and at the door. All proceeds go to Life Force Cancer Foundation.

Opening Night: 7 March 2013

Blending documentary and fiction, S&H Opening Night in 2013 will be a special treat of screenings from Iran, Poland, Australia and the UK, with special guests Q&A with the cast and crew of Black & White & Sex as well as live performances.

Second Night: 14 March 2013

Continuing our showcase of shorts and documentaries, Night Two will be a screening of films from Australia, the UK and Sweden. Don’t miss these Australian premieres.

Closing Night: 21 March 2013

Closing night in 2013 is shaping up to be our best: don’t miss this series of riveting shorts. These films span across the globe – Australia, the UK, Germany and Puerto Rico, both documentary and fiction, with the brilliant GABI headlining the evening.

Word of Mouth: a film competition for queer women

Are you a queer-identifying woman whose made a film about relationships with women, alcohol & other drugs or sexuality? ACON and QueerScreen are inviting filmmakers to enter their films into a new film competition.

WOM-film-comp2

As part of this initiative, Queer Screen will host a free storytelling & filmmaking workshop. If you have filmed and need some assistance with editing, or if you are preparing to film and would like to know more about storytelling techniques – the workshop will aim to assist anyone who is interested in submitting a film. You can also get feedback on your film or idea if you are seeking it. Download the registration form from the ACON website.

We spoke to Samar Haidar from ACON about the program and the competition.

Women are often excluded in film industries – was choosing film as the medium for your campaign conscious? 

Queer female sexuality and film have a long history, once you learn where to look!

Continue reading →