Media Release: August 2014
Australia's Newest Film Festival to Launch in Port Stephens
September 12 - 14, 2014
The Port Stephens area is no stranger to the silver screen - having
starred as a location in films such as 'Mad Max' and 'Tomorrow When The
War Began' as well as the famous Lara Bingle 'Where the bloody hell are
you?' tourism ads - but for the first time, on September 12 - 14, 2014,
it will host its very own film festival.
The Port Stephens Film Festival aims to support Australia's
independent film industry, accepting both amateur and professional
films. Branding itself as an "all access, community-based film festival
with international reach", the event is expected to attract entrants
from throughout Port Stephens, Australia and the world.
Films will be screened each day of the festival in various locations
throughout Port Stephens, including the Nelson Bay cinema, where
professionally-made films will be shown. In order to make the festival
as accessible as possible, ticket prices will be highly affordable,
making it a unique opportunity to see some great Australian independent
films. Industry networking events, professional development
screenwriting classes and movie themed parties will also be held.
Information about times and prices will be posted on the Film Festival's
Facebook page.
Films will be split into a number of categories, including a Youth
Short Film Competition, where a partial script is supplied, and
teenagers are encouraged to give their own take on it.
"I have been putting a lot of time and effort into developing the
Port Stephens Youth Film Festival category," Artistic Director Guy
Perrine said. "We are recruiting young people, giving them opportunities
in Regional NSW and showing them they don't have to go to the ‘big
smoke’ to access media opportunities and training."
Perrine also spoke of his plans to run film workshops for youth and
students in Port Stephens after the festival in order to further promote
the craft in the area.
The festival will be headlined with an entry from Hollywood
filmmaker, Paul Verhoeven, who directed Michael Douglass and Sharon
Stone in the Classic ‘Basic Instinct’, as well as cult Sci-Fi Classics
‘Robocop’ and ‘Starship Troopers’. His short film, 'Tricked' will open
kick off the opening night. *Plus it is hoped that we will set the bar
high for Multiculturalism with A Feature from Aust-Indonesian Film
maker- Irving Artemis-CRUSH
It is expected that Port Stephens will be buzzing with excitement as
locals and guests alike enjoy the creative array of independent films.
