From Surf To Reel

Bondi beach is once again hosting Flickerfest, a festival of short films screened in an outdoor cinema overlooking the ocean, now in its 24th year.

Festival director Bronwyn Kidd has been a part of it all for 17 of those 24 years, helping curate around 200 submissions in her first year to what is now a submission pool of more than 2000. There’s clearly something addictive about short films for both curators, filmmakers and audiences alike that just can’t be found in feature films. As Kidd suggests, “The feature film industry is very much about the industry, it’s about the box office and making financial returns and I guess why I’m so passionate and remain passionate about this is that short films really aren’t about that at all. They are very much about the art of cinema, about people making work that they’re passionate about.”

"They are very much about the art of cinema, about people making work that they’re passionate about.”

Short films also have the budget and timeline that allow them to be current, provocative, relevant and daring. When asked about some of the Australian films in particular she’s come across, Kidd explains, “There are films dealing with our multicultural society, dealing with refugees. Short films can always be bold and talk about contemporary subjects that are very immediate, like how we are dealing with climate change, the environment, sexuality or any of the big themes. They’re always at the forefront. It doesn’t take seven years to get the money together like with a feature film.

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“For me it is cinema in its purest sense and it’s a great opportunity to really celebrate this incredible art form, both from Australia and from across the world and to discover amazing talent.”

If you haven’t been to Flickerfest before, don’t worry; you don’t need to be an aficionado of short film to appreciate the 100 films in the final selection. Kidd explains the target audience: “We’re trying to appeal to people who appreciate creativity and intelligent storytelling; who are not into seeing mass market [films]; who are into seeing something a little bit more organic, a little bit more real, true creative and artistic expression; for people who are keen to engage with unique work and unique storytelling is what we’re about.”

For filmmakers, making the final cut here at Bondi means much bigger fish. Flickerfest is Australia’s only BAFTA-recognised and Academy-accredited short film festival. Being selected in one of four competitions in 2015 can mean a shot at the Oscars. “We’re one of the few pathways that exist to get to the Oscars and the Academy Awards,” Kidd confirms. “In order to be considered for the Academy Awards, you have to have been selected or won the award at an accredited festival. To have four of our competitions recognised is a great honour. It means that filmmakers can compete on a world stage.”

The Flickerfest opening night is Friday 9 January at Bondi Pavilion

From Surf To Reel

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