Sydney College of the Arts (SCA), is partnering with the Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF) this September to host an inaugural talk and master-class program, led by some of the hottest local and international talent in independent and experimental filmmaking. As part of the four-day festival from 17-20 September, SCA will bring together successful film directors, scriptwriters and artists to reveal their ‘out of the box’ approaches to filmmaking.
“There are daily developments in technology and new digital and online channels, which means it is an enormously exciting time for filmmakers.” SCA’s Dean, Professor Colin Rhodes commented “We teach our Master of Moving Image students how to think differently, be experimental and the creators of new directions in cinematic arts. SUFF is another place where you can see this way of thinking presented at a unique Australian festival.” Professor Rhodes added.
Festival founders and co-directors Stefan Popescu and Katherine Berger says the SCA partnership brings a new element to the festival in 2015, which will give audiences behind-the-scenes ideas and insight to independent and experimental film making today.
“This new initiative is an exciting step for SUFF, since a large proportion of festival goers are not just spectators. They like to get their hands dirty, and are keen to discover and understand more about indie film making,” Katherine Berger commented.
“We are a grassroots festival, with an international reach and focus on bold, adventurous and creative film making. We dare to tread where other film festivals might not,” Stefan Popescu “Through my research, I was pleased to find there was a strong experimental and underground film scene in Sydney, coupled with a boredom of mainstream films, we created SUFF to try and bring some of that energy back,” Popescu added.
The 2015 Sydney Underground Film Festival program, including the line-up of guest speakers and masterclasses, will be officially launched on 6 August 2015.
Films selected for the festival this year will compete for the coveted ‘Dead Oscar’ Award created by Sydney glass artist Mark Wotherspoon, while the Audience Choice award will see a filmmaker take home the $3,500 Spectrum Film Award. For more information and to purchase early bird tickets.