A cohort of Charles Darwin University (CDU) student film buffs have had an invaluable close up with the screen industry thanks to a partnership with the Darwin International Film Festival (DIFF). In this year’s festival, CDU Bachelor of Creative Arts students majoring in Screen interviewed participating local, national and international filmmakers. Guests included Cannes Critics’ Week award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja and local filmmaker Jacob Hazeldine. In the lead-up to the festival, students researched potential films, developed interview questions, and learnt about festival programming. During the festival, they also introduced local and international films to festival audiences. CDU students Helena Gallagher and Alan Lawlor shared how the experiences were valuable for their professional and personal developments. 

“Having the opportunity to interview Wregas Bhanuteja at DIFF for his film ‘Levitating’ was a major confidence boost for me,” Ms Gallagher commented.“I was truly inspired by his approach and attitude towards film making and I am excited to continue this connection. He even mentioned that he is shooting his next film in January and that I would be welcome to come to Jakarta to help on set if I was keen. That would be a dream!”

Mr Lawlor said being involved in the DIFF has built my confidence as a filmmaker.

“It legitimised my own feeling of competence and removed the barrier of fear for my own work,” Mr Lawlor commented. “Being able to meet, connect and share my own artistic vision with established filmmakers made me feel more in touch with my own craft.”

CDU Lecturer in Digital Media Storytelling Abby Dunn said the partnership was designed to connect classroom learning with participation in the screen industry.

“From the University’s perspective, I designed the learning experience to move beyond simply attending a film festival and give students a role within it,” Ms Dunn commented.

DIFF manager Erin Lucas looked forward to growing the partnership.

“It was fantastic to see our partnership with CDU really blossom through student involvement in DIFF in 2026,” Ms Lucas commented “Having students actively engaged with the festival and the screen industry was incredibly valuable, and we’re excited to see those opportunities continue to grow in 2027 and beyond.”