In Pictures: Smartphone Filmmaking Class by SF3 and WIFT NSW

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This Smartphone filmmaking class was presented by Angela Blake and Megan Riakos.

Angela Blake is a Sydney girl who grew up dancing, singing, and acting from the age of four. The last few years have seen her working as an actor primarily in television. TV credits include the recurring role of Duty Nurse on Season 6 of Channel 7 and Foxtel’s, A Place To Call Home, Love Child Season 1, Top of the Lake Season 2, and Deadly Women Season’s 9 & 10.

She has worked as a performer on stages all over the world for companies including Princess Cruise Lines, M.E.I., The Entertainment Store, and many others. She lived in LA from 2010-2012, graduating from The New York Film Academy’s Acting for Screen Program. She then went on to shoot countless shorts and web series, many touring the festival circuit. She has also worked extensively in theatre and her credits include: The Silence Came, Love Game, Surprises, The Odyssey, The Crucible, The Silence Came, Popesical-The Musical and the Off-Broadway Production of Sex, Relationships and Sometimes Love in NY.

As a director, Angela’s first play was Eating Out, which she also co-wrote and produced in LA. Since then she has won the Wildcards and Audience Favourite Award for the short play Weeing on a Stick at the 2012 Short and Sweet Festival. She worked with writer, Adele Shelley to turn this into a film. In 2015 she directed her very first Shakespeare, Romeo, and Juliet, for Sydney Classic Theatre Company and she was also Assistant Director for the immersive theatre company, Mongrel Mouth’s The Age of Entitlement and co-wrote and acted in Like Me. in 2019, she directed the comedy short, Upsold, which is currently on the festival circuit and has won numerous awards.

Angela also has her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Journalism and is in the development phase for her first feature film, Burnu, plus a stack of shorts she plans to shoot on her iPhone! In 2016, her 1 minute iPhone film, The Circle Game, was a finalist in the Mobile Film Festival in Paris, the Miniature Film Festival in Vancouver, and the Flash Film Festival in Berlin, and it just won Best SmartPhone Film at the Buddha International Film Festival in India. Since then her smartphone short films have played in many festivals around the world including MINA, the Dublin International Smartphone Film Festival, and more.

Angela Co-Founded the smartphone film festival, SF3 – the SmartFone Flick Fest, with Ali Crew in 2015 and since then they have received thousands of entries, hosted countless workshops, and inspired a new generation of filmmakers the world over, especially in their home of Australia. SF3’s Ambassadors include Phillip Noyce, Kriv Stenders, Kerry Armstrong, Stan Grant, and more. SF3 has been included in the American Express Festivals to Travel To List (alongside festivals such as Cannes and Sundance), the World’s Best Smartphone Film Festivals List, and the Australian Traveller Magazine’s Most Unique Festivals in Australia list.

As an actor, she has also shot ads for Elgas, Keystart, Queensland Bananas, and Verizon Wireless.

Megan Riakos is a dynamic filmmaker bringing a distinctive female lens to the world of genre filmmaking. Her debut feature as writer/director/producer of the thriller Crushed received strong reviews with The Australian calling it “a tense, bloody mystery thriller”, and The Hollywood Reporter labelling it “A solid debut.” Crushed completed a successful festival run before a strong limited theatrical release in Australia and acquisitions by channel 10 and Qantas. Megan’s next feature-length project was as creator and producer of Australia’s first female horror anthology Dark Whispers – Volume 1 in which she wrote and directed the wraparound segment. Dark Whispers is currently screening on SBS On Demand. Megan was also brought on to write and direct an episode of Deadhouse Dark currently streaming on Shudder, for which she was nominated for an Australian Directors’ Guild Award.

Her screenplays have also garnered acclaim. Her mystery period feature The Last Reprieve was awarded the Grand Prize in the Greater Philadelphia SIP Screenplay competition. Her political drama Victory and Defeat made the semi-finals in the Final Draft Big Break Competition and was shortlisted for the Nate Wilson Award at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

Megan compliments her filmmaking with her advocacy for gender equality. She is the co-founder of the Not-For-Profit organisation Women in Film & Television (WIFT) Australia and merges these two fields of creativity and advocacy via her company Hemlock & Cedar Films, which focuses on amplifying female voices.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media Arts & Production) at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), has a Graduate Diploma in Directing at the prestigious Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), and has also completed the Professional Screenwriters Program at UCLA.

In their last workshop, Angela Blake and Megan Riakos taught some very useful techniques on how to utilise and shoot professional films and content on your smartphones. SF3 is now the world’s biggest smartphone film festival and co-founder and director, Angela Blake provided some very useful tips and techniques on how to shoot on your phone. Megan Riakos, an award-winning director/writer/producer has been on the SF3 judging panel since its inception and has made a swathe of incredible films. Megan guided everyone not only on how to craft an award-winning film yourself but also on what to do with it once it’s completed and how to achieve film festival success and get on the streaming networks.

SF3 is one of the most respected smartphone film festivals in the world, attracting filmmakers of all ages and levels from across the globe. All entries are shot entirely on smartphones or tablets, forging an accessible and affordable entry platform into the film industry.

The Trailer for ‘Falling for Figaro’ Starring Danielle Macdonald Has Just Been Released

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Falling for Figaro is a romantic comedy set in the brutal world of opera singing competitions. The story unfolds in the tiny Scottish village of Drumbuchan, the home of Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop, a fearsome singing teacher who believes that only with a broken heart can you really learn how to sing. Preparing her two students, Max and Millie, for the same competition, Meghan manipulates their love lives to get the best performance out of them.

DIRECTED BY: Ben Lewin

WRITTEN BY: Ben Lewin, Allen Palmer

PRODUCED BY: Philip Wade, Judi Levine, Arabella Page Croft

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY: Timothy White, John Wade, Sonja Armstrong, Charles Hannah

CAST: Joanna Lumley, Danielle Macdonald, Hugh Skinner, Gary Lewis, Shazad Latif, Rebecca Benson.

Check out the trailer below:

The Trailer And Poster For 20th Century Studios’ Action-Thriller “Prey” Is Here

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Check out the intense new trailer for “Prey,” an all-new action-thriller from 20th Century Studios directed by Dan Trachtenberg (“The Boys,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”). The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise, “Prey” will stream August 5, 2022, on Disney+ under the Star banner. Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries. “Prey” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, written by Patrick Aison (“Jack Ryan,” “Treadstone”), and produced by John Davis (“Jungle Cruise,” “The Predator”), Jhane Myers (“Monsters of God”), and Marty Ewing (“It: Chapter Two”), with Lawrence Gordon (“Watchmen”), Ben Rosenblatt (“Snowpiercer”), James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas and Marc Toberoff (“Fantasy Island”) serving as executive producers.  The filmmakers were committed to creating a film that provides an accurate portrayal of the Comanche and brings a level of authenticity that rings true to its Indigenous peoples. As a result, the film features a Native Comanche producer (Myers), and a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, including Amber Midthunder (“The Ice Road,” “Roswell, New Mexico”), newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (“Sooyii”), Michelle Thrush (“The Journey Home”) and Julian Black Antelope (“Tribal”). The movie also stars Dane DiLiegro (“American Horror Stories”) as the Predator.

Red Carpet Rundown: “The Twelve” In Ritz Cinemas

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Foxtel recently held a red carpet launch for the premiere of its new Australian drama series, The Twelve ahead of the show airing on June 21. Members of the cast joined Foxtel executives, media personalities, influencers, and journalists including our very own Yolandi Franken, Andy Trieu, and Genevieve Craig at Ritz Cinemas for the screening.

The 10-part courtroom drama starring Sam Neill (Jurassic World: Dominion, Thor: Love and Thunder, Palm Beach), Marta Dusseldorp (Wentworth, Stateless, A Place to Call Home), and Kate Mulvany (Fighting Season, Lambs of God, Hunters). It revolves around the story of 12 ordinary Aussies who are selected for jury duty in a murder trial, in which a woman stands accused of killing her teenage niece.

The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson Movie Review: A Reimagining Of An Australian Classic

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Rob Collins, Bain Stewart, Leah Purcell, Greer Simpkin, and David Jowsey at THE DROVERS WIFE Red Carpet Gala Screening

For every Australian, the name Henry Lawson is a familiar fella. He was a renowned bush poet who penned the Drover’s wife- a nine paged short story of a fierce and protective mother defending her homestead in the bush from an intruder. The short story was published in 1892 Australia, and it needs an overdue makeover and reimagining for mo `dern audiences. 

In comes Leah Purcell, who to Herny Lawson’s Drover wife and reimagined in a post-colonial, indigenous feminist tale of Molly Johnson. Lawson’s original short story stayed with Leah since she was a little girl. 

“When I was five years old, my mother read the original 9-page Drover’s wife story by Henry Lawson; I could imagine myself in the story as the little boy as the protector of the story,” Purcell recalled when asked where she sourced her inspiration. 

The 9-page classic resonated with her as she was from a droving family, and they lived on the outskirts of a small country town. 

“My mother taught me how to split a log and stack a wood heat so the snakes wouldn’t get under, and it was all stuff that reverberated to the original story of the Drover’s wife. As a five-year-old, my imagination went wild, and I saw myself in the story.” 

 The short story was so profound that she adapted her reimagined tale for the third time, from a book to play and now to a cinematic masterpiece that premiered at the Randwick Ritz last month.

The film centres around Molly Johson (Leah Purcell), the eponymous Drover’s wife who is heavily pregnant, encounters an indigenous man, Yadaka (Rob Collins), who is on the run from police as he was a suspected murderer. At first, Molly Johnson was startled by the stranger. Then, however, she slowly unlocks her heritage’s secrets through spending time with Yadaka.

The central relationship between Yadaka and Molly was captivating. Originally, it refers to the “Stray black fellow” in the original and is described to be a “liar” and “cheat.” Purcell restores humanity in her reiteration of the classic. 

Initially, Molly was skeptical upon the arrival of Yadaka, warning the fugitive – “Cross me, and I’ll kill you.” However, she airs on the side of caution before helping him with his shackles once she witnesses that Yadaka teaches her eldest son, Danny (Malachi Dower-Roberts), how to use a spear properly. 

Yadaka also was the person who opened Molly’s eyes to her indigenous heritage and illuminated a part of her that was left dormant for years.

Yadaka later confides to Molly that the only crime he ever committed was “existing while Black.” when questioned why he was on the run from the law – circling back to the ugly racial politics that colonial Australia built on still subtly exists in modern Australia. 

The film continues to build on the legacy of unjust violence – not just against indigenous Australians but domestic violence. Later in the film, it implies that Molly was the prime suspect in her husband’s disappearance. However, the film also implies that the Drover was violent and a cheater and inflicted alot of danger on her and her children. Yet, due to their fierce devotion to her children and her motivation to protect herself, she did the unthinkable. 

Again, this resonates back to the MeToo movement where victims of sexual abuse and assault, who happen to be the majority of women, were never heard and how society sides with the perpetrators who happens to the majority of men.

The film is a cinematic tale of unrelenting feminist strength and highlights the legacy of violence that built colonial Australia. Interweaving elements of her indigenous roots and putting herself in a well-known Australian classic, Purcell has successfully “flipped the scripted” and turned it on its head. 

Disney+ Releases Trailer And Key Art For “Rise”

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Disney+ has released the trailer, key art, and images for “Rise,” based on the triumphant real-life story about the remarkable family that gave the world the first trio of brothers to become NBA champions in the history of the league – Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Laker Kostas Antetokounmpo, and their younger brother Alex. The film will debut on June 24 exclusively on Disney+. Audiences have never seen a story like that of the Antetokounmpos. After emigrating from Nigeria to Greece, Charles and Vera Antetokounmpo (Dayo Okeniyi and Yetide Badaki, respectively) struggled to survive and provide for their five children, while living under the daily threat of deportation. With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn. When they weren’t selling items to tourists on the streets of Athens with the rest of the family, the brothers – Giannis (Uche Agada) and Thanasis (Ral Agada) – would play basketball with a local youth team. Latecomers to the sport, they discovered their great abilities on the basketball court and worked hard to become world class athletes, along with brother, Kostas (Jaden Osimuwa). With the help of an agent, Giannis entered the NBA Draft in 2013 in a long shot prospect that would change not only his life but the life of his entire family. And last season, Giannis and Thanasis helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship ring in 50 years, while Kostas played for the previous season champs, the Los Angeles Lakers. “Rise” stars Dayo Okeniyi, Yetide Badaki, Manish Dayal, Taylor Nichols, introducing Ral Agada and introducing Uche Agada. The film was directed by Akin Omotoso (“Vaya”), written by Arash Amel (“A Private War”) and produced by Bernie Goldmann (“300”). Giannis Antetokounmpo and Douglas S. Jones served as the executive producers.

The trailer for Searchlight Pictures’ ‘The Menu’ with Ralph Fiennes has just dropped

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The trailer for the upcoming The Menu is here, which will be released by Searchlight Pictures later this year. Ralph Fiennes leads the cast of the film, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult.

Synopsis: A couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises. 

Directed by: Mark Mylod

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, Reed Birney, Paul Adelstein, Aimee Carrero, Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, Rob Yang, and John Leguizamo

Written by: Seth Reiss and Will Tracy

Produced by: Adam McKay, Betsy Koch

Check out the trailer below:

In Pictures: A Networking Event By WIFT, Screen Vixens & Sydney Film Festival

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What: A networking event held for female and non-binary screen practitioners. Hosted by Women in Film and Television, Screen Vixens, and Sydney Film Festival.

Where: Sydney Town Hall, Lower Level, The Filmmaker Lounge, The Hub (483 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia)

When: Saturday 11th June 2022, 5:00pm – 6:30pm AEST

Spotlight: Make it Australian Campaign Launch For 2022

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SPA launched the Make it Australian campaign in 2017 alongside the ADG, AWG, and MEAA with one objective – they want to see a vibrant and sustainable screen sector that continues to play an important role in our economic, social, and cultural life. They ask their supporters to take action by emailing their federal MP and Senators to lobby for strong rules and support for Australian stories on our screens.

The panel members at Make it Australian included:

Matthew Deaner (SPA CEO)
Leah Purcell (Actor, Director, Producer, Writer)
Moderator: Van Badham (Writer, Activist)
Panel member: Kriv Stenders (Director)
Panel member: Monica O’Brien (Producer, Writer, Director)
Panel closer: Gillian Armstrong (Director)

The event was held on Thursday, 09 June 2022 at the Sydney Film Festival Hub @ Lower Town Hall, 483 George St., Sydney NSW 2000. FilmCentral Magazine’s very own Yolandi Franken along with Andy Trieu, J’ma, and Chase Lee came to support the Make it Australian campaign in full force.

The Release Date For What’s Love Got To Do With It? Has Just Been Unveiled

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SYNOPSIS:

How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary filmmaker Zoe (Lily James), swiping right to find Mr Right has only delivered bad dates and funny anecdotes, much to her opinionated mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. For her childhood friend and neighbour Kazim (Shazad Latif),

the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an assisted marriage with a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his hopeful journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a different approach to finding love.

Release Date: February 2

Cast: Lily James, Shazad Latif, Emma Thompson, Sajal Aly, Shabana Azmi, Asim Chaudhry, Mim Shaikh, Jeff Mirza, Iman Boujelouah, Mariam Haque, Sindhu Vee

Directed By: Shekhar Kapur

Written By: Jemima Khan

Produced By: Working Title Films; Jemima Khan’s Instinct Productions