FILM CLUB - Session #1

I'm very proud of the organic turnout of FILM CLUB #1 - Brainstorming Session. We had a turnout of 16 people of all levels of film, performing arts and graphics design background attend this intimate yet productive planning session.

Half were new to the little space of "The Shed" (some got lost), but the 2.5 hours came across with some serious introductions and a lot of inspiring visions of the development of Western Sydney and storytelling from culturally diverse.

Most was intrigued to have a "Film Club" a weekly place to connect, share projects on both from a hobbyist and also a competitive perspective. A few reported back with their independent year long project such as Adrian Castro's impressive short film "Django", which later was screened during night. Dragon Vision Production head director, Quan Tran spoke about is collaboration with Poohead Productions, Vinh Nguyen, on a recent documentation of a local Buddhist community event.

Stephanie In, a local emerging illustrator and comics designer expressed her visions wanting to develop herself as an artist via collaboration with other peoples projects. Thug Ng, a 2nd year film student, expressed her frustrations and censorship throughout her training of making "mainstream" content, which she feels does not represent her voice. We were later joined by Youtuber Tuan Le Dang (emerging youtuber and CCD worker), David Vo, Sam Gosper and the crew from Team 9Lives.

MY BACKGROUND

With the inception of an initiative of my very own FILM CLUB, I've started to believe in the film spirit once more post Rumble Pictures. For those who didn't know the story of Fairfield and it's film forte, it started bubbling in 2003 with the head crews of Rumble Pictures, Team 9Lives and Trinity Productions. These teams would battle it out year after year at the local shortcuts film festival held at the Fairfield School of Arts, dishing out action and the comedy genre. Ebbs and flows occurred during my years with Rumble, seeing the success and completion of "Maximum Choppage: Round 2" and "Downtown Rumble" and my long employment at Information & Cultural Exhange (ICE) as the Youth Digital Cultures coordinator. Now, I'm wrapping up with ICE soon, and will be making the transition to SBS commissioned program "Once Upon A Time In Cabramatta", a 1.7 mil epic TV production that is due to air in 2012. In the meantime, the "Quest for Jackie Chan!" is still on, the first shoot with Immi Ho Anh Mai is around the corner (4th June) and I'm so proud to have a team of uniquely skilled and dedicated team of multimedia & filmmakers, whom I believe, will be the future creative leaders.