Southern Cross University to host National Campus Film Fest

Southern Cross University is delighted to be hosting the 2010 National Campus Film Fest. The event will showcase a selection of the best original student short films from across the country.

The National Campus Film Fest is a free public event to be held at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore on Friday, September 17 at 7pm. The festival will begin with the announcement of the 12 national finalists to be followed by a screening of their short films and then the judges will advise of the winners.

The films, a maximum of eight minutes in duration, will be judged on entertainment value and originality rather than technical skill. The finalists will compete in four categories: best short film will receive $500; runner up will receive $250; innovative award will receive $250 and the people’s choice award will receive $250.

In addition to cash prizes, Southern Cross University is proud to announce that the winner of the ‘best short film’ category will be awarded a screening at the Byron Bay International Film Festival to be held in March 2011.

Director of the Byron Bay International Film Festival, J’aimee Skippon-Volke, said that in addition to being awarded the screening, “if the winner of the National Campus Film Fest is Australian and under 25 years of age they would be in consideration for nomination in our events ‘best young Australian filmmaker’ category”.

The films will be judged by a national panel including Duncan Thompson, Head of School at the Sydney-based International Film School, J’aimee Skippon-Volke, Byron Bay International Film Festival director, Dr Grayson Cooke, senior lecturer in the SCU School of Arts and Social Sciences and course co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Media degree, Cynthia Connop, chairperson of Screenworks and Shane Rennie, Flickerfest national tour manager, director of the Byron Flickerfest and member of the selection committee for Flickerfest International Short Film Festival in Bondi.

The national final of the National Campus Film Fest will be held on Friday, September 17 at the Star Court Theatre, Lismore at 7pm, hosted by Southern Cross University and sponsored by the International Film School, Sydney.

For more information visit www.aaca.net.au/ncff or contact Ann-Maree Wilkinson at the Southern Cross University Office of Sport & Cultural Activities via
email ann-maree.wilkinson@scu.edu.au or on 02 6620 3889.

Photo: Scene from ‘people’s choice award’ winning short film from the 2009 festival entitled Up and Up by Elliot Clifford from the University of Wollongong.