ARTS Central Queensland, Central Highlands Regional Council, and the State Government have teamed up to fund five different short films.
ARTS Central Queensland successfully received $10,400 from the Regional Arts Development Fund, and pitched in $2,500 of their own, to produce the films that will be shot with veteran filmmakers, Ian Westley and Elizabeth Tansley, to rear local film talent.
Local author and Arts CQ founder, Mark Svendsen said without the additional funding the project would not exist.
“Successful RADF funding means local artists can make something or learn something that shows who they, and we, are,” he said.
“They can then go to other potential sources of funding or sponsorship and say, look local community support me so you should too.
“Arts Central hopes that we can ‘leverage’ RADF funding to say the same thing and attract further funding to Central Highlands arts and artists.”
Local emerging cinematographers are urged to take inspiration from Capella’s rich history at the Capella Pioneer Village Museum to inform the Framing History Filmmaking Workshops.
Mark Svendsen said the project covers workshops in all aspects of creative filmmaking from conception of a project through to post-production including scriptwriting, script editing, producing, casting, acting for film, cinematography, sound, and directing.
“These workshops will take place over two weekends with the first weekend comprising two days of workshops and the second (two months later) one day of acting and film-making technique workshops and a second of filming five short films,” he said.
“Participants will produce five selected short seven-10min films (time indicative only) on subjects sparked by local history stories of interest to participants.
“Participation will be free and open to the public but, on completion, participants’ films will be presented to the Capella Pioneer Village for their non-exclusive use, either for film showings during open days or schools visits and the like, or in association with interpretive displays, or for any purpose that will enhance the museum’s activities.”
Mr Svenson said the films seek to connect residents to their history.
“Locals all recognise their own in these local stories which in turn strengthens community engagement with art-making, quiet pride in ‘place’ and carries a real and abiding sense of belonging,” he said.
“Film is the great art invention of the 20th century and the central art form in the 21st.
“Filmmakers have been active in Central and Central Western Queensland for many, many decades though most of their work cannot be seen locally.
“At Arts Central Queensland we hope more people making films will result in some diverse documentation of the ever-evolving local ’’life in the bush’.”
He said the collections at the Capella Pioneer Village Museum evoke many stories of place people.
“A long-gone lifestyle that make it alive with possibilities for storytelling, like an outdoor theatre set.”
