There are worse ways to spend a Friday evening than at the Bondi Pavilion in Sydney watching 100 minutes of short flicks under the stars followed by a reception at the festival bar with its large terrace overlooking Bondi beach, a DJ (Graham Mandroulas) and many industry pros and enthusiasts to mingle with and discuss film, the festival and life.
Sydney’s premier short film festival, Flickerfest, kicked off on Friday 6th with an almost sand free red carpet event where short filmmakers, the jury and guests gathered for the opening night of films introduced by festival director Bronwyn Kidd.
A Wizard of Oz themed trailer opened the screening with an all star indigenous cast and crew (director Dena Curtis and stars Miranda Tapsell as Dorothy, Christine Anu as the Good Witch and Jeremy Ambrum as the Lion, Bjorn Stewart as the Tinman, Meyne Wyatt as the Lion & Alexis Lane as Wicked Witch).
100 films had been selected from over 2,400 submissions and the the opening program weaved comedy, physiological drama, outback antics and political sea bearing dilemmas. We saw Luc Gut’s ‘OS Love’, a computer screen saver light comedy dilemma, David Gulpilil in Australian outback comedy ‘Messiah’, Swiss/Australian Marc Raymond Wilkins’s gripping refugee drama ‘Bon Voyage’ (the selection of the film in the festival brought the director, of Australian father out to Oz for the first time), Dave Carter’s environmental animated comedy ‘Fish With Legs’, Mirrah Foulkes’ subtle psychological ‘Trespass’ and the hilarious and heart warming ‘Time Code’ from Spanish writer/director Juanjo Giménez. 
The best thing I always say about short play and film festivals is that if a film is
not rocking your boat, you don’t have to endure 90 minutes or torture just to be polite, only about 10 to 20 or less before there’s a new one. But for this viewer the selection was well programmed, varied and enjoyable, and a quick moon and star gaze was the option for a little time out.
The jury for the Australian an International films in competition include ‘The Space Between’ director, Australian/Italian Ruth Borgobello, Australian/ German editor Veronika Jenet (The Piano, Rabbit Proof Fence, Snowtown) and Jason Anderson (programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival’s ‘Short Cuts’).
Flickerfest runs until 15th January, then will tour Australia. There are workshops, screening and a variety of themed events. All with the possibility of taking a dip in the ocean between sessions (if you don’t have a broken toe in which case there are refreshing beverages at the festival bar). After all, this is Sydney in summer!
