Australia’s hit international smartphone film festival is the SmartFone Flick Fest, or SF3, for short. And the bumper finals event will feature promise 70 films – including one by an Academy Award winner.
The festival’s seventh big year will be live on screen in-cinema in two venues on the weekend of February 26 and 27, plus online until March 13.
There were more than 300 entries for short films and 18 feature length films from countries all over the world.
Of these, more than 70 will feature online with curated programs for the festival’s Gala Awards final,
feature film and SF3 Mini screenings, SF3 Kids and SF360 categories.
The Gala Finals screening with its glittering awards ceremony takes place at Sydney’s Palace Chauvel Cinema, Paddington on Saturday, February 26.
The 15 finalists include stunning short films from China, Italy, France, England and Scotland as well as a slew of Sydney, Melbourne and regional NSW entries.
Among them is “Leader” by English actor and filmmaker Chris Overton, a previous winner of an Academy Award for his short film “The Silent Child”.
Western Sydney entrants include Campbelltown's Peter Majarich with "The Scharzschild Radius" in which an astronaut approaching a black hole delivers his final message...
The record number of SF3 Kids entries have been whittled down to the best 25 shorts by filmmakers 16 and under to be screened at the Actors Centre in Leichhardt on Sunday February 27.
Among the finalists is Jasmine Wastell of Revesby with "A Letter to a Friend".
This year’s Sydney lockdown meant the SF3 Mini category, formerly the ‘Iso’ Award, came into its own for films three minutes or less.
With a theme of “Rise”, these movies partnered with the United Nations Association of Australia.
Local filmmakers include Abbotsbury's Brianna Collins with "Escape from Lockdown".
The nine best Feature Films selected include two superb Australian entries:
“One Punch” is by by AFTRS graduate Darcy Yuille and “Misplaced”, a stunning debut movie from Sydney's James Demitri about grief and mental health.
Each will be screened with SF3 Mini programs on the Sunday. The finalists in the SF360, or 360 degrees movies will all screen online – due to Covid restrictions.
More innovative than ever
Co-founder Angela Blake said throughout the pandemic and snap lockdowns around the world, filmmakers had become more innovative than ever.
“Smartphones have enabled them to tell their stories during these extraordinary times.”
Her co-festival director -founder Ali Crew said: “With hard borders coming down - SF3 is looking forward to bringing filmmakers together from across the country and the world! for a true celebration of creativity and ingenuity.”
‘One Punch” feature filmmaker Darcy Yuille said SF3 was a top tier festival for smartphone films internationally.
“To be included in the official selection and have my film screen for a live audience is a huge honor.”
There is $50,000 worth of prizes on offer, including mentorships, classes, memberships, apps, lenses, mics, phones and tablets.
This year’s fest includes several innovations, including the inaugural SF3 First Nations Award – sponsored by Dolby.
On offer for the winners are mentorships with SF3’s new Indigenous Festival Ambassadors - journalist and producer Stan Grant, actor and director Wayne Blair and high profile screenwriter Jon Bell.
They join returning Festival Ambassadors Phillip Noyce, Kriv Stenders, Nicole da Silva, Jason van Genderen, Kerry Armstrong and Christopher Stollery.
The first ever SF3 Kids Ambassador is Emily Prior and the first African Ambassador is the Wanuri Kahiu from Kenya.
Among the more than 30 other awards across the five categories is the Filmbreaker award for first-time filmmakers titled
Best Female Creative, Best Feature Film, two SF3 Kids Best Film awards for Teen and Junior Primary, plus three new ‘gongs’.
The three are Best Documentary, Best Editing and the SF3 Luma Touch, Finished on Mobile Award – for a film that is both shot and edited on a smartphone or tablet.
Legendary Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce of “Rabbit-proof Fence”, “Heatwave” and “Bluu Drift” fame said: “A smart phone is an instant portal to the world. These innovators have no fear of technology, no barriers to expressing themselves.
“These are truly our next generation of cinema pioneers and I’m in awe of their films.”
For full details, bookings, access to online screenings and more, visit www.SF3.com.au
Check the superb ‘sizzle reel’ here: https://youtu.be/l8azeIlc6qI
