OAFILMS NEWS - Chasing Mel's retirement and my new project

The end of 2009 has been crazy!

Chasing Mel had its penultimate screening at the Coasties Film Festival, and its last festival screening (at this point, anyway) in the Boo Hoo films competition final. It didn't win, but was very well received.

My latest film 'Untitled at a Bus Stop' had its first screening this week. Again, it was very well received and will get a bit more of a polish before I start sending it to festivals.

I have three other projects planned at this stage - a first cut of a short I recently shot called 'De-Sensitised', a short script about the consequences of a lothario lifestyle, and a first cut of a 30 minute documentary on Indonesia (from 42 hours of raw footage!). That should keep me busy for the next couple of months.

Thanks to all who have made 2009 a special year. It has been rewarding, challenging, heartbreaking, inspiring, sorrowful and joyful. I have learned, been burnt to the ground and rose from the ashes.

All my usual supporters have been there, doing the subtle things that make them the amazing people that I love so dearly; I have lost one person who took a piece of my heart with them, forever; and I have made new friends and connections that I will take with me forever.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Bring on 2010.

OAFILMS NEWS - Chasing Mel screened in the Czech Republic!

Chasing Mel was selected and screened at the 9th Pisek Film Festival in the Czech Republic. I wonder if my jokes translate from sarcastic Australian to Czech?

OAFILMS NEWS - Chasing Mel in Competition!

Chasing Mel will be screening in competition at Boo Hoo Films! The audience will vote on the best films on the night and the winner goes through to the final in November.

The screening starts at 7am on Monday 31 August at Madam Fling Flongs in Newtown. All ae welcome, as long as they vote for me....

For more details, go to http://www.boohoofilms.com.au/

OAFILMS NEWS - Chasing Mel has an IMDB Page!

After it was considered for a festival in the U.S., Chasing Mel was granted its own webpage on the world's most trafficked movie site - IMDB.com!

Check it out on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1463134/

or go to IMDB.com and search for 'Chasing Mel'

OAFILMS NEWS - Chasing Mel keeps screening!

Chasing Mel has had another successful screening, after being officially selected for the 'Katoomba Short Film Festival' and the 'Caught Short Shorts Festival' at the TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst.

The crowd response at Katoomba was terrific and I am getting ready for the TAP screening this Thursday, 2nd July.

I will be answering questions in a filmmaker Q and A on the night at the TAP Gallery. For more info, go to http://www.filmcaughtshort.com/?m=200906

WHAT'S NEXT?

Well.....maybe not.

It has been hectic of late, but I am loving it. My next projects are:
- 1st Assistant Director on a 16mm short titled 'A Flaw In Perfection'. We have shot 3 days and have 1 more day to go.
- Writing a short film script (working title: 'Dead Man Walking')
- Miscellaneous helper (editor? story consultant? fluffer?) on my talented friend Mark Tipple's documentary on Indonesian poverty.
- Writer/co-director with my uber-skilled pal Chino on an untitled short film.

That should keep me busy for the next few months at least.

Chasing Mel Screening - 23rd May 2009

Chasing Mel screened at the Newtown Film Festival to a majority unbiased crowd (i.e. minority friends and family). I was a nervous wreck before hand, but the crowd reaction was brilliant! They laughed in the right places and in a few I didn't expect.

I didn't win the 'audience favourite' award for my session, but I was not overly bothered given the crowd was STACKED with the people who featured in a particular documentary. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that, during the voting, one of my friends overheard the following conversation:

Person 1: "Finished your vote form?"
Person 2: "Not yet. I know I am supposed to vote for our one, but I really liked that Mel Gibson one"

I am sure that person would have eventually voted for the other film. The moral is, if I made one person second-guess their guaranteed vote for a friend, I must be doing something right.

Thanks to my friends and family who came along, it was very special with you there.

Chasing Mel in Newtown Flicks 2009

I have entered 'Chasing Mel' into the Newtown Flicks Film Festival 2009. It will have a screening at the new theatre in Newtown on either the 22nd, 23rd or 24th of May 2009. One of the judges is Academy Award winning writer and director Bruce Beresford. Here's hoping he likes documentaries about stalking celebrities.

For more details visit the festival website at http://www.newtownflicks.com.au

And I Would Like to Thank.....

We won!

Chasing Mel won best Documentary and Best Sound in a Documentary at the Sydney Film School Awards. The awards were judged by a panel of industry professionals, and the film was selected from a field of 8 very good documentaries.

The after party was the stuff of legends.....