NEWS
THE NIGHTMARE IS OVER!
Announcing Short Sited’s 2009 Winners!
(Wollongong NSW, March 16, 2009) – Friday the 13th was a big night for Illawarra filmmakers who took out top honours across a jam-packed selection of fine films. An enthusiastic audience of 400 convened at Wollongong Uni Hall to witness the latest in short film production and were treated to a night of thrills, spills…. and zombies!
Keean Murrell Snape made Short Sited history by becoming the first filmmaker to win Best Overall Film for a second time. His entry for the horror category, The Knock - about a woman who is awoken by a mysterious knock at the door - proved to create the right tone of creepy tension for festival judges. Previously, Murrell Snape had won Short Sited 7 back in 2003, with an entry entitled Pale Blue Life.
Other winners include:
Best Horror: The Crone Directed by Richard Jones and Sharon Lewis
Best Local: Not To Be Taken With Alcohol Directed by Ben Kumanovski
Best National: Sleep Tight Jack Directed by John Mavety
Audience Favourite: Up and Up Directed by Elliot Clifford
The Audience favourite film can be viewed on the Short Sited Youtube Channel from Monday.
The economic ‘crisis’ impacted prize sponsorship support this year, however, videogame giant Atari stayed committed to reward all category winners with a few top notch prize giveaways with much anticipated Xbox 360 titles Batman: Arkham Asylum and Ghostbusters: The Videogame. All the 2009 filmmakers will be rewarded with their films gaining a wider audience, having already secured their position on the upcoming Short Sited the 13th Special Edition DVD. The current 2008 Finalist DVD is available to rent from all Video Ezy outlets across the Illawarra and South Coast.
Festival director Tom Subjak says “Congratulations to all our winners and many thanks to all our finalists helping put on a fantastic night of entertainment for the Illawarra region. It’s important for the Illawarra business and community to continue to support all local events. It’s frightening that even local sporting teams are suffering from a lack of support. Every single event staged here in the Illawarra is trying to achieve in bringing an exciting cultural dynamic to the region.”
Next year, Short Sited will be the hot ticket in town, as it will tackle head on the ‘Action’ genre! Entitled Short Sited With A Vengeance, Subjak invites all filmmakers to load up their cameras and ideas to create some truly memorable original action set pieces… on a budget. Now!
Short Sited With A Vengeance Film Festival 2010 is targeting our way! Stay tuned for details to detonate at a later date. For more information visit www.shortsited.org or call 0420 844 475.
SCREAM IT OUT LOUD!
Short Sited 2009 Finalists Announced!
(Wollongong NSW, February 23, 2009) – Emerging from dark shadows and into daylight with bleary eyes, the Illawarra’s biggest and longest running short film festival, Short Sited, is ready to announce the finalists for the 2009 show! With a special horror category for this year’s edition, audiences should be prepared for lots of thrills, spills… and zombies!
Festival Director, Tom Subjak offers some insight, “Our first ever DVD from the 12th Short Sited proved to be a positive charged lightning strike. We were absolutely struck back with a ton of entries this year, and in particular, huge enthusiasm for the special horror category! Filmmakers seemed to have an absolute blast in that genre. The pre-selection of films this year also demonstrated to be extremely, extremely difficult with so many great entries… heated debates were quite common! It’s unfortunate that we cannot screen them all.”
Presenting a healthy mix of local, national and horror films, the finalists for the Short Sited the 13th Film Festival 2009 in no particular order are:
Up & Up Directed by Elliot Clifford
Rage Of Justice Directed by Toby Morris
The Knock Directed by Keean Murrell Snape
A Break In The Monotony Directed by Damien Slevin
Not To Be Taken With Alcohol Directed by Ben Kumanovski
The Tourist Directed by Matthew Jenkin
7 Sins Directed by Dave Wade
Recharge Directed by Simon Luckhurst
Rufus Directed by Rebecca Thomson
The Crone Directed by Richard Jones and Sharon Lewis
Sleep Tight Jack Directed by John Mavety
Slasher Vs. Werewolf Directed by David M. Dunmall
Gone Fishin’ Directed by Kelly Ringering
The Larny Jumper 2 Directed by Rory Anderson
Mr Bear And Mr Rabbit Directed by Ben Wade
Flux Directed by Richard Harwood
The Lot Directed by Shannon Browning
Congratulations to all!
Short Sited the 13th Film Festival 2009 is creeping up soon! The axe will hit the chopping block on Friday March 13th 2009 as Short Sited the 13th screams at University Hall, UOW at 7.30 pm. Doors open from 7pm. Tickets available at the door for only $5 each. For more information call 0420 844 475.
SHORT SITED CRASH LANDS ONTO DVD!
2-Disc Special Edition DVD With Bonus Features. Video Ezy® To Help Showcase Illawarra Based Talent.
 (Wollongong NSW - September 15, 2008) Six months after the successful satellite transmission of the 12th Short Sited Film Festival a.k.a [SHORT_SITED_v12.0], and three months after an intense coordinated production effort, Festival Director Tom Subjak is finally proud to announce the premier release of the 2008 festival on a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD, complete with fabulous bonus material.
The DVD received a Mature rating from the Australian Classification Board and will be made available to purchase from www.shortsited.org for the RRP of $24.95 from September 19. A first and exciting development in the festival’s history, it will also be exclusively available for rental at participating Video Ezy® stores across the Illawarra and South Coast.
Video Ezy® Illawarra marketing coordinator Joe Floro states, “The opportunity to promote grassroots filmmakers based in the Illawarra was difficult to pass up, especially with Short Sited packaging a DVD that is accessible for all audiences to enjoy! Video Ezy is absolutely proud to be supporting a local homegrown DVD rental of what is a focused and unique product.”
Tom Subjak says, “What this product delivers is one of the very few innovative film festival DVD packages ever to hit market. As a complete archive of all the hard work that is involved in producing for, and entering in, an annual short film festival, this DVD sets precedents simply never before seen anywhere in the world.”
As well as an enhanced presentation of the festival screening showcasing all 15 finalists short films including overall winner Christmas Bonus and audience favourite Hey Timothy!, the [SHORT_SITED_v12.0] Film Festival DVD contains a wealth of bonus features:
• Filmmaker audio commentaries: Gain exclusive insight from all finalist filmmakers as they talk about the trials and tribulations that went in to creating their short films!
• Film database: Similar to DVD chapter selection, this is essentially a digital program guide. It gives the viewer several details of a film such as its plot synopsis.
• Intermission music 5.1 surround mix: Remixed exclusively for DVD, enjoy the festival’s upbeat sci-fi musical styling, utilising the full capabilities of your home theatre system set up.
• Bonus film: Cowboys and Indians, the audience favourite film that originally screened at Short Sited 11 in 2007.
• Short look at [SS_v12.0]: Relive the excitement of the actual festival competition screening night, all captured on camera.
• Deleted scene: Finally be witness to a unique segment that was removed from the [SS_v12.0] opener at the last minute!
• Multi-view comparison: Take an interactive real-time look at the production process of the [SS_v12.0] opener - from storyboard to completion, with optional commentary from the festival creative team.
• Non-finalist montage: A homage sequence to all the entries that did not make final selection for competition.
• Media promotion: Get a chance to view all television commercials, radio spots and print ads that were designed to promote the festival!
• Design gallery: Flick through all the graphic design elements that went into designing the cohesive look of [SS_v12.0].
Also featured on the DVD is a teaser trailer for what will mark the 13th year of the festival, which will have a special Horror category to commemorate the distinction. It is hoped that it will encourage all filmmakers to enter the 2009 festival with an aim to gain a place on the next DVD!
Subjak finally adds, “This DVD is a positive bold step in moving the festival to the next level, both in providing new opportunities for filmmakers and creating community awareness via the branding of Video Ezy®. The digital technology that allows these ideas to escape out in to the wider world just continues to amaze me! Please do give your support.”
So budding filmmakers, are you ready for next year? Rip in to it. Get involved. Short Sited the 13th - it will be screaming in 2009!
FILM FESTIVAL URBAN LEGEND UNVEILED!
Short Sited Is Set To Scream In 2009. New Special Horror Category!
 (Wollongong NSW - September 15, 2008) Festival Director, Tom Subjak can confirm that the 2009 installment of the Short Sited Film Festival, the illawarra’s largest and longest running film festival since 1996, is gearing up with full cooperation and funding support from the NSW Film and Television Office.
What does the upcoming festival have in store for entrants and patrons alike?
“With 2008’s sci-fi theme a success,” say Subjak “It only makes sense to go in a spookier direction, if only to compliment the distinction of this upcoming festival being its 13th year. So dream up the possibilities of viewing … or entering the special category of Horror All Ages with Short Sited the 13th!”
Subjak continues, “Horror is such a fascinating genre for any filmmaker to tackle. They have to use every trick in the filmmaking book in order to create the unsettling atmosphere that can make an audience members skin crawl. It might be a reaction to an extreme camera angle, a low musical note played, the creepy makeup application, what the lighting is hiding… many of today’s Hollywood directors earned their skills by producing a low budget horror film with their friends in the backyard. I don’t see why that backyard can’t be here in the Illawarra!”
It has actually happened.
Former Short Sited runner up and Illawarra resident Phillip Middleton, currently in development of his $4 million debut old school horror feature The Disappearing, having won film awards in Los Angeles and screenings at Cannes, now has Hollywood agents now knocking at his door with project offers.
Short Sited the 13th will look to be the most ghoulish festival yet staged.
For filmmakers and patrons who jump at shadows, the festival will still accept and screen successful entries from all genres such as drama, comedy, documentary, animation et all. It just wouldn’t be a Short Sited Film Festival without a range of strange and wonderful films from the Illawarra and the nation.
As a special treat for local residents and wider exposure for filmmakers, also in the pipeline is a Short Sited the 13th free DVD giveaway in conjunction with Wollongong City Council Cultural Services and the Illawarra Mercury which will be made available a few weeks after the festival.
Currently, anyone can see what’s in store for Short Sited the 13th by going into a participating Video Ezy® store across the Illawarra and South Coast and exclusively rent a copy of the [SHORT_SITED_v12.0] Special Edition DVD, a 2-disc set containing all of the 2008 finalists and a ton of DVD extra bonus features!
Start howling at the moon, Short Sited the 13th is creeping out from the shadows. Enter your film now. The deadline chopping block is February 11 2009. The festival will scream Friday March 13, 2009 at University Hall UOW. For entry details or more information visit www.shortsited.org or call 0420 844 475.
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