Banjo Swan was tight-lipped when asked about the film he’s working on for this year’s Sunshine Short Film Festival.
The 12-year-old won the primary school category at last year’s festival with his clip Solve Man.
The 3.45-minute film was overlaid with a song the Buckley Park College student wrote and sung himself, and featured a cast of about 15 friends from Aberfeldie Primary School.
“I know what I’m going to do,” he said, but was reticent to delve into the details prematurely, given festival organisers have only just started accepting registrations and submissions.
Festival co-ordinator Steve Pereira said this year’s theme, Knights in Sunshine, had been chosen in response to audience feedback.
“We pooled the audience and asked them what the theme should be,” he said. “And the majority wanted a medieval theme.”
He said festival organisers were open to wide-ranging interpretations … for example, a knight could refer to the horse-shaped chess piece, it could be a metaphorical reference, or even the name of a person.
Both novice and semi-professional film makers are invited to submit their work.
For the first time this year, the festival is partnering with Brimbank council to offer film-making classes for people without access to the right equipment or computer software.
“The workshops will team older women and new migrants without the necessary resources with more accomplished filmmakers from the Victorian College of the Arts,” Mr Pereira said.
All films that make the finals will be screened at Sunshine Village Cinemas on October 28.
Entries will be accepted until September 25. For category details and prizes, go online to www.sunshinefilmfestival.com.au
