SAE University College will continue 16 years of supporting up-and-coming local talent with its sponsorship of the Byron Bay All Shorts’ Northern Rivers Short Film competition at Flickerfest.
The festival celebrates short film in NSW’s Northern Rivers and will be screened alongside Flickerfest’s, the country’s largest Australian and international short film festival, tour to Mullumbimby from February 27 to March 1.
The festival is presented by Byron Bay’s Island Quarry Arts and Eco Centre and will include a screening of the 11 finalists of the Northern Rivers Short Film Competitions’ works on Saturday, March 1 at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall.
This year’s shortlist includes short film Hold Steady, submitted by three current Byron Bay SAE students Jasper Cardozo, Ethan Yang and Ash Mines.
The films will be judged by a jury of local Northern Rivers industry practitioners, who will award the SAE Jury Award for Emerging Talent, sponsored by SAE University College, with a cash prize of $250.
Last year, SAE student Alisha Doherty Hough won the Emerging Talent gong for her Bachelor of Animation major work Trinket, produced with fellow students Jarmila Sustrova and Crystal Wilkes.
She said the award is a great way to support artists as they start out their creative careers.
“Winning the Emerging Talent Award last year was an incredible honour,” she said.
“To receive my very first award among such talented artists and to feel the support from our local community for what our team had created was an unforgettable experience. It really reaffirmed that what we had made was meaningful to others.”
She praised Byron All Shorts for lifting up regional talent.
Chairperson of Island Quarry Shane Rennie said SAE’s support means a lot to the festival.
“Byron All Shorts – Northern Rivers Short Film competition has provided a platform for emerging filmmakers to share their stories and be applauded for their talent for 20 years, and SAE’s partnership with Byron All Shorts through awarding the SAE Emerging Talent filmmaker prize has been an important part of this process,” he said.
He said the festival is a great opportunity for students’ films to be recognised elsewhere.
“Many SAE Byron students have had their films screened and won awards at Byron All Shorts, giving them acknowledgement of their achievements,” he said.
“This has seen many of these filmmakers being noticed and selected for other festivals across the country and the world.”
SAE General Manager Dr Luke McMillan said SAE’s longstanding support of Byron All Shorts reinforces their commitment to nurturing emerging talent.
“SAE is thrilled to be supporting up-and-coming filmmakers by partnering with Byron Bay All Shorts for our 16th year,” he said.
“In recent times, we’ve witnessed remarkable growth within the Australian film sector. As leaders in creative media and technology education, we will always open doors for our students to craft compelling content that sparks profound discussions and paves the way for successful careers in the industry.”
