CinefestOZ opened in the South West a packed weekend

CinefestOZ opened in the South West at the weekend with a full schedule of events drawing crowds. Acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Craig Silvey talked about his novel Runt’s transition from the page to screen as part of a special Q&A in Margaret River after the screening of his film, and Indigenous filmmaking, storytelling and culture was celebrated in Busselton at the new free Deadly Day. Razzy Mak — a Yamaji Rapper born in Port Hedland and raised in Broome, Geraldton and Perth — headlined with his old-school and new-school hip hop. Finalists in the 2024 Short Film Competition will learn their fate this evening with the awards to be held in Margaret River. CinefestOZ chief executive Cassandra Jordan said she was blown away by the calibre of this year’s short-film entries, which in turn made the selection process enjoyable, and difficult. “I love the Short Film Program because there are so many wonderfully different stories for festival-goers to experience as part of each of the five dedicated Short Film Sets at CinefestOZ 2024. “Many of our short filmmakers are travelling to CinefestOZ to see their films on the big screen, with some participating in Q&As at the end of each Short Film Set, so we are expecting lots of interaction and conversation at these events. ”The Short Film Awards also give CinefestOZ the opportunity to acknowledge the many exceptional films we have the privilege to screen each year, and to support filmmakers to continue to bring new stories to life on screen.” The five nominees for best short film include Farm Block (WA) which follows Ari, a proud Aboriginal woman, and her races against time with a broken car and a sacred vow to save her family farm from a looming threat. Dusty and Withered Blossoms (both NSW), Good Neighbour and Unspoken (both Victoria), also feature.