The WOW Film Festival, which will now tour in 2009 to over 18 destinations in Australia and to some international venues, closed its 15th edition last week after a 5-day celebration with special guests actress Kerry Armstrong and Aloura Charles, writer/director of Reservations, Tania Chambers, Chief Executive of the NSW Film & Television Office, as well as many other filmmakers.

The values of the festival were bought into sharp focus with the world premiere screening of feature length documentary on female camerawomen from around the world in Alexis Krasilovsky’s Shooting Women. An introduction was provided by cinematographer, Jan Kenny ACS and industry support by ARRI Australia and the Australian Cinematographer Society contributed to a strong film industry audience.


SHORT FILM COMPETITION WINNERS

BEST AUSTRALIAN SHORT FICTION: DRAMA
FEELING_LONELY?
Melissa Beauford (producer)
Rachael Turk (producer / director)
Bonnie Elliot (cinematographer)
*$5,000 post production in Avid editing suite from Spectrum Films
*$1,500 Tresscox Lawyers - legal services for a film sponsored by Tresscox Lawyers
*1 session of use of cinema 1 at AFTRS sponsored by AFTRS

BEST AUSTRALIAN SHORT FICTION: COMEDY
EDGAR AND ELIZABETH
Melissa Kelly (producer)
Renee Webster (director)
*$5,000 worth of hire of film equipment from Panavision sponsored by Panavision
*$1,500 Tresscox Lawyers - legal services for a film sponsored by Tresscox Lawyers
*1 session of use of cinema 1 at AFTRS sponsored by AFTRS

BEST AUSTRALIAN SHORT DOCUMENTARY
WHITE SOUND
Sarah Tracton (producer/director/writer/editor)
*$1,500 Tresscox Lawyers - legal services for a film sponsored by Tresscox Lawyers
*$1,000 negative processing and telecine services from Atlab and EFLM sponsored by Atlab
*1 session of use of cinema 1 at AFTRS sponsored by AFTRS

BEST AUSTRALIAN STUDENT FILM
LULLABY
Kate Breen (producer)
Caitlin Hall (producer)
Katie O’Neill (director)
*$600 value authoring of a DVD & 50 copies of the film sponsored by Art Resistance Production

BEST AUSTRALIAN ANIMATION
THE PERILS OF FLOSSY
Ali Ashdown (producer/director/writer)
JoAnne Bouzianis-Sellick (cinematographer)
*Australian Directors’ Guild Membership for 1 year

BEST AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VIDEO
BITTER WINDS
Lina Eve (producer/director/writer/cinematographer
*$400 voucher toward short course from Metro Screen sponsored by Metro Screen
*Selection of iDrinx products sponsored by iDrinx

BEST AUSTRALIAN WOMAN CINEMATOGRAPHER
Director of Photography for HAIR TODAY GONE TOMORROW
SIMONE MAZENGARB
*$1,200 Miller Tripod sponsored by Miller Camera Support
*Australian Cinematographer Society membership sponsored by ACS
Highly Commended for Cinematography:
Pregnant (Katelnd Griffin)
Almost Eleven (Bonnie Elliot)

WINNER OF INDIE-FEST @ WORLD OF WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL ON-LINE FILM COMPETITION SPONSORED BY INDIEFLIX
BIRTHDAY GIRL
Murray Sestak (co-producer)
Angie Black (co-producer/director)
MaryJeanne Watt (editor)
*US $500 cash prize

Cutting edge on-line delivery of the World of Women Film Festival to registered viewers. Indie-Fest is a new streaming video site that lets users stream and vote for films selected by the WOW Film Festival for the on-line competition. Films from the WOW Festival were seen by the on-line audience from the 19th to 29th September. Users voted for their favourite film. IndieFlix.com was founded in 2005 and is a Seattle-based independent film distribution and discovery site founded on the principles of community, promotion, syndication and transparency.

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTION
L'ORO ROSSO - Drama (12mins) ITALY
Guglielmo Nigri (producer)
Cesare Fragnelli (director)
Alessandria Recchia (writer)

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
SHOOTING WOMEN - Documentary (53 mins) USA
Alexis Krasilovsky (producer/director)

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS:

Wed 1st Oct  • THE RACE
Kate Mills (Producer/Director)

Thurs 2nd Oct  •  I DON'T DREAM IN GERMAN
Ivana Lalovic (Director/Writer)
Laura Zimmermann, ZHDK (Producer)

Fri 3rd Oct  • Session 1  •  DUCK SOUP
Kathryn Goldie (Director/Writer)
VCA Film & TV, Carol Gregory (Producer)

Fri 3rd Oct  • Session 2  •  RIVER OF NO RETURN
Darlene Johnson (Director/Writer/Co-Producer)
Pat Fiske (Producer)

Sat 4th Oct  • LOVE LETTERS
Nick Khoo (Director)
Peggy Yabevula (Producer)

We acknowledge and thank all our sponsors:NSW Film & Television Office, City of Sydney, JAM Directions, IndieFlix, Spectrum Films, Panavision, Tresscox Lawyers, Miller Camera Support, Atlab, Sony, Art Resistance, Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS), Metro Screen, d/Lux Media Arts, ARRI Australia, TVD Broadcast, The PHOTO Studio, iDRINX, Olive & Rose Cafe, Corban & Blair, Watershed Premium Wines, Ellenet Printers Korner, Mickey's Cafe, Chauvel Cinema, WIFT Victoria, Screenworks, Australian Director's Guild.

WIFT NSW acknowledges the support of Screen Australia for the WOW National Tour.