Flickerfest 2024 to Feature a Slew of Canberra Creatives!

BMA Film

Flickerfest, the celebration of snappy celluloid, is marking a triumphant 33 years with 2024’s event. In this span, the event has gone from strength to strength, taking the once-humble local gathering at Balmain High School in 1991 to its now long-established moniker as Australia’s leading Academy® Qualifying and BAFTA Recognised short film festival; one that tours the country.

“We’re always working hard to continue to present A-list short film programmes recognised amongst the best in the world,” Director Bronwyn Kidd espouses. “This year’s films have been hand-picked from the festival’s record 3,400 entries!”

And, as is pleasingly the case each year, the Thursday, 16 May showcase at Palace Electric features a slew of Canberrans proudly planting their creative flag in the cinematic landscape.

“Local Canberra highlights include To Be Silent by producer Skye Leon,” Director Bronwyn Kidd reveals.

Skye is a Lardil Yangkaal and Worimi filmmaker who grew up and went to school in Canberra. She attended Stromlo High School and Canberra College before moving to Sydney to do her Bachelor of Screen Production at AFTRS.

“To Be Silent is a thought-provoking, contemporary First Nations short documentary,” Kidd explains. It is also her graduation film from AFTRS, leaping effortlessly from the world of academia to being screened at festivals both at home and abroad.

The Canberra pride continues, showing we shine across the various vital disciplines that make up a film.

“Beautiful Things features the talents of Canberra locals Emily Taylor and Benjamin Ling who contribute hair & makeup as well as cinematography respectively,” Kidd enthuses.

The short centres on a struggling poet, a recovering addict, a resentful matriarch, and a fractured family held together by a yearly ritual. However, this year there’s an unexpected visitor…”

In addition to the intriguing story and hometown heroes, there is another compelling reason to check out Beautiful Things: it is the acting debut of former army lawyer and whistle-blower David McBride, who plays the lead.

From Canberra to the world entire, Kidd reveals the make-up of the rest of the fest.

“Highlights of the European Union films include the contemporary Netherlands black comedy and Flickerfest winner of Best EU Short I Am Not A Robot,” she says. “It’s a stunning look at the future of robotics through a woman who discovers a surprising secret through her use of captcha.

“This will be joined by the winner of the Best EU Rainbow Short at Flickerfest, the mesmerising German film Slow Down The Fall,” she continues, which sees two ski jumpers synchronously rehearse movements in the Alps valley.

“And don’t miss the unique and thought-provoking German/Danish short A Study Of Empathy, winner of the Oscarqualifying Best International Short Film at Flickerfest 2024.”

Worthy watches all, but Flickerfest wouldn’t be complete without the best that this Big Brown Land can offer.

“Australian highlights include Cold Water,” Kidd enthuses, “starring industry legend Bruce Spence (Mad Max), winner of AFTRS Best Original Script at Flickerfest 2024 and the winner of the Panasonic Award For Best Australian Short Film (Academy Qualifying) the stunning choreographic short Yeah The Boys, that takes a whimsical, hard but heartfelt look at Australian male drinking culture, beautifully enhanced by a stunning original soundtrack from The Avalanches.”

And as if all this cinematic wonderment weren’t enough, also included in your ticket price is either a complimentary Gage Roads Beer, Rosnay Organic Wine or Four Pillars Gin, which you can gleefully sip as you hear from filmmakers before the screening. 🥂