Budding Bendigo filmmakers will have a chance to see their production up in lights at a new short film festival.
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Writer and short film maker John Richards will present the new Bendigo Short Film Festival at The Engine Room in View Street this November.
Richards wrote the BBC radio series Night Terrace and the ABC sitcom Outland. Outland began its life as a short film that Richards made over two weekends in 2006.
"I love short film and Outland, which I directed a few years back turned into TV series. So I love what short film can do," he said.
"Bendigo doesn't have a short film festival, so I decided to apply for grant and (City of Greater Bendigo) council really got behind it.
"I'm hoping it will build and one day we can talk about having a full weekend (of films)."
The festival will feature two categories - an open category and a special Bendigo prize. The open category has an entry fee and features a $1000 judges. The Bendigo category has a $500 prize.
"In going for two sessions, I can start with something small," he said. "The open category can have entries from anywhere around world if we get them and the other is for films that Bendigo features in.
"It can be be character name, the name of street or the city but Bendigo just has to be in there.
"The idea is to celebrate Bendigo. Cities are made of cultural memories, we know places like New York and Chicago from films, so why not Bendigo?"
Films must be less than 15 minutes long and be made in the last three years. Submissions are open until November 1 with the festival being held on November 23.
"We are aiming for a 90 minute program in each session which would be about 10 films in each session. So I am kind of hoping for 50 entries so there is a good choice," Richards said.
Richards said creating good short films was all about telling a story well.
"A good short film is shorter than think will be," he said. "Short films can still be too long. So it's to do with getting a story across effectively and efficiently. There are excellent 60 second films that can be interesting and moving.
"It's about creativity not the polish. You used to need huge amounts of equipment and lights to film things and it could still look cheap now you can make a feature film on your phone. Someone even made one with the reverse camera from their car, there are so many ways to be creative."
For more information find the Bendigo Short Film Festival on Facebook or visit https://bendigoshortfilmfest.com
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