The SBS Short Film Festival will premier on SBS On Demand from September 13 – 15 showcasing 14 short films from emerging Australian creatives.
The festival will feature an array of formats, subjects, topics, and talent and cover topics such as friendship, family, culture and food, while others tackle topical issues such as Aboriginal child removals in the 1950s.
It is part of the short-form content initiative which is partnering with five of Australia’s screen agencies with the aim to increase the career development opportunities of diverse groups. The 14 films feature Australian creatives from underrepresented societies, including those from multicultural, Indigenous and LGBTIQ+ communities, and those living with disabilities.
SBS Director of TV and Online Content Marshall Heald said: “Our Short-Form Content Initiative announced last year was a promise from SBS to encourage and celebrate emerging local talent, and we’re thrilled that the initiative has culminated into the SBS Short Film Festival for SBS On Demand. These films represent Australia’s diversity and will give a platform to creatives from communities that are underrepresented in the screen sector. We’re delighted to see this festival launch in September.”
The SBS Short Film Festival runs from Friday 13 September until Sunday 15 September.
SBS provided a preview of the content for the SBS Short Film Festival below:
The festival will celebrate diversity in all its forms. Out of Range, starring Australian actor Aaron Pedersen, is about an estranged father and son who reconnect when their car breaks down on a quiet road. Other scripted films include Tribunal, about a gay man seeking asylum in Australia and the translator who is assigned to his case; Amar, the story of a Muslim woman with Down syndrome who organises the wedding of her dreams, without a groom; and Molly & Cara, a dark comedy series about the unlikely friendship between an Aboriginal student and a bigoted, elderly lady.
Viewers will be able to watch a collection of moving documentaries including Limited Surrender that follows an artist’s journey after being diagnosed with MS; Lost Daylight explores Aboriginal child removals and stolen wages, focusing on one woman’s experience of being taken and placed in the Sisters of Mercy convent within All Hallows’ School in 1950s/60s Brisbane.
Fans of bold and poignant tales will love The Loop – a comedic film about a first-time television director with Down syndrome, Lorcan Hopper, who must work with a cast that can’t quite match his level of intensity and professionalism. Monsters of Many Worlds, divided into three episodes, is a live action and animation series that explores mythical creatures from different cultures. Bananas and Flavour Swap both delve into the connection between food, family and culture.
Tasmanian productions The Small Town Drifter and Sidelines showcase drift racing and cricket, highlighting everyday Australians who are overcoming their struggles by harnessing their passion for sport. Deafinition and Lives in Action explore the first-hand experiences of a diverse cast – Deafinition takes us on a journey through the eyes and ears of someone who is profoundly deaf and Lives in Action documents a group of neurodiverse filmmakers as they interview six disabled Australians.
SBS partnered with five Australian screen agencies to bring these short films to audiences – Film Victoria, Screen Queensland, Screenwest, South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Tasmania.