Seen & Heard Film Festival

Celebrating women in film

It’s very nearly a wrap…

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Tomorrow night is the closing night of Seen & Heard for 2013 and we’re ready to be shedding a tear.  Before we do though, and before our final farewell, we have another massive night ahead of us – it’s been a big year, our first with guest performers each night and our biggest range of international films.

Tomorrow will also be our biggest night of performances so far: we’ll be featuring musicians Bron Watkins and Si of Golden Orb, comic Greta Lee Jackson, magician Belladonna and band Persian Lovecake.

The Example

Alongside the talent, we’ll be screening films from the UK, Germany and Australia. We’re particularly pleased to be screening our headliner for the night, Gabi, a Puerto Rican film screened at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. A Puerto Rican saying haunts single women in their 30s: “If such a woman is not married by this time, she must be a slut, a lesbian, or a prude.” This is the story of that woman. Gabi Padilla lives a life of pleasure and independence. But after her mother’s unexpected death, she is forced to return to her rural hometown—a place where Gabi’s sensual flair is not welcome. View the Gabi trailer.

Thank you for being a part of everything so far – it’s not over yet! Come to the Red Rattler tomorrow night from 7pm to get your $15 worth.

See you tonight at Night Two!

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By Nick Gunn

The second installment of the Seen and Heard film festival takes place at the Red Rattler in Marrickville tomorrow night, and it couldn’t be more topical or timely…

  • Last Friday saw International Women’s Day celebrated across the globe.
  • The Academy Award for Best Director has STILL been awarded to a woman ONLY ONCE in the entire 85-year history of the awards.
  • The ceremony itself was hosted this year by Seth Macfarlane, whose off-colour humour raised the ire of many a feminist critic.
  • In 2011 women made up only 5% of directors in the top 250 domestic grossing films (U.S.), a 1% decrease from 2010, and almost half the percentage of women directors working in 1998.
  • 38% of films employed no women in any major productions role (writing, producing, directing, editing or cinematography.)
  • The HBO series Girls has been the must-see series of the last two TV seasons. Playing like an update of Sex and the City, but skewing towards a younger demographic, Lena Dunham’s creation has been hailed for it’s realistic portrayal of modern urban life, and for shining a spotlight on issues faced by women the big city.

Last week’s opening instalment of the festival played to a capacity audience who were experienced edgy comedy, an astonishing glass-walker, thought-provoking poetry and, of course, three amazing films that highlighted the incredible work being done by woman in film.

So don’t miss out this week: be Seen and Heard.

Starting from 7pm.

Nick Gunn has spent a great deal of his life lurking around the periphery of the arts, occasionally finding the inspiration to write on performance, film and music. Nick supports Seen & Heard because he thinks it’s about time that the other half of the story gets told.

Lynsey Miller: style in the making

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Paper Mountains 1UK filmmaker Lynsey Miller, screening three films during Seen & Heard this year, is a woman of style. Her dramatic visuals and delicate pacing make her three films a rich contribution to this year’s offerings.

We speak to Lynsey about the course she’s run as an emerging filmmaker.

After graduating I took a year out to travel before moving to London in 2007 where I began as an intern on a reality TV series, working in a pub in the evenings and weekends to fund myself.  From there I got a job as a runner on a factual show then moved into researching.

How did you come into filmmaking?

After graduating I took a year out to travel before moving to London in 2007 where I began as an intern on a reality TV series, working in a pub in the evenings and weekends to fund myself.  From there I got a job as a runner on a factual show then moved into researching.  [Read more…]