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It’s very nearly a wrap…

03.20.2013 by Lucy // Leave a Comment

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.

Categories // Uncategorized Tags // australian film, disability, documentary, film, film festival, filmmaking, glass ceiling, queer, red rattler, sexuality, short film, sydney, sydney film, terrorism, the celluloid ceiling, tribeca film festival, women and sexuality, women in film

Word of Mouth: a film competition for queer women

02.06.2013 by Lucy // Leave a Comment

Are you a queer-identifying woman whose made a film about relationships with women, alcohol & other drugs or sexuality? ACON and QueerScreen are inviting filmmakers to enter their films into a new film competition.

WOM-film-comp2

As part of this initiative, Queer Screen will host a free storytelling & filmmaking workshop. If you have filmed and need some assistance with editing, or if you are preparing to film and would like to know more about storytelling techniques – the workshop will aim to assist anyone who is interested in submitting a film. You can also get feedback on your film or idea if you are seeking it. Download the registration form from the ACON website.

We spoke to Samar Haidar from ACON about the program and the competition.

Women are often excluded in film industries – was choosing film as the medium for your campaign conscious? 

Queer female sexuality and film have a long history, once you learn where to look!

[Read more…]

Categories // Uncategorized Tags // ACON, film, film jobs, filmmaking, queer, QueerScreen, sex, submissions, sydney, sydney film, women in film

Representing queer families: Maya Newell on making GAYBY BABY

11.29.2012 by Lucy //

As the marriage equality debate rages around the world, it’s become clear that there is a voice missing from the discussion: the voice of the kids. Young filmmaking duo, Charlotte McLellan (producer) and Maya Newell (director) are revealing the untold stories of children of same sex parents with their documentary, GAYBY BABY.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_bSkBUAWrKw]

Director Maya Newell, grew up with two mothers, giving her a unique insight into the subject. “When I was a kid, I didn’t know many other children with gay parents. I would have loved to have been able to watch a film and feel that my experiences were shared. So I’ve decided to make that film.”

The filmmakers are currently campaigning to raise $100,000 via crowdfunding, which will go towards production costs including sourcing further content for the film, camera equipment, travel and accommodation, marketing, and postproduction costs, including a professional editor, grading, sound design, sound mixing and animation design. See Maya represent gaybies on QandA here.

We ask Maya about the process so far.

On what scale is this work by comparison to your other films?

GAYBY BABY is my first feature length film.  About ten times or more endurance and passion needed to pull me through.

How have you sourced your gaybies?

It has been through various processes. Lesbian circles and word of mouth – so family and friends, which got me a plethora of kids. We contacted many same-sex parenting networks for enthusiastic camera friendly families. From there it’s just casting. This is my favourite part really as I have got to sit down and share stories with so many young gaybies who often have not articulated their idea on some of the subjects we speak on.

You’ve gone from interviewing older gaybies and moved on to young children – why is that?

The film is not finished yet, so I don’t want to be too definitive about who will be in it or not – it may have both older and younger kids. I am interested in younger kids as they are often unable to articulate what it means to have a gay family, they are living it. Older kids are great to chat to for research, as we have had time to make sense of our upbringing and often have more understanding of how it has shaped and informed our identity.

You’ve been travelling Australia interviewing gaybies for this film – what has it been like making a film that so broadly covers your home country?

Well I love the diversity of Australia and I love the diversity of family so naturally travelling to find kids from all over was a winning idea.

Donations to the film can be made at: pozible.com/gaybybabythemovie

Categories // Uncategorized Tags // children of gay parents, documentary, film, film festival, filmmaking, gay parents, glass ceiling, maya newell, queer, the celluloid ceiling, women in film

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What we’re about

Seen & Heard Film Festival showcases films that have been either written, directed, produced (and/or all three) by people identifying as female. In the past, the festival has proudly screened films made by women from indigenous communities far and wide, including Australia’s many nations. We have screened films by and about women with disability. We have screened many works by filmmakers of the queer community. We have screened films from across Europe, South America, the United States and the Middle East (namely Iran), but have specialised since our initial screenings in showing local content.

We are a grassroots operation, established in 2009, working on a semi-annual basis based on resources available.

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