The BBFF experience

"The Confession of Father John Thomas" screened on Saturday the 5 of March in Session 3 at the Byron Bay International Film Festival. I was asked to introduce the film at the start of the screening to about 100 people who attended this session. My speech was rehearsed and edited down to a very short and sharp speech. A long time friend even commented after how succinct my intro was as she knows me to waffle on at times. the audience laughed and responded well when i said...."The inspiration for the film was back in 2004 when i made this painting of two penises kissing and ... well everything grew from there really". So that was the nail on the head..haha! After the screening i was able to collect 10 more short surveys and the overall rating was again 4.5 stars with great feedback like; "It's great to open people's minds" ; "Loved the penises/vulvas presence, I believe this type of work to free us from deeply ingrained and destructive puritanism" ; "Confronted" ; "Great twist the lesbian inside in the end". again the majority would like to see a series been made and broadcast on free digital TV and/or Buy a DVD. Slowly we are building our fan base with 101 people now liking the trailer 671 watched the trailer and 28 JT friends on facebook. It was also wonderful to attend the screen-works filmmakers gathering and i met some lovely new local filmmakers in Byron Bay and Mullumbimby. Melanie a student at Southern Cross University in Lismore conducted an interview with me on the importance of regional film festivals and filmmakers. I will follow her up and try and get a hold of the article she will produce.

I also attended a workshop by Gil Scrine, founder of Antidote Films about how video-on-demand is switching on new screens for filmmakers. He talked about setting up a new online distribution company VOD as a new and different way of your audience accessing films worldwide for a very small streaming viewing cost. He would sign a contract with the filmmakers first in some sort of 40/60 deal before the films would be distributed online. but what most intrigued me was when he was talking about the Australian film Industry labeling it a production company. He said "In Australia producers go from government funded production to production to survive and they don't know much about distribution, where as in America producers are first to discuss the audience with the filmmakers and only when the target audience for the film is identified will the production go ahead. In Australia we need to ask ourselves who decides which films get made?.......That's why so many bad films are being made in Australia, 1. because we don't consider our audience and 2. just a few people working for the government funding bodies decides which films get funding!"... Well thought through and i agreed with Gil.

Tonight is the closing night of the festival and then the focus will be on our first premiere overseas! We received an invite to submit to the Pixart Electronic Festival in Europe, which looks very exciting. oh back to the submission board!