The Post caught up with the director of the Bass Coast Shorts Film Festival while he was en route from Berlin to Wonthaggi for the second festival from August 4-6.
Post: How many entries did you get for Bass Coast Shorts?
John Frohlich: We ended up with 90 film submissions and will be screening 48 films across the festival's four screenings; Friday 4 August, opening night, Saturday 5 August, afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon, 6 August.
Post: Are the local films telling local stories or generic ones?
JF: Good question. We have a number of films which have the ocean front and centre, which is not surprising given we have a Coastal Life category. Lots of beautiful underwater and coastal cinematography in a variety of stories. I think audiences will really respond to these films because of their sheer beauty and also their themes.
Post: How many entries did you get for Bass Coast Shorts?
John Frohlich: We ended up with 90 film submissions and will be screening 48 films across the festival's four screenings; Friday 4 August, opening night, Saturday 5 August, afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon, 6 August.
Post: Are the local films telling local stories or generic ones?
JF: Good question. We have a number of films which have the ocean front and centre, which is not surprising given we have a Coastal Life category. Lots of beautiful underwater and coastal cinematography in a variety of stories. I think audiences will really respond to these films because of their sheer beauty and also their themes.
We also had a high number of really high quality animations from all over the world this year and I think these are a feature of each screening.
There are films from 11 different countries which all provide an interesting insight into a world outside the Bass Coast. It's a unique chance to see independent short form films from around Australia and the world as well as to celebrate our own local talent. There are also Q&As with filmmakers, a forum where people can come and hear from successful professionals about the industry, and a meet and mingle event on Saturday evening so audience and filmmakers can chat together and network. Post: What’s your favourite/s? JF: That's a bit like asking a parent who their favourite child is! Some that spring to mind are;
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I also really enjoyed local musician Rob Lowe's Music video Did You Live a Good Life – a great song and great footage of the Bunurong Coast.
Post: Any future stars?
JF: Yeah, Marlon from Rockpool Waltz is like a David Attenborough meets Steve Irwin. He was flown to London with his film by a festival last year. I think Netflicks have already approached him with an offer.
I also think the ACT-based animators Eleanor Evans and Giovanni Aguilar (who ran an animation workshop down here last year) continue to produce impressive and fresh animations and music videos. They’ve already have been contracted by US companies like Nickelodeon.
The two Tasmanian schoolboys who made Submerged are also ones to watch.
Post: Any future stars?
JF: Yeah, Marlon from Rockpool Waltz is like a David Attenborough meets Steve Irwin. He was flown to London with his film by a festival last year. I think Netflicks have already approached him with an offer.
I also think the ACT-based animators Eleanor Evans and Giovanni Aguilar (who ran an animation workshop down here last year) continue to produce impressive and fresh animations and music videos. They’ve already have been contracted by US companies like Nickelodeon.
The two Tasmanian schoolboys who made Submerged are also ones to watch.
Post: Do you find young filmmakers already have the skills to tell a story in film? Or do they need formal instruction?
JF: I think that young people are really visually literate, much more so than their parents were at the same age. We are so immersed in visual communication these days, TV, social media (TikTok, Instagram, etc). The technology has also improved so much that short films can be made on a phone or a laptop.
However, the art of crafting a great story is a skill that not many people are really born with. You want something that captures an audience's imagination, that brings one into a world and creates characters who are credible and that we care about. Filmmaking requires thoughtful planning, good story development, people management, strong communication skills and good technical skills. These are things that need practice and perhaps structured learning.
A good example of this is that young filmmakers often shoot beautiful footage but don't pay enough attention to their sound design. A beautiful film with bad sound is never going to succeed. Another example is casting. Young filmmakers often cast their friends and/or families in roles they are totally unsuited to. A 15-year-old is never going to look like a hard-boiled world-weary detective in a noir film.
Post: How did the workshop go and were you able to engage local schools?
JF: The Wonthaggi Library ran an editing workshop which was well attended but perhaps it was too late for submissions this year. We have one under 18 submission screening and two films produced by Kids Thrive, an initiative based in local primary schools. I hope this will increase in coming festivals. We are certainly interested in collaborating with the local schools.
JF: I think that young people are really visually literate, much more so than their parents were at the same age. We are so immersed in visual communication these days, TV, social media (TikTok, Instagram, etc). The technology has also improved so much that short films can be made on a phone or a laptop.
However, the art of crafting a great story is a skill that not many people are really born with. You want something that captures an audience's imagination, that brings one into a world and creates characters who are credible and that we care about. Filmmaking requires thoughtful planning, good story development, people management, strong communication skills and good technical skills. These are things that need practice and perhaps structured learning.
A good example of this is that young filmmakers often shoot beautiful footage but don't pay enough attention to their sound design. A beautiful film with bad sound is never going to succeed. Another example is casting. Young filmmakers often cast their friends and/or families in roles they are totally unsuited to. A 15-year-old is never going to look like a hard-boiled world-weary detective in a noir film.
Post: How did the workshop go and were you able to engage local schools?
JF: The Wonthaggi Library ran an editing workshop which was well attended but perhaps it was too late for submissions this year. We have one under 18 submission screening and two films produced by Kids Thrive, an initiative based in local primary schools. I hope this will increase in coming festivals. We are certainly interested in collaborating with the local schools.
Post: Do you expect Bass Coast Shorts to develop a distinctive flavour?
It would be wonderful if it becomes a distinctive event with a unique flavour. We have a range of categories and awards designed to capture the interest of independent filmmakers and storytellers. Being reasonably close to Melbourne and located in a beautiful coastal region I think we have a strong foundation from which to build ourselves into something unique, cool and interesting. I think the next step is to bring in more local participation and partners. I'd love to see more young people help to organise the event so it becomes a vibrant and sustainable part of our creative culture.
I hope the festival will stimulate local filmmaking and love of independent cinema in the region. We have long-term plans to invest in more partnerships and skills development workshops. We are looking forward to working with Bass Coast Shire and other key stakeholders such as local schools, the Wonthaggi library, South Coast FM and Wonthaggi Theatre Group to build momentum and interest.
Next year we will be able to run screenings at the new venue in Cowes too and that will open up new audiences for us.
Post: How good is the Wonthaggi cinema?! (That’s half a question, half a statement!)
JF: Wonthaggi cinema is great but Wonthaggi also needs a full-time cinema or screening venue so that cinema culture can be fostered and developed. It is hard to not have weekly screenings available, so I'm hoping something will happen at the old McBride campus and we can see films every week, festival films, arthouse films, world cinema, old classics etc. Local filmmaking will blossom when local audiences can regularly come and see films of all types.
Post: Anything to add?
JF: Thanks to Dave Burrows and his team at the shire for their support and our sponsors and partners for helping us to make the festival possible. We are just emerging but with support I really believe Bass Coast Shorts will make a strong contribution to the creative and artistic life of our community.
It would be wonderful if it becomes a distinctive event with a unique flavour. We have a range of categories and awards designed to capture the interest of independent filmmakers and storytellers. Being reasonably close to Melbourne and located in a beautiful coastal region I think we have a strong foundation from which to build ourselves into something unique, cool and interesting. I think the next step is to bring in more local participation and partners. I'd love to see more young people help to organise the event so it becomes a vibrant and sustainable part of our creative culture.
I hope the festival will stimulate local filmmaking and love of independent cinema in the region. We have long-term plans to invest in more partnerships and skills development workshops. We are looking forward to working with Bass Coast Shire and other key stakeholders such as local schools, the Wonthaggi library, South Coast FM and Wonthaggi Theatre Group to build momentum and interest.
Next year we will be able to run screenings at the new venue in Cowes too and that will open up new audiences for us.
Post: How good is the Wonthaggi cinema?! (That’s half a question, half a statement!)
JF: Wonthaggi cinema is great but Wonthaggi also needs a full-time cinema or screening venue so that cinema culture can be fostered and developed. It is hard to not have weekly screenings available, so I'm hoping something will happen at the old McBride campus and we can see films every week, festival films, arthouse films, world cinema, old classics etc. Local filmmaking will blossom when local audiences can regularly come and see films of all types.
Post: Anything to add?
JF: Thanks to Dave Burrows and his team at the shire for their support and our sponsors and partners for helping us to make the festival possible. We are just emerging but with support I really believe Bass Coast Shorts will make a strong contribution to the creative and artistic life of our community.
Bass Coast Shorts has four screenings at the Wonthaggi Cinema:
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