“Anyone can make a short film,” says John Frohlich, right, on the opening night of last year's film festival with arts officer David Burrows, left, and local filmmakers Terry Melvin and Laura Brearley. By Catherine Watson
JUST don’t suggest to John Frohlich that a short film is a second-best version of a “real” film. The director of the Bass Coast Shorts Film Festival believes short films are where the real creativity is happening these days.
What makes short films so interesting, he says, is that they offer independence. That’s precisely because they are so cheap to make – or even free.
“Anyone can make a short film these days,” Frohlich says. “You can do it on your phone, use free editing software, copyright-free music and special effects.
JUST don’t suggest to John Frohlich that a short film is a second-best version of a “real” film. The director of the Bass Coast Shorts Film Festival believes short films are where the real creativity is happening these days.
What makes short films so interesting, he says, is that they offer independence. That’s precisely because they are so cheap to make – or even free.
“Anyone can make a short film these days,” Frohlich says. “You can do it on your phone, use free editing software, copyright-free music and special effects.
“Short films are having a resurgence. Whether it’s through TikTok and YouTube and Instagram, people are connecting with one another.”
He hopes locals will take up the challenge for the Shorts Film Festival, which runs from August 4-6 in the Wonthaggi Cinema.
He hopes locals will take up the challenge for the Shorts Film Festival, which runs from August 4-6 in the Wonthaggi Cinema.
| The festival is something of a passion project for Frohlich, who has run the prestigious Canberra Short Film Festival for the past 10 years. Having taught at Wonthaggi Secondary College in the 1980s and early `90s, he returned to the town in 2019, after 25 years absence, and wondered if a festival might fly in Bass Coast. He wants to give new, emerging and established film makers an opportunity to show their films to a regional audience. In particular, he says, the festival can give a voice and a vision to people from minority groups to tell their own stories. Forty films have been submitted so far and he is hoping for many more, particularly local ones. The Bass Coast Fine Film Group is important to the festival in terms of providing an audience but, given its demographic, much more likely to watch films than make them. Which makes it very important to reach a younger demographic. |  If you’ve made a short film, or have an idea in mind, it’s time to get cracking. Entries must be submitted before May 31 for entry into competition. Full details at asff.net.au/bass-coast-shorts |
He is working with the local library service to run a workshop for emerging film makers. He also hopes to engage local schools and is reaching out to the surfing and music communities. “There is a lot of great music coming out of Bass Coast. I hope we can get more film content.”
Planning started in 2020 but we all know what happened next. So despite two years of planning, last year’s festival was actually the first, complete with a red carpet opening night and performance by renowned local musician Kuctcha Edwards, the subject of one of the local films.
Frohlich says it takes a lot of work to make a film festival work. The council has been very generous and there is good support from local film-lovers. “We want it to be self-sustaining in the future but it will take a bit of lead time. We need the festival to become part of the town’s consciousness and then we can attract local sponsors.
“If we can make this work, it will be good for Wonthaggi because it indicates this is a place that values the arts.
His Canberra connection is important to the success of the local festival. Over 600 films were submitted for this year’s Canberra festival and he’s drawn on some of those for the Bass Coast festival.
“We’re catering for different audiences. Canberra’s a city of over 350,000 with a healthy arts community and a lot of local film makers submitting works.
“That’s not so much the case in Wonthaggi yet but that is one of the ambitions for the festival, that we will encourage many more local film makers.”
Planning started in 2020 but we all know what happened next. So despite two years of planning, last year’s festival was actually the first, complete with a red carpet opening night and performance by renowned local musician Kuctcha Edwards, the subject of one of the local films.
Frohlich says it takes a lot of work to make a film festival work. The council has been very generous and there is good support from local film-lovers. “We want it to be self-sustaining in the future but it will take a bit of lead time. We need the festival to become part of the town’s consciousness and then we can attract local sponsors.
“If we can make this work, it will be good for Wonthaggi because it indicates this is a place that values the arts.
His Canberra connection is important to the success of the local festival. Over 600 films were submitted for this year’s Canberra festival and he’s drawn on some of those for the Bass Coast festival.
“We’re catering for different audiences. Canberra’s a city of over 350,000 with a healthy arts community and a lot of local film makers submitting works.
“That’s not so much the case in Wonthaggi yet but that is one of the ambitions for the festival, that we will encourage many more local film makers.”