A documentary by Point Frederick resident Harlisha Newie-Joe has been announced as a finalist in the SF3 (SmartFone Flick Fest) Online festival for films made on smartphones.
Newie-Joe’s film, Roots, has been named as a Gala Finalist with $50,000 in prizemoney up for grabs and will also compete against two other First Nations finalists for a $7,000 prize from Dolby.
Founded in Sydney, SF3 – in which each film must be entirely created using only a smart phone or tablet – will bring a variety of films to the world through online screenings from November 5-20.
Newie-Joe, who is a student at the NAISDA Dance College, said her film is about tracing her lineage back to her ancestors (Samoan, Niuean and Torres Strait Islander).
“(I am) tracing back to the people and their journey, as they are the reason behind my existence – the blood flowing through my veins, the reason my heart beats,” she said.
“(They are) the story behind my skin, my hair, my eyes, my smile.
“I am the representation of my ancestors; I carry their stories while also creating my own.
“I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without their sacrifices, love and strength.”
Festival Co-Founder Ali Crew said smartphone film-making is refined and rough at the same time.
“That is what makes it so deeply engaging to watch,” she said.
“We are seeing these incredible stories from all corners of the earth, beautifully told and all being shot on these small and highly accessible cameras.”
The festival has attracted record-breaking numbers of entries from all over the world as it celebrates its eighth year.
SF3 received more than 300 entries this year including from new sources, such as Kenya and Nigeria where festival co-founder/director Angela Blake conducted extensive zoom masterclasses.
Other new entrants included some from China as well as host of politically-charged films from Central and South America.
As always, there was incredible work from around Australia as well as the USA, UK, France and further afield.
The Gala Finals will be held on Saturday, November 5, at the Actors Centre Australia in Leichhardt, with top Australian director of films such as Red Dog and Slim & I, Kriv Stenders, set to deliver a masterclass on November 13.
For more information, visit www.sf3.com.au.
Tickets to screenings and masterclasses are available through Eventbrite.
Source:
Media release, Nov 2
SF3