A group of young people from the Northern Rivers will premiere their first-ever short film in Casino on Saturday 8 May, doors open 6pm.
Over the past couple of months, the six budding filmmakers from Casino, Kyogle and Lismore have been learning about scripting, casting, storyboarding, acting, directing and editing.
Healthy North Coast, which delivers the Australian Government’s PHN program locally, funded the course under its Healthy Towns initiative.
Facilitating the group, whose ages range from 13-17, has been Vinnie McManus, creative director of Short Black Films and an experienced actor and musician himself.
Mr McManus said it was wonderful to empower and enable young people to tell their stories and see them working on both sides of the camera.
‘They got right into it,’ he said. ‘They understand the opportunity and when they realise their ideas are being heard, you see them grow in confidence. That triggers thoughts about what they might like to do in the future and gives them a huge sense of themselves, their place in the world and what they can achieve.
‘You see so many young people come out of their shell. They may have all sorts of challenges going on with their home life or things they are struggling through. You try to shift something so they actually think ‘I can do that, I’m good at that’.’
The course was meant to run in 2020 but was derailed by COVID-19. Fortunately, it was able to be rescheduled, focusing solely on the creative side of filmmaking.
Participants jumped straight into the deep end and were well on the way to completing their script by the end of the first week. Much of the filming was done on location in Casino.
One of the participants, 17-year-old Chloe Eather, said she loved the ‘community’ aspect of the course and learning more about editing, which was a particular interest. She enjoyed being hands-on and seeing the film go from an idea to reality.
The collaborative effort, Lauren’s Dilemma, tells the story of a 14-year-old girl who must decide between following her dreams or trying to meet the expectations of her single father, all while dealing with her chocolate-loving and self-interested little brother.
Lauren’s Dilemma will screen at the inaugural Youth Connections Film Festival at Casino Civic Hall in Canterbury Street on Saturday. The doors open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start and entry is free.
The evening will also include short films made by young people who participated in the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre’s filmmaking workshops in 2019.
