MEDIA RELEASE

CHICK FLICKS: Young Western Sydney Filmmakers Screen their Stories

Released 11 November 2009

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

Aspiring young filmmakers and film lovers are invited to the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Deerubbin Centre (1st floor), 300 George Street, Windsor on Saturday 14 November from 1pm until 2.30pm, for the launch of ‘CHICK FLICKS’ – a digital storytelling screening by young women in Western Sydney.

The event will be officially launched by Hawkesbury Mayor Bart Bassett, and will kick off with a screening of 14 mini films about young women, by young women, telling stories of what they treasure, love and hope for in today’s world.

Young women aged 11 to 25 years from the Hawkesbury participated in ‘CHICK FLICKS’ – a free community digital storytelling workshop. Two five-day workshops ran during the school holidays in 2009, the first was part of the Womens Cottage Young Women’s Mentoring Program and the second was funded by Artstart. The workshops introduced skills in new media; including digital photography, film editing, sound recording and scriptwriting, to allow participants to create their very own digital story. The aim of the project was to ignite interest and to encourage young women to learn and expand their multimedia skills and be active in their communities.

Maylei Hunt, ICE Project Co-Coordinator, says the ‘CHICK FLICKS’ program offers a fantastic opportunity for young women to learn new skills in the growing multimedia industry.

“We have seen a growing interest and identified a need for new media workshops in this region. Globally, digital stories, also called mini films, are quickly becoming the format for relaying experiences and ideas. By developing multimedia skills and harnessing their creative ability, young people can create powerful stories in a medium that appeals to the youth of today. With the increasing popularity of websites such as YouTube these workshops provide participants with the latest communication skills.

“The ‘CHICK FLICKS’ launch event presents a great opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the diversity and achievements of young women in Western Sydney.”

‘CHICK FLICKS’ participant, 16-year-old Emily Kemp, says she made a film she called ‘With Every Bar’ that told the story of her passion for music and performing.

“I have always had an interest in filmmaking and it was great to create a digital story about my interests. I think digital filmmaking is a brilliant way to collect memories and journal special parts of your life. I also love photos so was thrilled to learn about photo editing and I am now thinking about studying in that area… I’m a little nervous but also excited to share my finished film with my friends and family at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.”

The ‘CHICK FLICKS’ mini films will be exhibited at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery until 6 December 2009 and online www.ice.org.au/chickflicks following the launch.

ICE is supported by many Arts organisations enable the delivery of multimedia workshops in Western Sydney; these include Arts NSW, Australia Council for the Arts, The NSW Film & Television Office, Foundation for Young Australians and Parramatta City Council. Managed and developed by ICE, the ‘CHICK FLICKS’ project was supported by local community organisations including The Womens Cottage, Peppercorn Services Inc, Hawkesbury Skills and the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.

For more information: http://ice.org.au/newswire/chickflicks/

ICE Publicity contact: Sarah Watkins M: 0423 582 932 E: sarahwatkins3@gmail.com

 

RELATED NEWS ARTICLES

Chick Flicks Launched at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery | 17 November 2009

CHICK FLICKS Launch! | 3 November 2009

Chick Flicks: What's Your Story? | 18 September 2009