18–20 JULY 2014 - Melbourne WebFest

18–20 JULY 2014
CONTENTS
Welcome by the Festival Director
4
Official Selection
6–13
Second Look
14–15, 18
Screening Schedule
16–17
Workshops
20–21
Melbourne WebFest Internship Program
24
The MWF Jury
25
Credits & Special Thanks
26
Official Partners
27
Opening Night
28
Industry & Professional Development Day
29
Second Look
29
Official Selection
30
Gala Awards Night
30
Ticket information
31
Venues
31
Access31
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© Melbourne WebFest
3
WELCOME
Three decades ago, American computer pioneer Grace Hopper
famously said she found that “humans are allergic to change.”
In opposition to the “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way”-mentality,
she set a wall-clock in her house to run counter-clockwise.
Steinar Ellingsen
Festival Director
It is easy to argue that web series creators display a similar
ethos. To say that we find ourselves in a disruptive moment in
time is fast becoming a cliché, but it’s true nonetheless. Where
big media are unable and/or unwilling to adjust and accept
that change is now the only constant in the industry, web series
creators have emerged and are fast establishing themselves as
entrepreneurs and innovators who are challenging the norms,
breaking the rules, and rewriting them.
Melbourne WebFest works to celebrate and honour this spirit,
and to provide exposure for creators who excel by pushing the
boundaries, making their own luck, and paving the way for the
next generation of screen producers in this rapidly growing
global movement that we call web series.
As web series are growing, festivals have to grow with it. When
we announced our inaugural festival in early 2013, there were
four international festivals in the world dedicated to web series.
Now, a year later, that number has grown to 27. In its inaugural
year, Melbourne WebFest was one-day event. This year our
program stretches over a whole weekend. We are screening 52
series from 13 countries. 32 of these — our official selections —
are nominated for a total of 14 awards.
We are excited to have entered into an alliance with our
partner festivals in LA, Marseille and Rome, creating more
opportunities, exposure and experiences for our creators. And
as our program has expanded we are thankful for the good
will, and the help and appreciation we have received from
everyone, from our partners and sponsors, through to the web
series creators, our amazing interns, and the audience.
Congratulations on the
2ND ANNUAL
MELBOURNE WEBFEST
Michael Ajakwe Jr.
Founder, LAWEBFEST
VISUEL2014-148x105:Mise en page 1 03/07/2014 09:56 Page 1
MA R S E I L L E
W E B
FE S T
Festival International de la Web-série
EDITION 4#
17 & 18 OCTOBRE 2014
WTC MARSEILLE PROVENCE
We hope you enjoy the second of edition of Melbourne
WebFest!
www.marseillewebfest.org
4
5
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
32 series from 12 countries are represented in our 2014 Official
Selection. These series are automatically nominated for our
awards. Melbourne WebFest acknowledges web series and
creators, cast and crews with a total of 14 awards in 2014:
Best Comedy, Best Drama, Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Best Suspense/
Thriller, Best Non-Fiction, Best Director, Best Cinematography,
Best Editing, Best Screenwriting, and Best Actor or Ensemble.
Further, there are four special awards; People’s Choice Award,
Outstanding Diversity Award, Grand Jury Award and the
‘iview’ award.
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
Aeternus
A team of agents tracks a serial killer with
supernatural abilities, opening the door to
a conflict that runs deeper than they could
have imagined.
2013 Atlanta Webfest, Best Scifi/Fantasy Nomination
2014 LA Webfest, Official Selection
AsapSCIENCE
AsapSCIENCE is an educational and entertaining
resource for curious minds of all ages, to
understand the science in their own lives.
SCI-FI/
Canada
Creator(s)
Rachel Langer
Derek Langer
Producer(s)
Derek Langer
Daniel Kilby
Rachel Langer
NON-FICTION
Canada
Creator(s)
Mitchel Moffit
Gregory Brown
Producer(s)
Mitchel Moffit
Gregory Brown
WINNING PRIZES
The winner of the Grand Jury Award receives all-expenses
paid trips to LA WebFest and Marseille WebFest in 2015,
with automatic entry and nominations in both festivals,
in addition to automatic entry and nominations in Rome
WebFest in September this year.
Asset
An everyday guy is recruited by the CIA to
infiltrate an arms dealer’s household so they
won’t see him coming. Only love gets in the way.
All Award Winners will receive free access to Lynda.com,
and an exclusively designed trophy for MWF 2014.
“A 3D FORM CONSTRUCTED
OF PIXELS, THIS OBJECT
EMBODIES A DIGITAL
REVOLUTION ACROSS OUR
SHARED CREATIVE PURSUITS,
AND A TRANSFORMATION OF
TRADITIONAL MEDIA INTO A
NEW ERA.”
The award statues are designed & constructed locally by
Industrial designer Jack Martinich, conceptualized with Batch
Studios, a Melbourne based creative collective in Docklands
specializing in digital fabrication design.
6
Canada
Creator(s)
Charles Barangan
Matthew Carvery
Producer(s)
Matthew Carvery
Vanessa Chiara
Jonathan Robbins
The People’s Choice winner will receive a $1,000 prize.
The winner of the iview Award will be offered a licensing
agreement with iview.
SUSPENSE/
Bleak
A comedy about rebuilding your life in a home
that’s falling apart.
Melbourne AUS
Creator(s)
Kate McLennan
Kate McCartney
Producer(s)
Tamasin Simpkin
Blood Brothers
Blood Brothers is about an educated young
African American, Rube, forced to hustle and
survive on the streets. Rube has been put
between a rock-and-a-hard place, trying to help
someone he loves, but being dragged down by
someone he looks up to.
DRAMA
USA
Creator(s)
Jamie Nieto
Producer(s)
Jamie Nieto
2013 Bronze Lens Film Festival Best Webseries Nomination
2014 San Diego Black Film Festival Best Webseries Nomination
2014 Rome Web Fest Best Webseries Nomination
2014 LA Webfest Best Webseries Nomination
7
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
Caper
The alter egos of a team of superheroes turn to
a life of crime to make ends meet.
Libres
USA
Creator(s)
Amy Berg
Mike Sizemore
Producer(s)
Pete Dress
Conversations with my 2-year-old
Actual conversations with my 2-year-old
daughter, as re-enacted by me and another
full grown man.
Canada
Creator(s)
Matthew Clarke
Producer(s)
Matthew Clarke
David Milchard
Chris Avery
Darshan Rickhi
Seven young people decide to leave the city to
start a new life in a deserted village. They will
have to analyze and rethink some paradigms
of human beings: hierarchies, sustainability, etc.
In spite of their good energy, this wont be an
easy task.
2013 Girona Film Fest Best Drama and Best Direction
2014 LA Web Fest Best Actresses (Nahia Laiz, Carmen Gimenez)
2014 LA Web Fest Best Support Actor (Antonio de la Fuente)
2014 LA Web Fest Best Photography
2014 Rome Web Awards Nominations: Best Drama, Best Season,
Best Cast, Best suporting actor (Juanjo Artero), Best story.
DRAMA
Spain
Creator(s)
Alex Rodrigo
Producer(s)
Alex Rodrigo
Beltrán Stingo
M.J. Caballero
Low Life
The modern world is a scary place – suffocating,
fractured, and alienating. On the surface, Jef is
a regular guy. He’s good looking, charming, and
funny. He also has a good job and a beautiful
girlfriend. But he just doesn’t feel right. And
he’s not sure what to do about it. Low Life is
a comedic and heartfelt series which looks at
depression through Jef’s eyes.
USA/Australia
Creator(s)
Luke Eve
Adam Grossetti
Producer(s)
Luke Eve
Doobie Nights
Doobie Nights is a web series based on the
weed experiences had by friends Jim and Jam.
Melbourne AUS
Creator(s)
Jim Vlahopoulos
Sam Warren
Producer(s)
Jim Vlahopoulos
Fasateen
Fasateen (Dresses) follows the lives of three very
different Beiruti women. Meet Aliya, a single mother;
Lama, the bored, flirtatious housewife to a rich
husband; and Karma, a single career woman with a
secret. Fasateen – because life isn’t a dress rehearsal.
2013 Marseille WebFest Grand Jury Award
DRAMA
Michel Galand, famous novelist, invites five
friends for dinner. He prepared everything: good
wine, small presents for everyone, a good meal
and… his suicide as dessert. But the events do
not turn out as the writer had planned.
2014 NY Festivals Best online Entertainement Program
2013 Hollyweb – Best Action/Thriller/Horror
2013 Hollyweb – Best Directing
2012 Numix – Best Webseries Nomination
2012 Banff Rockies Awards – Nomination Best Webseries Fiction
Producer(s)
Katia Saleh
Czech Republic
Creator(s)
Zdenek Holy
Producer(s)
Jana Bebrova
Canada
Creator(s)
Ghislain O’Prêtre
Producer(s)
Isabel Dréan
Simon Côté
Noirhouse
A hard-boiled detective, sultry femme-fatale,
and a sentimental Russian thug share a house
in present day suburbia. They would have killed
one another already, but the dead don’t pay the
rent.
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Writing
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Female Performance
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Ensemble Cast
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Costume Design
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Production Design
Often Awesome the series
A web series about Tim and Kaylan‘s battle with
ALS. Its a story about love, friends, strength
and courage.
2010 LA Web Fest Outstanding Documentary Series
2011 LA Web Fest Outstanding Reality Series
2012 LA Web Fest Outstanding Documentary Series
2012 Audience Webby Award – Best Web Series
2012 Vimeo Award – Best Web Series
8
SUSPENSE/
Lebanon
Creator(s)
Mounia Akl
Cyril Aris
Laydies and Genitalmen
Marta and Pavel are the best friends. Matra
is lesbian and Pavel is fond of lesbians. Well,
maybe a bit too fond…
Manigances
Hobart, Australia
Creator(s)
Sky Machine
Producer(s)
Shaun Wilson
Nathan Spencer
NON-FICTION
USA
Creator(s)
Andy Coon
Blake Faucette
Producer(s)
Andy Coon
Blake Faucette
9
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
Polaris
Milo is a scientist stranded on an irreparably
damaged space station – no communications &
only the AI, Donna, for company… losing hope
of ever being rescued. It all changes when a
starship arrives, its crew having run into trouble
of their own…
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
SCI-FI/
Canada
Creator(s)
Emma Peterson
Producer(s)
Emma Peterson
Shadow Bound
Jack Pickman returns home after the death
of his father and discovers evidence that his
father‘s last case may have been to blame for
his death. He soon finds himself in a race to save
the world from an ancient evil lying within the
shadows.
2014 IAWTV Awards – Best Cinematography Nomination
Project-M
Four astronauts have to stay 1000 days in a
space station around Earth in order to prove
that a trip to Europa, one of Jupiter‘s moon,
is possible. The experience goes well until
something happens on earth.
LA Web fest: Outstanding Cinematography
LA Web fest: Grand Prize Winner
Revolution
After having survived the Colombian guerilla
warfare, Christian Marscia returns home
confronted by an unrecognizable life in Rome,
torn to pieces by power struggles to take
control of illegal drug trades.
2012 Trailer film Fest Official selection
2013 RWF Best production Award
2013 RWF Best Art direction and Best Costumes Award
2013 RWF People‘s Choice Award
2013 Roma location Award
#SamoKažem (Just Saying)
They come from neighboring countries but
only rarely and unwillingly these borders are
inter-crossed. Sharing the same dreams, fears,
prospects and starting points, without a chance
to talk about them. This is a story of how they
became friends.
2013 Satellite Award, Los Angeles. Nomination for Original
Short-Format Program.
SCI-FI/
Canada
Creator(s)
Mario J Ramos
Julien D. Jolin
Eric Piccoli
Producer(s)
Marco Frascarelli
Roberto Mei
Eric Piccoli
DRAMA
Italy
Creator(s)
Gianluca Della Monica
Producer(s)
Revolution club
DRAMA
Serbia
Creator(s)
Fond B92
South East of Reason
Life of a teenage girl Andrea seems to be just as
ordinary as everyone else‘s, until one moment
when she finds herself far, far away from
everything she knows... Her clandestine ancestry
hides an explanation why she the hope of entire
civilizations.
Stories of Bike
Exploring the relationship between custom
motorbike and owner, their history and the
reasons they ride.
2014 Outstanding Non-Fiction
2014 Outstanding Director
2014 Outstanding Cinematography
2014 Outstanding Original Music
Talent Freaks
Talent Freaks don‘t confine themselves to just
one idea or medium. They embrace mistakes
and accept flaws, working through the entire
process and moving out of their comfort zone
to create something truly remarkable.
Producer(s)
Tuna Fish Studio
Fond B92
SUSPENSE/
USA
Creator(s)
Nathan Shelton
Producer(s)
Nathan Shelton
Kevin Keppy
Dan Smiley
SCI-FI/
Croatia
Creator(s)
Ratimir Rakuljic
Producer(s)
Ratimir Rakuljic
NON-FICTION
Sydney AUS
Creator(s)
Cam Elkins
Producer(s)
Cam Elkins
NON-FICTION
USA
Creator(s)
Andy Coon
Producer(s)
Andy Coon
Teatro x WIFI (Drama on WIFI)
Sin Vida Propia
A Spanish web series about a group of thirtysomethings who don’t know what to do with
their own lives, while it laughs about the Spanish
economic crisis throughout the stories of six
particular characters.
BEST FOREIGN at Vancouver WebFest
3 awards at LA Web fest: Translated Comedy, Best Lead Actress
and Grand Prize du Marseille Webfest.
Rome Web Awards (3 nominations, including best comedy),
Girona Film Festival (nomination: best comedy 2013 and 2014),
Austin Web Fest 2014 Official Selection
Marseille WebFest 2014 Official Selection
10
Spain
Creator(s)
Ana Ramón Rubio
Producer(s)
Miguel Cañizares
Nowadays everything can be done online, also
take drama lessons. An experienced teacher
will be in charge of this crash course via WIFI.
Through their webcam viewers will become true
experts as hollywood professionals have done.
2013 Winner of Bienal de Arte Joven de Buenos Aires
Argentina
Creator(s)
Damian Valgiusti
Alejandro Chaluat
Patricio Costa
Agustin Kazah
Paula Magnani
Lucila Presa
Producer(s)
Rueguet Films
11
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
The Family Closet
When two cops, from Europe and investing on
a case, are kidnapped, they will discover that
the enemy isn‘t the kidnappers but their past.
2013 LAWeb Fest Best Music
2013 HollyWeb Festival Nominations
2013 WebProgram Festival International
(La Rochelle FRANCE) Nominations
The Horizon Series
AJ embarks on an open relationship with Saxon,
while Jake, Millie and Wilma discover Micky
is working as a gay rent boy. Wilma Bumhurt
ends up in hospital which forces an unexpected
visit from Mummy Drearest, who runs away just
before Wilma wakes up.
2014 LA WEBFEST Offical Selection – Series 2
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2014
DRAMA
France
Creator(s)
Nicola Centonze
Producer(s)
Nicola Centonze
DRAMA
DRAMA
White Lines
When an AFL team is torn apart by the arrival
of a bad ass forward, the ensuing tumult forces
a young rookie, a grieving coach, a weary club
champ and a wayward star to discover winning
the ultimate prize in football means risking
everything in life.
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Sound Design Winner
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Drama Nominee
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Actor Jesse Richardson Nominee
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Ensemble Cast Nominee
2013 Australian Webstream Awards Best Scriptwriting Nominee
Sydney AUS
Wimpole Street Creator(s)
Boaz Stark
Adam Jones
A Victorian-era mystery mockumentary set in
1870s London. In a series of fly-on-the-wall style
interviews, an unseen journalist interviews the
Miller household concerning the disappearance
of Mr. John Miller M.P.
Producer(s)
Brian Cobb
Brisbane AUS
Creator(s)
Jesse Richardson
Producer(s)
Jesse Richardson
Michael Puccini
UK
Creator(s)
Caitlin Shannon
Producer(s)
Rhiannon Oliver
Caitlin Shannon
The Justice Lease
A superhero comedy series featuring the
real-life versions of Superman, Batman,
Aquaman, and The Hulk as they struggle to
live together in an Australian sharehouse. Here,
they are defeated not by super-villains and
natural disasters but by endless bickering over
popularity and the weight of their domestic
obligations.
The Wakefield Variation
Wakefield is hiding in a small flat, after having
decided to vanish years before. He keeps spying
on his ex girlfriend using bugs and hidden
cameras, in a sort of twisted social experiment.
Time goes by in a flow of memories, thoughts,
and loneliness.
2014 LA WEBFEST – Official Selection
Wastelander Panda
Wastelander Panda is a post-apocalyptic series
about Arcayus – the last mutant panda of the
Wasteland, and Rose – a human girl raised by
Arcayus‘ brother, Isaac. Together, they set out
on a journey of redemption, seeking to avenge
Isaac‘s death.
2013 South Australian Screen Awards, Emerging Producer of
the Year Award Kirsty Stark for Wastelander Panda
2013 Australian Society of Cinematographers (SA&WA) Gold
Awarded to each episode
Sydney AUS
Creator(s)
Jeremy Brull
Paul Michael Ayre
Producer(s)
Erasmo Raimundo
SUSPENSE/
Italy
Creator(s)
Gianluca Olmastroni
Alessandro De Nicola
Producer(s)
Alessandro De Nicola
SCI-FI/
Adelaide AUS
Creator(s)
Victoria Cocks
Producer(s)
Kirsty Stark
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03 9188 4242
www.thewhiteroom.net.au
12
13
SECOND LOOK 2014
SECOND LOOK 2014
An additional 20 have been selected for our ‘Second Look’
category. While the Second Look series are not nominated for
any awards, they will be screened as part of the festival program,
and the screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the creators.
Acting Dead What if your acting career had taken a turn for the
worse and your only option to get cast in one of the
ever growing popular zombie-based TV shows and
movies was to...actually become one?
Sometimes smart, often silly, a little rude and a lot
awkward, Flat3 follows Lee, Jessica, and Perlina as
they try to “figure out who they are, what they’re
doing in this life, and whose turn it is to buy toilet
paper”.
Creator(s)
Brian Beacock
Producer(s)
B. Beacock,
S. Bernhardt, P. Nygro
FUTURE DUCK! SENT from a war-torn FUTURE,
that’s like The Terminator, but with DUCKS! NOW,
he lives in a HOUSE with a T-Rex, a Whale, and an
English Muffin! And they like... do stuff and whatever!
YEAH!
Creator(s)
Jonathan Schuster
Follows a group of friends during their first summer
out of high school, as they deal with the sudden and
unexpected tragic death of a close friend.
Creator(s)
Matthew Smolen
Guillotine – a charm cut from Marie Antoinette’s
guillotine gets into the hands of two beauty pageant
contestants.
Producer(s)
Matthew Smolen
Shane Savage
Invader – When residents at the motel become
suspicious of alien activity, a sci-fi writer becomes
the target.
Melbourne AUS
Destroy the Alpha Gammas El Gran Dia de los Feos
(The Great Day of the Ugly Ones)
In the future, society lives under a dictatorship
that imposes strict beauty standards. People not
beautiful enough are prosecuted and exterminated.
It’s a perfect world for the cute ones, but hell for the
ugly ones, who plan to destroy the system.
Hunter n Hornet USA
Creator(s)
Leah McKendrick
SCI-FI/
Spain
Creator(s)
Nabil Chabaan
Producer(s)
Manuel Rojas
14
UK
Creator(s)
P. Cope, H. Dalton
Producer(s)
P. Cope, H. Dalton
Melbourne AUS
Creator(s)
Sam Hamilton
Hunter n Hornet is a comedy series about two
wannabe pick up artists called Cade and Sade, who
later become Hunter n Hornet. They lead lives devoid
of women, but are desperate to change that. Their
plans constantly go awry, as they dedicate themselves
to perfecting dating science...on each other.
SCI-FI/
USA
Creator(s)
Ricky Hess
Producer(s)
Debbie Hess
SCI-FI/
Sydney AUS
Creator(s)
Sonny Vrebac
Producer(s)
Sonny Vrebac
It’s a Dole Life ‘It’s A Dole Life’ follows seven out-of-work
Australian’s, brought together by their attendance
at weekly JobQuest meetings. Their outrageous
tribulations are laid bare as they search for security,
soul mates, stardom and the odd Stilnox hit...
Sydney AUS
Creator(s)
G. Dewhurst & S. Flynn
Producer(s)
Angela Crilley
Kid’s Town Esther’s Style
Esther’s Style is a six-episode web series where each
one shows the view of a different character from the
same event: the death of Esther, owner of the beauty
center where the story takes place.
Producer(s)
Kerry Warkia
Producer(s)
Sam Hamilton
Horror Hotel Chris & Josh
Destroy the Alpha Gammas is a musical comedy
centered around two sororities at war. Driven by
today’s biggest pop hits, the not so popular Delta Pi
house vows to take down the Alpha Gammas who
have terrorized them for years.
Creator(s)
R. Liang, JJ. Fong,
P. Lau, A. Xue
Greenstick
Melbourne AUS
Producer(s)
Andy Matthews
Evan Munro-Smith
Unbeknownst to them, Chris and Josh are stuck in a
co-dependent relationship. As they attempt to form
new relationships, their friendship somehow always
manages to sabotage any ventures, forcing the two
back together again.
Sydney AUS
FUTURE DUCK! USA
Bulk Billing Socialised Medicare means that anyone can go to
the doctor for free whenever they want. Including
Jonathan Schuster.
Flat3
Argentina
Creator(s)
Pedro Levati
Producer(s)
Martín Lapissonde
Manuel Castiñeyras
12 year old Brian Russell is the new kid in town, again.
He finds himself tangled in the strings of small town
politics when he clashes with the Mayor’s son and the
Librarian’s daughter.
Canada
Creator(s)
Tomas Street
Producer(s)
Jeff Knoll
Continues on page 18
15
SCREENING SCHEDULE
SATURDAY 19JULY
LOOP BAR
4:30–7:30PM
SECOND LOOK
BLOCK 1
SCREENING SCHEDULE
SUNDAY 20JULY
DEAKIN EDGE
11:00AM–5:00PM
OFFICIAL SELECTION
BLOCK 1 (ACCESSIBLE SESSION)
11:00am–1:00pm
Kid’s Town
Canada
Drama
2013
Stories of Bike
Sydney, Australia
Non-Fiction
It’s a Dole Life
Sydney, Australia
Comedy
2013
Talant Freaks
USA
Non-Fiction
2013
McCracken
Sydney, Australia
Comedy
2013
AsapScience
Canada
Non-Fiction
2014
Horror Hotel
USA
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2013
Often Awesome the Series
USA
Non-Fiction
2012
Destroy the Alpha Gammas
USA
Comedy
2013
Blood Brothers
USA
Drama
2013
Flat3
Sydney, Australia
Comedy
2013
White Lines
Brisbane, Australia
Drama
2013
Greenstick
Melbourne, Australia
Drama
2013
The Family Closet
France
Drama
2012
The Adventures of Suzy Boon
Auckland, NZ
Comedy
2014
Libres
Spain
Drama
2013
Malice
USA
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2012
Revolution
Italy
Drama
2012
Meet the LadyBugs
USA
Comedy
2013
The Horizon Series
Sydney, Australia
Drama
2013
Fasateen
Lebanon
Drama
2012
Serbia
Drama
BLOCK 2
2013
Hunter n Hornet
Australia, Sydney
Comedy
2014
#SamoKažem (Just Saying)
Acting Dead
USA
Comedy
2014
BLOCK 2
Esther’s Style
Argentina
Comedy
2013
Asset
Canada
Suspense/Thriller
2014
The True Heroines
Canada
Drama
2013
Shadow Bound
USA
Suspense/Thriller
2013
Love Bytes
Australia
Comedy
2013
Manigances
Canada
Suspense/Thriller
2012
El Gran Dia de los Feos
Spain
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2013
The Wakefield Variation
Italy
Suspense/Thriller
2013
Unsinkable
Melbourne, Australia
Non-Fiction
2014
Polaris
Canada
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2013
FUTURE DUCK!
UK
Comedy
2013
Wastelander Panda
Adelaide, Australia
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2013
Bulk Billing
Brunswick, Australia
Comedy
2014
Project-M
Canada
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2014
Chris & Josh
Melbourne, Australia
Comedy
2014
Aeternus
Canada
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2012/13
South East of Reason
Croatia
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Each screening session will be followed by a Q&A with selected series creators.
2013
1:30pm–3:15pm
BLOCK 3
2013
3:30pm–5:00pm
The Justice Lease
Sydney, Australia
Comedy
2013
Sin Vida Propia
Spain
Comedy
2013
Bleak
Melbourne, Australia
Comedy
2013
Laydies and Genitalmen
Czech Republic
Comedy
2013
Wimpole Street
UK
Comedy
2013
Conversations with my 2-year-old
Canada
Comedy
2013
Caper
USA
Comedy
2014
Teatro x WIFI (Drama on WIFI)
Argentina
Comedy
2013
Doobie Nights
Melbourne, Australia
Comedy
2014
Low Life
USA/Australia
Comedy
2014
Noirhouse
Hobart, Australia
Comedy
2013
Each screening session will be followed by a Q&A with selected series creators.
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SECOND LOOK 2014
Love Bytes
Housemates Jade, Michael and Stacey are the
Neapolitan ice cream of sexuality. Young, sexy
and single, they search for love and happiness in
Sydney’s modern hetero-flexible dating scene, but
often find humiliation and hilarious misadventure.
Malice
MALICE concerns the Turner family’s supernatural
adventures in their late Grandma’s home. It’s up
to teens Alice and Abbey to solve mysteries and
survive dangers emanating from the old home.
Australia
Creator(s)
Tonnette Stanford
Producer(s)
Emma McKenna
SCI-FI/
USA
Creator(s)
Philip Cook
Producer(s)
Philip Cook
McCracken McCracken: Truck Stop. When the Boss of “Truck
Stop” Delivery Company hires the mysterious and
intimidating drifter, McCracken, his life unexpectedly
changes for the worse… much, much worse.
Sydney AUS
Creator(s)
T. Roberts & W.
Bradley
Producer(s)
T. Roberts & W.
Meet the LadyBugs
A cross between South Park and School House Rock,
the series follows The LadyBugs on their journey
toward super stardom performing educational
children’s music about grown up topics.
USA
Creator(s)
Dorothy Wallace
Producer(s)
Dorothy Wallace
The Adventures of Suzy Boon The show follows the (mis)adventures of our hero,
Suzy, who is trying to find where she belongs in this
world. Thing is, Suzy has a lot on her mind right now:
keeping her job at the Immigration Department, love,
identity; you know, the works.
New Zealand
Creator(s)
Roberto Nascimento
Producer(s)
Roberto Nascimento
Roko Antonio Babich
The True Heroines An original episodic sci-fi dramedy produced for
the web. The web-series explores the lives of three
seemingly “normal” housewives with superpowers,
as they evade the evil corporation that brought them
to be.
Unsinkable
Unsinkable: The Race To Recovery follows the journey
of injured Australian rower John Linke. He attempts
to overcome physical and mental hurdles that
threaten his dream to race at the 2014 World Rowing
Championships and 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
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Canada
Creator(s)
Giroday, Huguet, Vroom,
Sturrock & Carella
Producer(s)
N. Carella & N. Simon
NONMelbourne AUS
Creator(s)
Lachlan McKinnon
John Linke
Producer(s)
Lachlan McKinnon
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WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY 19JULY
KINDRED STUDIOS
10:30AM–3:30PM
Join us for a day of Professional Development Workshops at
Kindred Studios Saturday 19 July 2014 from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
Sandpit (Sam Haren and Daniel Koerner) will run an experience
design workshop exploring how emerging technologies can be
used to create immersive, participatory storytelling. Beatrix Coles’
(ScreenHerd) workshop will help you to engage your audience
online through outreach and social media. Steve Palfreyman will
teach you proven strategies to grow your network both online &
face-to-face.
IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING
Sandpit will run an experience design workshop exploring
how emerging technologies can be used to create immersive,
participatory storytelling. From wearable displays to
locative beacons, this workshop will explore the storytelling
possibilities within the many new technologies and platforms
around us, and how they can be used to create immersive
storytelling experiences for audiences.
Sandpit designs participatory experiences that transport audiences
into a story, fictional universe or artwork. They invite audiences to
be an active part of the experiences they create – to participate
across platforms, to create their own content engaging their
individual creativity and passion. Sandpit was founded in 2012 and
is a collaboration between Creative Directors Sam Haren and Daniel
Koerner, who between them have diverse experience in creating live
events, screen media, digital content and developing new technologies.
Sandpit has designed multiplatform extensions for feature films 52
Tuesdays, The Boy Castaways, a campaign for Hopscotch’s release of
feature film Now You See Me, and has directed an interactive audio
tour experience I, Animal for Melbourne Zoo. Sandpit is currently
working with Penguin Books on an interactive phone booth project,
and Windmill Theatre on their forthcoming performance, and feature
film, Girl Asleep.
WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY 19JULY
KINDRED STUDIOS
10:30AM–3:30PM
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT, OUTREACH AND SOCIAL
MEDIA
Beatrix Coles’ ScreenHerd helps filmmakers and content creators
to engage their audiences online through outreach and social
media. The aim of this workshop is to upskill practitioners in this
area. The focus is on how you can build
and leverage your web presence (website, social media, content
strategy) to support upcoming productions, crowdfunding
campaigns and sell directly to your audience.
Beatrix has a working background divided across theatre production,
event production, television, film, and festivals. Beatrix runs ScreenHerd
– a consultancy that provides social media support and online audience
engagement to screen projects. She has previously worked for
organisations including the London Film Festival, the Edinburgh Film
Festival, Film Victoria, the Australian Performing Arts Market and the
37°South Market at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
She is passionate about new distribution techniques, crowd funding
and Saturday Night Live and can be found discussing all of these at
@beatrixcoles.
HOW TO WIN FANS & GROW YOUR CREATIVE NETWORK
WITH PROVEN COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Learn proven strategies to grow your network both online &
face-to-face with Steve Palfreyman. With simple communication
& marketing techniques you’ll be able to easily position yourself
and pitch your work to the right people. You will walk away
with your own 15 second pitch which you can use to grow your
network here at Melbourne WebFest and beyond; regardless of
your exact role in the creative industries.
Steve works with creative people who want to turn their passion into
their career. He helps them to grow their network & fan base so that they
can become more attractive to industry & media, with the aim of making
money from what they love.
In 2013, Sandpit spoke at Transmedia Hollywood in Los Angeles,
and in 2012 spoke at Arts Participation Incubator’s ‘Technologies for
Participation’ Seminar at MONA. Sandpit has been part of Screen
Australia’s Multi-Platform Clinic, and Screen Australia and the Australia
Council for the Arts’ Hive Lab during the 2012 Melbourne Festival.
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La Trobe University is proud
to be the principal learning
partner of Melbourne
Study Arts and Communications at
La Trobe to gain hands on industry
experience with organisations like the
Melbourne WebFest
Find out more
1300 135 045
CRICOS Provider 00115M
latrobe.edu.au/webfest
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MELBOURNE WEBFEST
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Melbourne WebFest provides an innovative
internship program to students in the area
of Marketing, Film, Digital Communication
and Journalism. This three-month intensive
internship program gives an intimate group of
students the opportunity to learn the ins-andouts of creating a successful festival.
Our interns put theory to practice and
immerse themselves in real-life experience
of
events management. The MWF internship
program aims to prepare our students
for a smooth transition into professional
careers. We are proud to announce La Trobe
University as our dedicated learning partner.
MEET THE JURY
THANK YOU TO OUR
WONDERFUL JUDGES
Angie Black is a multi-award winning filmmaker who graduated from VCA, Film and TV with a number of
short films that screened at festivals both nationally and internationally. In 1999 she was a recipient of Film
Victoria’s ‘Independent Filmmakers Fund’ for directing the award winning short film Bowl Me Over (2000).
Having won best comedy at the St Kilda Film Festival in 2001, Black was quickly snapped up as a television
commercials director where she honed her skills as a succinct storyteller and performance director. After
this stint in commercial work, she moved into academia where she was able to undertake a practice-based
research project, thesis and a speculative fiction screenplay for her MA in Media. She currently lectures in
media production at La Trobe University and is undertaking a larger creative research PhD film project in
Media that investigates alternative film practice and form.
Antony Ginnane was born in Melbourne and has produced 63 feature films, MOW’s and miniseries: 23 as
producer and 42 as executive producer over 40 years including “Patrick” (1978), “High Tide” (1987), “The
Lighthorsemen” (1988), Screamers (1995), Mesmerized (1986), and in 2011 “Last Dance” and 2013 “Patrick”.
His distribution company, IFM World Releasing Inc. has a library of over 150 feature films and TV movies.
His Australian production companyFG Film Productions (Australia) Pty. Ltd. is developing a slate of
productions for Australia for 2015/ 2016. He was President of SPAA from 2008 – 2011, attends the major
world markets and is based in Los Angeles and Melbourne.
Beatrix Coles runs ScreenHerd – a consultancy that provides social media support and online audience
engagement to screen projects. She has previously worked for organisations including the London Film
Festival, the Edinburgh Film Festival, Film Victoria, the Australian Performing Arts Market and the 37°South
Market at the Melbourne International Film Festival. She is passionate about new distribution techniques,
crowdfunding and Saturday Night Live and can be found discussing all of these at @beatrixcoles.
Adriana Rastocic
PR/Marketing
Adrienne Gyori
Video Production
Annie Slevison
Video Production
Courtney Hoggan
PR/Marketing
Gemma Palmer
Video Production
Dr Craig Batty is a Senior Lecturer in Creative and Professional Writing at RMIT University. He is a
screenwriter, script consultant and script editor, with experiences in short film, feature film, television and
online drama. He is author of the books Screenplays: How to Write and Sell Them (Kamera Books, 2012)
and Movies That Move Us: Screenwriting and the Power of the Protagonist’s Journey (Palgrave Macmillan,
2011), and co-author of The Creative Screenwriter: Exercises to Expand Your Craft (Methuen, 2012), Media
Writing: A Practical Introduction (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) and Writing for the Screen: Creative and
Critical Approaches (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008).
Justin Halliday is an investment manager for Screen Australia’s Games and Interactive Multi-Platform fund.
Before joining Screen Australia, Justin spent over 20 years working in games development in Melbourne. He
started in the industry at Beam Software, working on titles for the original Nintendo Entertainment System,
and since then he has held roles as a designer, producer and creative director on over 20 games for
consoles, computers, and mobile platforms. Most recently, he was the Creative Director at Trickstar Games.
Georgia
Kavanagh-Dando
PR/Marketing
Directors’ Assistant
Janie Hyun
Graphic Design
Julian Gasparri
Digital
Communication
Lauren Colosimo
Digital
Communication
Lauren Dinse
PR/Marketing
Penny Wright is the content manager for ABC iview, Australia’s leading on-demand video player. One of
the key team members since the start in 2008, Penny has seen the service grow from 12 hours to over 300
hours of programming available every week. iview now has twenty million program plays every month.
Penny manages the scheduling of all ABC catch-up TV, ensuring streaming rights are acquired for all
programs. In addition she acquires a slate of ‘iview exclusives’, programs selected especially for the online
audience, often made for distribution online.
Peter Castaldi has worked in film journalism, exhibition, distribution, production and marketing for all of his
professional life. He is one of the country’s most highly experienced festival and film marketing consultants
and managers. He is also recognized as film and entertainment journalist and commentator. Since 2008
Peter has focused on consulting exclusively to Australian producers and distributors, on the release of
Australian feature films both domestically and internationally. He works in acquisitions and programming
for the OTT platform TV2GO and is currently EP and co-producer of the web-series pilot “The Stereo
Complex” for Dashboard Animals He currently files for Curved radio (2SER) and ABC 702. Peter is
acknowledged as a Cinema Pioneer.
Elizabeth Alderslade
Digital
Communication
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McDonald Emiantor
Video Production
Rachel Clayton
Digital
Communication
Richard Khouri
Video Production
Wendy Trieu
PR/Marketing
Tony Moclair began his career at community radio station, 3RRR. He has since gone on to co-host
commercial radio drive time and breakfast shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. In addition, he cocreated and co-hosted the satirical ‘Restoring the Balance’ show for Triple J. Along with Julian Schiller, he
created and performed the character Guido Hatzis, releasing two platinum selling albums of prank calls that
both received ARIA awards. Tony’s TV writing credits include: Shaun Micallef’s Newstopia and Mad As Hell,
Peter Helliar’s It’s A Date, Rove, Spicks and Specks (Series 8) and Tractor Monkeys.
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OFFICIAL PARTNERS
FESTIVAL PARTNER
LEARNING PARTNER
SESSION / SCREEN SPONSOR
PROGRAM SPONSORS
CREDITS
SPECIAL THANKS
Festival Director
Steinar Ellingsen
Andrea Makris
Director of Marketing & Sponsorship
Simone Flanagan
Fed Square
Director of AV
Alexander Hipwell
Jack Martinich
Annabel O’Neill
Ian Armet
Director of Design
Ingvill Oddsen
Jess Baker
Event Manager
Bart Mangan
Kevin Brianton
Stage Manager
Alan Macgill
Mark Civitella
Directors’ Assistant
Georgia Kavanagh-Dando
Matt Horne
Kendyl Rossi
Porcelain Pill
Matt Coldrik
PARTNER FESTIVALS
Olivia Blackburn
Renee Dudfield
Siobhan Argent
Steve Palfreyman
Founded by Ashlee Thomas, Ingvill Oddsen,
Max de Bowen & Steinar Ellingsen in 2013.
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+ all the Agency students
from La Trobe University.
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OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY 18 JULY
DEAKIN EDGE
7:00–10:00PM
Please join us as we launch the second installment of MWF. The
evening will include a complimentary drink on arrival, networking,
a keynote speaker, panel discussion, compelling screenings of
some of the best web series in the world (samples from our
official selection).
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: ENZO TEDESCHI
We are very honoured to have producer, entrepreneur and MWF alumni Enzo
Tedeschi give our keynote address in 2014. Enzo is fast becoming a household name
in the Australian screen production industry. His accolades speak for themselves and
he has established himself as someone who is “doing it right”.
Enzo co-founded Distracted Media with Julian Harvey. Their first major project was the multiple
award-winning crowdfunded feature film The Tunnel, which highlighted an innovative and
controversial model of funding and distribution with the film being
released in an Australian-first simultaneously in cinemas, and via TV,
DVD, in-flight, VOD and BitTorrent. Having reached an estimated
global audience of more than 12 million, this project saw Enzo and
co-producer / co-writer Julian named “Breakthrough Independent
Producers Of The Year” at the 2011 SPAA Awards, as well as picking
up an AIMIA award for “Best Use Of Social Media, Word Of Mouth or
Viral”, among a number of other film festival accolades.
Enzo has since produced the award-winning epic online series Event
Zero (which was an Official Selection at MWF 2013), for Movie Extra,
and the feature documentary The Crossing, directed by Julian Harvey,
which won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Sydney Film
Festival in 2013. Currently, Enzo is in post-production on Distracted Media’s online science fiction
series AIRLOCK, a Screen Australia-backed project, which he produced and co-wrote.
INDUSTRY & PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT DAY
WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY 19 JULY
KINDRED STUDIOS
10:30AM–3:30PM
Join us for a day of Professional Development Workshops at
Kindred Studios Saturday 19 July 2014 from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
Sandpit (Sam Haren and Daniel Koerner) will run an experience
design workshop exploring how emerging technologies can be
used to create immersive, participatory storytelling. Beatrix Coles’
(ScreenHerd) workshop will help you to engage your audience
online through outreach and social media. Steve Palfreyman will
teach you proven strategies to grow your network both online &
face-to-face.
For more information see pages 20–21.
SECOND LOOK SCREENINGS
SATURDAY 19 JULY
LOOP
4:30–7:30PM
20 series have been selected for our ‘Second Look’ category.
While the Second Look series are not nominated for any awards,
they will be screened as part of the festival program, and the
screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the creators.
For more information see pages 14–15, 18.
The screening schedule can be found on page 16.
PANEL DISCUSSION: “THE AUDIENCE IN 2064”
Who are the audiences of digital content? How and
where do you find them? What are the operations and
expectations of people in different areas of the industry?
Join Justin Halliday (Screen Australia), Penny Wright (ABC iview),
Daniel Koerner (Sandpit) and Mark Bonanno (Aunty Donna) for a
free-flowing chat about those elusive online audiences and how
to connect with them. Moderated by Beatrix Coles (ScreenHerd).
Live performance by
Porcelain Pill
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SCREENINGS & AWARDS NIGHT
OFFICIAL SELECTION SCREENINGS
WITH CREATOR Q&As
SUNDAY 20 JULY
DEAKIN EDGE
11:00AM–5:00PM
Each screening session will be followed by a Q&A with selected creators. See them
all, or pick the sessions that appeal to you. 32 series in all – see the BEST web series
from over 20 countries!
For more information see pages 6–13.
The screening schedule can be found on page 17.
GALA AWARDS NIGHT
SUNDAY 20 JULY
DEAKIN EDGE
7:00–9:00PM
A gala awards night, Melbourne WebFest style – frock up or just rock up – dress as
you feel. An awards ceremony with a difference – no boring acceptance speeches, no
long lists of thank yous. This is awards done right, done fun.
Hosted by Melbourne’s edgiest comedy trio, Aunty Donna. Their web series Aunty
Donna’s Rumpus Room was an Official Selection at the inaugural Melbourne WebFest
last year and is currently available through ABC iview.
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased via
Eventbrite, please go to our
website melbournewebfest.
com and follow the link.
Get one of our passes below
to experience more for less:
Industry & Professional
Development Day
Full $40 + booking fee
Concession $25 + booking fee
Industry Festival Experience
- Access All Areas
Full $90 + booking fee
Concession $70 + booking fee
Official Selection Screenings
and creator Q&As
Full $15 + booking fee
Concession $10 + booking fee
Experience Melbourne WebFest
Full $50 + booking fee
Concession $40 + booking fee
Gala Awards Night
Full $25 + booking fee
Concession $18 + booking fee
VENUES
Please join us to acknowledge and recognise the best emerging and established
talent in the ever-expanding world of web series.
AFTER PARTY AT LOOP
ACCESS
Melbourne WebFest is committed to
providing access so everyone can enjoy
the festival.
Awards include the prestigious Grand Jury Award, which will see one series creator
sent on all-expenses-paid trips to Marseille in October for Marseille WebFest, and to
Los Angeles in March 2015, for LA WebFest, with automatic entries and nominations
in both festivals.
Other notable awards include a People’s Choice Award with a $1,000 cash prize and
a special award with the purpose of recognising Australian talent. The latter award
will be presented by ABC iview, offering the winner a licencing agreement to the
platform, which registers more than 20 million views per month.
Opening Night
Full $30 + booking fee
Concession $20 + booking fee
All sessions at Deakin Edge are
wheelchair accessible.
DEAKIN EDGE
Federation Square
Cnr Swanston & Flinders Sts
Melbourne VIC 3000
+61 3 9655 1900
events@fedsquare.com
fedsquare.com
Block 1 of our Official Selection screening
will be captioned and Auslan interpreted.
(11am, 20 July Deakin Edge)
If you have accessibility requirements
that are not listed here please contact us.
SUNDAY 20 JULY
LOOP
9:00PM ONWARDS
After the Gala Awards Show, please join us at the after party!
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KINDRED STUDIOS
LOOP
212a Whitehall Street
Yarraville
23 Meyers Pl
Melbourne VIC 3000
+61 3 9687 0233
info@kindredstudios.com.au
kindredstudios.com
+61 3 9654 0500
info@looponline.com.au
looponline.com.au
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#melbwebfest