THE BAND screening

The night of the cast and crew screening finally arrived!  I must admit I was very nervous.  Putting your work out there for all to see is hard and my mind was racing...what if they don't like it?  What if people don't laugh?  

I arrived early and began putting up the posters I had especially made for the night (thanks Swinburne Uni for having staff color photocopiers!), followed by a couple of vodkas.  People began arriving soon after and after a few drinks, I ushered them into the cinema.  Wow it was crowded no room to move.  I introduced the film, thanked everyone who was involved in the film, dimmed the lights and then it all began.  

It was too crowded so I sat outside with my partner and sister.   I snuck up to listen at the door several times, and was filled with glee that people were laughing within the first few minutes!  yah!

Once it was over, the two people who I work with at my straight industry job, who I thought were cool made a sudden dash for the door as soon as it was finished.  One even ran straight past me and said nothing!  Needless to say it has not been mentioned at work since!!  

When you surround yourself with such open minded people, it still shocks me that others aren't!

Luckily, there were many other great people there:  Rupert, Butch Mid-Way, Jimstar and Anthea who acted in the film all turned up.  As did lots of the crew and all the wonderful people who worked on the film for free!  

The feedback was all good and positive.  Even my brother who is usually my harshest critic thought it was great!  I knew I was on a winner when the bartender said at the end of the night that he had only heard good things, and apparently bartenders always hear the truth!

People were asking if there is going to be a sound track released because they loved the music.  Thanks to the very talented Moscow School Boy for the original composition, Sons of Lee Marvin, The Dacios and Butch Midway.  Rock 'n' Roll porn rules!

Thanks to all those who came and thanks to all those who made making The Band.

If you happen to be in France in May it is screening at the Cannes Market, I'll let you know the exact details soon.

THE BAND invited to play at the Berlin Porn Film Festival

My eyeballs are hanging out of my head, I've been up since about 4am!  Ah the joys of working a full time job and then trying to fit film making endeavours around that.  Yes I'm currently working as an editing assistant on a documentary.  Its been interesting.  While the job itself isn't very challenging, I've been learning a lot about making mainstream TV documentaries.  So all good, except for the fact I have no time to do my own film making except on weekends or at ridiculously early hours of the morning.  I'm not a night owl, really I'm a Nanna and like to be in bed by 10pm!  I'd rather get up early in the morning and work instead!

That aside, on Saturday THE BAND is having its cast and crew screening.  I'm excited!  It will be great to see everyone again...however I don't know how I feel about sitting in a cinema watching porn with a whole group of people....but I guess before VHS you had to do that.  Lets hope there aren't too many stains left on the seats! Hee hee

Mind you, I've watch the film sooooooooo many times it really isn't erotic for me anymore and I forget it contains hard core sex!

Also, big news is that the Berlin Porn Film Festival has invited The Band to screen  in October.  I would love to go and am trying to convince them that I would be a brilliant guest and could give insight into the Australian industry and my unique take on erotic!!  Keep your finger's crossed for me!

I'll be taking photos at the cast and crew screening so I'll post some next week!

Interviewing Casey, creator of cunts!

Ah Easter, time to over indulge, eat lots of chocolate and generally lay around.  All of which I have done, except the eat lots of chocolate.....okay I ate some!

However, today while everyone here froliced in the beautiful sunny autumn day, I got to interview the lovely Casey, who runs the Melbourne Craft Cartel, with Rayna Fahey. She also organizes Trashbag Rehab, which I shot at the other night where many wonderful people made cunt fling ups!

We had a nice lunch together and then proceeded to do the interview.  What could be better than spending the afternoon talking about cunts and craft!   I remembered when I first meet Casey, while filming the Melbourne Revolutionary Craft Circle in action, she was so quite and unassuming, who would have guessed behind that was a woman wanting to reclaim the word cunt and make it beautiful once more!  A truely awe inspiring woman who makes edgy craft that pushes the boundaries of good taste!

Afterwards, I shot some cut aways and must make a note for the future not to drink more than one cup of coffee before doing so...lets just say I have a feeling there is going to be some seriously shaky camera work.

I'm cutting together a montage from the cunt fling ups night and will let you all know when its up on youtube.

Shooting Cunts!

I had a great night last night shooting the first ever Trashbag Rehab, which is a craft night set up by Casey who is also part of the Melbourne Craft Cartel.  The theme last night was Cunt Fling ups. 

The turn out was huge, when I left people were still turning up.  Not bad for a cold Monday night! It amazing how craft can draw people together and I was surprised how many men also turned up, but then again they like cunts too!  One women brought her 8 year old son along who was having a great time making his own cunt.  I spoke with his mother before I left and she said he didn't actually know what it was but asked her towards the end of the night, she was very happy that her son's first encounter with a vagina was a fun and positive one!  Right on Mum!!

I got lots of great footage and I'm looking forward to interviewing Casey on Easter Monday.  You can check out her blog  !  ( Yah I finally learnt how to make links...mmm yes sometimes I'm a little slow!).

Also I caught up with Rayna of radical cross stitch, who I have already interviewed but need to do some more shooting of her prankster/ craftivism and it looks like she has more planned so I'll keep you informed of what is happening.  You can check out my award winning short of one of her crafty pranks here.

I'm feeling excited about making films again and after a brief period of trying all the usual avenues to get funding etc, I have decided to do what I have always done and go out there and do it myself.  There is more than one way to make a film and fuck if I have to wait around in this country to get money from the funding bodies I will die and never make another film again.  There is something seriously wrong with the structure and manner that you have to apply for funding, extremely restrictive and if you are like myself and have worked outside the system, they don't want to know about you!!

Rant, rant, rant, enough for today!