Being tied to my computer...oh if only it was sexual too!

Yes, as you can guess from this posts title I am busy trying to knock out another draft of my telemarketing musical that is a lesbian love story called "Talk to me" before the silly season takes over and I spend too much time consuming excessive amounts of food.

I originally wrote the first draft of this film back in March 2003!! Its been sitting in my draw for quite a while but I have continued to make notes on how I would like to change it for the past 6 years. This draft is taking a very different path, but I'm enjoying taking it in a new direction, its refreshing and makes it easier to write in some ways.

I actually find writing quiet stressful and taxing. I have such a vivid imagination and can see my whole film in my head; what the characters look like, who they are, what shots I would use, how it will look, but transferring that to paper for me is painful. People have often said that if they read my scripts and then watch my films they are surprised how different they are! Sanne who was the DOP said the script for 'The Band" was cheesy and she said the main character was very bland and dull, but that the actress I cast brought another layer to it that wasn't in the script...I guess I am an actor's director. I love rehearsing my scripts with actors and seeing what works, giving them the freedom to change and shape, maybe I need to write all my scripts by just video graphing the actors work shopping it and go from there???

However, I often write my whole script or ideas in longhand...yes I'm talking about using a pen and paper. I know its old school but I find it can sometimes open up my mind and provide solutions particularly when I have writers block, or am frustrated. The other useful tool, is going off to write somewhere else. A new environment and space you can gaze out into can make all the difference.

On another note, check out this short doco Louise Lush shot of the Berlin Porn Film Festival. Also if you look back at the old posts from Berlin Porn Film Festival here you will notice I have now added some photos. Above is my hero Candida Royalle and myself at Opening night of the festival.

Enjoy and have a good silly season.

Berlin Porn Film Festival wrap up and other news!

Its hard to believe that it has been a month since the opening night of the Berlin Porn Film Festival. After my last post, my days just became a blur of interviewing some of the amazing female film makers at the festival and being interviewed myself.

Some of the highlights were meeting Ovidie for France who made a hilariously funny film called "Histories de Sexe(s)", great realistic sex scenes, excellent acting and dialogue that had me splitting my sides with laughter! She also interviewed me for a tv channel she works for in France and I interviewed her! Talk about mutual appreciation society and love!

Got to see a documentary about Petra Joy (the Joy of Porn) and her path to making erotic films, which made me realise what a unique group of women film makers where represented at the festival and how different our visions are compared to the mainstream industry! Petra also interviewed me for "Her Porn 2" which is the second in her series on women erotic film makers. She also held the Joy Award to support and encourage more women to make erotica. A film by Australian, Lousie Lush. Her film was a refreshing take on erotica and I hope this is the first of many films to come from her.

Another highlight was being interviewed for German cinephile magazine "Cinearte". Sabine, who interviewed me was well researched and a joy to talk with. So if you are in Germany I think it will be coming out in jan 2010!

While, Berlin was a crazy 6 days I got to meet so many amazing people and I can't recommend enough, despite the expense of going to an overseas festival the contacts you make face to face are priceless!

Since returning home, I have done an interview for Playboy in the Philippines! And if you speak or read french check out this article written by a lovely woman called Stephaine!

Also The Band was released on 17th November in the US! Its available through amazon and is uncut, much to my delight! While in Berlin I learnt that the R rated version of the film has been cut by 2mins!! Still haven't seen the dubbed German version yet but looking forward to having on hopefully in my hot little hand soon! Still no word on an Australia distributor, dingers, I mean fingers crossed there will be one soon!

Much to my disappointment I have also discovered someone has ripped and illegally posted an edited version of The Band online. This saddened my greatly as being a small independent filmmaker who has spent the last three year of her life working unpaid on the film, my only way of recouping is through distribution deals and actions like that stop that opportunity. So whoever you are I am disgusted by your disrespect and people like you will kill independent film makers who offer an alternative to the mainstream cinema. Basically, I think you are an arsehole and if I ever meet you would like to make you a few new ones...and that's being nice!

Opening Night of the Berlin Porn Film Festival

Oh wow! I was a little nervous before it all started, but with a glass of champagne in hand, I was whisked off to be interviewed by a queer german TV show. They put me in front of a great piece of art which was lots of different photos of colored vaginas! I have to admit though I was quite distracted as there was also a squirting video/ performance art piece playing on the wall and I kept on catching glimpses of it as they interviewed me.

It was a great night, all three cinemas were packed to the rafters and they also added in more seats! Madness. I had so much positive feedback at the end and people kept coming up to me all night, it was such a high! Yet, again I didn't sit in the theatre and watch it with an audience, but my spies told me that everyone was having a good laugh, which is what I was hoping...that people thought it was funny and sexy!

I meet some amazing women film makers, Petra Joy, Shine Lousie Huston and Candida Royalle, who I had interviewed earlier that day. Meeting Candida was thrilling. I have admired her for a very long time. I remember being about 15 or so and reading an article about her films and thought, "Wow, this woman is amazing'! And she is. I could have stayed there for hours but I had to get back and get ready for the night. Such an intelligent and sexy woman! She is so open and so willing to help other women who want to make erotic films.

This afternoon I went to get some tickets for other screenings and I meet Oli and Tat from Madrid, Spain who run an independent adult film festival in Madrid. They were so much fun and it was great to practice my spanish, I haven't laughed like that for a long time. To make it even better they have invited The Band to screen at the festival in Madrid next year!! I love Madrid and everytime I have been there it feels like home, so this blew my mind! They also asked me to recommend other Australian film makers who are making erotica or film about sex, so any of you out there reading this check out the link and send them your work! They Rock!

I'm on the jury for the short film competition here so I have to head back and sit in the dark womb of the cinema, will keep you posted with what else is happening here!

I've been trying to upload pictures but for some reason my internet connection keeps crashing!

Berlin Porn Film Festival

Well tonight is the night that The Band will open the Berlin Porn Film Festival! I would say I'm nervous but have so much to do before then, it probably won't hit me until I'm standing up in front of the audience before the film starts!

Sanne Kurz who was the brilliant DOP for the film has arrived in Berlin and we have been having a great time catching up..its like we haven't been apart but when you have such a strong creative bond with someone it is hard to lose all connection!

I went past the cinema yesterday to pick up my pass and the well organised team were putting the finishing touches on hanging artwork and putting up posters. One volunteer has travelled all the way from Ireland to come and be a part of it!

Today, I'm off to meet the German distributor, Wolfgang of Cult Movies. He is coming to do an interview with me but I'm not sure what for yet...but I guess I will find out this afternoon.

After that I have a meeting with the other jury members who will be voting on the best short films, then I'm off to interview Candida Royalle. She has been such a support for me over the years so it will be great to finally meet her in person.

Keep tuned for tomorrows post as I will have photos and stories from Opening night!

The road to Berlin!

Only 3 days to go and I will be heading off the Berlin Porn Film Festival!  I'm very excited and can't wait to see The Band on the big screen.  I was just musing the other day how conservative Australia is and the fact that if The Band was screened in public here we would be committing a crime, yet in Berlin its all fine!  Mmmmm maybe I should move to Germany.....

Also, Sanne Kurz who is a wonderful and talented DOP (director of photography) who shot The Band wasn't going to be able to make the screening as she will be off shooting in Prague. Boo hoo!  However, she contacted me yesterday to say she will be there!  YAH!  I've also got some close friend's coming from London too, so I'm guessing we will be in for some good times.

However, I will have to limit my late nights as I'm a mad woman who can't sit still, and have decided to shoot a documentary while I'm there!!  Well I figured all these amazing female film makers who are breaking boundaries and reinventing the adult genre, its too good an opportunity to miss.  I'll be interview pioneering erotic film maker Candida Royalle, Art-Core creator and award winning film maker Petra Joy, photographer and artist Emilie Jouvet from France, Fetish film maker Julie Simone; and erotic star/ cross over mainstream actress and film maker Ovidie.  Its going to be a kick arse group of women!

Can't wait.  Keep you eyes peeled here for the daily updates I'll be posting while in Berlin!

THE Band being dubbed in German!

It has been an eventful week.  I learnt that the German release of THE BAND isn't going to be subtitled but is being dubbed!  I look forward to seeing how they translate some of the Australianisms!  Lucky no one says "cracking the shits" in the film!  I always thought that was a very funny Australian turn of phrase.

Unfortunately, for the wonderful sound designer of The Band, Lachlan Mooney, had to recreate all the sounds made but the actors on set through the time consuming art of Foley.  To make matters worse they emailed me on Friday, but as I like to get away from my computer on the weekends I didn't get the email til monday and went into a state of panic because they needed it by Tuesday!  I managed to get some extra time and Lachlan did a sterling job putting it all together in such a short period ( this man is brilliant, please employ him!) ...we both have learnt lots.  At the same time being such a low budget production there was no chance in hell that we were going to be able to afford to ADR the whole film, hence I found it strange that they choose to dub the film for its German release.  I'm meeting with the German distributor, Wolfgang from Cult Movies, while I'm in Berlin, so I will ask him.

The film is the film that keeps on demanding my time.  Just when I think there is nothing else I need to do for it, something else pops up! 

I'm counting down the days to Berlin and trying to work out when I'll get time to do washing before I go,  wondering if I should get sleeping pills for the long flight, realizing its going to be stupidly cold and I need a coat I can close ( thanks Sprinkle for sorting out that one, go check out her clothes, beautiful, well made here in Australia and no sweat shop labour) and learning how to burn Blu ray DVDs for the screening at the Berlin Porn Film Festival!  Never a dull moment.

Exciting News for THE BAND!

The US DVD cover
The German DVD cover 

Sorry its been so long between entries, but I have been off gallivanting around the world; celebrating a friend's wedding in Spain, meeting my partner's family in Italy and battling through Ramadan in Morocco - but many exciting things have been happening while I've been away!

Firstly, THE BAND will be the opening night film at the Berlin Porn Film Festival. a great honour and I still can't believe it.  It makes the slaving my guts out to get the money together to go there extremely worthwhile!  So I'll be heading to Berlin at the end of October...so if you are in Berlin on the 22nd October please come and be in the audience.  I promise I will be blogging each day that I'm there to keep up to date with all the naughtiness and great erotic delights I will be experiencing!

Until then I am keeping busy subtitling the film in ....english! Yes I know that's strange but I'm guessing that due to the German's being inundated with american accents that the Australian one is quite hard to understand!

Its a rather time consuming and boring task, but I'm extremely grateful that I spent over a week creating a continuity script because all I have to do is cut and paste.  However, it is one of those tasks that you wished there was money left in the budget to pay someone else to do!  ah the joys of independent film making  you need to be multi-skilled and wear all sorts of hats!

Other exciting news is that its official Cult Movies in Germany are distributing "The Band."  From what I can gather, it looks like it is being released on 22nd October 2009, but I need to confirm this.

Also, a new company in the US called Breaking Pictures has picked up the US and Canadian rights and will be releasing it on 17th November 2009 - so keep an eye out for it!  They are backed by an Aussie, so finger's crossed they might pick up the Australia rights too!  It would be a shame never to see the film distributed here - but as I have said before we live in conservative times!

Director's commentary for THE BAND

Today, I edited together the Director's commentary that I recorded last week. It's very strange listening back to ones voice and I find that I constantly stumble over words and use the wrong ones. Some sections I want to redo but due to time restraints I have to use what is there, which is disturbing as I think of people who don't know me will listen to this jumble of words and think I don't make sense.

I'm so tired that I can't express how I feel very well....my language escapes me...and thinking back there are other stories I have forgotten to tell about the journey of making the film...like the masturbating auditioner (sic) who was quite happy to let us film him jerking off, but afterwards had second thoughts about being in the film and only wanted to if he could wear a mask! Or the horrible nasty emails I received from someone pretending to be from Family First (a right winged christian political group)...so many stories...its hard to remember them all when you are standing alone in a recording studio! Oh well.

Behind the Scenes of "The Band"

I feel like I've been push a big barrow of mud and rocks up a hill! Not really, I've just been wading through the 20 odd hours of footage that was shot by Megan Spencer to be used for "Behind the scenes." Its strange to look at the footage now that nearly 3 years have past since we shot "The Band" and brings a new perspective to the shoot. Here are some things I didn't know:

Butch Midway aka Princess was working 8 hrs at his other job before he would come on set, hence he did most of the shoot sleep deprived! What a trooper, I don't know how he did it, but thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Aer and Mike were driven crazy by having a film crew in their house for a week...okay I had some inkling of this.....thank you for putting up with it all.

How many people enjoyed working on the film and found the set very relaxed.

That lots of the clothes used in the film to dress Mia were mine and I never got them back! Obviously not that important to me, if I've only just noticed that now!

There were so many talented people involved in the film. Thank you all once again, it would have been nothing without all of you, every single one of you!

While it was hard to go through the footage and cut it down, so many "gems" of moments didn't make it, it restored my faith in how good the shoot was. There were several events that occurred after the shoot that jaded my perception of the experience so its nice to have faith restored once more and hopefully the 33mins will provide people with insight and entertainment into the journey that was the making of "The Band".

Making it HANDMADE part 4 and "The Band"

Monday was a marathon day. I returned to teaching, then after a 3 hour class headed off to see Pip Lincolne from "Meet me at Mikes". I asked her kindly if I could re-shoot her interview as she was very sick when I originally did so. She actually admitted she couldn't really remember anything about the interview, and while her answers were good, she looked unwell.

Afterwards we drank cups of tea and extensively chatted before heading off to a Brown Owls gathering. I have to admit it is a truly strange sensation pointing a camera at people you don't know and shooting footage. I always feel like I should do an official "Hi I'm Anna and I'm making a film about..." I did introduce myself but then moved around the room shooting. About half way through people started asking me questions and then the flood gates opened!

There was lots on interesting discussion about craft and female inheritance, why people sell their craft and can you actually make a living from doing so. Home baked treats filled the kitchen as people skill shared, talk about their their days and the inspirations. I wanted to put down my camera and whip out my knitting and join them. The funniest question I got asked was "Do I make craft?". I find this very strange but I guess people look at me and don't think I fit the idea of one who crafts, this was something Pip and I had discussed that afternoon, the perception of who crafts. A very interesting night, but a long one....I didn't make it home til 11pm and considering I left home at 7am, it was a very long day/night!

Today, I will finish shooting the various websites people talk about and use. Thrilling I know!!

However, I am looking forward to Thursday night as I'm off to shoot an evening of mischief with the Melbourne Revolutionary Craft Circle.

Now, I have over 13 hrs worth of footage and my hard drive is looking very full, so after this weekend I will commence post production. Firstly, I'm going to edit a teaser together, so I'll post it on youtube for all to see and I would love feedback.

On another note, its official I am off to the Berlin Porn Film Festival in October! I've raised the airfare by writing articles for various magazines men's magazines! Very exciting and it looks like quite a few ex-pat Australians will be slipping across from London to be at the screening! I've never been to Berlin so it will be great to have a few days to explore the city, unfortunately I will only be there for about 6 days and I'm hoping I can do some publicity for "The Band" and its upcoming DVD release.......more on this later!

"making it HANDMADE" part 3

Its been a packed few days of shooting.

Sunday, I meet up with Casey of Craft Cartel and Trashbag Rehad to do some "Cunt Fling ups". As Casey busily added public hair to the last few vaginas, a friend of Casey's, Tash and myself made cloth roses to represent the flower that the clitoris is!

Casey had told me she had organised a few people to come along and help throw the "cunts" over power lines but I wasn't expecting the 15 people who turned up! There is something very powerful about a group of people walking along the street together!

Flinging the cunts proved to be more challenging than what I thought and when each person finally achieved it was greeted with jubilation! An uplifting and empowering time for craft and vaginas everywhere!

Monday night, I went off and shot some footage of "Died Pretty", a trashbag rehab gathering to beautify swine flu masks. Some amazing creations and the final parade was hilariously MCed by Erin Tasmania, who made me laugh so much I had difficulty holding my camera still! I had to fight for space with a lovely woman, Claire from SBS's show "Insight" and when I arrived Casey was engaged in an interview for ABC 774...what a media whore!! hee hee

As a contrast, next Monday I'm off to shoot "Brown Owls" with Pip Lincolne as they learn and share the art of embroidery. I might even drag out mine and do some stitching myself as I am in need of some manual creativity as shooting so much has left me little time to craft!

"making it HANDMADE" part 2

Yesterday, I headed out in the gale force winds to interview Pip Lincolne. I meet Pip years ago when her shop "Meet me at Mike's" was still in Richmond, but since then she has become such a whirlawind in the indie craft scene, been extensively featured in the press and has such a huge "fan club" world wide I wasn't quite sure who I was going to be meeting this time! Was this another person driven by money, cashing in on the resurgence of craft???

The answer is definately no! I now understand why Pip has such a huge following ( over 2000 visitors to her blog daily). Here is a woman who is passionate about craft and creating, but who isn't precious about her "art" and is happy to share her skills and knowledge to encourage everyone to have a go at crafting even if they make mistakes or produce "crap"craft. Its so refreshing to hear this and is something I think is wonderful about the indie craft movement that its about creating and not being put off by what I call the craft nazis ( those who insist on perfect technique) and letting your creativity roam free!

Today I'll be shooting footage of craft websites!! Thrilling I hear you yell! No not really but needs to be done for storytelling purposes!

Tomorrow I'm off to interview outspoken and fiesty crafter and designer Peta Pledger, which should be lots of fun and stir the pot up!!!

"Making it HANDMADE"

I feel so lucky this week to be able to dedicate all my time to interviewing and shooting for my latest film entitled "Making it Handmade"! It a documentary about the Melbourne Indie Craft movement/scene.

Yesterday, I interviewed the lovely editor of MixTape Zine, Justine. I have to admit that I was nervous as she is the first person I have interviewed without having meet her in the flesh first, but I have been a fan of her Zine for quite awhile. If you are into craft and art or both check it out. She told me about some very exiting plans she has for the future, and I can see the Zine growing up and becoming a magaZine in the very near future.

This afternoon I'm off to interview Pip Lincolne, the queen of handmade in Melbourne. She has squeezed me into her busy schedule (thank you sooo much), she currently writing a new book and I'm looking forward to talking with her about it today.

I'll keep you updated with the other wonderful people I will be interviewing this week.

On another note: it looks like "The Band" has sold to at least one country, just waiting on final confirmation...but will let you know.

The Band and Cannes

Finally, I heard back from the sales agent in regards to the screening of "THE BAND' at Cannes film market.

The screening was 70% full...not bad for a very small very independent Australian Film! Only a few people left but all returned to grab screeners!

There maybe a sale of the film, but nothing completely confirmed as yet...will keep you posted.

In the meantime I am writing a treatment for a documentary I would like to make while in Berlin for the Berlin Porn Film Festival. I hate writing such documents and get distracted and start writing a script instead, and visualizing instead! Writing for something that is a visual medium sucks the big one!

Also trying to find a producer, but no doubt will end up doing it myself again...oh black mood leave me now!

The Band at Cannes

Finally some feedback!

A friend of the wonderful Sanne Kurz, the brilliant DOP who made "The Band" look so amazing, Tina by accident ended up going to see the film and left Sanne this message on her blog!

Tina wrote:

"Just watched by coincidence "The Band" - amazing movie...congratulations and respect."

How lovely!

When you spend hours and hours in a darkened room going over and over your film you really do loose sight of if its any good or not!  I am working my arse off so that I can go to Berlin Porn Film Festival later this year and see it on the big screen with an audience.

Also check out the July edition of Australian Penthouse and you can see some stills from "The Band" and read a very brief paragraph about "The Band".

Voice Over for a talking Vagina!

Last night I made a journey to visit Rupert Owen, who played GB in The Band.  Not only an actor but a brilliant and progressive film maker in his own right, and avid sex blogger, Rupert is currently working on an animation of a talking vagina and asked me if I would do the voice over.  I ask you who could resist playing a talking vagina?! 

Not me that is for sure!

So off I went with my lovely partner for dinner and voice over.  After a few wines and a delicious dinner of mussels, we got down to business.  I went in completely unprepared.  I had no idea if Rupert had a script or not, instead his partner asked me a series of questions with a very conversational vein, about being a vagina and what I like to do with it!  Some very funny moments finishing off with a recording of the juicy vaginal sounds I can make with my mouth!  Lots of fun and I can't wait to see the finished product.  Vagina's rule!

In the meantime, as the project I am working on in the straight film industry winds down and I can once again have space and time for my own work, I am busy plotting  how I can get to the Berlin Porn Film Festival to finally see The Band on the big screen also how an international audience reacts to it! 

I meet with the wonderful Shanti Gudgeon for lunch and she came up with some new and interesting ideas.  She even suggested, I should give Film Vic a try!  Considering they rejected my profile on their industry directory because "they wanted to protect the Film Victoria brand" (what from filth???  which is fine if you are Anna Kokkinos and you are making a comment on heterosexual power politics, but not if are a feminist erotic film maker making comment on the male driven adult industry and its depiction of sex), I would be highly surprised if they did, but hey will give it a go.....maybe. Will keep you posted.

If you happen to be in Cannes!

THE BAND is having a screening at the Cannes Market Place.  So if you happen to be in Cannes, France or Europe and you want to check the film out its screening on May 16 at 11:30am at Palais D!  Its only the R rated version....sorry if you are after the better X rated version you will have to wait until October and come to Berlin!

More craft filth!

Vagina dentata
Anna in crafty action!

I've decided I shouldn't write blog entries at 2am in the morning while working a 16 hour day, it just doesn't make for good writing and hence good reading!

Let's move on.

Trashbag rehab had their second gathering, this times it wasn't cunt fling ups but porn embroidery! The turn up was massive, they even had to turn people away! The press love Casey who organises it and a writer for The Age conducted interviews and a photographer took some naughty shots of Casey topless with embroided breasts in front of her own, but I noticed they did a reshoot the next day and had her looking more subdued!!! ah the joys of living in conservative times! Check out the article.

It was great to document this subversion of domestic arts and I even had time to sit down and do a little craft myself, a vagina dentata on a lovely hankie that the wonderful Gemma Jones of Kaotic Kraft Kuties gave to me...someone suggested it should be used as a cum rage and when I arrived home I presented it to my love one with the suggestion that next time he had a pull he could use this to "clean up". He looked at it in horror and stated that it was scary and didn't know if he wanted his nob anywhere near it!!

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!

     

Working on the Weekend!

Inspired by Faythe Levine of Handmade nation I have decided to begin a blog.  

Yes its Saturday and I'm in my office!  I feel like this week I haven't had a life!  I get up every morning at 5am to do some work before I go off to work.  I have a pressing deadline to get all the deliverables for The Band (see ) for the trailer.  This film has been in my life so long now I just want to get it out so I can work on my next project, which is a doco about craft and the subversion of domestic crafts.

And after waiting an hour for compressor to output files for a DVD I have just discovered I forgot one important element and have to do the whole process again!!

Speaking of craft and referring back to Faythe again...I got to watch Handmade Nation last night, which I loved and if you are into craft I suggest you go and check it out if its screening in your locale.  A really important documentation of the women's craft (and some men!).

You can check out my doco in progress with a small film I made called "I wanna live here".  It won the "I want to live here" film competition and you can check it out at . I hope you enjoy it.

Go radical craft!