Congratulations to local producer Sophia Zachariou for getting up one of the most innovative initiatives around - in partnership with Pacific Film and Television Commission, they have established Micromovies, aimed at creating entertaining short films for broadcast on a mobile phone network utilising 3G technology.

Micromovies will be a 10-part series of short comic animations. The initiative is open to flash animators, graphic and game designers, art directors as well as short film writers and directors.  Each animated short film must be unique, funny and have a self-contained narrative that can entertain and delight in under three (3) minutes. Filmmakers are encouraged to create stories that utilise an edgy visual style unique to the new broadcast form. Unfortunately applications will only be accepted from filmmakers who are resident in Queensland. A briefing session will be held at Qpix on Tuesday 3 February from 6.30-8pm. RSVP 07 3224 5574 or see http://www.pftc.com.au/

Anyone interested in helping run a local film element alongside Flickerfest in 2005; or would like to be a volunteer; or would like to run training programs/register as a mentor/or source participants from IQ SCENE (Sustainable Community Employment Network Enterprise), a new & unique Work for the Dole pilot, please contact Shane on 6685 9999.

Winners of the national SPAA pitching competition, Grafton-based Cate McQuillen and Lismore-based Aliison Kelly, who pitched their project UNDA.RAGERS continue to go from strength to strength. Their project was the first selected for the high profile XmediaLab workshop in Sydney and they will be packing their hula hoops and taking their project to the international market at Kidscreen in New York's in February. Go girls!

Byron-based Director Tristan Bancks is off to France to present his film SOAR at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival. SOAR won Most Popular Film and Best Screenplay at the Bondi Flickerfest awards ceremony. SOAR is a twenty minute film made in a single day on one set with two actors, two digital cameras, few lighting setups, minimal crew and paid for on credit card. Produced by Jennifer Lusk and written by Damon Herriman and shot by a Northern Rivers production team….one wonders what this team could come up with given a few more days and a budget! Congratulations to you all.

A draft location protocol has been developed by Screenworks and is being circulated to Councils of the Northern Region for discussion and feedback.  As with other regions in NSW - Screenworks is working towards the creation of a uniform protocol across the 10 council areas to assist filmmakers and councils in facilitating location filming throughout the region.

LAYLA'S SECRET, Firelight Productions [Producer Marcus Gillezeau]
THE PROMISE, Spacific Films (NZ) [Producer Leanne Pooley]
PSYCHIC SPIES DE-CLASSIFIED, Guiding Light Productions [Producers Liz Courtney/ Lilliana Gibbs]
YUKAI! THE JAPAN-NORTH KOREA ABDUCTION CASES, Hilton Cordell Productions [Producer Ian Collie]
FAITH DEALERS, Electric Pictures [Producer Andrew Ogilvie]
HEADCASES, Sow's Ear Pictures/ Hilton Cordell Productions [Producer Ian Walker]
BEND IT LIKE ALI, Alley Kat Productions [Producer Alan Carter]
RUSSIAN DOLLS, Guiding Light Productions [Producers Liz Courtney/ Lilliana Gibbs]
THE PAYMASTERS, Alley Kat Productions [Producer ? Alan Carter]
WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE, Otherwise Productions/ Sow's Ear Pictures [Producer Ian Walker]
KILLER CURE, Film Projects [Producers Gregory Miller/ Georgia Wallace Crabbe]
ELGAR'S ENIGMA, Occasional Productions (NZ) [Producers Annie Goldson/ Peter Walls]
BOLLYWOOD DOWN UNDER, Films and Casting Temple [Producers Lisa Duff/ Anupam Sharma]
ONCE WE WERE QUEENS Verite Productions (Singapore) [Producer Rehina Pereria]
ONE EYE ON THE SKY, Luminous Films [Producer Gina Twyble]
7 SHOTS, Sentinel Films [Producer Kate Hall]

Film Australia Archive Online
Film Australia's Library one of the largest and most historically significant sources of archival, documentary and stock footage in the country, can now be accessed online. See www.filmaust.com.au/library

ScreenSound Australia
Industry comment is being sought on the future of ScreenSound Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive, following the release of Australian Film Commission's AFC ScreenSound Integration Review of Programs Directions Paper. The paper is available on the AFC website - www.afc.gov.au and comments are sought by 16 February.

Free Trade
Final negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with America began this week, and will likely continue until the end of January. US negotiators appear to have softened their demands for changes to Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme and future local content rulings.

All Roads Film Project
Sally Reilly, Teresa Keleher, Leah Purcell and Bain Stewart have joined an international advisory board for the National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

Atlab Australian Short Film Initiative
Atlab have announced that short filmmakers will have the cost of digitally post producing their film by more than one third under this new scheme.

Cloud 9
Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group will establish a base of operations in Queensland as a springboard to the Pacific/Asian markets. Cloud 9 has its own studio in New Zealand where it has invested in excess of $130 million in its production portfolio.  Cloud 9's activities in Australia will involve a production portfolio of new television programming; a new Queensland-based distribution company which will attract domestic production for distribution throughout Australia and a Cloud 9 Screen Institute to mentor young and new creative talent.

Foxtel clears interactive TV hurdle
Just over a decade after the launch of pay TV, plans for Australia's first digital and interactive TV services are being finalised.

Berlin Film Festival
Films screening at the festival are: THE SCREE (Paul McDermott), FUGE (James Brown), CRACKER BAG (Glendyn Ivin)

Rotterdam
Australian projects chosen to screen include: David Barison's and Daniel Ross' documentary, THE ISTER, VCA graduate film, EXCURSION and interactive project, ESCAPE FROM WOOMERA by The Escape from Woomera Collective.  CineMart Co-Production Market: Australian feature THE HUNTER, to be produced by Vincent Sheehan and directed by Daniel Nettheim.  Australian producers, Ann Darrouzet, Megan McMurchy and Lucy McLaren, will participate in the Rotterdam Lab program.

Tax incentives
AFC reports 20 productions worth a total of $37 million raised funds under 10BA
in 2002/03. This funded 9 documentaries, 7 features, 2 telemovies and 2 miniseries.
 
FTO Funding Announced
For Development Assistance, Production Investment, Travel Assistance check out:
http://www.fto.nsw.gov.au/fund

FFC Funding Approvals
Check out December's approvals at: http://www.ffc.gov.au/news/funding/

Screening of local short and feature films
8pm - 10pm, Tuesday 10 February
Cotton Club, Byron Bay
SOAR (Tristan Bancks), AIR (Tim Adlide), OBSESSION SESSION (Barbie English), SMALL TUESDAY (Guy Mansfield), BUZZ (Neil Young), NR Conservatorium shorts and more…
For more information: Frank & Aran on 6680 7027 or Dave Patnam 6680 9055 

Tropfest
Sunday 22 February

Northern Women's Film Festival
Saturday 6 March 
Star Court Theatre, Lismore
Documentary session will include Anna Yen's CHINESE TAKE AWAY, and PURPLE HAZE, an hilarious expose inside the Jacaranda Queen competition in Grafton by a former winner, Rachel Hynes. More documentaries and short films will accompany the feature film TBA.

Lacademie Short Film Festival
Thursday 18 - Sunday 21 March
Byron Bay. See www.lacademiebyronbay.com.au

Lacademie monthly film nights
Tuesday 27 January and the first Tuesday of each month
Contact info@lacademiebyronbay.com.au  or phone Stephie on 0400 844 100

The Next Laugh
9am Friday 20 February
Twelve of Australia's best new screen comedy projects will be showcased at the 2004 Biennial National Screenwriters' Conference, scheduled to take place in Melbourne from April 2-4.  The jury will be Maureen Barron, Jennie Hughes; Tait Brady; Posie Graeme-Evans; Robyn Kershaw; Roger Simpson and Victoria Treole. More information regarding The Next Laugh or Seriously Funny: 2004 National Screenwriters' Conference, visit http://www.screenwriters.com.au/ or email the conference organiser: desiree@paxinos.com.au

National Indigenous Documentary Fund 6 - Loved Up
Friday 27 February
Calling on Indigenous filmmakers from across the country to submit half-hour documentary ideas that explore this universal human expression. See http://www.afc.gov.au/

MIFF International Short Film Festival
Friday 19 March  
MIFF International Short Film Festival
calls for entries. 10 awards, prize money totalling $35,000. Contact miff@melbournefilmfestival.com.au

Australian Children's Television Foundation Script & Production Development Investment
Friday 30 January & Friday 30 April
Australian Children's Television Foundation Script & Production Development Investment.  Contact: info@actf.com.au or (03) 9419 8800 or check http://www.actf.com.au/

AFC - see http://www.afc.gov.au/
Drama Development Draft Funding for less experienced teams - 13 February
New Screenwriters Scheme - draft funding for new writers - 20 February
Short Film Production - 12 March
Project Development for more advanced project develoment - 19 March
Documentary Production - 30 January
Documentary Funding up to $270k for experienced filmmakers - 20 February
Animation Development - 5 March
Short Animation & Animation Series Production - 12 April
Digital Media production - 12 March
General Development Investment - 16 April
Indigenous Drama Development - 26 March
Indigenous Documentary Development - 30 April

FTO - see http://www.fto.nsw.gov.au/
Digital Visual FX Scheme - on the job skills development - 27 April
New Feature Film Writers Scheme - 26 March
Production Investment Fund - 30 January & 23 March

my space on SBS
my space is an amazing place will be a collection of stories about the places we inhabit & what makes them special to us. SBS is seeking stories for broadcast on SBS TV and online.  www.sbs.com.au/myspace

Raw Nerve Initiative
QPIX in Brisbane is calling for producers interested in producing a film under the Raw Nerve initiative. Raw Nerve is funded by Screen Development Australia and the AFC. For further details contact kerrin@qpix.org.au

Call for contributors Special Features
Proposals are now welcome for all contributors to the Special Features Section of Metro magazine. These can be emailed directly to the Special Features Editor, Rose Capp (rosecapp@netspace.net.au). Covers films that have been shot or post-produced in Australia, New Zealand or Asia. The topics and deadlines are:
*Sounding Off: Music and sound design in film - 6th February (no extensions possible)  
*The Cutting Edge: In the Edit suite - April 26 2004.                                 
*By Design: The Art of Credit Title Sequences - August 18 2004.                                
*Reality Bytes - October 27 2004                                
 
Coffs Crazy Shoot
Make a five minute film in 24 hours utilising 3 out of 8 specified locations an item and a phrase…this is the challenge being set filmmakers in Coffs Harbour on March 7th.  Contact 6656 4829 or coffscrazyshoot@hotmail.com

Northern Rivers Screenworks is supported by the Department of Transport and Regional Services, Sustainable Regions Program and the NSW Department of Regional Development, Developing Regional Resources Program.