From features to short films, indie romance to hard-hitting documentaries, there’s plenty on offer for movie-goers at this year’s Adelaide Film Festival. Flinders University graduates have been involved in all aspects of production across a number of films on show, highlighting the enormous crop of talent currently in the local industry.

Homegrown film-making duo, director Scott Hicks (BA(Hons)’75, DLitt ’07) and producer Kerry Heysen (BA(Hons)’75, DLitt ’22), open the festival with The Musical Mind which features graduate Ella Burton (BCreatArts(Screen) ’20) on 1^st Assistant Camera (AC). Their other contribution, My name’s Ben Folds – I play piano, will be shown at the Closing Night Gala. These films give the audience a behind the scenes look at the creative processes and musical genius of David Helfgott, Daniel Johns, Tash Sultana, Martin Molin and Ben Folds.

Two-time Austin Flim Festival winners Josiah Allen (BCreatArts(Screen) ’17) and Indianna Bell (BCreatArts(Screen) ’17) make their feature debut with the confident and claustrophobic psychological thriller You’ll Never Find Me. Starring Brendan Rock (Drama Performance ’03, BCreatArts(Hons) ’03) and Ella Burton behind the scenes.

Emotion is Dead is a coming of age indie film featuring Jude Turner (current BCreatArts student) in the cast, with graduates Ella Burton on 1^st AC, Tomiya Hills (BCreatArts(Screen) ’20) on 2^nd AC and stills by Gomis Rugamba (MScrnMediaProd ’21).

Speedway is a pulsating true crime documentary that skilfully pursues the truth behind the unsolved ‘Burger Chef’ murders edited by the award winning Sean Lahiff (BCreatArts (Screen Production) ’05).

With a cast featuring Brendan Rock (Drama Performance ’03, BCreatArts(Hons) ’03), Henry Cooper (BCreatArts(Drama)’21 BCreatArts(Hons) ’22) and Elvie-Lee Quici (BCreatArts(Drama)’21,  BCreatArts(Hons) ’23), along with Ella Burton on 1^st AC, the South Australian (SA) short film Blame the Rabbit is a surrealist story about a woman who survives a horrific attack by her husband and plots her revenge during his incarceration.

Greg is the story of a young man who meets the physical personification of his anxiety while he awaits the arrival of his date. This SA short film cast features Aarod Vawser (BCreatArts(Drama) ’20, BCreatArts(Hons) ’21) with cinematography by Kat Penning (BCreatArts(Screen) ’19).

A single woman’s animalistic side is unlocked when she faces a nightmare: attending a garden party filled with couples in the short film Mating Call, directed by Stephanie Jaclyn (BCreatArts(Screen) ’15) and a cast which features Andre Chaney (BCreatArts(Drama) ’18, BCreatArts(Hons) ’19).

Red Earth, a Hanlon Larsen Screen Fellowship (HLSF) film, shows us an imagined future where a rediscovered archive of photographs, sound and film captures the beauty of extinct ecosystems in SA. The innovative film was directed and edited by experimental filmmaker and 2022 HLSF recipient Bryce Kraehenbuehl (BCreatArts(Screen) ’17).

Edited by Tiah Trimboli (BCreatArts(Screen) ’21) with Ella Burton on 1^st AC, The Unrequited Life Of Farrah Bruce is a short film which tells the story an old-school romantic living in her own world, which lands her in a facility where she is confronted with the reality of love.

The Surf Film Archive and Headland Live gives us never-before-seen remastered footage from the birth of Australian and New Zealand surfing, brought to life by full eight-piece band Headland. Scanning of the 16mm film and sound recording for interviews is by Kat Penning (BCreatArts(Screen) ’19) and Ella Burton.

The full program of events and initiatives for the 18 to 29 October Festival is available online, packed with many other opportunities to inspire your own journey in the creative arts industry.

Alumni can save 10% on tickets using the code AFFFLINDERS10