Film Maker In Residence 2010
Posted by Cindi Drennan on February 27th, 2010
Flinders Flicks provided assistance to John Mannion to be involved in the Quorn community, as Film Maker in Residence in 2009. In 2010 it is planned to hold this project again, and part funding has been provided by Arts SA for us to work with Malcolm McKinnon, a highly regarded filmmaker familiar with regional South Australian communities.
Although many significant films have been made in the district, the majority just use the landscape as a set – and the films do not actually represent the stories or culture of the region. Although naturally, film making business is a great contribution to the economy and tourism of the area, other types of films need to be made that engage our community and film makers, in dialogue and interpretation of local culture and heritage.
The aim of the residency is to provide an opportunity for this process of enquiry, discourse and reflection through the medium of video-making and storytelling, as a form of social forum.
This project offers excellent opportunity for generating and exploring questions about culture and heritage, representation of history and culture through film and other activities. The project will invite community participation throughout the residency and the screenings at the end of the program will provide opportunities for reflection on the film’s topics as well as about the process of the film production.
The invited filmmaker for 2010, Malcolm McKinnon, has over 20 years experience in film making as a form of social commentary. His work is highly regarded and he has already made many films in the region. Malcolm has indicated a strong interest in exploring questions of heritage, history and the perceived identity and representation of regional communities in times of change, which are extremely relevant to many regional communities.
This Residency will involve community consultations between filmmaker and interested groups and individuals, supported by the Flinders Ranges Council. Arts SA is supporting this project with partial funding via the Community Arts Development fund, and some local people and businesses are supporting the project with sponsorship or other types of assistance such as accomodation.
The project is being managed by Cindi Drennan and for further information contact Cindi via her web site. A call out has been made to interested groups and individuals who would like to participate or have input into the project. Further funding is being sought through Country Arts SA.
MALCOLM MCKINNON
Malcolm McKinnon is an Australian artist, filmmaker and producer working mainly in the realms of social history and multi-media. He has an abiding interest in storytelling and memory, and his work often explores the ways in which the past shapes our sense of the present and the future. Over the past 20 years, Malcolm’s work has encompassed oral history, urban planning, public and community art projects, critical writing and exhibitions. Most of this work is undertaken with and for rural communities. Current and recent projects include Memory Bank for the City of Greater Geelong, Growing Up Two Ways – stories from Finniss Springs Aboriginal Mission for the South Australian Museum and the Marree Arabunna Centre and Football Stories from Country Victoria for the Victorian Country Football League and the State Library of Victoria. (For samples of Malcolm’s work see: www.recklesseye.com )