Thursday, February 18, 2010

Finalist in Sydney and Melbourne Queer Film Festivals and Tampere’s Film Festival in Finland

LASH is doing really well around the world at the moment.


TRAILER

LASH is a finalist for the 2010 My Queer Career Awards in Sydney and the 2010 Best Australian Queer Short film of the City of Melbourne Award competition. In the same month LASH is also competing in the International competition of Finland’s exclusive Tampere Film Festival as the only Australian Film.

Each year the festivals receive larger number of entries and the competition is fierce.
These selections are an indication of Kerkhofs’ courage to keep pushing the boundaries and create intriguing and thought provoking films that members of the community and industry respond to.

“What an incredible month for queer films, that’s all I can say. To be finalist again at both Sydney and Melbourne and to even break through at Tampere is a lot to digest in one go. I feel truly humbled and honoured that my work has been received so well all over the world.”

Kerkhofs was a finalist with her animation film ‘Filled With Water’ at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival in 2008 and an Award winner at the Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival in 2007. She is no stranger to awards with LASH either, winning The Best 2008 VCA Graduation Film Award and the Unique Aesthetic Film Award at Sydney’s Underground Film Festival in 2009.

Asking her if she anticipates another award, she replies

“First of all it’s already a reward to be one of only 8 finalists at Sydney and Melbourne and one of only 70 films selected at Tampere from 3000 entries. Secondly the most joy is received by the creation itself, rather then rewards reaped. But if an award spins my way then I gracefully accept and will feel very encouraged to continue making films.”

The Winner of the City of Melbourne Award competition for Best Australian Queer Short film receives $2000 cash and the Winner of the My Queer Career competition will automatically be in the running for The International “Iris Prize” worth £25,000, the world’s largest prize for gay and lesbian short films.

‘LASH’ is a film about the persecution of women throughout the ages for their sexual preferences, with a message that religious and cultural punishments cannot kill the power of love.

And while Elka is delighted with the success of ‘LASH’ she is already back at the drawing board making her next animation film with her colleague Leigh Ryan, in which the boundaries of mainstream cinematic storytelling are being pushed again. However this time it’s a very quirky queer comedy, she let us know.

LASH plays on opening night of the Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival on12 of Feb, 7.30pm, Recital Hall, Angel Place.

At the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, ACMI, as part of the OZ shorts program on 20 March and 27 of March.

At Byron Bay Community Hall on the 13 of March as part of the adult animation section.

At Cleveland International Film Festival on the 30 March.

And in Tampere, Finland, on 10 and 12 of March, if you feel like a little trip up North.