Kangaroo – Why do we Kill our national symbol?
Kangaroos are one of the most recognisable icons in the world. Mick McIntyre and Kate McIntyre Clerre have always held a fascination with kangaroos and in their film Kangaroo they set out to explore the wonder of this unique animal and the complex emotions that surround it. Millions of kangaroos are shot each year as pests and sold for profit. It seemed to the directors of this film to be incongruous with the fact that Australians should do this to their beloved national symbol. Key to telling the story was investigating the details behind the largest wildlife slaughter in the world and to find out where it all started and why it still happens today. Where had the ideology come from that a native animal that has lived in Australia for millions of years should be a national problem? The filmmakers speak with Indigenous Australians, scientists, commercial shooters, farmers, politicians, artists, wildlife carers, chefs and activists, weaving an unsettling story for the world to see.
Kangaroo – A love-hate story, screens at the Brunswick Picture House on Wednesday 21 March with a Q&A with the filmmakers and Sunday 24 March with a screening only. For tickets go to brunswickpicturehouse.com
Crazy Shave for Cure
Author Matt Towner is full of Crazy ideas. Especially when it’s a good cause. To raise money for Leukaemia he’s prepared to commit to the World’s Greatest Shave. This is part of Matt’s Crazy book launch for charity – Friday at Blade Barber Shop under La La Land in Byron from 5pm. His fellow authors will be with him and encourage everyone to go mohawk for charity. Byron Shire authors involved are Nick Taylor and Bernard Chumley, Momo Mercurous, Rod Thom, Nicholas Hallett, Piers Fisher-Pollard, Timothy Harris & Kevin Moloney, David Bell, Veronica Farmer, Rebecca Cotton, Storm Gray, Megan Jennaway, Feather Kibby, Bron Catherine Clifton, Emily Saunders, Ian Normal Harris, Kerrie Atherton, Leila Hall, Simon Williams and William Dalton. All these writers will be joining Matt to fill these books with amazing stories of fear and loathing, laughter and adventure. And to lose their hair in the process. To buy books from Matt’s new series go to www.travellerstaleswriters.com – you’ll be able to get a copy of Crazy Shit in Asia there, or at your local bookshop. And of course to donate you can go to my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/matttowner
Free Film Masterclass
Flickerfest director and distribution manager Bronwyn Kidd has arguably watched more short films than most humans over the past 20 years.
Bronwyn will be sharing her expertise and some of her favourite classic Flickerfest shorts. If you are making shorts, it’s vital that you understand the trends and tastes of the festival circuit this year. In this masterclass Bronwyn will touch on: What makes a short film irresistible to Oscar-qualifying film festivals? Should you target the Australian or international film circuit? What are big Australian festivals looking for?Targeting the smaller festivals – why would you do it?
How to get your film out beyond festivals and make money through distribution of your short and what you need to know to make your film market ready.
Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to gain more knowledge around short films and get your questions answered by an expert.
Register NOW for this FREE event | SAE Fri 16 March | 4–6pm | www.picatic.com/film-masterclass-saebyronbay
A Few Good Men in Ballina
Ballina Players’ next production is the courtroom drama A Few Good Men, directed by Mike Sheehan. Written by Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote the hit series The West Wing, the original 1992 movie starred Tom Cruise as Daniel Kaffee, the reluctant court lawyer, and Jack Nicholson as the arrogant commander. In the Ballina Players’ production, Kaffee is played by Dylan Wheeler (last seen in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas late in 2017) and Jessep is played by John Rado, a newcomer to the Ballina Players’ stage, but a regular director at the Mullumbimby Drill Hall, and an experienced actor.
Kaffee is defending privates Dawson and Downey, who are accused of murdering a fellow soldier, Private Santiago, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the climax of A Few Good Men Kaffee interrogates Jessep in the witness chair, trying to get him to admit to being not the murderer but responsible for their deaths. Dawson and Downey’s defence rests on their assertion that they were ordered to undertake an illegal disciplinary action on Santiago, known in the Marines as a Code Red, which then went horribly wrong, resulting in his death.
Director Mike Sheehan has assembled a very strong cast of 15 men and two women, with many experienced actors and some newcomers looking to find more experience onstage.
Tickets are available now: online at www.ballinaplayers.com.au/bookings, or at Just Funkin’ Music in River St, Ballina, near the pedestrian lights ($2/ticket booking fee) in person or on 6686 2440 | Running over 6–15 April.
Experimental Drawing
In this five-week course students will explore the move from drawing to painting with a particular focus on mixed media and experimentation. Using a range of drawing and painting techniques, students will begin to work in a series and be guided through working on small-format to large-scale compositions with abstract artist Michael Cusack.
BSA | 5 Tuesdays | 10.00am – 2.30pm | 13 March – 10 April 2018 | Course fee: $350 | byronschoolofart.com/short-courses-1
Wednesday 21 March
Artisans for a Renewable Future
Wednesday 21 March is the autumn equinox. This is a time of celebration and gathering for many of our ancestors’ cultures. It is the time of equal day and night and also UN Harmony Day.
In recognition of our collective cultures and in celebration of life and a sustainable future, Power On , Stop Adani Northern Rivers and the Mullumbimby Commons (Wildspace) are collaboratively volunteering an afternoon artisan market and celebration. This will feature a welcome ceremony, quality food, local ethical and creative small businesses, campfire, child-friendly atmosphere, music, large community raffle with many winners, and presentations on upcoming community energy projects.
This gathering is a Mullum-style collaboration, Bentley Waves under the stars, hence we are calling out to stallholders, artists and musicians who would like to be a part of this gathering.
Space is free of charge and you can keep your earnings.
Funds and awareness raised go toward a feasibility study for Australia’s first grassroots-initiated large-scale community-owned renewable-energy generator (a concentrated solar-thermal generator proposed by Sol Reflections Co-operative in Proserpine).
Please send expressions of interest to Hanna Navara: [email protected] or call Leon Hoffmann on 0431 755 220.
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