The world premiere of #childboss, the latest production from inclusive filmmaking organisation Bus Stop Films, will be held in Byron Bay on Sunday April 23.
#childboss was shot entirely on iPhone and directed by well-known smartphone filmmaker Angela Blake working alongside young, local aspiring filmmakers. It tells the story of three successful Northern Rivers’ businesses started by young local entrepreneurs.
The three businesses it features are Ollie’s Hens, established by a local egg farmer who started his egg service in high school and now services many local markets and cafes; TALLN Bakehouse, a sourdough business started by three siblings during lockdown who now are making dough selling their loaves; and Band Called Stereo, a band started by four Byron Bay High School students now making waves in the music industry and who will perform at the premiere.
#childboss was produced by Bus Stop Films in partnership with SF3 SmartFone Flick Fest, Screenworks, SAE Creative Media Institute and Byron Youth Service. It was funded through the Holiday Break program supported by the Office for Regional Youth in partnership with Create NSW.
The January Holiday Break program included three days of smartphone filmmaking workshops for young people living in the Northern Rivers, hosted by Angela Blake, with participants pitching their idea for the film and Bus Stop’s in-house Producer Dianna La Grassa taking it from pitch to production in just five days.
The young people in the program worked with a local film crew to bring the film to life, using the skills gained in the workshop.
‘When my class pitched to me the idea of shooting a documentary together on young entrepreneurs and business owners in the area, I thought it was interesting, but it wasn’t until we started researching and students began telling me about other young people who ran their own business that I realised how special this area was and that something cool is happening up here,’ Director Angela Blake says.
‘The Byron area is known for its creativity but what is amazing is that this has been extended into business with these young successful entrepreneurs supported by their families, their friends, their schools and teachers and, most importantly, their communities.’
‘Shooting on a smartphone allowed me to share my filmmaking knowledge and empower them to all be #childbosses on their own. They can now go out and shoot their own films using the technology they already own – their phones. Nothing is stopping them now and filmmaking is affordable and accessible to all people, of all ages and locations.’
The premiere event will include a performance by Band Called Stereo, as well as screenings of earlier films from the Bus Stop and SF3 catalogues.
The event will be held outdoors at the Byron YAC. There will be Auslan interpretation and all films will be captioned.
Entry is by donation and all monies will go to Floyd Morley, a local Northern Rivers boy who lives with a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia. Floyd is raising funds with team mates to attend the World Dwarf Games in Germany in June, where he will represent Australia in basketball.
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