Castlemaine Documentary Festival is celebrating its archive of 65 locally made short films and inviting anyone interested to help make the next ones.
LOCALS is Castlemaine Documentary Festival’s (CDoc) annual homegrown documentary showcase of short films (six minutes or less) made by people with a meaningful connection to central Victoria.
Over the past five years, LOCALS has screened 65 locally made short documentaries. The films range widely. Some are made by first-time filmmakers, others by seasoned professionals and often, a combination of the two. What unites them is place, and a willingness to look closely at the people and stories in it.
CDoc festival director Claire Jager said that we didn’t have to agree on everything, but it was very hard to dismiss someone after you’d watched their story unfold.
“That’s part of the LOCALS magic – and it’s always surprising in the best ways,” she said.
“A true story, honestly told, can bring a whole room closer together. That’s what LOCALS is for.
“Five years on and 65 films in, we’re building a real archive of our times, in our region. Its a way to understand ourselves a little better in a region that knows itself a little better.”
Stories take a village
As LOCALS heads into its sixth season, CDoc is turning its attention to how those stories get made in the first place.
“Bringing a story to life on film requires a community,” said CDoc event and community producer Randi Wagner.
“How we collaborate and work together not only gets good stories made; it strengthens our connection to one another and to this place.”
Submissions are open to everyone, from first-time filmmakers to seasoned pros, and the festival is rolling out a series of events designed to spark ideas and bring people together to tell them.
Three special events
* A night in the archive: The new season launches on Wednesday, October 14 with a LOCALS archive screening at the Phee Broadway in Castlemaine, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
Watch highlights from the collection of 65 films, followed by a panel discussion with emerging and experienced filmmakers about what it takes to tell a local story well.
Tickets start at $10 and are available at events.humanitix.com/locals-archive-screening
* Spark: short conversations, low pressure: On Tuesday, October 27, CDoc Spark takes over The Goods Shed from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. The evening is built around a round of short conversations with fellow filmmakers and industry guests, with prompts and a light structure to get people talking. It’s a chance to mix, exchange ideas, find out who’s working on what and who is curious to get involved – without the pressure of a formal pitch.
* Circle: going deeper: That reunion comes on Tuesday, November 24 at CDoc Circle (time and venue to be confirmed). Circle brings participants back for small roundtable conversations, a chance to go deeper with others working in similar spaces and to see where those early conversations have led. Filmmakers of every skill level are welcome, and so are the simply curious and anyone with a story to share. If you can’t make both events, organisers say to come to either.