Mischa got the lowdown from Clare Sawyer (SFF youth/family programmer) about the under 18 films screening in the youth/family program.
What is your process of finding youth films for the program? What do you look for in a film?
My process really just involves looking at an enormous number of films! During the first stage I just try to watch as many films as I can. I am not comparing films to one another instead I’m just thinking about them in their own terms. It’s not about my taste necessarily and sometimes I see films that my not appeal to me but I know they will find an audience.
I then get a long short list of good films and begin to think about the program as a whole. That is when it all comes together and I really like getting the thoughts of my colleagues at the Sydney Film Festival then and we discuss each title and the rich mix that it will bring to the overall program.
Give us three words to describe each film in your program:
My Entire High School Sinking Into The Sea / Quirky, Idiosyncratic and colourful!
My Life as a Zucchini / Moving, gritty and distinctive.
Phantom Boy / Memorable, warm hearted and original
Rip Tide / Sweet, sassy and salty (it’s all the sand, sea and surf)
The Sun at Midnight / Personal, gentle and expansive (set in the most beautiful of environments).
Have you chosen these movies with a purpose of a certain message to be spread across to the audience?
I am always looking to present a diverse program and the best of what is on offer for children and teens at this time. I also like to highlight work that you couldn’t see anywhere but at a film festival. Foreign films give us a different, complex understanding of the world and what experiences other kids or teens encounter in their lives.
You have some guests coming out for the program – Rhannon Bannenberg (Rip Tide) and Kirsten Carthew (The Sun at Midnight). Will they be doing a Q and A at each screening?
Yes, I will be doing a Q and A for Rip Tide on Saturday 10th June and for The Sun at Midnight on Sunday 11th June and Saturday 17th June. I can’t wait to talk to both filmmakers about their experiences of filming on location in such different places.
What films made an impact on you in your youth?
I always loved The NeverEnding Story as it celebrates the two things that are most important to me; a love of books and the value of imagination.
I also think the Australian film Starstruck was a highly influential film for me as a teenage girl. It must have cast a light into my life as I have some very deep connections to it. I worked with the star Jo Kennedy as her producer when she directed short films many years later and also my partner David, produced Starstruck.
The Sydney Film Festival kicks of this evening (7 June until the 18 June).
Youth and family program (Please note age recommendations for each film in the Family section.)
15 + films
Tickets for youth (17 and Under) are $13.00