i am indeed mr sigerson. As part of my residency i need to leave the country, and it was around the same time, and i've been busting my ass trying to get heroes out the door, so i scored a trip.

I'm a bit over the whole industry though, and i'm hoping that this'll reinvigorate whatever passion i may once have had. Failing that: week in LA, week in san francisco.

In othernews...

As many of you no doubt know, i made a film. an odd, dark comedy about relationships, arguments and firearms. It's been doing the rounds for short film festivals, and hasn't really had much of an impact anywhere, which i've always found a little odd, and a little dissapointing. Mostly because i think it is actually quite good.

But this week, something appears to have changed in the world.

I submitted to 2 screenings: quickflicks @ the commercial, and fitzroy shorts.

It made it into both of them.

Here's the details of both screenings, before i get into the oddness:

Quickflicks
Monday April 26th, 2004 from 8pm.
At The Commercial Hotel
238 Whitehall Street, Yarraville, VIC 3013.
(Melways Reference: 42 C9)
Phone: 03 9689 9354
Email quickflicks@telstra.com for further details.

Fitzroy Shorts
WHEN: Wednesday May 5th
WHERE: The Night Cat 141 Johnson Street Fitzroy
Melways reference 2C:B7 Phone: 0404 09 1140
TIME: 7pm doors open/Screening starts 8pm sharp!
COST: $8 Full $5 Conc

If you're coming along to the Fitzroy shorts screening, mention that you're there for 'Arguments & Resolutions' and collective noun gets some cash!

*end pimpage*

The Quickflicks story
I dropped the mini DV tape off at openchannel this lunchtime, and got chatting to Andrea, who runs it.
'How many films are screening,' i asked her.
Her mouth moved and her fingers stretched as she ran through the programme in her head.
'5,' she replied, 'and Harvey Krumpet.'

Up against an oscar winner...prize is only $100, but I had hoped that maybe i'd have some sort of chance...

On the positive side, it does make it the first collective noun film to screen alongside an oscar winner.

And it's not like that's ever going to happen again.

:)

So....

The Fitzroy Shorts story

I was going through my email this evening, and there was one from the fitzroy shorts people.
'Congratulations,' read the form email, 'to those whose film has been selected for this months screening at Fitzroy Shorts. Here is a list of the films to be screened...'

hoh well, i thought, and started reading the list.

Bing Dur: 8mins
Country: Australia
Starring: Jim Alexander, Maureen Andrew
Director/Producer/Writer: Eron Sheean

seen it....dull... niceley shot though.

Eye Dur: 16 mins
Country: Japan
Director/Producer/Animator: Mipo O

Cool! A japanese animation. This screening at least has some variety.

Yin Dur: 6mins 59secs
Country: Australia
Director/Producer/Animator: Costa Avgoustinos

Saw this as part of tropfest. It's ok.

Benny’s Hook Dur: 2mins
Country: Australia
Director/Producer/Animator Dir. J.C. Reyes

No idea...short though :)

Teratoma Dur: 7mins
Country: Australia

Starring: Nicholas Hope, Bridget Palmer
Director/Writer: Rupert Glasson
Producer: Paola Garofali

Again, no idea...had a load of overseas screenings though...

11mins 9secs 1 Frame Dur: 11mins 9secs 1 Frame
Country: USA

Starring: Ernest Borgnine
Director/Producer: Sean Penn

Cool! i respect sean penn...should, at least, be interesting...

Arguments & Resolutions Dur: 7 mins
Country: Australia

Starring: Kylie Trounson, Austin Turner
Director/Writer: Paul Callaghan
Producer: Collective Noun

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!

Kerb Dogs Dur: 6 mins 10 secs
Country: Australia

Starring: Tom Budge, Mick Druskovic
Directors/Writers/Producers: Kamen Brothers

uh hang on....scroll back up....

HOLY SHIT IT IS MY FILM!!!! AND IT'S BELOW A FILM BY SEAN PENN!!! HE HAS AN OSCAR RIGHT?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Something's not quite right with the world!

Mel Brooks, fucking genius.

Mel Brooks: Enough Rope, episode 38, transcript:

Mel Brooks: "You can be funny about anything. I think 'The Passion' needed a few jokes, that's my opinion, you know. Mel Gibson could've used three or four really big jokes in that movie, but that's only my opinion. But anything can use comedy, any subject needs comedy. Comedy leavens the bread, the bread rises through comedy.

Andrew Denton: I'm just trying to imagine where the comedy would've come in 'The Passion'

Mel Brooks: Well, I think before he got to the cross.

Andrew Denton: Yeah.

Mel Brooks: Once he's there forget it. Then you're fooling around with too much, it's too big.

Andrew Denton: That's right, yeah.

Mel Brooks: But on the way you could have some fun, lose his sandal or something.

Andrew Denton: Yeah. Swept up by a Pharisee.

Mel Brooks: You could have some fun, you know.

Andrew Denton: Have you spoken to Mel?

Mel Brooks: Or a Jew could be pulling his beard and it could come off, you could have some fun.

Andrew Denton: Just something to lighten it up?

Mel Brooks: Right to lighten it up."

been quiet on the old blog.

So here's some random thoughts:

Melbourne comedy festival short films:
SHIT!

If you're thinking about going along, don't!

because...

...IT'S NOT A COMEDY IF NOBODY LAUGHS IN A CINEMA OF AROUND A HUNDRED PEOPLE!!!

I'm becoming increasingly bitter that arguments and resolutions hasn't made any headway at festivals, because it was drastically better, and funnier, than most of the films we saw. (for those of you who don't know, arguments & resolutions is a short film i wrote and directed) I think people have a hard time with the humour of it. It's pretty black. or at least heavy grey.

hoh well.

In related news, i was flicking through some earlier drafts of the script, and they're pretty shit. Maybe we made one of those accidentally, and every time i watch the film i'm actually projecting the idealised version onto the inside of my eyeballs. Stranger things have happened, although usually inside philip k dick short stories.