Mattie Do
Festival launch by Elise Archer and special guest filmmaker Mattie Do, Laos’s first female director
Hobart – 21 August 2014 – The third Stranger With My Face Horror Film festival will be officially opened today by the Hon Elise Archer MLC along with international guest, and Loas’s first film director Mattie Do.
Ms Do’s first film Chantaly has the distinction of being the first horror film made in Laos and only the fourth feature film ever made there.
Chanthaly is a psychological ghost story that reflects on aspects of Laotian society through the vehicle of genre filmmaking. It was produced with a tiny budget, with filming taking place in the director’s own house. Her pet dog even has a starring role.
Mattie Do is currently in pre-production on her second feature film, Dear Sister, following a recent successful crowdfunding campaign. She’s looking forward to arriving in Hobart and sharing ideas and low budget filmmaking tips with the local film community.
“It’s amazing that I can be a part of an event that so strongly promotes women’s talents and stories like the Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival. Being the only woman to have directed a feature film in my country, I often feel like the odd one out “
“I’m so excited and looking forward to being a part of the Stranger With My Face Festival and seeing the support for these unique works in person!”
The Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival in Hobart, Tasmania, features a shorts film program, the awards night of the 48-Hour Tasploitaiton Challenge and the Tasmanian Gothic Script Challenge, and a range of talks, workshops, panels and events. The festival’s principle supporter this year is Screen Tasmania.
The launch will be followed by the opening of an art exhibition that is part of the festival this year Exterminating Angle: Rare prints by Linda Dement (curated by Nancy Mauro-Flude).
When: Thursday, 20 April 2014
Where The Founders Room Salamanca Arts Centre
Time: 1:20 pm
Mattie Do is available for interviews – and vision of her debut feature is available for broadcast, as well as high resolution stills.
Watch the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/61951955
More information and bookings: www.strangerwithmyface.com.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Tasmania’s STRANGER WITH MY FACE HORROR FILM FESTIVAL is an annual event which returns for the third time in August 2014. The event’s featured filmmaker in 2013 was American filmmaker Jennifer Lynch. SWMF has recently been voted one of the Top 5 Coolest Women’s Film Festivals in the world by the readers of influential Movie Maker Magazine.
The festival program is available online and tickets can be purchased via the website or at the door of screenings. There is also a VIP Festival Pass option, which allows access to all ticketed events (except the children’s program) for $90. There are also a number of free events, including Mary Shelley Symposium talks and spooky storytelling for children.
Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival takes its name from the teen suspense novel by Lois Duncan and focuses on highlighting the work of female filmmakers in genre, from exploitation to gore, art house to exploitation.
In 2014 the event will start on 21 August with the awards night and screening of the 48-Hour Tasploitation Challenge, a filmmaking comp that is open to both male and female participants from around Australia. The opening night film and party are on 22 August, followed by a weekend of screenings, talks, workshops, panels discussions and social events, including a short film program on the evening of 23 August and a live reading of a new play on 24 August.
CHANTHALY
Laos, 2012
109 minutes
Director Mattie Do
A young girl, raised alone by her overprotective father sequestered in their home in Vientiane, Chanthaly suspects that her dead mother’s ghost is trying to deliver a message to her from the afterlife. After a change in the medication treating her hereditary heart condition causes the hallucinations to cease, Chanthaly must decide whether or not to risk succumbing to her terminal illness to hear her mother’s last words.
Starring Amphaiphun Phimmapunya, Khouannakhone Souliyabapha, Soulasath Souvannavong, Soukchinda Douangkhamchan, and Douangmany Soliphanh
Directed by Mattie Do
Written By Christopher Larsen and Douangmany Soliphanh
Screenplay by Christopher Larsen and Mattie Do
Produced by Lao Art Media and Sleepy Whippet Films
Watch the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/61951955
Chanthaly screened at the 2012 Luang Prabang Film Festival and the 2013 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. Pop singer Amphaiphun Phimmapunya stars in the leading role as Chanthaly, alongside Douangmany Soliphanh and Soukchinda Duangkhamchan.
Mattie Do will participate in a post-screening discussion with Australian/Indonesian filmmaker Katrina Irawati Graham, whose short film White Song will screen before the feature film.
STRANGER WITH MY FACE SCREENING
SUNDAY 24 AUGUST, 8 PM
FOUNDERS ROOM, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
HOBART, TASMANIA
$10 (OR BOOK WITH FEST PASS)
BOOK : http://strangerwithmyface.com/feature-films/
Briony Kidd, director and programmer Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival, web: www.strangerwithmyface.com twitter: @swmf_
