Lexus Australia and Sydney Film Festival today announce Australian director and actor, Damian Walshe-Howling, has been named one of four winners of the international Lexus Short Films series.
Announced at the Nappa Valley Film Festival, Walshe-Howling was selected from over 4,400 filmmakers, from over 100 countries, by the Producers at The Weinstein Company.
He will now go on to write and direct a short film to the theme of the series, “Anticipation”, to be produced by The Weinstein Company. The four winners will tour top film festivals around the world to promote their films, including Sydney Film Festival.
The international series received 355 Australian entries; second in number only to United States; with 50 more entries than the United Kingdom.
The high volume of entries from Australia were supported by the new Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship, the largest short film cash prize in Australia at $200,000; or $50,000 for four fellowship winners in 2016.
Sydney Film Festival’s Festival Director Nashen Moodley said, “The high quality of entries coming from Australia is a true testament to the exceptional filmmaking talent being nurtured here. We congratulate Damian Walshe-Howling on this fantastic achievement.”
“The Festival is also delighted American filmmaker Pippa Bianco has been selected among the four international winners. Her film SHARE was screened at the Festival this year.”
“We are proud to continue to support the future generations of emerging filmmakers, both in Australia and internationally,” said Moodley.
Adrian Weimers, Corporate Manager, Lexus Australia said, “Lexus is absolutely thrilled with this result. We had hoped the only recently launched Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship would provide a pathway for emerging Australian filmmakers to win the international prize. It’s amazing this has happened in just months.”
Best known as a home grown small screen star, most recently for his role in Australian underworld drama Underbelly, Walshe-Howling has made a number of short films including his latest, Suspended, which screened at international film festivals St Kilda, Flickerfest, Nashville and Locarno in Switzerland. Walshe-Howling has also been awarded an AFI in 2008.
The other winners joining Walshe-Howling and Bianco are Alexis Michalik, from France, and Byoung-Gon Moon, from South Korea.
The 355 Australian entrants into the international competition are also eligible for the Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship. A shortlist will be curated by Producers at The Weinstein Company and provided to the Sydney Film Festival and Lexus Australia.
Of these, four fellows will be selected for the inaugural Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship cash prize of $50,000 each. The four will produce their next short film in 2016, to premiere at Sydney Film Festival in 2017.
For more information on the Lexus Short Film Series, visit www.lexusshortfilms.com.
For more information on the Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship, visit www.sff.org.au/fellowship.
Amber Forrest-Bisley, Publicity Manager, Sydney Film Festival
