Inside the Avalon Film Festival: Ben Welsh’s Diary of Chaos, Creativity, and Cinema #5
Renowned creative leader, author, and former DDB Australia CCO Ben Welsh takes us behind the scenes of the Avalon Film Festival in a candid and entertaining diary series exclusive to Campaign Brief. From navigating the chaos of last-minute preparations to celebrating cinematic gems that capture the soul of the Northern Beaches, Welsh documents the thrills, spills, and sausage-making realities of pulling together a film festival.
Day 3
Despite being well into Act 3 of the AFF, elements of Act 2 keep on popping up. Firstly, apologies to everyone who didn’t have a phone with them to buy tickets on the door yesterday. We have to report on all sales to the distributors and we can’t use the cinema sales system so everything goes through Humantix. I did work out a way for people with cash – we can buy the ticket for you and you give us cash. Got to keep the accountants and film industry lawyers happy. Also, we are having challenges loading a couple of short films for the Short Cuts. I’m hoping we over come them.
Overall, attendance has been great – we cracked the 500 mark and I’m hoping we can get close to 700 today. Inevitably, some films have been more popular than others. I was fortunate to see Kamchatka and Candy, and a little bit of Rachel’s Farm. Three very different but utterly captivating films.
I’ll start with Candy, as that was the last one I saw. I remember trying to read the book some time ago and finding it too sad to continue. Yes, it’s a sad story – love stories often are and if you add heroin to the mix things get really emotional. But at no point was the film mawkish or sentimental. Nor was it dated in any way (Casper’s suits excepted). The performances were exceptional. Heath Ledger’s face became a stage for emotions to play out, and you felt for all of the characters, their joy, pain and longing. It takes a lot of things to be just right for that to happen – the music, camera work, art and wardrobe, hell, probably the catering too. Well done Mr Armfield, honorary Avalonian. And thank you Margaret for being part of our thing.
Kamchatka is a very different film, but still a love story and one with an addiction; waves and adventure. It was a bromance and every character in it is adorable. I think Lettie won the most hearts, but guys, you have done something remarkable and I can’t wait to see your new one. Good luck with that.
Rachel’s Farm will change the way you see your garden and groceries. Thank you Til (a perfect name for someone introducing a film about soil regeneration). Thank you Rachel.
I caught Bill Leimbach’s introduction to Beneath Hill 60 – a great story behind a great story. I saw loads of people coming out of Girl’s Can’t Surf, a few going into Grease – Tess, you win the prize for the best Pink Lady – a bottle of Avalon Rosé. I caught up with some friends who had just watched Penguin Bloom; they had a warm glow around them.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the cinema is still the best place to see a film. Watching old films, where there is no surrounding ‘new’ hype really brings it home. Guys, support your local cinema. We are lucky to have one.
Ok, so for today. Hilarious Spanish film at noon. Peter Weir Classic at… oh, you can see all that on the website. Look forward to seeing you there.
The end
Well, that’s it. Three days over which almost 700 people watched 20 films, 8 shorts and a few ads.
Top five films in order of recorded attendance were:
The Restraint
Under the Lino & Shortcuts
Avalon Now & Monty Python
Kamchatka
Morning of the Earth
A big thank you is owed to so many people. Firstly, the film makers, in particular the local ones who inspired this. I didn’t get to see many films but the ones I did filled me with awe – Ben Player’s ‘Far North’ is genuine art. ‘Kamchatka’ may be set in Siberia, but it is an advertisement for Australia – such a lovable cast, and all with amazing teeth (I’m English, I notice good dentistry when I see it). ‘Under the Lino’ was a heart-felt homage to a remarkable artist, thank you Bill and Bruce. There weren’t many shorts, but the ones we had were all bloody well-made films; Asia and Jae earned their Palm d’Ors. As did Bill, as our inaugural ‘Local Hero’.
The last film I saw was Craig Leeson’s ‘A Plastic Ocean’. It may be almost 10 years old, but the film couldn’t be more topical, the world was supposed to agree a treaty on ocean plastics over the last few days. It failed. We really need to. The film opened (again, after a few technical difficulties from yours truly) with an inspiring presentation by the two Robinson lads, Harry and Archie of Good Citizens, living proof, that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
See you next year (maybe).
