Seven Aussies make the Young Director Award shortlist – winners announced on June 19
The Young Director Awards has announced its finalists for 2014 with seven Australian directors making the cut.
Rapid Films’ Craig Rasmus has been shortlisted twice in the Animation and Charity categories for his UNICEF ‘5 Fund‘ campaign via his prior production company The Feds. Other Australian directors making the cut include Alex Grigg in the Animation category for ‘Phantom Limb‘, Matthew Thorne in the Film School category for ‘Where Do Lilacs Come From‘, Adolescent Content director Tim White in Music Video category for DCUP ‘Don’t Be Shy‘, Mont Albert Road’s Tim Bathurst in Web Film for Sant and Abel’s ‘Sleepwalk‘, @Radical Media Berlin’s Josh Dawson for ‘The Human Race‘ and Thick As Thieves director Christopher Frey in the Short Film category for ‘Explosions‘.
This is the third year in a row Thick As Thieves has had one of its directors shortlisted. Last year the production company’s director Zoe McIntosh won first place for YWCA’s ‘Demand Equal Pay‘ spot via DDB Group New Zealand.
‘The Human Race’ director Dawson won a new advertising prize late last year through Deutche WerbefilmAkademie called the ‘Förder Pries’. In short the Förder Pries was made to reveal up and coming film makers to the advertising industry within Germany with the chance to win 20,00 euro to put towards the project they present. over a month they received 118 treatments which was narrowed to the top 12 who pitch their idea to a panel of judges who chose a winner
Says Dawson: “Being a slightly odd one out of the mix of primarily German participants I didn’t think I would win the prize. My concept ‘The Human Race’ which is about Equality was possibly a little grand for the budget to say the least, Yet it won.
“Radical Media in Berlin took on the role of producing the project with me. With initial talks about how to scale down the project to fit the budget, they were able to supported me all the way from pre-production to Post. Pulling together a fantastic crew and team that treated this job as any normal paid job, which it very much wasn’t.
“The outcome of the project ended up getting me represented by Radical Media Germany. I look forward to seeing a bunch of Aussies Cannes, especially hearing that there are quite a few up for awards too.”
In New Zealand 8 director Michael Humphrey has been named as the only Kiwi to make the shortlist. Humphrey has been shortlisted in the Web Film category for Mountain Dew NZ’s ‘Directions‘ spot.
The next round of judging will take place in Cannes with the winners announced at our 16th show on Thursday June 19th at the JW Mariott Theatre. Doors open at 4pm and the Award Ceremony begins at 5pm.
You can register here for the event but come early as entrance depends on available seats. There is an audience vote this year as well – so be there to vote for your favourite piece of work.