Emergent 2023: Graduate Showcase Short Film Screening

For one night only, and for the first time in its history, Bunjil Place will present highlights from 2023’s graduating VCE Media film students from the local region at an outdoor screening event.  

The films shown at this screening highlight the many ways a medium can be interpreted and crafted to tell a range of stories. From twist-and-turn horror films to clever anecdotes exploring identity within the current Australian suburban context, each film is powerful in its own way and demonstrates the potential of our local, emerging film makers.

In this day and age where film making and publishing has never been more accessible and democratised, where anyone can pick up their smartphone and create a video, it can be challenging to cut through the noise and be noticed. The emerging films you will see at this screening event demand our full attention, to be noticed and for us to take note.

Please note the films are unclassified and contain mature content, including, but not limited to, violence, drug use, adult themes and coarse language. Parental guidance recommended.

This is an alcohol-free event.

Event schedule

7.00 pm: Gates open and pre-show Q&A

8.00 pm: Film screenings commence

9.00 pm: Event ends

Featured films

My Lunchbox, Annabella Samara

My Lunchbox is a short film about growing up, snacks and identity, told from a pantry by an Indonesian-Australian 11-year-old. As she packs her lunchbox for school she talks to the camera, telling stories accompanied with flashbacks, which surround themes of feeling out of place at school, and with relatives, thus struggling to feel at home anywhere. The film explores how food can be a source of embarrassment (such as teasing of what she packed in her lunchbox for school), but also a source of pride and comfort.

Image: Film still from My Lunchbox by Annabelle Samara, 2023.

The Mirror of Conscience, Chiara Ferra

 The Mirror of Conscience is a thriller, mystery, drama concentrated plot about a father who is mentally confronted/ challenged by his depression who takes the form of and embodied by his doppelgänger. By exploring the complexities of depression/guilt and its impact, this film aims to resonate with a wide audience, contributing to greater awareness of mental health challenges.

Reconnect, Erin Hicks, Beaconhills College

Reconnect aims to tell the story of a tired high schooler finding his way back to his best friend, despite the many overwhelming and anxiety-inducing factors in life.

Eclipse, Loren Sumner

Eclipse is based on the love trope of a "sun" and "moon" character - sometimes also referred to as a "golden retriever" and "black cat" dynamic. I drew inspiration from my own experiences as a queer teenage girl and created a story that, hopefully, encapsulates the intensity and confusion that one's first wlw love can bring.

Elenore, Lucy Brady

Through my short film, Elenore, I intended to create a dark and cynical film noir with an overriding sense of enigma, starring my original characters, Travis and Elenore who embody all of these themes. I wanted to appeal to a niche audience such as people who are passionately interested films and have seen many different types of film, as well as people who like classic films from the 1940/50s. Hence my story plays on the themes and conventions commonly seen in classic film noirs such as ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and ‘Double Indemnity’; something I aim for my audience to recognise and take as a tribute to these films.

Favourite, Marc Lebon

This short film is an exploration into the mutually destructive relationships that are experienced by young people with mental health disorders. Although the protagonist’s borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not explicitly mentioned, this is deliberately done so to provide emphasis into the debilitating effects that it has on one’s life regardless of their perception and handling of their own mental health. This film specifically explores the dynamic between Myia (who has BPD) and her ‘favourite person’, Niamh - providing critical insight into the attachment issues and insecurity that burdens our youth who are battling mental health issues. It aims to validate a push towards independence and finding self-identity to overcome adversity where Myia finds herself alone towards the conclusion of the narrative, learning to appreciate her personal isolation as a means to moving forward.

That Tall Poppy, Massimo Kimberlee

Bela's life is turned upside down when her best friend Poppy is subject to a masked stalker driven by jealousy. The events unfold through a non-linear narrative in Bela's perspective to uncover who the stalker is before it's too late!