Who wants some inspo with a rural-Australia-to-bigtime-success story? Well, all three of our judges on this year’s panel have one! The awesome trio each grew up in regional Australia and are kicking goals in film both here and overseas.
1. Aaron Glenane
First up is actor Aaron Glenane (pictured below) who is originally from rural Victoria, and starred in the critically acclaimed Killing Ground which had its New South Wales premiere at this year’s Coffs Coast Screenwave International Film Festival, then at Sundance Film Festival. Among his many feature film, short film and TV roles, in 2015 Aaron also starred alongside Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett in the political drama Truth, and Sam Worthington in surf flick, Drift. Legend!
2. Nick Hardcastle
Alongside Aaron will sit former Home and Away star Nick Hardcastle, who grew up in Sawtell. Nick cut his performer’s teeth on theatre and TV – including Saturday Disney, Nickelodeon, alongside The Wiggles and on ABC Kids, as well as All Saints – and went on to host the Australian talent showcase series Sunday in the Apartment in London.
Now based in Hollywood, Nick has a number of TV presenting gigs where he rubs shoulders with the greats – such as the KCET Cinema Series whose guests include Meryl Streep, Robert Downey Jr, Daniel Radcliffe and Rob Reiner.
(Nick is pictured here with Meryl Streep (left) and Aussie legend Jackie Weaver (right).
3. Kate Howat
The guys will be joined by the REC Ya Shorts Artistic Director Kate Howat, a self-confessed culture buff from Coffs Harbour who brings her extensive programming experience at Brisbane International Film Festival and Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) and is the brains and creative muscle behind Screenwave’s amazing local cinema programs. Does this cinema-junkie ever stop?!
(Kate is pictured with 2017 SWIFF guest, Isabel Lucas (Transformers, Home and Away)
And here’s what they have to say to you…
Now that you’ve met them, here’s what the judges have to say: Get your films in asap!
Nick says: “The deadline is 21 August and if anyone is hesitating or is having second thoughts about their work, they should just go for it,” Nick said.
“You absolutely should exploit this opportunity to create. Access to opportunity is so important to any artist’s development and it’s not often that in regional areas you get these kinds of opportunities.”
Kate adds: “It can take a bit of courage to get out there and enter your film, but you can get much more back from it. Just taking that one step to kind of get out there and get your story seen by thousands – potentially tens of thousands – of other people is an awesome opportunity.”
The REC Ya Shorts 2017 deadline is fast approaching. Find out how to submit your entry now!
