Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School Year 10 students Ethan, Kobe, Jonathan and Yuuta were named as finalists in this year’s Cinesnaps Short Film Competition as part of CinefestOZ.
With the theme this year of ‘The Switch’, their film, titled, Fake Friends, follows the story of a boy without any friends who tries to make one himself with the items he has at his disposal. He later realises that his ‘cardboard friend’ was breaking down beyond repair and in the end gets rid of it and finally makes a real friend.
“We wanted to make the story sad but funny, so we went with a sad topic – loneliness – and a funny way to express it using cardboard,” said Ethan.
“We got inspiration from another group making a film with puppets and we came up with the cardboard cutout idea as sort of a joke. However, as we planned it out, the idea grew in depth and away from the original joke while still having the original idea at heart,” added Kobe.
Placing as one of the six finalists, they were very proud but quite surprised at their achievement. “We were not actually the happiest with our first product which we submitted. So, we were quite surprised that it got selected as a finalist. Luckily, we were allowed to make some very minor changes to make the film what we really envisioned in the planning phase, and we were proud that it could be considered in the finals,” recalls Yuuta.
Entering the competition has taught the students teamwork and given them a real-life understanding of what making films entails. “We learnt that making a short film with the right people and a great idea is a very enjoyable experience and helps you learn a lot about what goes on behind productions that you would really see anywhere,” said Jonathan.
When asked if they had any advice for students who are thinking of entering the competition in the future, Jonathan said, “Having a well-structured plan really helps make the production go smoothly and helps the film come together and fit together in a clearer fashion.”
The annual Cinesnaps Short Film Competition encourages young, aspiring South West filmmakers aged 15 to 18 from South West schools to create and showcase original three to five minute short films.
The finalists’ short films will be screened at the CinefestOz Film Festival at a Red Carpet Grand Finale Event on 31 August.
