:: Sydney Film School's first distribution deal

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

Sydney Film School is proud to announce their first student film to achieve a national DVD distribution deal, to be released on September 18. In 2006 Maya Newell created her first feature length documentary ‘Richard’ as part of her studies at Sydney Film School, and two years later it is being distributed to the general public for viewing by Siren Visual.

Sydney Film School believe in a flexible structure to study, where the creative voice is nurtured and encouraged rather than stifled by adherence to a rigid institutionalised program. Due to this, the school as successfully produced a feature length documentary that has commercial viability and longevity; an Australian film school first.

This is the latest development in the long line of initiatives that Sydney Film School actively pursues to create constructive pathways for their students into a career in filmmaking. It successfully complements the dedicated distribution arm that has seen, since inception, 32 SFS films screen in 43 prestigious film festivals locally and abroad with 6 first prizes. In 2007 Sydney Film School was one of only three international film schools invited to screen 6 of their student films at the Cannes Film Festival, which included Richard.

Maya Newell’s first full length documentary Richard (50 min), is a stark, bittersweet and at times humorous portrait of Richard Blackie – consummate eccentric, toy collector and former Michael Jackson impersonator – whose public obsessions and private torments are laid bare in this devastating portrayal of the last few months of his life. This local Sydney identity made headlines when he took his own life in July 2006. What few people knew at the time was that a 17 year-old student filmmaker had developed a curious friendship with Blackie. She had gained access to this most private of private characters and his extraordinary and utterly bizarre toyshop, and was filming his life and the obsessions that drove him, when he took his own life.

Maya Newell completed Richard as part of her studies at Sydney Film School in 2006, working closely with joint Heads of Documentary Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini, credited as Executive Producers on behalf of SFS. Newell undertook all key crew rolls including Camera, Editing, Writing and Directing, working with Annie Breslin as Sound Designer. Breslin’s feature film credits as Sound Designer / Editor include Mad Max 2, Evil Angels, High Tide, The Well, Soft Fruit, Unfolding Florence, and most recently Unfinished Sky

The approach to study at Sydney Film School is based on creating a community environment that presents a realistic path to creating films that nurture experimentalism with all students involved on an equal footing. This has proved a successful alternative to following a more institutionalised format that adheres to a structured hierarchical pathway, championing entrepreneurial and alternative approaches to filmmaking and distribution, that is becoming more the norm in the “real world”, as funding tightens and avenues narrow.

Maya Newell’s vision and dedication to her craft have achieved big things in her short career to date. Through the support of Sydney Film School who actively promote their students quest for creative storytelling, Newell has proved herself to be an up and coming filmmaker to watch.