While starting from fertile ground of anger and disgust with MIFF, we quickly springboarded into something transcendent of our initial motivation. We received twelve new motion pictures that are all, except for a couple, Australian premieres. We have programmed over ten features in our "Retrospective of Australian Cult Cinema" to demonstrate the historicity and diversity of Australian cinema that the 'cabal' of industry mediocrity would rather you did not see.

I mention the world 'cabal' becuse that is what it is. The Australian film industry is a cliquey, cultural elitist affair where the main industry players are more concerned with their government funded pay cheques while they reject and ignore the blood, sweat and tears of the independent filmmaker. They want to fuck the corpse of virtually non-existent industry, feathering their own little nests while thay are at it. Now in theory these bureaucrats always have to exist in some form. The main problem we have with this 'cabal' is that they only fund, exhibit, distribute and promote essentially government supporting polite, safe, slice of life, coming of age dramas and comedies. Some films like this are fine sure, but 9 out of every 10?!

Of course these views will piss people off. How dare we criticise the establishment? Who do we think we are? I say to them. How dare THEY monopolise the film thought and culture of a nation. How dare THEY feather their nests and off-handledly reject talent, ideas and philosophies that don't gel with their safe world view. For example the filmmaker Haydn Keenan should get money every two or three years for his projects...he is a great ignored Aussie talent whose new projects I for one would love to see.

As these new films from Australia will show this 'cabal' is in trouble. Most of the new films in "Section one" from Australia were made with NO government money, NO support from established festivals, NO support from local distributors or unions. But these films all exist and are wonderful and bear more creativity, voice and talent than the last twenty government funded wanks. Be careful that these filmmakers will become an industry that doesn't need to toady to the powers that be, that will establish and spread its own voice and agendas. You see these films are art but they are also commercial. An alchemical mixture that all good cinema has.

Thank you more than you know to the filmmakers involved who give us their dreams, talent and vision. May passion rule the Australian film industry again and we will see a second great revolution in Aussie cinema. From Peter Weir's "Cars That Ate Paris" in the retro section ...the 70's was a boom Renaissance time for Oz film. Let's start the second renaissance. The time is now. Thank you also to all our sponsors, volunteers and staff who believe in a 'new voice' in Oz film and helping to spread the news.

Lets clear away the 'no' sayers like a fresh stream clearing the shit from a drain. Passion, creativity and will is everything. Viva la revolution. When some of these directors in this fest are courted by Hollywood let's have the courage, money and infrastructure to keep these filmmakers here if they wish it. Otherwise our future Weirs, Schepsis and Beresfords will skip town to avoid the 'cabal' like the previous mentioned great directors.

Enjoy MUFF 2000 and see you bigger and better in 2001.

In love and peace to the free spirits of this world.

Richard Wolstencroft
Festival Director

The Forum:
Guerilla Film
Making DIY
Seminar

We present our first forum on guerilla DIY filmmaking at MUFF 2000. Tired of rejection from funding bodies, festivals and industry 'no' sayers.? Well say "Fuck them"...you can do it yourself with will, passion and a lot of blood, sweat and tears. The guerilla phenomenon has swept the world with "Blair Witch..." and other zero budget projects, here we look locally to Aussie guerilla filmmakers. We have assembled up the illumnati of independent film making including Jon Hewitt, Richard Wolstencroft, Mark Savage, Mark Bakaitis, Shannon Young, Chris Summers and Darryl Martin, Damien Heffernan and more. These devious directors will spill the beans on the art of DIY cinema, they've done it, do it, and will do it again if necessary. The full enantiodromia of this problematic fully explored in a two hour no holds barred Q&A session. Uncensored, controversial, informative. Sunday 23rd at 5.00 at Nova. Admission $10 (plus GST) (money well spent if you are a low budget wanna be or interested in the 'art')

Richard Wolstencroft