Celluloid Bites Back

The Australian film industry has had a tough time recently, with huge successes and an equal number of apparent failures, which has led to some speculation as to whether the Australian film revival has burnt itself out. The pressure to pump out a string of commercially successful films has been immense, but it is a pressure our industry is not strong enough to maintain. The real strength of our industry is in its diversity, and this diversity originates with the short films that are produced while filmmakers are still studying, or have just finished their studies, and are on the way to feature productions. Australia has a very healthy short film culture, because we seem to understand the form, and are able to work within its constrictions. The George Cinema in St Kilda, supported by the Australian Film Institute, curated a showcase of recent short films, and screened the collection as a season named 'Celluloid Bites Back' from late May, 1996.