Year 12 student Phoenix Petterwood is one of two young local filmmakers that have been shortlisted for the North Bellarine Film Festival’s Emerging Filmmakers Award.
Phoenix’s ‘Vacant World’ and Joe Doedel’s ‘Goodbye’ will feature on the final night of the festival, up against nine other young Victorian filmmakers twenty-five years of age or younger who demonstrate excellence, talent and commitment to their craft.
The festival, held on November 18 and 19 at Drysdale’s Potato Shed Theatre, returns for its sixth year, boasting an impressive lineup of domestic and international films in addition to the Emerging Filmmakers Award.
‘Vacant World’, which was starred in, directed and shot by Phoenix, focuses on a young girl who wishes away everyone in her life after a fight with her mother.
“Throughout the film you see her slowly begin to regret her wish,” Phoenix said.
“You see how it gets sadder and sadder throughout the film. By the end, she just has her face in her hands.”
The young filmmaker credits her Geelong High School Media Studies teacher, John Foss, with the idea to enter the film in the festival.
“He quite liked it and told me I should submit it and give myself a chance,” she said.
“He guided me to make the film better in many ways. He helped me figure out some of the shots, if I wanted to reshoot part of it he’d tell me how to do it and whether I should or not.”
Phoenix said she wanted to pursue filmmaking after she finished high school and was thrilled to hear her submission had made the final 11.
“I was just ecstatic, I was lying in bed when I got the email,” she said.
“I sat up and ran out to my mum and had to tell her straight away.
“Filmmaking is definitely something I see myself continuing to do, I’m planning to go to university to do film and media.
“It’s one of my hobbies and I hope it’ll turn into a career.”
For further information on the festival go to www.northbellarinefilmfestival.org.
