2007-05-31
PRESS RELEASE:
GOING TO MONTREAL “JUST
FOR LAUGHS”
The zero-budget Aussie “nature mockumentary”, The Majesty of the
Wetlands, has been invited to screen at the 2007 Just for Laughs Comedy
Festival in Montreal, Canada.
The Majesty of the Wetlands was produced by independent Sydney film
maker Emmanuel Marshall in January 2005, and has since been screened in
more than a dozen film festivals, in Australia, Europe and
Canada. Marshall rounded up a handful of friends to make the
film, which was shot in three and a half days on a compact Handycam.
Inaugurated in 1983, just for Laughs is the largest festival of its
kind in the world, showcasing stand up comedy and street theatre as
well as comic films. The festival draws a huge audience from
around the globe, and has spawned festivals in Toronto and the USA, as
well as a successful TV series.
More info on Just for Laughs: www.hahaha.com/comedy-2007.html
More info on Emmanuel Marshall’s films: www.polydigm.net
2007-02-14
PRESS RELEASE:
GLOBE TROTTING AUSSIE
SHORTS
The well travelled Aussie “nature mockumentary”, The Majesty of the
Wetlands, has been invited to screen at the 5th “World of Comedy Film
Festival” in Toronto Canada. The Majesty of the Wetlands was
produced on a shoestring budget by independent film maker Emmanuel
Marshall in 2005, and has since been screened in more than a dozen film
festivals.
The World of Comedy Film Festival is celebrating its fifth birthday
with a bulging bill of the best humorous cinema, short and long, from
around the globe. The festival runs from the 7th to the 11th of
March. See the festival website - www.worldcomedyfilmfest.com –
for more details.
While The Majesty of the Wetlands is getting laughs in Toronto, another
of Emmanuel Marshall’s short films, the surreal love story “Brolly”,
will be screening at the Cortisonici Film Festival in Italy.
Cortisonici plays 7 – 10 March. See www.cortisonici.org
More info on Emmanuel Marshall’s films: www.polydigm.net
2006/10/23
PRESS RELEASE:
MACABRE SHORT FILM WINS
PORTABLE FILM FESTIVAL
“Behind the Facade” - a gruesome low budget short film about the perils
of documentary making – took line honours at the Portable Film Festival
this weekend.
The Portable Film Festival, brain child of Melbourne creative team
'Portable Content', attracted thousands of viewers to the festival
website, where they were able to watch dozens of short films from all
over the world, via online video streaming. Viewers were able to
vote for their favourite films and leave their comments via the website
interface.
Made by Sydney indy filmmaker Emmanuel Marshall, for a budget of less
than $150, Behind the Facade was named best film in the festival by
the more than 11,000 viewers who logged on to vote.
Behind the Facade is a tongue-in-cheek satire about an earnest young
film maker, who sets out to make a documentary about “urban
eccentrics", the unique characters he imagines the city to be full
of. Unfortunately, in reality, his interview subjects are less
than fascinating. People living in ordinary urban banality are, it
turns out, rather ordinary and banal.
His luck seems to be changing when he meets a chatty caretaker with a
vividly sadistic imagination. But something is not quite right... has
he bitten off more than he can chew?
Director Emmanuel Marshall said;
“This is a really gratifying win. I’ve always been a bit
ambivalent about whether this film worked. It’s a kind of mixture
of satire and horror, which is an awkward combo. We played it
very straight – poker face. It was my first short, so I was just
trusting my instincts. It’s great that the Portable Film Festival
audience got it… I think it’s a my-space demographic, you know,
young people who have seen stuff like Ali-G and The Office and We Can
Be Heroes, and they get mockumentary humour. It’s a special brand
of irony.
It’s really an honour because there were some very funny and well made
films competing in this festival, and as well as that it’s a new thing;
it’s the first festival in the world I think that has used the 3G
mobile video platform, and that’s very exciting.”
The Portable Film Festival can be seen online now at
www.portablefilmfestival.com
To view Behind the Facade and for info on The Portable Film Festival -
go to
www.portablefilmfestival.com
2006/09/16 PRESS RELEASE:
IT’S ALIVE! THE
PORTABLE FILM FESTIVAL IS LOOSE
The much anticipated Portable Film Festival is finally on-line!
The innovative event allows you to download short films from all over
the world, not only to your computer, but also to portable data devices
such as phones and Pocket PC’s, so you can watch them anywhere,
anytime!
One of the films in the festival is “The Majesty of the Wetlands”, an
Aussie short made for less than $200, which lampoons nature
documentaries.
Director of The Majesty of the Wetlands, Emmanuel Marshall said;
“It’s a spoof mockumentary about preserving species of endangered
garbage, like old tyres and abandoned shopping carts - sort of David
Attenborough meets landfill. It’s completely silly. A lot
of short films are rather earnest and intellectual, but sometimes it’s
good to just have a good belly laugh. That’s one thing we do well
in Australia, is make good comedy shorts. Festivals like Trop
Fest’ really got the ball rolling for comedy shorts. The Portable
Fest’ is great, because it’s taking the film festival idea to a really
massive audience via the web. The site is hooked up to MySpace,
and at the moment, that is where the vast audience for new film and
music is at.”
The Portable Film Festival is viewable / downloadable now. Go to
www.portablefilmfestival.com on your computer, 3G phone or pocket
device.
To view The Majesty of the Wetlands on line – go to
www.portablefilmfestival.com/video/festival-2006/general/majesty-of-the-wetlands
For more info about The Majesty of the Wetlands – go to
www.polydigm.net/wetlands.htm
For more info about The Portable Film Festival – go to
www.portablefilmfestival.com
2006/08/12 PRESS RELEASE:
PRAISE FOR “BROLLY” AT
ITALY’S MALESCORTO FILM FESTIVAL
The jury at Italy's Malescorto Film Festival last week, awarded
Australian short film "Brolly" a Special Mention in their fiction
category.
The Malescorto Jury described "Brolly" as "a fresh and original
invention which represents, in an artless and elegant way, the poetry
of falling in love".
“Brolly” was written and directed by Sydney filmmaker Emmanuel
Marshall. The film cost less than $400, from conception to final
cut. Marshall said of the film; “this was a truly collaborative
process. I came up with the structure, but the film would be
nothing without the strong and creative performances that Garth
(Hodgson) and Stephanie (Son) put in… and the music, which was another
whole process again, which just made me feel like the film actually
worked.”
Marshall has made seven short films over the past two years, many of
which have enjoyed success at festivals in Australia and Europe.
He is currently in pre-production for his next short, which he expects
to shoot later this year.
More information about “Brolly”, can be found at
www.polydigm.net/brolly.htm
The Malescorto Film Festival’s homepage is:
http://www.malescorto.it/inglese/malescorto_ing.html
2006/08/07 PRESS RELEASE:
THREE
POLYDIGM SHORTS AT
PORTOBELLO FESTIVAL
Three shorts by
Independent filmmaker Emmanuel Marshall are screening at the biggest
independent film showcase in the U.K. – Portobello Film Festival.
The Portobello Film
Festival was created in 1996 to provide a forum for new film-makers and
give exposure to movies on different formats.
The three Polydigm films
screening in the 2006 competition are; ‘Brolly’; ‘10’; and ‘The Majesty
of the Wetlands’.
Brolly is a surreal love
story about two young people who find a way to share their private
dream worlds.
10 is a five minute
satirical film performed by a ten year old actor. Three
characters - The General, The Terrorist Bomber and The Drunk Soldier -
rant and rail at each other in a wholly improvised dialogue ridiculing
the hypocrisy of the adult world.
The Majesty of the
Wetlands is a nature mockumentary about refuse conservation, in
the tradition of David Attenborough's work. The film highlights
the plight of endangered species such as shopping trolleys, plastic
bags, and old tyres.
More information about
Polydigm films can be found at www.polydigm.net
The Portobello Film
Festival’s homepage is: www.portobellofilmfestival.com
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