Lights, camera, Logan!
In a first for the City of Logan, a new film festival is about to raise the curtain on local filmmakers and celebrate their diverse stories.
This September, Underdog Film Fest is set to become the launching pad for Logan’s emerging filmmakers and film students to premiere their creative talents.
Film Fest participants will have the opportunity to develop filmmaking skills at group workshops and gain industry connections – all in their own backyard.
According to talented filmmaker and Film Fest judge, Lark Lee, the event will be a coup for Logan’s fledgling film industry.
‘I’m excited to see what Logan filmmakers are doing and I really want to help them grow,’ Lark says.
‘Everyone on the team has been working really, really hard to create a base for young filmmakers.
‘Who knows, the next famous director could be born in Logan.’
The judging panel – which includes other notable figures such as Sally Terare, a First Nations artist and consultant – embodies the festival’s ideals of inclusivity and accessibility.
Lark, a Korean-Australian mother based in Springwood, has been enjoying a boom in film projects after receiving funding in 2021.
With support from the Queensland Government and Logan City Council, she was able to create the first short version of Street No. 4, a horror film inspired by supernatural Korean mythology within an Australian setting.
‘The short film attracted serious interest and I’m quite happy with the response,’ she says.
‘Funding from Council was so helpful – without the grant, the quality wouldn’t have been as good as it was.’
Street No. 4 has since accumulated rave reviews and awards on the international film festival route and is set to be made into a feature film in
the near future.
Her latest project, Mother’s Table, depicts multigenerational relationships
within Asian families and was recently streamed on SBS On Demand.
As part of SBS and Screen Australia’s Digital Originals Initiative, Lark is also working on a new drama series, Little Korea, about Korean migrant stories.
One of the Underdog Film Fest founders, Ali Strachan, is delighted by the calibre of the judging panel and Logan’s potential to play more of a starring role in the film world.
‘The festival is about providing a bridge between local film practitioners and the bigger industry, because this is something we’ve been lacking in Logan,’ Ali says.
‘Our vision is to create accessible pathways into this booming industry to build the local film sector.’
The event is supported by the Queensland Government via the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, Screen Queensland and Logan City Council’s Community Event funding.
By June Ho
Film Fest entries are due by 1 July, 2024 for the following categories:
› Best Documentary Short Film
› Best Narrative Short Film
› Best LGBTQIA+ Film
› Best Multicultural Short Film
› Best First Nations Film
› Best Animation Short
› Best ‘Made in Logan’ Short Film
› The Underdog Award
› People’s Choice
Finalists and winners will be screened at the festival on 21 September, 2024.
For information about the Underdog Film Fest visit Underdog Film Fest
Photo at top: Director Lark Lee on set.
