Moving Image Mentorship Program
The Moving Image Mentorship Program, presented by the New Student Precinct in partnership with Next Wave, was an opportunity for four students from different faculties to curate and produce screenings, live music and performance under the mentorship of Kristy Matheson, Director of Film at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. The program is aimed at supporting students interested in film and arts programming by providing professional development, mentoring and networking opportunities.
The team of four students are the first guest programmers to access the recently digitised archive of Victorian Collage of the Arts (VCA) student film archives, dating back to 1966. Footage from the archives will be used to present monthly screenings, talks and performance at an outdoor cinema installed at North Court, Union House throughout Semester 2. The programming team will research and collaborate with established artists, filmmakers and performers to present interdisciplinary programs for University audiences and the public.
Presented by The New Student Precinct and Next Wave in partnership with University of Melbourne Student Union.
About the Digital Archive Project
Celebrating 50 years of ambitious storytelling that embraces risk, experimentation and play, the VCA Digital Archive Project is a fascinating historical and cultural time capsule, seen through the eyes of some of Australia’s most ground-breaking artists. This is a unique opportunity to craft dynamic programs from a new archive of 1,800 narrative, animated and documentary shorts produced by Film and Television graduates.
‘Short films are often regarded as an experimental medium… When telling their short stories, students often enter into political, cultural, religious or social discourses for the first time. The beauty of this collection is that many of these films are often unfinished and un-contextualised. But within this rawness there is also authenticity. The lack of polish is refreshing in a world where everything is highly crafted to manipulate. Students who make films are still finding, defining and creating their voice and often, inadvertently, manage to perfectly capture the zeitgeist’.
- Donna Lyon-Hensler, archivist and academic, Victorian College of the Arts
About Kirsty Matheson
Kristy Matheson is Director of Film at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne where she programs contemporary films and retrospectives. She has worked in independent distribution and film festivals such as Brisbane International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival. In 2017 she was the recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship. She has published in Senses of Cinema, served on film festival juries, pre-selection committees and industry peer assessment panels.
Should you have any questions about the New Student Precinct, please feel free to contact the Precinct team.