2006 Newtown Flicks Film Festival - The team
The panel of judges, guest speakers and contributors
Newtown Flicks would like to thank Graham 'Garfield' Barnard, Myles Conti, Luke Eve (Director), Chris Fitz-Gibbon (Fitzair Picture Company), Kevin Jackson (Director, NIDA lecturer), Sebastian Strakowicz, Genevieve Lemon (Actor), Garry Maddox (Sydney Morning Herald), Tim Newsom (Filmmaker and formerly from Trout Fishing in Quebec), Denise Roberts (Actor), Bart Rose, Paul Searles (Skunkhour), Ken Smith, Megan Spencer (The Movie Show) and Steve Wallace (Australian Film Commission) for all their support during the 2006 Newtown Flicks Film Festival.
About the team
 Myles Conti
Myles came to Sydney from Perth in 1998. He has a burning ambition as a filmmaker, constantly learning and embracing every aspect of filmmaking. Myles has directed three award wining short films, an animated television pilot, over 30 television commercials and a bunch of corporate videos.
He has just completed the AFC funded Director’s Attachment position on the Feature Film “Razzle Dazzle - A Journey Into Dance” He is also a highly sort after editor and is one of the most experienced Final Cut Pro Operators in Sydney.
Myles teaches Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro at Metro Screen, and Film and Video Production at Billy Blue College. With colleague Doug Suiter, Myles runs an online Final Cut Pro forum for Sydney based users at www.sydneyfcp.info
 Chris Fitz-Gibbon
After working 10 years with Australian Broadcasting Commission Chris Fitz-Gibbon left in 1979 to form The Fitzair Picture Company. The Fitzair Picture Company is a film and television Production House, specialising in Television Commercial Production including Corporates and Training Videos, a Music Division and an Aerial Photography Division.
The Fitzair Picture Company is also producing full length feature films as well as short films, using 35mm and 16mm formats. In 2002 The Fitzair Picture Company produced a pilot for a TV Variety Show called "Who Tonight" filmed at FOX Studios for FOXTEL Cable.
The Fitzair Picture Company has the experience to produce the production to tailor virtually any budget, from Story board / Preproduction stage to the finished Digital Master. Their services include feature films, documentaries, television commercials, corporates, music videos, live concerts, television shows, training videos. All production which includes creative direction and ideas, post production, film and technical crews, hair / make-up and styling personnel, camera / lighting and sound equipment hire.
Chris is also a rock-n'-roller! His band the 'Yeehaa Boys' played at the 2006 Royal Easter Show!
 Genevieve Lemon
AFI nominee Genevieve Lemon has worked professionally as an actor/singer for 21 years. A strong working relationship with award winning director Jane Campion, has seen Genevieve star in Sweetie (for which she won the Australian Film Critics Award for Best Actress), The Piano, Holy Smoke, and most recently, The Water Diary. Other Australian films include The Well, Soft Fruit, and Suburban Mayhem (to be released). TV credits includes Prisoner, Neighbours, Three Men and a Baby Grand, Seven Deadly Sins, and Always Greener.
Most recently Genevieve has performed in the Sydney Theatre Company’s productions of Summer Rain, Harbour, and Victory. In 2005 she was nominated for a MO Award for best Female Actor in a Play, with the one woman show My Brilliant Divorce.
A seasoned cabaret performer, Genevieve is currently touring with The Wharf Revue, and over the years has written and performed in her self devised shows Narrabeen Girl, Lemon, Live and Bitter and Lone Star Lemon. With a talented  trio of daughters, Genevieve is in denial about being a potential stage mother.
Garry Maddox
Garry Maddox is the film writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.
He's also a former policy manager for the Film Finance Corporation and editor of Encore Magazine and Total Sport.
 Denise Roberts
Denise has been working as a professional Producer, Director, Actor and Author since 1980. During this time she has picked up accolades at every stage of her career, including an AFI Award, four Silver Logies and a Film Critics Circle nomination. Best known for her roles as Julie Winters on the ABC's GP, and Isabelle Turnbull on Channel 7's Always Greener, Denise is the author of 'GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER', THE ACTOR'S ADVISORY MANUAL, published by The Federation Press.
Director of the highly successful one man play 'Fully Committed' at the Ensemble Theatre, and Lovers At Versailles Playhouse - Opera House, Denise appeared in and was the original concept creator and Associate producer of Correlli, a 10 part drama series screened on the ABC featuring Hugh Jackman in his first starring role. Some of her other more memorable projects include The Vagina Monologues, The Oldest Profession, Late Nite Catechism, Shirley Valentine, GP, Wild Side, The Dish, and Road To Nhill. Stairwell, a 10 minute short thriller which Denise directed was selected for screening at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival.
A graduate of Hayes Gordon's Ensemble Theatre, Denise is currently developing ALL 4 1 with Prodigy Movies. Her awards include Chief Glugs Award for Excellence Behind the Scenes, Variety Club Television Drama Award ‘Best Actor’, Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award ‘Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role’, In A Television Drama for GP, ‘Alone’.
Denise is also the Principal Director of Screenwise film and television school. Screenwise was established to provide specialist, career-focused training in acting for film & TV, by employing the crème de la crème of industry professionals - award-winning actors, directors & casting consultants who are articulate and inspirational teachers.
 Megan Spencer
Megan Spencer has been involved in all aspects of film culture for the last 15 years as both a film critic and filmmaker. After 6 ½ years as the resident film critic at triple j radio at the ABC, in 2004 she also joined the new line up of long-running SBS-TV program The Movie Show.
Spencer regularly appears on other local and national radio programs such as Drive with Richard Glover on 702 ABC, Radio National’s daily arts program The Deep End and has appeared on pop TV shows like The 10.30 Slot and Recovery. A passionate speaker and advocate for film culture, she reported from the Toronto and Berlin International Film Festivals and co-presented the Independent Spirit Award at the 2004 & 2005 Inside Film Awards televised on SBS.
Before she began working as a film critic Spencer racked up an extensive background as a filmmaker, film programmer, teacher and curator. Her documentaries as director include Heathens (1994), Hooked On Christmas (1997) and Strange Hungers: Mistress Ursula (2001). Her current production is Fantastic Brutality: Wrestling’s No. 1 Fan, to be completed early 2006.
 Sebastian Strakowicz
Born in Poland , moved to Canada as a teenager. Sebastian received honours BA in Film Studies from Brock University.
After graduating he moved to Vancouver to work in the American ‘run away film’ industry. While in Vancouver his passion for moving image extended to directing and producing short films and video installations, as well as curating and programming for several film and video festivals across Canada .
In 2002 he returned to Toronto to work as an assistant director and production manager in music videos and television commercials. For the past 2 years he’s been living in Australia , continuingly working in the film industry.
Sebastian is also currently writing his MA thesis on visual mobile communication and new narrative structures at UNSW. Over the past year he’s been concentrating on producing with mobile phones. Later in 2006 his cinematic/mobile film titled ‘NEW’ will be released as part of his MA thesis.
Karen Colston
Starting as an usher at the Dendy, Newtown, Karen studied acting at the Q Theatre. In her decade as an actor, Karen starred in Jane Campion’s Sweetie, co-established the On Cue Theatre Group, performed in numerous commercial Australian dramas, produced and performed in Theatre in Education, and has acted in several short films.
After graduating with a BA (High Distinction) in Theatre/Film, Karen has since worked a s Director’s Assistant to Jane Campion on Holy Smoke, casting director, co-producer, and writer/director/producer of her own short film The Station.
She has participated in film festival around the world, and won awards in the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Film, and the Australian Cinematographers Association. For the past 5 years she has worked as a Producer’s Assistant to the highly acclaimed Jan Chapman. |
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2007 Newtown Flicks Film Festival
