About us...
Newtown Flicks is a non-profit organisation established in 2005 to meet the demands of the underground Sydney short film industry. Born over breakfast in one of the many cafes in downtown Newtown, we committed to the long term development of the company and its ideals.
We strongly encourage filmmakers with fewer opportunities and exclusively support Sydney’s creative underground by providing a network of knowledge and contacts for aspiring artists and ongoing opportunities for the screening of their work.
Meet Our Board of Directors
From (left to right): Spiros, Martin and Bill.
Direct from...
Martin Kelly
On just another Sunday in July 2005, Spiros, Bill and I met for a coffee at our local haunt ‘Cafe Martini’. We’d originally met at the New Theatre about a year earlier, just across the road from this now infamous cafe. Through many discussions at the front-of-house or in the bio box we found we had similar interests and these breakfast/coffee sessions only reinforced these facts.
As we saw it, these were the facts: The Valhalla and Cheval Theatres had closed down and Tropfest and Flickerfest were now international events beyond the reach of the new and aspiring filmmakers. Where in this inner city precinct can they show their wear?
Thus, Newtown Flicks was born. Our target audience are these talented up and coming film makers. We want to give them a space and provide or facilitate interactions with more experienced professionals through workshops and informal get-togethers.
Newtown Flicks will become an integral part of the Newtown and inner-city cultural calendar showcasing both the new filmmaking talent in the area as well as supporting other initiatives in multimedia areas.
It’s always difficult to see where this will ultimately take us. But we at Newtown Flicks believe that there is an overwhelming amount of talent in this precinct and it just a matter of providing a venue/s where their wears can be focused on and presented to an awaiting audience. SO HERE GOES…
Spiros Hristias
How did the idea come about from coffee to project plan? I like to kid myself and say I thought of it first, but in reality, we all thought of it at the same time. We starting talking about the idea, bouncing it around, and before I knew it, Martin and Bill were serious, so I thought why not? Budding film-makers are looking to learn, develop their skills, get to others and be noticed.
Bringing creative people together benefits everyone. There’s an image of the creative person working/hiding away in a dark little room trying to dig ideas out of their psyche. I don't think we can get rid of the dark room, but we may be able to let some light in.
What are our objectives, challenges and obstacles? Break even. Seriously though, we want to create a forum where people come to discuss, meet and feel supported.
I’ve worked on the fringes of theatre for about 15 years now (frightening), originally a writer and director but strong demands for lighting designers led me in that direction. Never afraid of up-skilling! Graduated from Macquarie University with a BA in Drama, UWS with a Masters in Directing, and have a certificate in Arts Administration from UTS.
As a team, we want to be multifaceted and open to new concepts. There's so much other stuff, but I'm having problems putting it all into words…
...and Bill Jordan
Sitting in a dark room seeing an artistic creation, a culmination of creative time, talent, tears, effort and joy unfold before your eyes is such a wondrous feeling. I have a tremendous respect for those who are involved in these processes and over the years I have enjoyed the fruits of their labour.
In the past I was a working muso and spent many years based in Canberra working the South Coast and border environs of NSW. Most recently, in Sydney I have found myself working in the bio-box of the New Theatre and helping to create that magic that we all love – sound, lights – the fundamental imperatives of this magical process.
I found myself discussing the demise of the Indy Film cinema in Sydney with Spiros and Martin and from these laments came an idea to assist the many filmmakers in the inner-west. In a caffeine accelerated moment we committed to a long term development of the Newtown Flicks idea and ideals. From that flow came our inaugural film festival which will continue on into the future.
I see this as a natural extension of the commitment I make to the processes in theatre and I am looking forward to the coming years in which we can develop and grow the fantastic potential that is sitting out there looking for a forum in which to present and be discovered.
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