Twelve short films, written and produced by NSW nurses and midwives, for the NSW Nurses & Midwives Association’s (NSWNMA) fourth Nurses & Midwives Short Film Festival, will premiere tonight, Thursday May 9, at the NSWNMA Gadigal Auditorium in Waterloo.
Tonight’s Festival screening will be launched by Sydney TV and documentary producer, Patrick McInerney, who worked for many years on the popular factual-television hospital documentary, RPA.
The inaugural Nurses & Midwives Short Film Festival was held in 2009 and the Festival is now a biennial event on the NSW arts calendar.
The 2013 Festival has again produced a range of quality amateur films, which touch on some of life’s biggest questions and intimate moments. A full list is attached.
It taps into nurses and midwives’ unique view of society and presents a number of evocative and provocative themes to the wider community.
Mental health nursing, grief, community nursing, what it is like to be a nurse, childhood illness – these types of issues are all covered creatively, sensitively and, at times, humorously.
In taking up the challenge of this Festival the participating nurses and midwives have made a valuable contribution to the cultural life of NSW.
About the Festival
Since the 2011 Festival many nurses and midwives across NSW have been writing and producing a short film, of up to five minutes in length, telling a nursing/midwifery story. The film could be in any style, including documentary, comedy, drama, animation, horror or musical. The NSWNMA commissioned three film and advertising industry specialists to do the judging.
The three prize winners will be announced following tonight’s screening. First prize is $5000, sponsored by First State Super. Second prize is $2000, sponsored by Behaviour Change, the Shannon Company. The third prize of $1000 is sponsored by the NSWNMA.
The inaugural Maureen Puhlmann Award of $1000, sponsored by the NSWNMA, will also be presented tonight to a first-time entrant in the Festival, who shows great promise in their filmmaking.
Many of the filmmakers screening tonight attended NIDA workshops, sponsored by the NSWNMA, prior to producing their film.
Premiere details
NSWNA Nurses & Midwives Short Film Festival 2013
Date: Thursday, 9 May
Time: 6.30pm – Cocktail Party
7.30pm – Films screening, followed by the announcement of winners
Venue: NSWNMA Gadigal Auditorium
50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo
(Please note: The filmmakers will be present at the premiere and available for interviews.)
Special Guest
Patrick McInerney
Patrick has been a senior producer with Network Seven and the Nine Network for over ten years. In that time he has worked mainly in factual television on shows such as RPA and Border Security. He has also made a number of medical documentaries for National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, as well as African Wild Life Documentaries for Animal Planet. However, his true love is working in and filming around hospitals.
Downloadable files
Contact details
Lynne Ridge
Ph: 02 85951234
