Community Film Project

In the lead up to the 2009 festival the Hillside Film Festival Community Film Project was developed by local filmmaker Jaime Snyder. Conducted in the streets of Belgrave, local residents and traders were interviewed regarding the role of film in their lives. The outcome of this project was then screened in Cameo Cinemas before all of their regular film sessions in the lead up to the festival. This generated much conversation in the local area, and was a great way for the community to tell their own story, and have their views aired publicly up on the big screens at Cameo.

This year documentary maker Shelley Matulick ran the Community Film Project, interviewing a variety of local hills characters. She's captured some brilliant moments, which are currently screening at Cameo Cinemas in January-February 2010 before regular film sessions and are also presented below.

Shelley Matulick is a local Dandenong Ranges resident. She made her debut in the film industry at the bottom of the food chain as an extra in a music video. She gradually worked her way up working as an assistant, production manager, script supervisor and assistant editor for commercials, TV and feature films.

Returning to Australia in late 2001 after working with award winning production houses in New York and Los Angeles, Shelley decided to embark on her own documentaries. She wrote and directed ‘Me! Me! Me! & ADHD’, ‘Bob Brought the War Home‘ and ‘Our Brilliant Second Life’ for SBS and was an assistant director on ‘Desperately Seeking Sheila’ in 2004. Her recent project ‘AlterEgo’ for SBS will be aired shortly.

Her films have been broadcast on TV and at festivals such as Aspen ShortsFest (USA), Annecy Animation Festival (France), Margaret Mead Documentary Festival (NY), Interfilm Berlin, Perth International Film Festival and many others.