12th December 2023, Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archives, Canberra:
DAN SANGUINETI: Good Evening and welcome to the 2023 AIE Film School Red Carpet Screening!
For those who don’t know me, my name is Dan Sanguineti. I’m the senior filmmaking trainer at AIE Film School here in Canberra.
To start the proceedings, it means a lot to me, that I can be here in front of you all to graciously acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, who are Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work, film and meet on tonight, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.
Tonight, myself, Trainer Mikey Watson, our CEOs John and Vicki De Margheriti, our head of faculty Dan Miller, and our Head and Deputy Head of School here in Canberra, Lea Michael and Joshua Skeates, and all our film students, are incredibly proud to present to you, on this grand screen in the Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archives, a whole year’s worth of hard and dedicated filmmaking.
In the realm of filmmaking, presenting your work to an audience is a pivotal moment. It's more than just about showcasing any one film; it's about sharing a piece of a creative soul, an idea that has been developed and crafted, through each stage of production, with creativity as the guiding force and knowledge and experience, the heart of this mission that our students embarked on at the start of the year.
Tonight, as we sit together, we're not just spectators; we're participants in the realization of filmmaking dreams. The act of presenting your work to an audience is always an act of vulnerability and courage. It's a moment when the filmmaker invites the audience to step into their world, to experience their emotions, their thoughts, visions and aspirations. This connection between the filmmaker and the audience is what makes cinema a truly magical and transformative experience.
For some filmmakers here tonight, this is the first time they will be seeing their work on a big screen. The films you will watch tonight may not be perfectly refined in every way, with the sound or vision, graded or mixed with the highest of the production value akin to a hollywood film. But, and this is a big one, you will see some incredible achievements, not only in story, direction and producing, but also in lighting, cinematography, production design, editing and sound. Tonight is not the end of a journey, not quite yet for our students. This screening is part of the filmmaking process, understanding how an audience connects with your work and how to constantly improve and grow and become better filmmakers.
Tonight as an audience, I want us all not to be afraid to connect and emote, outwardly within this cinema. If there is something on this screen that connects with you, help share it with everyone here. Either if you are the filmmaker, a crew member of that film, a friend or family member, a member of the public, a film industry person or even one of the amazing local Canberra actors who helped populate all our films throughout this year:
be vocal!
clap loudly!
cheer!
and show gratitude!
If a moment that happens on screen is funny, laugh! If a moment feels sad, please, don’t hide your tears! And if you are unsure how to feel, just be proud! Every film tonight is worthy of your pride. Every film finished and on any screen for an audience to see is the achievement. Don’t worry about the little errors or mistakes tonight, or what could anyone have done better, thats for after christmas, where the filmmakers can clean up their film for a festival submission, or you just bring lessons learnt to the next film project.
I am genuinely overwhelmed with pride and admiration for the incredible journey our students have undertaken this year. The dedication and passion they have poured into their film projects are truly commendable, and it's an honor to be here to witness the culmination of their hard work tonight.
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