Skull Hunters was filmed around Lake Illawarra and in homes across Berkeley, thanks to the generosity of the community. It’s one of the films that will be feautured at Wollongong’s inaugural Short Film Festival. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
The inaugural Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival will be held on Saturday 7 September at Kanahooka Lakeside Reserve – and it’s free.
The session will feature the best entries from a recent short film competition, tied together by a shared theme of water.
Hosted by Wollongong City Council in partnership with Screen Illawarra, Shellharbour City Council and the NSW Government, the event will kick off at 5 pm, with a big screen set up on the grass.
Bring a chair, picnic blanket and a picnic, or grab a feed at the on-site sausage sizzle, doughnut and ice cream vans, or from the shops opposite. Alcohol is not allowed.
Films will screen from 6:15 pm until about 8:30 pm when there will be a short presentation for the category winners.
Angela Blake is the writer and director of one of the featured films, Skull Hunters.
She said the natural beauty of Lake Illawarra meant her team were able to capture the entire film in one day.
“I love Berkeley as a suburb, all the beautiful old houses,” she said.
“It has a very working-class feel and I really wanted that aesthetic.
“We were so lucky to have Lake Illawarra as our setting. You can’t go wrong; you just have to hold up the camera and it looks beautiful.
“Anyone who lives in the Illawarra knows it’s a super special place.”
Skull Hunters follows the journey of three young boys who set out to become TikTok famous by finding the head of a pilot who was decapitated in a crash at Lake Illawarra in the 1950s (true story).
The film is loosely inspired by Stand By Me, and two of the three main characters are from the Berkeley area.
Angela said the community screening was a fitting launch for films that were created hand in hand with the local community.
“We put a call out on the Berkeley community Facebook page and lots of locals lent us their homes; it was a real collaboration, she said.
“Two of the actors are local boys as well, and the drone footage was mostly shot by a 16-year-old Berkeley boy who met me at the lake one day.
“I have to say a huge thank you to all the young people who helped me make this film.”
Those driving to the screening have a few options for parking.
Street parking is available on Lakeside Drive and Edgeworth Avenue, although anyone taking advantage of those spots is urged to take extra care when crossing the road.
Anyone looking to get active can use the Kanahooka Park carpark and enjoy the view on the one-kilometre stroll along the lake foreshore to Kanahooka Reserve – pack a torch for the return journey!
There is also a Transport for NSW bus stop at Lakeside Reserve.
The event will be postponed in case of heavy rain, thunderstorms, or if it’s too windy to erect the big screen.
Check the Facebook event or Wollongong City Council’s website for updates on the day.
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