AFTRS student wins EU Film Award

Wednesday May 12

AFTRS student wins EU Film Award

Up-and-coming director Harrison Chad is the winner of this year’s European Union Film Award Award, a prize which will see him travel to Austria in October for the 2004 Viennale Film Festival.

The award was announced at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) graduation on Friday April 30.

Roger Camilleri from the European Commission Delegation to Australia and New Zealand said the award gave an emerging Australian film maker an opportunity to learn about the European film industry.

“We are happy to offer a young Australian film maker the chance to visit a European film festival and to gain an understanding of the film industry there,” he said. “We hope this opportunity will help to strengthen ties between our film industries, and perhaps lead to European/Australian co-productions in the future.”

Winner Harrison Chadd said he was looking forward to visiting the Viennale.

The award includes accommodation and travel and access to all Viennale screenings and events and is offered as a result of the assistance of the Embassy of Austria in Canberra.

Given the strong field of contenders, the EU also granted director Andrew Gregory access to the Viennale and related events.

Gregory, who recently graduated from the producing course at AFTRS, will be in Europe as ‘Birthday Boy’, the animated film he produced, is in competition at the Annecy Animation Festival.

ENDS

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