Sony announced the winners of the third annual Catchlight Film Festival, which recognises filmmakers from Australia and New Zealand that have chosen to tell their stories with a Sony camera. The 2023 Catchlight Film Festival judges, Yolanda Ramke (Non-Fiction), Gracie Otto (Fiction), Simeon Bryan (Student Fiction) & Sony Music Australia (Music Video) chose the four winning films from the remarkable finalist films in this year’s line-up.
Winners of the 2023 Catchlight Film Festival, Bangay Lore by Jahvis Loveday, The Extra by Tyler Kang, Pitch Black by Guillym Davenport & Baby Prince – Shake ft. Blessed by Bronson Moyle
Jun Yoon, Head of Sony Digital Imaging ANZ commented, “On behalf of the Sony filmmaking community, I extend a huge congratulations to all our finalists and winners across the film categories and cinematography laurels. The creativity, dedication and passion of these gifted storytellers was so evident in the work they submitted. The Australian & New Zealand film industry is in good hands.”
Watch all the winning and finalist films at https://filmfestival.sony.com.au/
Fiction Winner – Bangay Lore by Jahvis Loveday; Shot on: Alpha 7S III.
Bangay Lore, meaning spear in the Dyirbal language of Far North QLD, is a short film that showcases how aboriginal culture is perceived when it is performed on stage and when it is expressed in everyday society. It is about the limitations wrongly placed on the expression of aboriginal culture. It follows the journey of a young aboriginal dancer as he struggles with acceptance of his culture outside of the theatre.
Non-Fiction Winner – Pitch Black by Guillym Davenport; Shot on: FX6 & Alpha 7S III
Pitch Black takes us inside the claustrophobic worlds of three young men who fell down the ‘blackpill’ rabbit hole and are struggling to reckon with their action. Mark and Luke now claim to be ex-incels and are trying to shed their destructive mindset – but have their beliefs really changed or are echoes of a hateful ideology still ringing out? Aaron is on the opposite path; a downward spiral into the abyss. Full of self-loathing and rage, he lives in a bleak reality that revolves around filming self-destructive ‘blackpill’ vlogs in his car. Pitch Black is a chilling docu-drama that radically challenges the documentary form and unpacks how small acts online can lead to horrific acts of violence offline.
Music Video Winner – Baby Prince – Shake ft. Blessed by Bronson Moyle; Shot on: FX6
The music video has a samurai/ninja aesthetic overall and the story follows a young man who has his heart set out for the princess. They have had a bond in the past however gatekept by the emperor, her father. He has done awful things to gain power and she is trapped. We see a flashback to another timeframe where the artist approaches a wise sensei. He becomes his mentor and shows him the path he must take. Ultimately coming back to the present time as a battle take place.
Student Fiction Winner – The Extra by Tyler Kang; Shot on: Alpha 6400
A young Asian actress named ‘Kaylee’ auditions for a series of roles in an upcoming major film. Kaylee’s initial excitement quickly fades away when she realises she is being typecasted into Asian stereotypes. Each audition soon becomes a battle for her own agency, as she wrestles between her self-expression of the role and the casting director’s stereotypical vision of each role.
Also announced were a series of Special Laurels judged by Stefan Duscio ACS. These included:
- Best Cinematography in Fiction, supported by Videocraft: Subject by Fraser Whitehead
- Best Cinematography in Non-Fiction, supported by VA Hire: Where the Dreamings Come From by Matt Deavin
- Best Cinematography in Music Video, supported by Lemac: Baby Prince – Shake ft. Blessed by Bronson Moyle
- Best Cinematography in Student Fiction, supported by Atomos: Hills Hoist by Angus Becke-Smith
- Best Sony Lens Work: Where the Dreamings Come From by Matt Deavin
Sony Announces Winners of the 2023 Sony Alpha Awards
Sony has also announced the winners of the eighth annual Sony Alpha Awards, recognising Australian and New Zealand photographers from amateur to professional and the stunning imagery they captured on Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. The Alpha Awards aspire to drive creativity, reward professionals and enthusiasts alike and showcase the greatest photography work.
The Alpha Awards 2023 Grand Prize Winner, and winner of the Nature category, Aliens Exist by Lewis Burnett was selected by Scott Gray, CEO of the World Photography Organisation.
In 2023, over 2900 images were submitted by professional and amateur photographers, for the chance to be recognised for their talents.
$50,000 worth of Sony camera gear has been awarded at the 2023 Alpha Awards – including $4,000 of Sony digital imaging gear per category and the Grand Prize Winner, Lewis Burnett taking away AUD $10,000 worth of Sony camera gear.
Jun Yoon, Head of Sony Digital Imaging ANZ commented, “The photographers featured in the eighth annual Alpha Awards continue to create the highest quality imagery. We are delighted to be announcing the winners and grand prize winner for 2023. Our community of photographers continues to inspire us with their phenomenal dedication to their craft. On behalf of Sony and the Digital Imaging team, I extent congratulations to all entrants, finalists and winners.”
other 2023 Alpha Award Winners included:
- ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY – Brent Martin, Red Rock Racer
- CITY / STREET – Ian Semmens, Southbank Pedestrian
- CREATIVE – Grant Galbraith, Martin Space
- EDITORIAL – Matt Hrkac, Freedom for Iran
- LANDSCAPE – Darren Wassell, Morning Glory
- PORTRAIT – Benizi Santamaria, Time Out
- SEASCAPE – Simon Pannell, Floating
- SPORT – Jay Town, Aryna Sabalenka
- WEDDING – Lucy McGoldrick, Reflections
See the Alpha Award winners at https://scene.sonyanz.com/competitions/alpha-awards
Visit https://www.sony.com.au