9 October 2023

Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) announced today the 30 participants selected to take part in AFF EXPAND Lab 2023. This intensive five-day Lab brings together some of Australia’s most creative and inventive artists, filmmakers and XR and VR practitioners in a development and commissioning process to foster new ideas for moving image artworks.

Following a national call for Expressions of Interest, 95 applications were received for the 30 places in the Lab (15 South Australian and 15 national participants). Participants will form teams during the Lab and develop concepts to pitch for the AFF/Samstag $100,000 Moving Image Commission. In addition, two projects will be selected for mentoring by Illuminate Adelaide and the Art Gallery of South Australia.

AFF’s CEO & Creative Director, Mat Kesting, said: “Adelaide Film Festival launched AFF EXPAND Lab in 2022 and we are delighted to be presenting the second edition. Once again 30 exceptional practitioners will come together to make new creative connections, develop ideas and expand their thinking. The Adelaide Film Festival is the ideal backdrop to the Lab with the city coming alive with cinema lovers and filmmakers from across Australia and the world in attendance.”

Erica Green, Director of Samstag Museum of Art and co-commissioner of the EXPAND Moving Image Commission, added: “In a highly competitive process, participants have been selected from across the visual arts, film, moving image, XR and VR realms. Experienced and renowned artists will be meeting together at AFF EXPAND Lab 2023 to share their ideas, ambitions, and visions for bold new moving image work.”

Hamish Balnaves, CEO of The Balnaves Foundation, said: “The Balnaves Foundation is delighted to partner with Adelaide Film Festival again in 2023 to present this exceptional professional development opportunity for Australian mid-career and established artists. I was honoured to attend the pitching session for the inaugural Lab in 2022 and was highly impressed by the outcomes achieved in five days. I am sure this year will be as equally impressive, and I look forward to seeing the exciting ideas the participants will develop in this hothouse environment.”

The mentors for 2023 AFF EXPAND Lab are time-bending digital artist DANIEL CROOKS, theatre maker & media artist ROBERT WALTON, highly respected moving image & film producer BRIDGET IKIN with video artist and filmmaker AMOS GEBHARDT joining as a mentor for the first part of the lab.

AFF EXPAND Lab is an initiative of Adelaide Film Festival with Samstag Museum of Art, Art Gallery of South Australia and Illuminate Adelaide. It is supported by Principal Partner The Balnaves Foundation and Arts South Australia.

The 30 participants are:

Tully Arnot (NSW) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, XR/VR Creator

Max Brading (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, XR/VR Creator

Jake Bresanello (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker

Thom Buchanan (SA) – Visual Artist

Linda Chen (ACT) – Writer, Performer

Marcus Chong (VIC) – Visual Artist, Filmmaker

Chloe de Brito (NSW) – Visual Artist, Filmmaker

Miles Dunne (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist

Nisa East (NSW) – Filmmaker, Cinematographer

Deborah Kelly (NSW) – Visual Artist

Isobel Knowles (VIC) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker, XR/VR Creator

Bryce Kraehenbuehl (SA) – Visual Artist, Filmmaker, Videographer

Anna Lindner (SA) – Visual Artist, Filmmaker, Writer

Liang Xia Luscombe (VIC) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker

Chris Luscri (VIC) – Filmmaker

Charlotte Mars (NSW) – Filmmaker

Orlando Mee (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, XR/VR Creator, Games Creative

Conor Mercury (SA) – Filmmaker

Kim Munro (SA) – Media Artist, Filmmaker

Yasemin Sabuncu (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Videographer, Games Creative

Ryan Sahb (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker, Videographer

Cynthia Schwertsik (SA) – Visual Artist, Performance

Liam Somerville (SA) – Media Artist, Filmmaker, XR/VR Creator, Games Creative

Van Sowerwine (VIC) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker, XR/VR Creator

Will Spartalis (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker, Composer

Kate Vinen (NSW) – Filmmaker

Yandell Walton (VIC) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, XR/VR Creator

Raymond Zada (SA) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, XR/VR Creator

Emile Zile (VIC) – Visual Artist, Media Artist, Filmmaker

(Note: final participant or guest TBC)

 

For further details about EXPAND Lab click here.

 

 

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