| FOXDANCE A short film by ANNEMARIE SZELECZKY with music played by Sofia and Alana from VARDOS Short animation - drawn in sand on glass with mixed media and cut-outs and shot with a digital camera. |
PAINTED LADY A documentary on artist Vali Myers by RUTH CULLEN NEXT SCREENING: Ruth Cullen presents Tightrope Dancer and Painted Lady with Q&A afterwards. Her two films about Vali Myers will be showing at ACMI, Federation Square Melbourne Wednesday 5th October 2005 at 7.30pm. Ruth and Vali were friends for over 20 years and many of those years were spent living in the Chelsea Hotel - come along and see the beautifully remastered films of Ruth Cullen and ask her anything you want - anything! www.valimyers.com In this delightful documentary, producer/director Ruth Cullen captures Australian artist Vali Myers at her studio centred in the heart of Melbourne. It’s an “at-home”, only this home and its inhabitant are unlike any that you’ve seen before. Vali divided her time between Melbourne and her wild valley in Southern Italy where she lived for over 30 years without electricity or running water. When in Australia, Vali could be found either at her studio or the dingo farm belonging to her friend Bruce Jacobs’ who has almost single-handedly fought to preserve the pure bred dingo from extinction.Vali’s art is infused with her identification with nature and animals feature prominently in her work. “Animals are pure but we aren’t. We’re a big **** up”. In Melbourne there are frequent visitors to her studio. Friends such as Romani poet Lee Fuhler, or the musical group Vardos whose traditional gypsy music from eastern Europe provides an exhuberant backdrop to the action. Intertwined with the day to day activity are huge blow ups of her drawings – dreamy, sensual, visions sometimes severe but always delicate and always painstakingly composed. Each drawing could take anything from months to years to complete and originals of her work are in collections all over the world. Ruth Cullen’s 20 year friendship with the artist is evident in the obvious ease with which Vali opens herself up to the camera. This is no hagiography but an intimate and revealing look at a fascinating life and work. Format: digital betacam; Length 27 minutes Featuring Vardos with Frances Evans on double bass Completed 2002, Screened on SBS television. |
| ENTERTAINING COUNTESS DRACULA directed by NATHAN GODKIN
 Starring Natalia Axenova as the Countess and Peter Hosking as her evil nemesis Count Thurzo. ~30mins, b/w. Directed by Nathan Godkin,  Produced by Alanya van de Wiel and Sofia Chapman, Photos by Justin Batchelor. Soundtrack recorded by Phil Egan at PBS FM 2004; Alana Hunt, violin, Sofia Chapman, accordion and guest double bass player Melinda McCarthy |
| GRANDPA'S GAMES At the 2002 World Masters Games, one athlete will do anything to win, and his grandson will do anything to help.
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