For the fifth time in the Delphi Bank Greek Film Festival’s history, young aspiring filmmakers were given an opportunity to step up and be recognised.
Taking place at Melbourne’s Palace Cinema Como on Sunday, this year’s student competition attracted 18 entries from schools across Victoria and New South Wales.
In the Primary School Category, first place was awarded to the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Malvern Campus, followed by Alphington Grammar in second place, and Ahepa Greek School in third.
The Greek Community of Melbourne also took out first prize for the Secondary Category, but this time it was the city campus who came up with the winning goods.
St Dimitrios Parish and Northcote High School came equal second, with the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Balwyn Campus in third place.
Based on the theme ‘We are the World, Same but Different’, the five-minute films were judged according to a set of criteria including creativity, use of language and technical quality.
Since being introduced in 2010, Vicky Marinelis, senior project officer for languages at the Department of Education and Training, says the event has grown in popularity, with an increase in both entry numbers and submission quality.
While the student component of the festival is a great way to encourage creativity, education convener of the Greek Community of Melbourne Theo Markos says it’s also an enticing way of getting students to embrace Greek language and culture.
Ms Marinelis agrees, and says there are a number of benefits to using filmmaking in languages education.
“Through the Greek Student Film Festival, learners of Greek experience increased engagement, motivation and enjoyment in Greek language study through their involvement in the film-making process,” said Ms Marinelis.
The Delphi Bank 22nd Greek Film Festival took place from 14 October and 1 November in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, and will head to Adelaide on 26 November, 2015.