Last week, two cinema theatres were packed out to see one of the most popular events of the Greek Film Festival in Melbourne – the student film festival.
We’re already thinking – what will the next one be?
For the first time in the festival’s history, films from junior and middle schools, as well as VCE and university students were shown, and to wild applause.
Stella Lambros teaches Greek at the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) and her students took out second prize in the middle school category for their film, ‘Ne, Mama,’ (Yes, Mum).
Ms Lambros said audiences clapped “for a very long time” for the four-minute film, about a businessman who is nostalgic for his nagging mother.
“She was an old-fashioned typical Greek mother – ‘have you had lunch, did you eat the pie I sent you, did you do this, did you do that?’,” she said.
The group of 16 students worked on the film together, each writing, directing, producing acting and editing the four minute movie.
Ms Lambros said it was great to get the students practicing Greek through technology.
“Kids are familiar with technology – not just operating a computer, but with other means of technology,” she said.
“So it was just about time that somebody took the initiative to do something with the language schools.”
The class shot the movie on a hand-held camera that Ms Lambros borrowed from her school and she says she hopes the GOCMV will use the $300 prize money to buy a new camera for next year.
“We’re already thinking – what will the next one be?” she said.
