Westender Docs is a new column that aims to celebrate and highlight documentary film stories from our community.

Once a month, we’ll be featuring a short doc (between 2-20minutes), alongside a profile of the filmmaker, their experience, and motives behind making the film.

To submit, send an online link to your film and a short description yourself to: christine@westender.com.au

SUBMISSION INFO

  • Submissions must be within 2 – 20 minutes and be narrative nonfiction, are expected to be submitted as complete works, and readily accessed online (Youtube or Vimeo).
  • Contributor must have all creative permissions over the music, visuals, sound, and be able to provide evidence if requested.
  • Stories from 4101 made by someone that lives in 4101 do take preference, however, this is not a hard and fast rule.  If you’ve made something in 4101, but don’t live there, or vice versa, your submission is still encouraged!
  • Submissions are considered timeless! If you’ve made something in the past around 4101, or identify yourself as part of 4101 in the past, you are encouraged to apply.
  • All featured filmmakers will be profiled alongside their film.
  • Submissions are open to filmmakers at any point in their journey – first-timers, students, aspiring, emerging or established.
  • Films are to have a clear storyline with appropriate sound and visual quality. If your work falls below this quality, editorial and technical guidance may be offered if chosen for publication.
  • Please bear in mind we are only publishing one doc a month. We will try to ensure you get a response quickly on your submission.
  • Films will be uploaded on the Westender Docs YouTube account.  If you have not made your film accessible online due to production, film festivals, or screening reasons, please let us know.

CURATOR’S STATEMENT

While I call West End home, I’ve worked predominantly as a freelance visual journalist in China for the last six years, working on stories ranging from the rise of internet superstars to the direct impact the global economy has on recycling workers. Since returning to Australia at the start of 2020, I’ve discovered so many rich visual stories within this community that need telling, and more importantly, need a platform for them to be told.

While short documentaries are more accessible and easier to make than ever before, finding platforms to share beyond our own social network is increasingly tied to funding and industry contacts. Local media is a powerful platform to give depth, nuance, empathy, and space to stories that are important within a community.  It directly combats the tired mainstream media narratives that often overlook and override wider discussions that can grow, engage, and create more inclusive communities.

This monthly column highlights the stories and the storytellers within our community, and the importance of local media in providing space for them and contributing to a much wider, more diverse understanding of our neighbourhood. Documentaries have a lasting impact on understanding our community, they help us reflect and learn from the past, celebrate the characters who come through our lives, and highlight the people who build our future. They tell of the struggles and triumphs that are beyond our own backyard, and in this case, they might just be right next door.

I look forward to receiving your submissions!

Christine Schindler worked for six years as a visual journalist and educator in China. Since being based in Brisbane from the start of 2020 she now explores documentary filmmaking, her work examines human rights issues, the privatisation of public services, and environmental injustices.