Calling all screen creatives, cast and crew: are you the Sunshine Coast’s next big thing in film or TV?
The Sunny Coast Showdown returns next month with a mission to turn the Sunshine Coast into Sunnywood and to launch new stars of the big and small screens.
The screen incubator and festival, introduced in 2021, is the brainchild of Powderfinger’s Jon Coghill and former USA Survivor producer Dan Munday who, together with the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, are striving to boost the local film and TV industry.
The 2023 event will be bigger and better but the idea is still the same – to give local screenwriters, filmmakers, cast and crew an opportunity to produce and deliver great projects and showcase them at a community festival event. Jon believes the inaugural event proved its worth after three of its winning projects received acclaim or attracted further attention.
“Our two unscripted projects – Ballet Dads and The Recipe Collector – have been optioned by major Australian production houses and the short film, Life In Two Words, received an honorary mention at the Berlin International Art Film Festival,” he said.
“This is an outstanding result that proves there are awesome creatives, crew and cast on the coast just waiting to be discovered.”
Jon hopes the event will attract anyone with a desire to make great films and TV.
“Anyone who can write a short film script, a music video treatment or an unscripted pitch or treatment, has the opportunity to bring their work to life when submissions open in January 2023,” he said.
“We’re also calling for cast and crew who are keen to be part of making some magical moments.”
The Showdown is offering tens of thousands of dollars in production funding across multiple categories, with the aim of inspiring and mentoring the next generation of talented locals.
Dan Munday said the event aimed to further kickstart a healthy and vibrant screen industry in the region. “Showdown has helped connect the talent we already have on the coast and aims to act as a beacon for media executives, developers, talent and governing bodies to gather around.
“It’s part of a grander ambition – to develop a Sunshine Coast film industry employing local workers and businesses and attracting world-class projects.”
The Sunny Coast Showdown 2023 will feature two new categories – a local Indigenous project and a Powderfinger music video.
“We feel that local Indigenous stories haven’t been told enough on screen and would love to help them be seen and heard wider afield,” Jon Coghill said.
“Powderfinger have kindly donated the use of two songs from their multi-platinum album, Vulture St. You can submit treatments for one of two songs, either Rockin’ Rocks and A Song Called Everything.”
Submissions for Showdown 2023 open 23 January 2023 and will feature six categories:
• Two scripted short films.
• One local Indigenous project.
• One Powderfinger music video.
• Two unscripted projects.
The final projects will be showcased at Sunny Coast Showdown festival event, scheduled for late June 2023.
