The Stories That Make Us, as part of the 2023 Fairfax Youth Festival

The Stories That Make Us

🌟 Date: Tuesday, October 3
🌅 Time: Sunset
📍 Location: Quambatook Silo Cinema

Be captivated by short films created by the Fairfax Youth Ensemble, showcasing the voices and stories of young people across the Murray Mallee and being shown at the iconic Quambatook Silo Cinema.

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Open Mic Night

🌟 Tuesday, October 3
⏰ Time: 7 pm
📍 Location: Quambatook Silo Cinema

We're rolling out the red carpet and putting the spotlight on our talented 2023 Fairfax Youth Participants and community members. It's time for an old-fashioned Open Mic Night with the stunning Quambatook silo as our backdrop. Get ready to be entertained by some incredible local talent, and make sure you bring your guitar!

What is The Stories That Make Us

Prepare to be enthralled by 18 short films crafted by the Fairfax Youth Ensemble, offering a glimpse into the lives and narratives of young individuals across the Murray Mallee. In a celebration of stories and short films penned by local young talents, this is a free event that welcomes all age groups. These films showcase the creative prowess of young people aged 13-19 from Swan Hill, Wycheproof, Sea Lake, Lalbert, Nyah, Tooleybuc, Red Cliffs, and Mildura.

Conceived initially as a response to the pandemic

These stories evolved through months of writing, workshops, rehearsals, and open-mic performance nights conducted via Zoom amid the pandemic with young people.

In February 2022, the Fairfax Youth Initiative brought these stories to life with professional production, engaging over 50 young individuals and their communities in creating 'The Stories That Make Us'—a complete festival of short films captured over ten days across eight towns in the Murray Mallee. Every aspect of filmmaking, from writing and acting to composition, crew roles, and extras, involved young talents.

Chelsea Zeller, Lead Fairfax Artist

"Taking inspiration from live storytelling events like The Moth, the FYI Film Festival brings the storytellers into your world, sharing their tales in real-time from their hometowns. Chelsea Zeller, the director of the project, notes, "These films are truly unique, breaking down the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience. Each story feels personal, offering humour, absurdity, complexity, and poignancy—a relatable celebration of the youth experience in the Murray Mallee today.”

This special outdoor event will take place at the Quambatook Silo Cinema.

The Quambatook Silo Cinema is an iconic Mallee venue that found its footing when Artist in Residence, Dave Houston, projected his short film about Quambatook locals onto silos in 2014. Witness these stories of the Mallee projected onto a Mallee icon, creating a memorable experience for all.

This special outdoor event will include 15 direct-to-camera performances shot on location, spanning from the banks of the Murray to the Tooleybuc footy oval, Mount Wycheproof, the Sea Lake silos, and the Swan Hill Theatre Group stage. It also showcases three captivating documentary short films, including a heartwarming tale of family and tradition, an absurdist comedy play debut, and a story of new beginnings through an unlikely friendship.

The screening will also include a feel-good short documentary about a group of young leaders from Mallee specialist schools exploring their aspirations for the future. The video is an initiative of Country Education Project’s Rural Inspire program and showcases seven young leaders from specialist schools in Swan Hill, Bendigo, Echuca and Maryborough.

Bryce Ives, Fairfax Youth Festival Artistic DIrector

“A world-class team of professionals in film and television collaborated on the project, including director Michael Gosden (Stan's Watch The Sunset), cinematographer Daniel Bolt (Netflix's The Greenhouse), composer and sound designer James Yeremeyev (Seven's The Amazing Race), and editors Daniel Oates (ABC's Muster Dogs) and Declan Arrighi (winner of 2023 Flickerfest). It was beautifully led by the incredible Chelsea Zeller, one of the key drivers of the Fairfax Youth Festival over the past five years.”