It's not quite Hollywood, but the streets of Eleebana will feature on the silver screen this weekend as part of the inaugural Pavilion Film Festival in Lake Macquarie.
Fresh on the heels of Will Smith's flying visit to the city, the 22-25 October festival will showcase short films, experimental cinema and immersive audiovisual projects, putting Lake Macquarie on the map as a home for fresh perspectives and distinctive voices in contemporary film.
Among the featured films to be screened at the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, is Pending Pickup, shot in suburban Eleebana by local director Andy Gallagher.
The comedy, which received a 'highly commended' award from festival judges, features a storyline sure to resonate with many people in the local community, following two people on their hunt for Facebook Marketplace bargains.
MAP mima Curator David Rastas said the festival was "cinema, but not as you know it".
"The Pavilion Film Festival gives audiences a rare chance to experience bold, experimental work right here in Lake Macquarie," he said.
More than 30 short films will be screened throughout the weekend, featuring local, national and international filmmakers.
They include prominent Aussie actress and director Georgina Haig's comedy No Thank You, which won the festival's Best Short Film category.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said $500 prizes for best film had been handed out in the lead-up to the festival across three categories: short film, experimental and 360-degree immersive, as well as $500 for the overall best director.
"We want to encourage creativity and champion the arts in Lake Macquarie, and the Pavilion Film Festival is a fresh approach to doing that," he said.
"This will position Lake Macquarie as a destination for adventurous, independent filmmaking, where local creatives share the screen with national and international artists. It's something we aim to grow in years to come."
The festival kicks off at 6pm on Thursday, continuing at 6pm Friday, with 3pm and 6pm sessions Saturday and concluding with a 3pm screening on Sunday of the highly commended and winning films.
Go to arts.lakemac.com.au for bookings and more information.
Pavilion Film Festival
Winners
Best short film: No Thank You (Director Georgina Haig)
Best experimental film: Universal Gravitation (Director Sean Bayles)
Best 360 immersive: Song of Jigoku (Director Tianli Zu)
Best director: Banshee Cried Silver (Director Harrison Ritchie-Jones)
Highly commended
Wet Areas (Director Andrew Styan)
Pending Pickup (Director Andy Gallagher)
Contact (Director Annabelle Miller)
Dark Side of the Moon (Director Lauren Edmonds)
Proof of Love (Director Sandie Don)
