BEHIND SiFS

SiFS established by AFI-award winning producer, Charlie Doane (Best Short Fiction Film, Lennie Cahill Shoots Through, 2004) and lecturer and documentary maker Mark Abicht (King of the Market) is a virtual production studio offering the same equipment used in the professional industry.  SiFS house’s 10 Avid systems, sound post editing and mixing rooms, 200 seat school theatre, screening rooms, lounge and café, full studio with hair/makeup and catering facilities plus an extensive reference and resource library.

On completion of the two year course students will have a showreel showcasing 6-8 short films; a strong network of international and local friends (students come from countries including USA, South Africa, UK and India); and ‘real’ film industry contacts (all SiFS lecturers currently work professionally in the industry). 

SiFS emphasizes the art of storytelling as well as film business skills.

Lecturers
Duncan Thompson, who has worked with directors Jane Campion, Gus Van Sant and John Sayles in his capacity as NSWFTO’s Artistic Director of Aurora and script editor of over $27million worth of produced feature films, has been appointed Head of Screenwriting.  Lecturers include international feature director and lecturer Jerzy Domaradzki, Jeff McDonald (Managing Director of post production facility Magnet), DOP’s Steve MacDonald and documentary expert Tony Wilson and production designer Kerry Ainsworth.

Philosophy
SiFS philosophy is to balance both academic and practical aspects of film while bringing industry knowledge and industry practitioners into the program in order to give its students the power to establish a career in film.