FORGET Hollywood. Brisbane is where it's at for aspiring filmmakers with one Mary MacKillop College, Nundah, student taking home the Port Shorts Young Filmmakers Award for 2018
College Captain Jamisyn Chapman's final high school production won the aspiring filmmaker a Panasonic GH5S and 12-60mm lens kit worth more than $4000.
The Year 12 Film, Television and New Media student's experimental art film, Image en Mouvement, was described by Port Shorts as “beautifully crafted, and composed of over 1300 individually painted frames.".
Acclaimed Australian actor Stephen Curry, from the 1997 Australian film The Castle, called the young filmmaker personally to tell her the news.
“It was really exciting and also a little funny because I felt like I was speaking to Dale Kerrigan," Jamisyn said.
Jamisyn said she decided to enter her film into Port Shorts on a whim.
“I wasn't sure that I would win anything, especially after watching the winning films from previous years, but I figured that you never know unless you try.
“Port Shorts is quite a well-known film festival and I was so grateful to be selected, let alone win.
“I was also excited by the potential opportunity to attend workshops with industry professionals."
Port Shorts was not the only Film Festival in which Jamisyn has experienced success.
She was awarded Best Music Video for her Year 11 production of Alex the Astronaut's Not Worth Hiding at the Stuff It Film Festival – an international film competition for students held at Maroochydore Birch Carroll and Coyle each year.
Jamisyn's short film, Jake's Farewell, which pays homage to auteur Edgar Wright, took out the People's Choice award in the same competition and Image en Mouvement was one of four finalists in the upcoming Capricornia Film Competition.
Image en Mouvement and Not Worth Hiding also are both shortlisted in Bond University's upcoming BUFTA Film Competition which has a grand prize of a $10,0000 scholarship.
Jamisyn said she intended to study Film and Television next year.
“We are living in a world where mainstream media presents a narrow view of the world and (through film) I can give a voice to those who are marginalised by mainstream media," she said.