Young filmmakers from Oyster Bay Public School were delighted to make the cut as part of an invitational student film festival that culminated this week.
Eighteen schools across NSW were invited to take part in the annual 'Film By ... Invitation' film festival times to coincide with Education Week (August 3-7).
Due to COVID restrictions, the event was live streamed for the first time and school communities across NSW were able to watch the film festival when it kicked off on Wednesday.
The film festival is an initiative of NSW Education's arts unit and aims to to develop students' and teachers' filmmaking skills and encourage them to share their stories.
Award-winning Australian actor and film festival patron Bryan Brown introduced the live stream.
He said it was wonderful to see so many students making films.
"Film breaks down all the barriers and gives us a chance to understand we're not very different from each other and if we're not very different we can get to like each other a lot," he said
Organiser Glen Carter said the film festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, having started in southern Sydney in 2010.
"The virtual film festival is a wonderful chance for students to share their creativity with other students from across the state," he said.
Mr Brown will select his festival winner, known as Bryan's Pick Award, while school communities across NSW can vote for the People's Choice Award. The winners will be announced tomorrow, August 7, at noon.
Filmmaking is an integral part of Oyster Bay Public School's curriculum and received a boost in 2018 when the P&C donated $16,000 to buy equipment.
Wanita Bowles said filmmaking was included in the curriculum as part of "visual literacy" for students from Kindergarten to year 6.
"It covers everything from writing the story to technology to working cameras, green screens and a drone. The younger children also buddy up with the older children," she said.
She said the school even held its own film festival last year, renting out two cinemas at Event Cinemas Miranda.
The school then chose two films to take part in the Film by the Sea festival last year, before one of those, Never Judge a Book, was chosen for "Film By ... Invitation" film festival.
Ms Bowles said the film was produced by last year's 6W class, and while the students had now moved on to high school, everyone was excited by their inclusion in the film festival.
You can watch the virtual film festival by clicking here. Never Judge a Book can be found at 22 minutes, 25 seconds.
Voting for the People's Choice Award closes at 9am, Friday, August 6. To vote click here.
