AACTA Pitch: Focus Recipient Announced

ALTER ANNOUNCED AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 AACTA PITCH: FOCUS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SONY INITIATIVE 

AACTA and Sony are thrilled to announce ALTER as the recipient of the 2024 AACTA Pitch: Focus initiative, a national short film development and production program designed for emerging student filmmakers.  ALTER follows the story of a loving husband who tries to implant an artificial memory in his wife’s mind before she dies.

The team behind ALTER — Peter Majarich, Sophia Le Ray, and Breah Sands — will receive a $15,000 production fund along with $20,000 worth of Sony’s high-quality camera equipment on loan to bring their proof-of-concept piece to life. Featuring students fromQUT and Macquarie University, ALTER was selected from an impressive shortlist of the top five finalists.

Recipient Sophia Le Ray expressed her excitement, stating, “Receiving the official funding is a massive honour, especially considering the number of incredible projects in the running.” Breah Sands added, “Being granted the funds, support, and guidance to produce and actually shoot this short film is an incredible opportunity and the best experience one could hope for.”

Alter was chosen by an esteemed panel of judges including  Scarlett Koehne, producer of Series Mania winning webseries VIDEOLAND; Bonnie Moir, acclaimed director of LOVE ME, EXPOSURE and the AACTA-nominated short film NOT DARK YET; Jeffrey Walker, a multi-award-winning director known for his work on MODERN FAMILY, LAMBS OF GOD, and ALI’S WEDDING; and Osamah Sami, award winning actor and writer for productions such as ALI’S WEDDING, SHAYDA and HOUSE OF GODS.

Now in its fourth year, the AACTA Pitch: Focus initiative continues to empower student filmmakers by fast-tracking the development and production of original, standout projects under the guidance of industry professionals. This year’s finalists represented top emerging talent from QUT, Macquarie University, Flinders University, AFTRS, Curtin University, and Edith Cowan University.

Through this partnership with Sony, AACTA Pitch: Focus helps shape the future of Australian film, providing young creators with the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to bring their visionary projects to the screen.

Of the recipient, Judge and multi-award winning director Jeffrey Walker says “The talented team making ALTER have shown a groundbreaking vision for their film. I can’t wait to see what they do with this special opportunity.”

“Alter is such a strong project and their proof of concept blew our minds. This will be a powerful film that we know audiences will really respond to. It’s such a pleasure and an honour to discover these projects through our Focus initiative, and we look forward to supporting this exceptional team to bring it to the screen. A very strong field this year with finalist Empty Chairs also worthy of a shout out for its charm and humour.” Said AACTA Awards & Industry Development Manager, Ivan Vukusic.

“Sony is delighted to see Alter selected as the 2024 AACTA Pitch: Focus winner. Sony is also excited to be able to support this initiative with our state-of-the-art cinema cameras and lenses, and we cannot wait to see what this creative team can do with our hardware to tell this story.” Nick Rowe, Community & Partnerships Manager – Digital Imaging, Sony Australia

Alongside a $15,000 production fund and access to $20,000 worth of Sony equipment, the creative team behind ALTER will receive complimentary consideration for the AACTA Awards, expert feedback and guidance throughout the production process, ongoing mentorship opportunities, and tickets to the 2025 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group.

For more information, visit aacta.org.