Finalists for AACTA Pitch: Focus in Partnership with Sony Revealed

AACTA and Sony are thrilled to announce the recipients of the $15,000 development funds and complimentary film equipment for AACTA Pitch: Focus in Partnership With Sony

AACTA today announced the team who took out AACTA Pitch: Focus in Partnership with Sony; a national short film development and production initiative which encourages Australia’s student filmmakers to team up and pitch their short film concept.

Following the final pitch at AACTA ScreenFest, Vee Shi and their team have been announced as the recipient of $15,000 in development funds and an extensive suite of complimentary film equipment from Sony.

Five finalists pitched their project to a panel of judges comprised of short form film experts Charles Williams (AACTA and Cannes winning All These Creatures), Tanith Glynn Maloney (AACTA winning Nulla Nulla and webseries Robbie Hood), and Leanne Tonkes (This is Desmondo Ray) at the 2021 AACTA ScreenFest.

Vee Shi and their team’s winning concept Jia (aka 475 Miles) demonstrated a new, creative and unique ways to engage audiences, strong characters; resonating strongly with many immigrant Australians with the premise centred around “Ming, a grieving Chinese mother, arriving in Australia to mourn her son Yao who was recently killed in a road accident. She sets off to embark on a road trip with Eric, only to realise that Eric was in a romantic relationship with Yao which clashes with her conservative values.”

AACTA Awards and Industry Development Manager, Ivan Vukusic said "The calibre of applications to our inaugural collaboration with Sony was incredible, and is indicative of the high standard of screen education and training undertaken in Australia. All of our finalists presented very confident pitches with the emotional journey of Vee Shi's film Jia resonating the strongest and we greatly look forward to bringing his film to the world".  

Vee Shi said of their experience:

"We probably wouldn’t have developed our project without AACTA Pitch: Focus, so it is definitely a good motivation for anyone to get started on a project, which is always the most challenging part. The judges were very generous with their feedback, and I think it would be an invaluable learning experience regardless of the outcome." 

To hear the top five AACTA Pitch: Focus finalists pitch and to watch the final, sign up for your free ScreenFest account here and watch on AACTA TV.