Some weeks ago, I was approached by Francesco Rulli from Film Annex to make a short film on ‘Why We Make Film’. He asked that I make the film directed at ‘the 35,000 children in Afghanistan’ in order to promote ‘the idea to become filmmakers and to give them an idea of what the value of filmmaking and documenting is in their life’. This week, I have decided to blog about that exact topic – why we make film and how this enables us to communicate with influence. This is partially because I would like to delve into the topic further, but also because I am interested to know why other independent filmmakers make film, and similarly, why viewers watch these independent films.

 

Last week I discussed the power of hashtags in promoting film, however this is only one small aspect of the whole communications world. We live in a world where communication is vital to our businesses, our relationships and also our own peace of mind. Some of us express messages in written form, and others, like me, communicate via film. This brings me to my short film, namely ‘Why We Make Film’, which I made in collaboration with fellow Australian independent filmmaker Andrei Gostin. It was made to emphasise the fun that film making can be, and aimed to use clear and simple messages with drawing effects to interest the children. In the film, I touch on how making film allows you to tell your story, and make your story come to life. Film has endless possibilities and can allow you to go wherever your imagination takes you. Andrei adds that making film is ‘the ultimate combination between a great story that needs to be told, a whole bunch of really exciting technology, and a team of talented and creative individuals’.

This then stems to me thinking about the fantastic work of the Afghan Development Project. We constantly are seeing more support for the construction of internet classrooms and availability of educational software in Afghanistan. It is particularly great to see this occurring, as this provides a platform for the students to engage, communicate, and express themselves. It also further educates ‘young women in topics like social and digital media, business, and filmmaking’ which opens even more doors for communication via film in the future. 

Whether your film is factual or fictional, it enables people to deliver messages, communicate freely and with purpose. I invite you to watch my video by clicking here, or ask me any questions. For the filmmakers out there, why do you make film? For those interested in watching independent films, why do you watch them? I would be very interested in your thoughts and look forward to discussing this topic further.     

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This blog was written by Laura Hutton – Communications Manager for Alex Nakone Films. Laura’s LinkedIn profile can be found here.