Four Anchor Island

Matt Richards - Writer/Director

First Contact Poster

First Contact (2012)

Dir M Richards : Prod Four Anchor Island/The Guerin Group/VCA

Living on the edge of a giant, remote salt lake, a father and daughter eke out a frugal existence in self-imposed exile.

Their calm yet monotonous world is shattered with the discovery of a mysterious stranger. On the verge of death, the mans' arrival throws them into conflict, stirring up fears and forcing them to confront the very things they've been hiding from.

First Contact not only tells a story of family but also raises questions to do with the fear of change and Australia's attitudes of race, origin and immigration.

Format - 4.5K HD 2.33:1 // Duration - 21 mins

IMDB page Stream Download

SCREENINGS

Tbilisi International Student Film Festival "AMIRANI 2012" - May 7-11 2012 (Georgia)
Short Film Today: Short Films from Australia - May 23 2012 (USA)
Kolkata Clapstick International Student Film Festival - June 1-3 2012 (India)
14th Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival - June 2-6 2012 (Israel)
Palm Springs International Shortsfest - June 19-25 2012 (USA)
Melbourne International Film Festival - August 2-19 2012 (Australia)
Short Film Today: Short Films from Australia - September 12 2012 (USA)
Down Under Berlin - Australian Film Festival - September 13-16 2012 (Germany)
Raindance Film Festival - September 26-October 7 2012 (UK)
FeSanCor - October 16-23 2012 (Chile)
Evolution International Film Festival - October 21-25 2012 (Spain)
Starz Denver Film Festival - November 1-11 2012 (USA)
11th ISVF of Beijing Film Academy - November 4-10 2012 (China)
Oaxaca Film Fest - November 8-17 2012 (Mexico)
Brisbane International Film Festival - November 14-25 2012 (Australia)
Short Film Today: Short Films from Australia - January 24 2013 (USA)
Byron Bay International Film Festival - March 1-10 2013 (Australia)
Long Shorts Two: The Shadow Electric - March 25 (Australia)
23rd International Student Film Festival of Cergy Pontoise - April 6-7 2013 (France)
Uni Shorts Film Festival - April 13-14 2013 (New Zealand)
Cluj Shorts International Film Festival - April 19-20 2013 (Romania)
West End Film Festival - April 21 2013 (Australia)
42nd Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival - April 23-28 2013 (Germany)
St Kilda Film Festival - May 23-31 2013 (Australia)
Blue Mountains Film Festival - October 4 2013 (Australia)
30th Festival de Cine de Bogotá - October 16-24 2013 (Colombia)
10th Konstanzer kurz.film.spiele. - October 19 2013 (Germany)
FIKE 2013 11th International Short Film Competition - October 22-26 2013 (Portugal)
DUKAFEST - November 21-24 2013 (Bosnia)
Heart of Gold International Film Festival - October 9-12 2014 (Australia)

CREDITS

Featuring - Olaf Savage, Isabel MacMaster, Ian Harry
Director - Matt Richards
Associate Producers - Brendan Guerin, Matt Richards
Cinematography - Matt Wood
Sound Recording - Jim Walter
Editor - Patrick McCabe
Sound Design - John Nguyen
Production Design - Daniel Buckland

AWARDS

Winner - $1000 : UNISHORTS New Zealand (2013) 'Best Postgraduate Fiction'
Winner - $1000 : UNISHORTS New Zealand (2013) 'Best Film Overall - Audience vote'
Winner - Australian Cinematographer's Society Awards (2013) VIc & Tas 'Gold Award Fictional Short'
Winner - FIKE International Short Film Festival (2013) 'Best Cinematography'
Winner - FIKE International Short Film Festival (2013) 'Special Mention'
Winner - Evolution International Film Festival (2012) 'Best Cinematography'
Winner - Tbilisi International Student Film Festival (2012) 'Best Cinematography'
Winner - Lucerne International Film Festival (2012) 'Award of Merit'
Winner - $1500 : Digital Pictures and the VCA 'Outstanding Script Award (Masters)'
Winner - $1500 : Margaret Lawrence Justice Award.
Winner - $1000 : Film Victoria 'Best Masters By Coursework Production'
Winner - $1000+ screening : Cinema Nova 'Best Potential For Theatrical Distribution'