Lesbian filmmaker takes top honour
Melbourne Lesbian filmmaker Elka Kerkhofs has been honoured with another award for her short animation film LASH.
Kerkhofs took out the Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF) Unique Aesthetic Film Award for the animated work .
鈥淚t was wonderful to be honoured at this fantastic festival that focuses on the exposure and critical discussion of independent, experimental, artistic, subversive and provocative films,鈥� she said.
鈥淲ith over 120 films screening it is very encouraging to receive an award for the unique aesthetics of LASH.鈥�
The SUFF award recognises filmmakers who push the boundaries of filmmaking.
LASH is a five-minute experimental animation film about the persecution for women鈥檚 sexual preferences throughout the ages. It also demonstrates that religious and cultural punishments cannot kill the power of love.
Honoured filmmakers received a SUFF handmade award created by Mark Wotherspoon, a Sydney glass artist, who casts statues from recycled television screens found on the side of the road. The filmmakers also received a custom-made SUFF crumpler bag and rolls of Kodak 16mm film.
Kerkhofs attended the Cannes Film Festival with LASH earlier this year and also travelled to the Frameline San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival and the Palm Springs International ShortFest in the US.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic that LASH has travelled so far and been so well received by such top festivals,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t has encouraged me to pick up my pencils and start animating again. Just last week, I began production on my next animation film PVG & Me with my very talented colleague Leigh Ryan that聽 should be finished by January next year鈥�
info: LASH can next been seen in Sydney as part of the official selection of the WOW Film Festival running 14-18 October. Details: www.wift.org/wow/
