Writer-director Stephen Kanaris will be screening his new film ‘Maiden’ at Flickerfest this Friday after trailblazing the local film festival circuit and picking up a handful of awards along the way.
The short film, which screened at BIFF last year, has already received accolades from critics and audiences alike, taking home Best Film at the 10th Show-Fest International Film Festival. Stephen Kanaris worked hand in hand with his producer and life partner Tahnee McGuire to bring his vision to life.
Set in 1978 in the far outer suburbs of Brisbane, the story centres on greyhound trainer Mick who is struggling to make a living for his family. Mick is so certain that his young maiden greyhound will win that he puts all the family’s money on the line. Inspired by his own life and times, Stephen first conceived of the idea seven years ago.
Riding high on recent praise for ‘Maiden’, the director from Blacklab Digital will be welcomed to Flickerfest by a crowd of eager new viewers. “This was the first time I made a story about something that happened to me in a world where I grew up so as much as there was a lot of research, I did know a lot of things before going in. I had greyhounds growing up and still have an adopted greyhound as a pet.”
That’s not to say pre-production was a walk in that park. Months of scouting locations, planning shot lists, hiring actors and organising crew came down to just over a week of shooting. When asked whether he faced big obstacles during that time, Stephen says they come with the territory. “Oh my god yes. Where do you want to start?” he says.
“Since my last film where I worked with actors with Down Syndrome, I've become pretty dedicated to preparing a lot. I had to get a greyhound wrangler and a possum handler to come out with a real possum. The wrangler we used worked on ‘Phar Lap’ and he was fantastic. He loves greyhounds and trains them and he helped us find the best way to make the greyhounds look like they were actually chasing and running and attacking. We also had to find a dead possum for a scene so we told the whole crew to look out for one on the side of the road when they were driving to set.”
Regarding the positive response he has received, Stephen says there is a fulfillment that comes from being recognised for your work. “It's really nice to have someone say 'we thought your film was good' but mostly it's really great to get your films out into festivals because then people see it,” he says. “Unlike a stand-up comedian or a guitarist in a band, you don't get that instant feedback from an audience. It's a long process of people seeing it and responding. Most films deserve to be seen and while the festival structure isn't perfect, it is welcome in a sense that we can reach an audience.”
Through the years of studying films to making his own, Stephen stresses story is the key factor to his rising success. Once a student of QUT, he advises up-and-coming filmmakers drafting their own scripts to think about how what they create will affect an audience. “I think too many student films are beautiful with great ideas but they don't keep people engaged or tell a story that makes an audience want to watch it till the end. And I think that takes a long time to learn, a lot longer than learning how to shoot a film. If you can master that, you're going to be way ahead of the other filmmakers.”
Stephen Kanaris screens ‘Maiden’ as part of Flickerfest at the Judith Wright Centre, Friday Feb 28. Flickerfest is touring right around the country, visiting many regional towns.
– written by Sam Allen-Ankins
