Unitec student film chosen for Cannes Film Festival

14 April, 2016
PRESS RELEASE

Unitec Institute of Technology / Creative Industries
Performing and Screen Arts

Unitec student film chosen for Cannes Film Festival

A student made short film using only silhouettes with a minimalist mise-en-scène has made its way to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. Chiaroscuro, a circular story of a man who cheats on his wife, was made in 2015 by Mexican filmmaker Gustavo Gamero Vega while an exchange student at Unitec’s Department of Performing and Screen Arts in Auckland. The seven minute Unitec produced film was selected for the Short Film Corner at this year's Festival de Cannes on 11-22 May.

“I’m really happy my film got selected,” says Gustavo. It motivates me to keep doing what I love to do – making films. My experience at Unitec was amazing. I had the chance to learn from excellent tutors and to meet amazing people.”

According to Unitec Screen Arts lecturer, Donny Duncan, Gustavo made the film as part of an assignment for a Camera and Sound class. “He produced, directed and focus-pulled his own shoot - a somewhat unusual combination,” Duncan explains. “He showed great initiative and originality in shooting his film in an almost square format, and then dividing the frame into quadrants.”

Gustavo studied Communication and Digital Media at Monterrey Tech, Mexico. He lists Mexican directors; Cuarón, Iñárritu and Del Toro as his main influences. His first film, "Turno 66" won Jury Mention at the Monterrey Film Festival in 2015. He is now in pre-production of his next short film.

Chiaroscuro film credits:
CAST: Elizabeth Gill as Marianne, Colin Garlick as Lazarus: CREW: Written and directed by: Gustavo Gamero Vega; Production Manager: Gustavo Gamero Vega; Director of Photography: Pepe de Hoyos Ramos; Sound recordist: Madi Watson, Greer Lindsay, Laura-Jane Hall; Art Director: Gustavo Gamero Vega; Editing: Corey Boland; Camera operator: Pepe de Hoyos Ramos; 1st AC: Gustavo Gamero Vega; Gaffer: Madi Watson; 2nd AC: Greer Lindsay; Boom operator: Laura-Jane Hall, Madi Watson, Greer Lindsay; Art Assistant: Francis Baker; Script: Consultant: Luis C. Alanís; Tutors: Donny Duncan, Anna Graves, Brent Hargreaves, Victor Grbic. Produced by Unitec.

Chiaroscuro info on Festival de Cannes website: http://sub.festival-cannes.fr/SfcCatalogue/MovieDetail/ba5d8e9e-dc39-4db0-89f7-e93660a585af

ENDS/

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