Ballarat's short film festival has returned to a strong reception as organisers start preparations for their second event.
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Submissions for Poco, which is returning in 2024, have been open for over a week and festival director Luke Keys says they have seen a number of entries from all across Australia.
"It's been amazing already, within a week to see the reception we've received and it's early days," he said.
Entries will be open until March next year to allow filmmakers or students to create something specifically for for the festival.
While some festivals set a theme for entries, Mr Keys said they intentionally keep the requirements broad.
"We just wanted the best of Australian films to make their way to Ballarat," he said.
"Last year ... the diversity of films was really amazing, you came along and you laughed, you cried, people jumped out of their seats at the horrors and they were informed."
The team behind Mass Motion started the event in 2022 and intend to run it every second year, opposite to the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.
Mr Keys said the idea came about after connecting with other creatives in the regions during COVID-19 lockdowns.
He said the team thought it was cool there was a community and wanted to continue engaging and building on the connection.
The event aims to give a platform to up and coming or student filmmakers as well as introduce new art to regional audiences.
"The calibre of some of the films we had last year, they're the sort of films that would never normally get screened in regional Victoria," Mr Keys said.
With the rise of social media videos and improvements in equipment, Mr Keys said he has seen more people working in the space.
"Video has just exploded," he said.
"We're amazed at the quality of the films the students are making.
"There's so much more kudos given to storytelling ... and shorts film is such a powerful way of getting that across."
The festival finalists will be screened in Ballarat next year.
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Nieve Walton
Nieve covers federal and state politics for The Courier focusing on the issues facing Ballarat. Something bothering you in the community or want to see change? Send an email at nieve.walton@thecourier.com.au
Nieve covers federal and state politics for The Courier focusing on the issues facing Ballarat. Something bothering you in the community or want to see change? Send an email at nieve.walton@thecourier.com.au
