• Bayside News Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Wednesday, June 29
Trending
  • Esky bust puts stop to ‘service’
  • Council calls for action on abandoned site
  • Fisher to take over at Baxter
  • Hunter finds success with Thronum progeny
  • Stonecats continue their dominance, Langwarrin first-quarter blitz sets up win
  • Railway Commissioners’ visit to the peninsula
  • Bus shelters vandalised
  • Skye high reading
Facebook Twitter
Bayside News
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
Bayside News
Home»Interviews»Short but sweet film set for Cannes
Interviews

Short but sweet film set for Cannes

Stephen TaylorBy Stephen Taylor24 April 2017Updated:26 April 20171 Comment3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
On location: Director Michael Raso, above left, with clipboard, works on his short film Solitude with actor Maggie Blinco, above right.
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
On location: Director Michael Raso, above, with clipboard, works on his short film Solitude with actor Maggie Blinco, below.

A TOUCHING short film by Mt Eliza filmmaker Michael Raso will screen at the internationally renowned Cannes Film Festival next month.

His six-minute entry, Solitude, sponsored by the American Pavilion of Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, is part of a “festival within a festival” highlighting the works of the “next generation of filmmakers”.

It is among just 20 short films selected by a panel of industry judges to be screened at the Cannes showcase.

Raso, 32, was inspired to make Solitude while waiting for a train at Junee, a picturesque country New South Wales train station. He decided to make a film then and there.

Around that time an elderly relative died and his mother told him that most women want to be “buried beside her husband”.

The two ideas began to merge in Raso’s mind.

“I’d always wanted to do my own project and was forever discussing ideas with my sister, Millie,” he said.

“Nothing ever really clicked until I came up with the concept of Solitude and she said: ‘Yes, that’s the one’.”

The plot involves an elderly woman (Maggie Blinco) who is desperately alone after the death of her husband. To find solace she visits the local train station which holds a special significance for the widow.

“Maggie was not my first choice as the lead but I came to realise that she is absolutely ideal in the role,” Raso said.

The former St Thomas More Primary School, Mt Eliza, and Padua College, Mornington student is now an in-demand freelance cameraman who shoots AFL and rugby league in Sydney for channels 9 and 10 as well as Q&A for the ABC.

The short film was set to make its debut at the 2015 Tropfest Short Film Festival but didn’t appear since the festival was cancelled that year, Raso said.

“It was a bit of a sad time for Solitude which took a year to become popular and be accepted for screening at various short film festivals all over the world.

“Its first acceptance in an Australian film festival was a year after completion – the Wollongong Film Festival in NSW.”

But things were looking up: after being shown at the Madrid International Film Festival Solitude received three award nominations.

“Then I got a letter from ‘the Pavilion’ saying they loved the film and wanted to show it at Cannes, which is really exciting as it’s the pinnacle in the industry,” Mr Raso said.

“Now we’ve had up to 35 film festival acceptances – including this year’s Peninsula Short Film Festival – and have won 12 awards worldwide.

“I think we’re up to 14 award wins now, which have been a combination of gold-plated statuettes, certificates, sashes, and cash.

“We’ve also been accepted and award nominated into some Academy Award qualifying film festivals, like The Foyle Film Festival, which basically means if you win you go in the running to win an Academy Award.

“The most recent Australian Film Festival we won was the Benalla Film Festival in Northern Victoria.”

After a promising start with Solitude, his first film as director, Mr Raso is keen for more film directing experience.

“I’ve been asked about future projects, which is nice.”

The Cannes Film Festival will run 18-26 May, with Solitude to be screened 21-24 May.

First published in the Frankston Times – 24 April 2017

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Stephen Taylor

Related Posts

Book encourages greyhound adoption

27 April 2022

Social Mermaids are in their element

17 March 2021

Search for work, life balance pays off

11 January 2021

1 Comment

  1. John Billing on 11 May 2017 7:26 am

    Penrith Station! Where I use to live before returning to Frankston.

    Reply

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Jun 29, 2022 - Wed
Chelsea, Australia
13°C
14 km/h, N
52%
767.32 mmHg
wed06/29 thu06/30 fri07/01 sat07/02 sun07/03
12/9°C
11/9°C
13/9°C
11/10°C
12/8°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click Here to Read

27 June 2022
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click Here to Read

26 May 2022
Council Watch

Push to stop rate collection methods

14 June 2022

Higher house prices blamed for rate rise

9 May 2022
Interviews

Book encourages greyhound adoption

27 April 2022
Property of the Week

33 Gould Street, Frankston

20 April 2022
100 Years Ago this Week

Railway Commissioners’ visit to the peninsula

28 June 2022
Contact

Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915

Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2022 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.