National awards for young filmmaker

Young filmmaker Thaine Wood PHOTO: Tanya Murphy TANYA MURPHY

TANYA MURPHY

A short film by a Mount Sheridan teenager has claimed two awards at Australia’s top competition for high school filmmakers.

Thaine Wood’s film Learners won the drama category as well as the directing prize at the 2020 Bond University Film & Television Awards (BUFTA), in a special public online ceremony held on November 28.

Mr Wood said while the idea for Learners first came to him while he was visiting McDonald’s with his brother and a friend, it eventually turned into something else.

“I decided I wanted to tell a story about men’s mental health, about friendship and mateship and convey a bit about what I’ve experienced and what I know other people have experienced and hopefully turn into something that’s relatable but also entertaining,” he said.

Mr Wood, who just graduated from Trinity Anglican School, said that he had

been making films as a hobby for “as long as he could remember.”

“From about the age of four or five, I grabbed whatever I could get my hands on like my Dad’s old camcorder or even disposable cameras, and made films for fun, with my mates and our toys in my backyard,” he said.

Last year, Mr Wood was awarded Young Filmmaker of the Year at Port Shorts Festival for his film Me. He also received the JCU Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Understory Film Festival in Cairns and received highly commended at Canberra Short Film Festival for his film Found.

Mr Wood has applied to study medicine in Townsville next year but said he would always continue to make films for a hobby, and had hopes of one day combining the two careers.

“There’s an aspect of health that comes down to communication. Through film we can do a lot making sure people are educated

on health, especially mental health.

“Documentaries are helpful in showing real issues, but fiction can also help discuss real issues, as is the case in Learners.”

Mr Wood said personal life experiences had influenced his film making.

“I think any teenager, or any person would be lying if they said they didn’t experience mental health issues at some point,” he said.

“Growing up it’s natural to go through cycles of depression and anxiety, especially in today’s society, it’s more and more abundant.

“My favourite films to draw inspiration from include ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘Booksmart’ but I’m also a sucker for blockbusters and superhero movies.”

To watch Mr Wood’s films, search for his name on You- Tube. He is currently working on a director’s cut version of Learners, which he will upload later this month.