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Restless.

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One thing I’m finding hard at the moment is trying to work out where to next, in regards to filmmaking. I’ve got several projects I’m interested in but can’t work out which one to put my energy into.

This morning, I watch the soft trailer for Petra Joy’s new film “The Female Voyeur” and got all sentimental about being at the Berlin Porn Film Festival and meeting her.  Petra is one of the many wonderful women I meet and she has a highly unique erotic style. We both share similar passions for promoting a variety of bodies and sexual acts that your normally don’t see. I highly recommend you check out her work if you are interested in an alternative to mainstream depictions of sex!

It filled me with the desire to make my next erotic film “Screwed in Suburbia: Perfect on the outside, Perverted on the inside”.  Its about a young woman trying to escape suburbia and move into the inner city.

The other project I have been toying with is an adaptation of a book by Australian author Emily Maguire, “The Gospel According to Luke”. I first was introduced to her work through a book called “Taming the Beast”, which I would love to make into a film, but the subject matter is so taboo I think it would be extremely hard to find finance to make it! She also interviewed me for her book “Princesses and Pornstars:Sex and Power and Identity”. I still remember the day she contacted me and I put two and two together and realised she was the author of such a twisted and confronting book as “Taming the Beast”! You can guess I was absolutely ecstatic about being interviewed by her!

“Man Made” is a documentary I would like to make as a follow up to “Making it handmade” which is going to be about men, craft and what it is to be a man today! I’m slowly finding subjects and researching but I’m guessing, its going to be at least a two to three year project like “Making it Handmade” was.

So you can see there a lots of ideas but I’m finding juggling motherhood, working and making films to be overwhelming at the moment. I desperately need to update my website so have decided to focus on that and then try to work out where to go next!

Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart!

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Here’s a very blurry picture of myself at home just before “Making it Handmade” premiered on ABC2. As you can see I lead a glamorous life, in my tracksuit pants, slippers, the washing drying in the back ground and a knitted nanna rug on my knees (yes I did make it myself) and of course a glass of bubbly in hand.

It was strange to watch it,as I have seen it so many times, so it was very surreal, but I did enjoy the bottle of bubbly…maybe a little too much as I struggled teaching the next day!

Thank you to all 33,000 of you who tuned in to watch it and to the 9000 odd of you who watched it on iview. I was astounded by the numbers considering nearly all of the publicity was done through social media sites of those involved in the film!

The film stirred up some passionate discussion online:

On the films facebook page comments varied from:

Quoting Cheryl Rabe
“Thought the documentary was very disappointing. Not all crafters are activists. I’d like to think the majority of us make tasteful and useful things for others to enjoy, without sending any sort of political message.”

We then proceed to engage in a debate about if the act of making is political in itself!

To:
Quoting KrÌstíÑã Gréeñwõod
Loved it. It’s re-ignited a spark in me. Chronic Illness has taken away a lot of things from me. I have a creative mind and a bit of a wicked sense of humour. This is right up my ally. 😀

Searching online I found so many different response so of them that caught my eye talked about:

– the craft demonstrated was of low quality. This I find interesting as often craft can be elitist and not inclusive. I liked the idea that in the doco, its about giving it a go. After all even if you are now highly skilled, you started off this way and its just been practice that has enabled you to make amazing work that is technically perfect!

– that the documentary was anti making money from craft. To be straight, no I’m not. I actually think that it is amazing that something so lovingly crafted can make you money, especially as in the past it was seen to have no commercial value. I guess I wanted to show that it is a hard road, that its not easy and there is a lot of work involved. Also in my research I was finding lots of women who were experiencing burn out from trying to make a full time living from crafting and giving up on it. However, if you can make a full time living from craft, I think you are amazing and I take my hat off to you all and bow down low in respect of your brilliance!

– Offense. This happened for may reasons, Casey’s work was obvious but that I had left out so many women who make beautiful practical things has come up a few times. I wish I had the money and time to make a whole series on the women and the men I meet, spoke to, interviewed and read about online who are making wonderful, amazing stuff, who are from all walks of life and ages. When I was researching for this film it just kept on growing and growing, but I was restricted by the fact, I had no money to make this doco. I had no funding, it was made in my holidays with the money I’d managed to save from teaching. I shot it over 2 years and then edited it over about 9 months. Thus I had to keep it simple and that’s why all the women are from Melbourne ( which is where I live). I wanted to challenge the idea of how society perceived crafters. I was drawn to women who were using traditional craft but subverting it in someways. From embracing the idea that it was about spirit and giving it a go, not making it perfect, to being craftivists.

– Inspiration This of course is my favorite reaction. I loved receiving posts and email from people who aren’t crafty feeling inspired to give it go, or others who are lapsed crafters wanting to make again.

If you missed it, you can order your own copy on DVD here.

Also there will be screenings happening in Radelaide on Saturday Oct 8th at 6:00pm at the Reading Room as part of the Festival of Unpopular Culture . Check it out the screening and there is a radical craft workshop beforehand.

Or if you are in Western Australia you can check it out at the Soul Highway “Wave Rock Weekender” on from Friday 28th Oct til 30th Oct.

Thanks once again to all wonderful people who helped make the film and also to all the wonderful people who have watched it. Keep crafting.

Change of date for “Making It Handmade” screening on ABC2!

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Looks like “Making it Handmade” is hitting our screens earlier than expected and is now scheduled to premiere on ABC2 Sunday 14th August at 9:30pm.

You’ll get to see the wonderful women who took part in the doco, Pip Lincolne, Rayna Fahey, Casey Jenkins, Gemma Jones and Justin Telfer, talking about all things craft!

So set your alarm clocks, grab your craft and enjoy!

Looking for men who craft.

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With my marking completed, my time has become my own again and I’m looking forward to working towards a new project. I have been throwing around the idea of making a follow up film to “Making it Handmade” about men who craft. So I’m looking for men who make stuff, either traditional men crafts like shed craft and those who also might knit, sew, etc. If you know anyone please point them in my direction.

“Making it Handmade” to screen on ABC2!

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I’ve had to sit on this news for quite awhile now and I have to admit it has been difficult!

It all began last year in November after I sent a copy of the film to the ABC, I received a very excited phone call from them and then nothing. Being caught up in the joy of motherhood I didn’t give it another thought until after the new year. So I emailed them again to see what was happening and one replacement disc later and it was all systems go!

I joked with a friend that I had become mainstream!!! hee hee

No date for the screening as yet, but will let you know when I have one.

What else?

I had a meeting with Neil from Monster Pictures about the possibility of doing another erotic film. So I’m working on idea set in the suburbs, because we all know that is where you will find the most sexually diverse/perverse people. At the moment I’ve entitled it “Screwed in the Suburbs: perfect on the outside, perverted on the inside”! Fingers crossed that it will get up and running.

For a complete contrast, I have been throwing around some ideas for a craft series with Pip Lincolne. We pitched it to ABC and while they haven’t rejected it, they suggested we come up with a different format….mmmmm back to the drawing board.

Reflections of how life used to be….reflections on the Ballarat screening!

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Marcia and Steph from Red Brick Gallery, you can guess who the other person is!

It was both comforting and disconcerting going back to Ballarat for the screening of “Making it Handmade”, as this is town I grew up in memories of high school come flooding back! Especially when one of my lovely friends from high school, Jenni and her sister Sue turned up to see the film! And one of the teachers from my high school days who turned them into 16 year olds!!!

A big thank you to Steph from Red Brick Gallery who organised the screening. The turn out was good and there was lots of discussion afterwards. I especially loved the story of a quilting group in Ballarat that you need to submit a folio to before they will consider accepting you into their group!!

There are lots of amazing crafty stuff happening in Ballarat and I got to meet the Jodie Carleton who creative use of salvage I have always admired!

I had a wonderful time and enjoyed the relaxed, friendly environment. Also the chance to slip back into the past and relive a little of my youth!

Thanks to all those who turned out and made it such a great day!

Making it Handmade to screen in Ballarat!

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Yes that’s right folks we are hitting regional Victoria again with another screening of the film! This should be interesting as I was born and breed in Ballarat! I’m hoping there will be some familiar faces in the audience from my high school days. This could be scary for all of us…makes me wonder how well we have all aged!!! Or not!

Its been brought to you by the lovely ladies who run Red Brick Gallery. So big thanks to them for putting it all together!

If you are in the area the details are:

Where: 14 Camp St, Ballarat (the old masonic hall)

When: Saturday 9th April 2011

Time: 3pm, doors open at 2:30pm

To pre book tickets you can go here!

I’m being interviewed by ABC radio Ballarat today. I’ll post about it when its going to air and also when it’ll be up online.

There is some very exciting news about “Making it Handmade” but I have to keep it under my hat until its official!

Otherwise, things have been very quite on the filmmaking front. I’ve finished the transcripts of the interviews I did with various erotic filmmakers while at the Berlin Porn Film Festival and have just been trying to work out how I will structure it, if I need more interviews (I’m kicking myself I didn’t interview Shine Louise Huston and Lousie Lush while I was there!). Also trying to work out what to do for cut aways as I don’t have any observational footage. I’m thinking I might go the animation route. Then I can make it fun and lighthearted and probably get way with more nudity etc cause its just a cartoon!!!

Must go back to being a mother….hope to see you all in da Rat on Saturday 9th April!

Happy New Year.

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I hope you all had a good, relaxed silly season!

Yet again its been way to long toooooo long since my last blog. Its amazing how life gets in the way, especially when a child is involved, who needs your love, care and attention!

Just to update you all…the screening at Bendigo’s (or should I say Eaglehawk’s) Star Community Theatre went well. There was a good turn out considering that it was a week or two before Christmas. If you are every in the area go and see a movie there. The theatre is in the old town hall and has its original projection room. Apparently, it screened movies for the 1920’s til 1950s when TV took over. The projectionist told great stories about how they used to stager the film times between Bendigo and Eaglehawk so that once it finished in one cinema it could be sent on the tram to Eaglehawk. If for some reasons there were delays they used to pay a kid to take it over on their bike!

The q and a afterwards was very interesting. Belinda Moon who is a local Bendigo crafter and runs “The Square” craft market told a great story of the smaller crafter triumphing over the large multinational chain store (whom shall remain nameless for legal purposes!). One day when Belinda was in said nameless chain store, her son with toy in hand, said “Look Mummy, there are your cards!”. To her surprise, they indeed looked exactly like her cards, in style and design, but only the colors had changed slightly. Turning it over she discovered the cards where produced by a Melbourne based company, who had then manufactured in China. To cut a long story short she engaged a lawyer and even though the large said unnamed chain store did not admit their guilt, they did pay her out! Yah! One for the little crafter! After having heard so many stories of independent makers being ripped off, it was lovely to hear a triumphant one!

In other filmmaking news, I have been very quite, but the new year has spurred me on and I have begun transcribing the interviews I did with female erotic filmmakers while I was at the Berlin Porn Film Festival in 2009( has it already been nearly 2 years!). I’m hoping to turn it into a 30 min documentary about women who are redefining the adult genre. I’m not sure what it will be called yet. Any suggestions? One I’ve been floating around is “Doing it their way: Female erotic filmmakers reinvent the adult genre”, but I think its too long. I had such a inspiring time in Berlin and got to meet so many amazing women who were doing similar things to myself with the adult genre. It made me feel as though I wasn’t alone in the fight to break free of the cliches of adult films and to create unique films, that were still erotic and sexy. Listening again to the interviews, has make me want to attempt another erotic film, so I have started on a script set in the suburbs, as we all know despite the outward appearances, they are full of sexual creatures who hide behind closed doors!!

The creative juices are following and I am feeling inspired again after feeling like I was lost in mummy world. While mummy world has been great, I realise more and more how important it is to be creative. I remember saying quite dramatically, if I couldn’t make films I would die! Now, having experienced a period where I have been unable to put any energy into making films, I don’t think I was being dramatic at all! It has brought home to me how important it is to my happiness to be creative. Do you feel that passionate about something you do?

“Making it Handmade” to screen in Bendigo!

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Wow who can believe that its already December…where did this year go?? Life and raising a small child have been keeping me occupied, so please excuse my lack of blogging!

I’m very excited to announce that “Making it Handmade” will be screening at Bendigo’s Star Community Cinema on Sunday 12th December at 3:30pm. I’ll be there to introduce the film and there will be a Q and A afterwards with Belinda Moon, who is an avid Bendigo crafter and hosted by the lovely and talented Megan Spencer. Also one lucky person in the audience will win a goodies bag generously donated by Bob Boutique. It should be a great afternoon with devonshire tea thrown in! I can’t wait for a scone with cream and jam!

Pip Lincolne, who is in “Making it Handmade”, let it slip that her secret ingredient for the best scones is lemonade! Apparently, its an old tip from the CWA cookbook!! Also if you haven’t yet, go and check out her new book. It is a beautiful work of art!

Also, in the November issue of The Melbourne Magazine that comes with The Age newspaper, myself and the lovely Royce made an appearance. For those of you who missed it, I’ll scan it soon and post it up here. It was good to read an article that wasn’t so sensationalized and gave me more depth, than just being a feminist erotic filmmaker! Mmm just read that back…wow it sounds conceited!

Anyway, I hope to see you in Bendigo, if not I hope you have a good silly season and if you are looking for a present for that crafty person in your life, why not get them a copy of “Making it Handmade”! Click here to buy it from my online shop!

Online shop now up and running!

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Finally, I have set up an online shop where you can purchase some of my films (more will be added soon). Being the DIY kind of woman and after constantly being contacted by people wanting to know where they could buy my films, I decided to give it a go! There is a link on the side but you can also click here to access it. Happy shopping!