Tagged GOFF Team Profile

GOFF Team Profile: Ally Oliver-Perham

Ally Oliver-Perham. HeadshotAlly Oliver-Perham is graphic designer who works for the Victorian Women’s Trust, and it’s national arm the Dugdale Trust for Women & Girls. She is one of the creators of Rosie, an online info hub for teenage girls to be launched in early August. A self-proclaimed mixtape compiler extraordinaire, with a long-standing fantasy of being invited to program Rage (it could happen), for her profile Ally has decided to cross out her answers, throw out the questions, and instead curate a selection of her all-time fav Girl clips. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate making our Pozible target, so we’re sharing her picks with you!

Divinyls – Boys in Town

Oh Chrissy Amphlett, you rock and roll dreamboat, you! I absolutely adore the way she swaggers around the stage in this clip in her school dress, brandishing a neon light sabre like she wants to break shit. So sexy and dangerous. I feels ya sister.

Stevie Nicks – Wild Heart

‘Don’t blame it on me, blame it on my wild heart’ is a line which can get you out of virtually any situation. Trump card x infinity. That aside, this clip of Stevie Nicks and Chrissie McVie singing together backstage just before a Rolling Stones photo shoot, is just such a beautiful and tender impromptu moment. The whole thing is captured on a shitty camera, which gives it this gorgeous, naive home movie quality. To paraphrase Dolly Parton, this song just melts my butter.

Tina Turner – What’s love got to do with it

Tina Turner has to be one of my favourite music makers and this clip epitomises exactly what it is I love about her – she’s all attitude, sex appeal and wise words. And my god, that hair. It’s the perfect amount of too much.

I first encountered Tina (and patriarchy!) in the biopic of her life (1993, directed by Brian Gibson), when I was just a kid. Based on her book I, Tina, (written with Kurt Loder) the film details her early musical career and the terrible abuse inflicted by her partner and manager Ike Turner. A major focus of the film is Tina breaking free of Ike, claiming her right to her stage name Tina Turner and forging her own successful solo career. What a strong, tough lady. For more intergalactic aural delights, listen to her sing . AMAZING. She can really wail!

GOFF Team Profile: Simone Flanagan

Simone FlanaganSimone Flanagan has years experience working in publicity, marketing and sponsorship in the arts, most recently as part of the board for Melbourne WebFest. Simone is also a feminist and disability activist. We asked her a few questions:

How’d you get involved in GOFF?

I met Karen when I volunteered at SlutWalk last year and realised I had met a like-minded individual. Catching up with her over a glass of wine a few months later, she mentioned she was starting a feminist festival. Having always had a passion for film and events, my ears pricked up and I was honoured when she asked me to be part of the festival team!

Apart from GOFF, what are you working on now?

I’ve just finished Melbourne WebFest which was held a Fed Square last week (where best actor, best screen-writing and the iView award were won by female creators from the web-series Bleak) and am currently working in arts and advocacy in various roles including Women with Disabilities Victoria and Hollaback! Melbourne.

What’s one of your favourite moments involving a girl on film?

Growing up I loved films like Tank Girl, Muriel’s Wedding, Thelma and Louise, Beaches and Boys on the Side – anything with strong female characters.

More recently my would have to be the character of  Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild, I love her courage and compassion.

It’s hard to pick a favourite!

What’s something you think GOFF brings to Melbourne’s film festival scene?

Awesome classic and contemporary films that showcase the diverse experience of being a woman in a safe inclusive and accessible space for people who love films and/or girls can gather. Almost everything else has it’s own film festival here in Melbourne – it surprises me that there hasn’t been a feminist film festival until now! Bring on GOFF 2014!

If you could see a movie made about any real life woman who would it be?

I would love to see a film based on the life of Australian author Charmian Clift. She was a brilliant journalist  and author in the 50s and 60s, yet her husband George Johnston is more well known. She lived a full and passionate life and was ahead of her time, it would be awesome to see Charmian’s story or some of her writing on the big screen.

Do you have a favourite female actor or director?

I’m a big fan of Miranda July, have always had a soft spot for Drew Barrymore and love the work Teal Sherer, especially her recent project, My Gimpy Life.

GOFF Team Profile: Ben McKenzie

Ben McKenzie
Ben McKenzie. Photo by R W Young Images.

Ben McKenzie is an actor, comedian, writer and game designer, and he’s also GOFF’s Festival Producer. We asked him to explain himself.

How’d you get involved in GOFF?

I’ve been working with Karen as an associate producer for Cherchez la Femme for a couple of years, so I was there at the George Revival Cinema for that first conversation with Gus. I’ve been lucky enough to be in on GOFF from its conception!

Apart from GOFF, what are you working on now?

Loads of things! As well as a couple of major projects with my live games company Pop Up Playground, I’ve nearly finished Night Terrace, a new sci-fi comedy audio series starring Jackie Woodburne (Neighbours’ Susan Kennedy). I’m producing, writing and co-starring as Jackie’s sidekick, so that project has been lots of work, but also lots of fun! We’ll be releasing the whole series of eight episodes for sale online in September; so it’s kind of like a radio serial version of a Netflix show, and I can’t wait for people to hear it.

What’s one of your favourite moments involving a girl on film?

I’m a sci-fi nerd, so you can probably guess some of mine! Apart from the obvious Ripley moments in Alien, I’m also uncool enough to be moved by the scene in Alien: Resurrection when the clone of Ripley finds a room full of [SPOILER REDACTED]. Then there’s the great moment in The Dark Crystal when Jen meets another gelfling like him, Kira, but discovers she has wings. “I don’t have wings!” he complains; Kira, cool as a cucumber, says “Of course not, you’re a boy” and carries on adventuring. Most recently I loved Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow, especially her casual execution of Tom Cruise whenever he made a mistake. Oh, and I love just about every moment with Chihiro in Spirited Away, my favourite Miyazaki film.

What’s something you think GOFF brings to Melbourne’s film festival scene?

I love the mix of classic and new or rarely seen films; I’ve not seen that at a film festival before, certainly not with them all given equal billing! And there’s such a diverse range of films too; I’m no film buff, so there’s loads of stuff I haven’t seen alongside a couple of films which are old favourites of mine. I hope I get to sit in on a few!

If you could see a movie made about any real life woman who would it be?

I definitely want to see a biopic about Hedy Lamarr! She was a film star, famous initially for being the first woman to perform an orgasm on screen, and then later as the most beautiful face in Hollywood – but she was also a genius! She lived this incredible life, escaping to America from a castle and loveless marriage in Austria, and then during the second world war inventing the frequency hopping spread spectrum technique still used today in most wireless technology. I researched her for a talk at The Laborastory and her life would make an amazing film.

Do you have a favourite female actor or director?

I have been a very long-time fan of Emma Thompson – everything she does delights me. Thompson’s role as Kate Lemon in The Tall Guy is sublime; she gives the most deliciously acidic sarcasm! (Plus her sex scene with Jeff Goldblum is still my all-time favourite.) Thompson is also a great director and screenwriter; her adaptation of Sense and Sensibility is brilliant, and not least for the casting of Kate Winslet, another of my all-time favourite actors. And on a very different note, I can’t leave out Tilda Swinton, whom I most recently loved in Only Lovers Left Alive, an instant classic as far as I’m concerned.

GOFF Team profile: Breeana Dunbar

Bree DunbarBreeana Dunbar is a professional photographer and interior design obsessive, and in 2014 is the official Festival Photographer (or “festy tog”) for GOFF.

How’d you get involved in GOFF?

I met Karen through the lovely feminist network of Melbourne as she was in need of a photographer for a bunch of interesting projects, including GOFF. I’m beyond exciting to be the official ‘festy tog’ of GOFF and can’t wait to hear a bunch of smart, funny women giving their insights on some cool films.

Apart from GOFF, what are you working on now?

As well as taking portraits of gorgeous folk around Melbourne, I’m the official photographer for the Rosie Respect website, an online info hub for teenage girls being developed by the Dugdale Trust for Women and Girls.

What’s one of your favourite moments involving a girl on film?

Poppy’s awesome flamenco face in Happy-Go-Lucky. Watched this for a third time last weekend, a bit in love with Sally Hawkins.

What’s something you think GOFF brings to Melbourne’s film festival scene?

If you have a look at the program for most film festivals around Melbourne you’ll find films by men, about men. Not only is GOFF putting together a program that tries to redress the balance, we’re making a really fun festival that is accessible to everyone. Women, men, cult film lovers, pop culture fans, young, old, whatever! I’m so proud to be involved with such a fantastic addition to Melbourne’s film festival scene.

If you could see a movie made about any real life woman, who would it be?

Lynn Goldsmith (rock photographer who captured everyone from Michael Jackson to Patti Smith). She must have some great tales and I’d love to hear about how she found success in the male-dominated world of rock photography.

Who’s one of your girl heroes?

I’ve got more than one I’m afraid. The amazing ladies from the Royal Women’s Hospital who treated me while I was pregnant are my heroes. Some things didn’t go to plan during my pregnancy, but I was treated by a bunch of amazing ladies who were not only experts in their fields, but showed me such kindness and unconditional support. Pregnancy is an incredibly vulnerable time for a woman and I will be forever thankful to these ladies for getting me through it in one piece!

GOFF Team Profile: Rohan Spong

Rohan SpongRohan Spong is an independent filmmaker whose work includes feature documentaries, short films and music videos. In 2014, Rohan is one of GOFF’s Associate Directors.

How’d you get involved in GOFF?

The illustrious Karen Pickering bribed me to take part with the promise of Murder, She Wrote marathon viewings.

Apart from GOFF, what are you working on now?

A feature documentary called Winter At Westbeth about some senior artists in a rent controlled building in New York’s West Village. I don’t want to say too much yet, but at the moment, we’re finalising a rather beautiful dance sequence.

What’s one of your favourite moments involving a girl on film?

The moment when Cate Blanchett’s character Tracy wanders into the school hall of children singing Flame Trees in Rowan Woods Little Fish (2005) whilst contemplating a hit of heroin. I find it beautifully acted, beautifully scripted (by Jacquelin Perske) and incredibly moving. She’s not pining over some bloke, nor someone’s sidekick… but rather the central character around whom the others orbit.

What’s something you think GOFF brings to Melbourne’s film festival scene?

I think it’s quite an eclectic program and there’s a sort of celebratory tone to how we’re assembling the weekend. It’s a mixtape meets party meets movie marathon.

If you could screen any movie you want at GOFF, what would it be?

Serial Mom.

Who’s one of your girl heroes?

Mimi Stern-Wolfe, the main subject of my last documentary All The Way Through Evening. If you didn’t catch it at Cinema Nova, it’s now on iTunes. She’s the sort of human being I aspire to be.

GOFF Team Profile: Tara Judah

Tara JudahTara Judah is a film writer and radio critic whose work has appeared in The Vine, The Big Issue, Metro and Overland, and she also works at Melbourne’s beloved Astor Theatre. In 2014, she is GOFF’s Festival Writer and Curator.

How’d you get involved in GOFF?

I was having breakfast with Karen and after about six hours of killer conversation (and a delicious bagel) we thought it’d be a good idea if I joined the team – all of the best conversations have to be continued and this one just so happened to turn into me joining the good ship GOFF.

Apart from GOFF, what are you working on now? 

LOTS. Between my work at the Astor, freelance writing, radio, judging films, seeing films and attending to the odd personal project there’s barely a moment spare – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s one of your favourite moments involving a girl on film?

I love the way that Jo’s (Stacy Martin) masturbation scene in Nymphomaniac Vol 1 is depicted as uneventful. There aren’t enough screen representations of female masturbation as being incidental, everyday. I’m tired of being told by society that I ought to be sexy.

What’s something you think GOFF brings to Melbourne’s film festival scene?

One helluva party! It’s a lot more than a handful of films that’ll be taking over the Northcote Town Hall. Think about the best party you ever attended – well, basically that’s what we’re bringing.

If you could screen any movie you want at GOFF, what would it be?

I’d probably run a session on Sadie Benning films because I think she’s amazing and her Pixelvision shorts have always intrigued me – they highlight an important cross section between the avant-garde, the underground, feminism, lesbianism and really honest filmmaking.

Who’s a girl on film that you love?

I’ve always admired Bette Davis. She’s passionate and she won’t take shit from anyone.

GOFF Team Profile: Karen Pickering

Karen PickeringKaren Pickering is a feminist organiser, writer and public speaker – and also GOFF’s Festival Director! Karen is the first of our team to answer a few questions so you can get to know her better. We’ll be posting a few more of these over the next couple of weeks.

How’d you get involved in GOFF?

It was my dream event and after chatting about it with Ben and Gus at the George one day we all agreed it was possible with the right team. So here we are! It’s my first time directing a festival and it’s terrifying and wonderful.

Apart from GOFF, what are you working on now?

I host Cherchez la Femme on the first Tuesday of every month at the Duke of Wellington in the city, which is like a cross between The Late Show and Q&A but run by a woman with a drink in her hand. Basically a not-so-secret feminist cabal. I’m also co-producing a late night show for the Melbourne Fringe Festival, called Wham Bam, showcasing the talents of female performers across the genres (at the Provincial Hotel, September 17 to October 5 except Saturdays), and organising SlutWalk Melbourne for another year.

What’s one of your favourite moments involving a girl on film?

(SPOILER) I think the scene in Heathers where Veronica blows JD’s finger off is pretty bitchin’ but my absolute favourite is probably the final scene of Thelma and Louise. I’m such a romantic and that ending slays me every time. I also love Baby and Johnny’s first sex scene in Dirty Dancing and all the fights in Beaches.

What’s something you think GOFF brings to Melbourne’s film festival scene?

I think film festivals are mostly total dudefests. It might seem inevitable, given how rare women filmmakers are, but I’d like to see women directors (and male directors) with feminist sensibilities telling women’s stories in a way that is powerful and engaging, rather than dismissive or straight up hateful. Also, I am personally such a lowbrow kinda gal that most film festivals feel very impenetrable and overwhelming to me. Like for all my intellect I go to see films at other festivals and I just leave feeling confused and/or depressed. I love pop culture and I don’t feel ashamed for liking mainstream stuff, but I want to see feminism on screen. And I think it’s there! It just hasn’t been collected in one place and celebrated until now, so GOFF is here to change that.

If you could see a movie made about any real life woman who would it be?

Dolly Parton, a hundred percent.

Who’s one of your girl heroes?

There are so many but I always come back to Kathleen Hanna.