Prepare to bunker down, grab a brew and settle back to soak
up this year’s Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival offerings from the comfort
of your own couch.
That’s the message from the creative team behind the C-Doc festival as ticket
sales opened ahead of the festival that’s set to run over three consecutive
nights from Friday July 17.
While Covid-19 has forced this year’s fest to shift its screenings from
Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal to online delivery, the creative team is determined
to ensure the event maintains both its showcase documentary films plus its live
interactive panel discussions.
“Our point of difference as a festival is that we have the live events and
we’re still having the live events,” C-Doc general manager Scottie
Charalambous told the Mail this week.
“We’ve still really pushed to have those panels. (Festival director)
Claire Jager’s worked really hard on putting the right faces in front of the
cameras this time, rather than in front of the audience.
“And some of those participants will be streaming in from New York. It’ll
be as close as you can get to the live performance.
“So you will still get what C-Doc is essentially about but it will just be
through your tv or computer screen.
“So bunker down in the middle of winter and enjoy what we’re bringing to
you.
“We’re doing it because we didn’t want to let the community down.”
It’s the annual festival’s sixth year, and the first with it’s new creative
team at the helm.
Taking up the reins in January they were in full flight preparing to deliver
this year’s festival with its In The Clouds theme when the pandemic struck.
The team say its been a challenge but it’s one they’ve risen to meet head on.
“You have to be nimble,” says festival director Claire Jager whose
own professional background is in documentary production.
“Now its online appointment viewing. You’ll be tuning in for the night as
if you’re watching a live show,” she says.
“So you’ll see the film and then there’ll be a panel discussion afterwards
which will be streamed live.”
Ticket sales opened earlier this week via the festival’s Facebook space and
website where the program can also be found.
