Nicole Kidman and Jack Thompson join other familiar faces to support the Sydney Film Festival in a new campaign via M&C Saatchi.
Stories is the outcome of a rich collaboration of SFF supporters – creatives, actors and filmmakers. Gillian Armstrong AM, Rose Byrne, Marta Dusseldorp, Nash Edgerton, Damon Herriman, Nicole Kidman AC, Ewen Leslie, Heather Mitchell AM, Daniel Monks, Sam Neill DCNZM OBE, Miranda Tapsell, Jack Thompson AM, Lynette Wallworth, Rachel Ward AM, Hugo Weaving AO and David Wenham contributed their voices to the initiative, filming a collective poem – Stories.
The film features Australian industry icons reading Stories, a stirring poem written by M&C Saatchi Group Creative Director Andy Flemming about the importance of creativity, debate, discovery and truth-telling.
The timing of the piece is especially pertinent for the film festival, which will be virtual this year for the first time in its history. But whether movie or computer screen, the festival is adamant that stories from around the world are even more important in these troubled times.
Sydney Film Festival CEO Leigh Small: “Sydney Film Festival is thrilled to have sparked such a moment of creative reflection from some of Australia’s most talented filmmakers and storytellers.”
M&C Saatchi’s Andy Flemming said: “Stories are one of the fundamental reasons for us being us. From stories calved onto Egyptian tombs, embroidered into tapestries or shot on 35mm, they share knowledge, history and humanity. We live in an age where many of our stories are picked for us by a computer algorithm, so film festivals are critical for how we see the world. As a film lover, it was a privilege to write these words – and made it even more exciting to hear some of the world’s greatest talent delivering them.”
All talent and expertise were donated to the philanthropic campaign. The initiative, in collaboration with advertising agency M&C Saatchi and production company FINCH, sees a cast of 16 formidable Australian actors and filmmakers join forces via video to champion the Festival.
Sydney Film Festival has partnered with international film festivals and local streaming service SBS On Demand, to find new ways to connect audiences to film and to support the film industry, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Credits:
Creative Agency M&C Saatchi
Chief Creative Officer: Cam Blackley
Group Creative Director Andy Flemming
Writer: Andy Flemming
Art Director: Rosita Rawnsley-Mason
Account Director: Charlotte O’Brien
Strategist: Alexi Hall
Production Company: FINCH
Director: Kyra Bartley
Executive Producer: Loren Bradley
Editor: Jack Hutchings, The Editors
Post Production: Atticus
Sound Mix: Abigail Sie, Song Zu
Composer: Adrian Sergovich, Song Zu
Sydney Film Festival CEO: Leigh Small
Sydney Film Festival Philanthropy Manager: Georgia Shepherd
