Do you feel music video directors are the creative world’s unsung heroes? Well guess what, unsung they will be no more! At long last, there is an event dedicated to celebrating the partnering of sound and vision entitled SoundKILDA.
This audio-visual extravaganza is entirely dedicated to the competition and celebration of Australian music videos over the last 12 months (much akin to the J Awards of 2013 which saw Clubfeet’s ‘Everything You Wanted’ take the coveted prize).
SoundKILDA is a part of the St. Kilda Film Festival, Australia’s oldest and longest big-screen event, which is now in its staggering 31st year of operations.
There are three categories in which music video directors’ submitted work may win: Best Music Video, Best Independent Music Video, and Best Animated Music Video, as well as a special award to be presented on the evening for one lucky clip.
So where does this rad event take place? Why of course, Melbourne’s iconic home of cinema, The Astor Theatre. If you aren’t already rubbing your hands in excitement, the evening will be hosted by none other than co-creator and host of SBS’ Rockwiz, Brian Nankervis.
The beloved TV personality will take the audience through the shortlist of top music videos, to which attendees of this film clip appreciation are required to take direct part in the action by voting for what they believe to be the pick of the bunch.
You can start getting your voting hat on early however, as we’ve compiled SoundKILDA’s nominees which have been shortlisted for screening on the big screen on Thursday 29th May. Full ticket details and info at www.stkildafilmfestival.com.au.
So before the official crown is handed out – make up your own mind out of the 17 Aussie music videos nominated for the best of the best of 2013.
Stonefield – ‘Love You Deserve’ (Director – Gemma Lee)
Bush bashin’ in beat up sets of wheels, this is a kick-ass, true-blue Aussie tribute from the four pissed off sisters of Stone.
Tim Rogers – ‘Quasimodo’s Dream’ (Director – Dan Koerner, Sam Haren)
What could make Tim Rogers better? Multiple Tim Rogers, right? This kaleidoscopic dream features the frontman falling, over and over again, as his limbs multiply with every stretch.
Bob Evans – ‘Go’ (Director – Darcy Prendergast)
Ever had your lady stolen from you on a beach? Bob Evans has. And by who? A dart smokin’ cricket bat wieldin’ Tim Rogers.
Clubfeet – ‘Everything You Wanted’ (Director – Josh Thomas)
This 2013 J Award winner has clocked over 1 million YouTube views and also has the sad distinction of being ripped off by several other international groups, including those rascally brats in One Direction.
Vance Joy – ‘From Afar’ (Director Charlie Ford, Josh Mckie)
Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, boy likes boy – sounds a little like a Blur song, no? This intricate web of unrequited love makes for a touching, heartbreaking clip.
Kate Miller-Heidke ‘Ride This Feeling’ (Director – Lucy Dyson)
An extremely bright and energetic vid constructed of digital imagery that sees Miller-Heidke flying through bananas and falling through watermelons.
City Calm Down – ‘Sense of Self’ (Director – Summer DeRoche & Darcy Prendergast)
A strung-out prostitute dances her way through the streets, toying with men and flirting with handguns. Quite an interesting juxtaposition of sound and vision.
Horrorshow – ‘Dead Star Shine’ (Director – Kess Broekman-Dattner)
A melancholic, gloomy painted aesthetic themes this vid as a man drags a boy to the top of a mountain, but for what?
CocoRosie – ‘Child Bride’ (Director – Emma Freeman)
A poignant representation of the questionable notion that is children brides. This piece follows the story of a young girl who is to bed wed off, it’s pretty creepy..
The Paper Kites – ‘St Clarity’ (Director – Natasha Pincus)
There is such a thing as a ‘World Class Bubbler’, and a man at the top of this game is Sylvain Letuvee. This carefree vid (helmed by the woman behind Gotye’s body-painted ‘Somebody That I Used To Know) guest stars the bubbling champ as he creates the aerial jellyfish that blow in the wind. Hypnotising.
Slightly Left Of Centre – ‘Love The Way You Move’ (Director – Aaron Mcdonald & Ben Ommundson)
Do you have an animation fixation? This will cure what ails ya! Check out three crazy Soviet scientists who are under strict orders by a certain Russian leader to create something diabolical…but things turn much worse.
Big Scary – ‘Twin Rivers’ (Director – Shaun Garland)
It’s strange how an expressionless bug can instil such sadness? Here, Garland documents the miserable life of a praying mantis living its days in a human setting. We wonder if inspiration has been drawn from Kafka’s classic tale ‘Metamorphosis’?
Jude Perl – ‘Girls & Boys’ (Director – Sarah Hickey)
Sometimes there really isn’t a difference between a child’s fifth birthday party and their eighteenth, and the director of this hilarious piece shows a bunch of big kids turning rather ugly at a birthday party. Take a look, what age are these guys celebrating?
Robert Gillies – ‘Here With Me’ (Director – Oscar Gomez)
This animated short paired with Gillies touching vocals looks like a heartbreaking scene from Toy Story, a seamless pairing of music to video.
Allday – ‘Girl In The Sun’ (Director – Chris Pahlow)
What happens when you have a boy that loves a girl, a cardboard beache, a vertical bed, and nerf guns…maybe the birth of a baby born doll?
SNOG – ‘The New Cocksucker Blues’ (Director – D. Thrussell)
Have you ever been to a banana convention? Can you imagine what it would be like if the house-band kick-started the evening with the words “have you sucked some cock today?”, named after the Rolling Stones’ infamous tour movie, this clip is the result.
Munro Melano – ‘Hometown’ (Director – Sari Braithwaite)
Beginning in 1959, Leon Isackson, a drummer, captured 8mm road movies of life on tour. This music video is composed entirely of those films and is tipped as the most exciting screening of the evening as it’s set to get its debut at the St Kilda Film Festival. As Munro Melano’s Facebook reads “I’m proud to announce that one of my new film clips will be premiering at St Kilda Film Fest… opening night!!!” this one is not to be missed!
SoundKILDA Music Video Competition and Afterparty
Thursday 29 May, 8:30pm – The Astor Theatre, Melbourne VIC
Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com.au, $27 Adult, $22 Concession
