The Filmmakers

JILL MORRIS

Jill Morris is known as a children’s author and producer of radio, TV and other media, mostly for education. She has had more than 100 books published, mostly for children, and has been responsible for publishing the work of 45 other authors and illustrators. Jill is also a journalist (freelance contracts for The Age for 12 years) and a playwright with a number of professional productions to her credit. Working from her hand-built timber home on the Book Farm outside Maleny (where the rainforest has inspired hundreds of other writers in their own artistic expression), Jill is now making films as a further avenue of inspiring others in environmental restoration and regeneration, providing sustainable habitats for native wildlife, and generally protecting the planet. 

JESS BEGUN

I began my journey as an artist working as a production potter for 10 years beginning with an apprenticeship in Norway. Hand-building led to figurative sculpture and then painting. At the same time I was part of an artistic team of a small  theatre in the United States. After sailing to Australia with my family and settling in Sydney I worked with a set designer. Then after moving to Brisbane I completed a MFA in Drama at QUT. Working with Neil Cameron, director of the Fire Event at the Woodford Folk Festival, took me to Maleny in Southeast Queensland. My involvement with the Maleny Film Society and the Maleny Film Co- operative has inspired me to tell local stories and history through the making of my own films. I discovered that film satisfies my various creative directions. Most importantly I want to tell a story that is meaningful to me. Film as a medium combines in a very exciting way my visual sensibilities and dramatic training and I have discovered that I have the concentration to enjoy the technology of editing.

BERNIE DWYER 

Bernie Dwyer is a late starter to the business of film-making. His career so far includes computer programming and network management, wedding photography, stage lighting, and now script writing and film-making. Bernie has written and produced 2 short films of his own in addition to credits gained from work on others’ films.

Films written and produced:

“Double Date” is a short comedy about an injured football player whose wandering eye gets him into trouble.

“The Green Man” is a short children’s fantasy story, filmed in the beautiful Mary Cairncross rainforest.

LEANNE FARMILOE 

Leanne is songwriter and writer who has written three musicals.  Leanne has produced a CD of original songs, one of which won “Highly Commended” in the 2003 Unisong International Competition (“You’re My Soul Mate”). Leanne also was awarded a “Highly Commended in the 2005 Unisong International Competition for “You Might Be My Someone”, a song from her most recent musical “Call Me Twinkle Toes”.

Leanne is a keen cartoonist and illustrator and has written and illustrated a 70 page children’s book, “Bones for Breakfast”.  She has also produced several comic strips.

Leanne has been involved with filmmaking in recent years and was one of the contributing filmmakers for the Q150 celebrations in Maleny, 2009.  Leanne wrote, directed and produced ‘The Clearing’, an hour-long fictional story set in pioneering days.  This film has been shown around the Sunshine Coast at various locations. She has also written and produced a short film, ‘Double Speak’, which was screened as part of the film festival celebrating International Women’s Day in Montville, 2009.  ‘Drafted’, a short film based on a script written by Leanne, was filmed in Brisbane in 2010 as part of the Brisbane Film Base course.  ‘Camp Out,’ was written for the Treeline project and screened in Caloundra in 2010.  She was a contributing director to the documentary “The Bunya Guitar” in 2011.  Her latest film “Weeded Out” is a short animated film which was part of the Weeds series which were screened in Maleny and Sunshine Coast libraries in 2011.

Leanne has written screen music for five films: three of her own films - “The Clearing”, “Camp Out” and “Weeded Out”, as well as writing the music for three films produced by well-known children’s author and publisher Jill Morris “Some of My Best Friends are Trees”, “Weeds, Wonderful Weeds!” and “Backyard Bushfoods”.

Leanne is part of a local band “The Yindi Band” as a keyboardist and contributing songwriter.

CHRISTINE ELCOATE

Christine Elcoate is an experienced visual/ textile artist of over 30 years and has now found a new passion in filmmaking after studying a Cert III in Media at the Brisbane Qld School of Film and Television. 

As her practice has led her down the Eco friendly path over the past few years, her latest films  draw attention to environmental concerns.   Christine has also loved culture and has had opportunities to make small art films with her involvement in co-ordinating Art/Cultural exchanges with Sunshine Coast Sister Cities Association.  She feels strongly about how the Arts can overcome cultural differences/language and historical barriers.