All I’ve heard since I moved to Sydney is how much I’m going to adore Melbourne, so I’m slightly worried that I’ll love it so much I’ll never come back. I’ll arrive just in time for the Melbourne International Film Festival, hopefully blag my way into Opening Night, meet up with some LFF-ers who are working at MIFF, and hang out in the cool bars with the cool people. Oh and maybe watch some films.
The licensing laws in Melbourne are different to Sydney, and the two main differences have led to a massive gulf in culture between the two cities. From what people tell me (and I’ll report back once I’ve compared), Sydney has really expensive liquor licenses, so only large companies and chains can get a licence to sell alcohol in their venues. This has led to a drought of funky little independent bars or cafes with a late liquor licence. Melbourne however has much cheaper liquor licences, so apparently there’s a thriving independent nightlife in the pedestrianised laneways between streets. The other main difference is that in New South Wales the government in their wisdom decided that pokies (fruit machines) would be a great way of earning loads of money, so now NSW contains over 10% of the world's pokies! This has killed the independent music scene, because the ‘back rooms’ of pubs where young and unsigned bands used to play to cut their teeth in the music industry are now full of gamblers, and venues for live music other than big established bands are thin on the ground. I hear in Melbourne they don’t have this issue, and there is a thriving local gig and music scene.
And of course there is ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) which I can’t wait for.
Just got the small matter of a festival to enjoy first – what fun.
Work update: Have appointed three teams of podcasters to cover the festival. I’m really excited about these guys – one is a team of young lads who are up for a laugh (and no sleep for a fortnight!), one is a pair of professional radio presenters looking to branch out into TV and wanting the challenge, and one is a pair of documentary filmmakers wanting to work on something lighter than the serious stuff they’ve done in the past. I think we’re going to get a great series of podcasts, so everyone subscribe in iTunes (please ignore the inaugral podcast which is by our not-so-funny web streamers, who incidentally aren’t one of the three teams covering the festival!)
Press coverage is going well, everyone’s dead keen on our opening night film, the Edith Piaf bio-pic La Vie en Rose. Getting through lots of print, ads, promotions and partnerships, desperately trying to fix website glitches, and putting more things in the 2008 basket. Have just had a fab meeting discussing the acts at the Opening Night party - can't wait!
And it’s getting cold – hurrah – cold enough to have a blanket on the sofa while watching festival screeners (saw the Scott Walker documentary which was great, and some mad Danish and Czech films).
Two weeks to go!
cx
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