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Penrith City Council is inviting the community to be inspired by local filmmaking talent and get involved in free filmmaking workshops as part of the StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium in Penrith on 1st April and StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival on 2nd April.

The StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium debuts in Penrith on Saturday 1st April at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. Kicking off with the Symposium at 9am, the community is invited to join a panel discussion with experts in the film industry who will share tips and insights on how to access film funding and broadcasting agreements. From 1pm, a range of short films will be shown made by local creatives that have been submitted as part of the StarBurst Film Festival competition.

Penrith City Council and Screen NSW, through the Screen NSW Film Festival Funding Program, are major sponsors of this event, partnering with event creator Kirstie Boerst, an experienced creative producer and Penrith local. Boerst developed the StarBurst Film Festival to celebrate the film industry, which was significantly impacted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boerst is a passionate advocate for local filmmaking and for the creation of film content that inspires and motivates audiences. 

Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen said that this event will promote local creative talent and provide an open door for filmmakers to learn more about the film industry. 

Mayor Hitchen enthused “StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium is an exciting new event for our City. It’s a testament to the creative talent we have in our area and the dedication of Kirstie Boerst to give the next generation of filmmakers an opportunity to grow.

“Penrith City Council is a supporter of the arts and I hope that our community will embrace this event and encourage our local filmmakers.”

StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival on Sunday 2nd April invites the community to take part in a range of free stop motion animation and filmmaking workshops where attendees create their own short film with the guidance of film industry professionals. 

At Coachmans Park a green screen experience offers young and old the chance for some interactive movie fun from 4pm, followed by a screening of the short, family-friendly films from the StarBurst Film Festival on the big screen from 6pm. Free pizza is on offer for the first 100 people as well as free popcorn for the first 250 people.

Mayor Hitchen adds “StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival encourages our community to embrace their creativity and take the opportunity to learn from industry professionals, all at no cost. Wonderful memories will be made at these fun and interactive workshops.

StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival is sponsored by Screen NSW through the Screen NSW Film Festival Funding Program.

The StarBurst Film Festival & Filmmaking Symposium will be held Saturday 1st April from 9am until 9pm at The Joan Sutherland Performing Art Centre. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased from penrith.city/events.

StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival will be held on Sunday 2nd April with free workshops beginning from 10am. To register for classes and for more information, go to penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/upcoming-events

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