Mildura Writers Festival Documentary Treatment
By Emel Berdilek and Vincent Kos
The big question:
How have the people; writers, festival community and the event of the
Mildura Writers Festival progressed over time.
Themes:
We endeavor to answer our big question, which is how exactly have the people; the writers, festival community and the event itself progressed over time. This documentary encapsulates the adventure or more so the journey to the Mildura Writers festival.
Target Audience:
Lovers of literature and writing enthusiasts.
Synopsis:
Beginning with the small city of Mildura, we move into the heart of the action, the festival. Narrated by Stefano de Pieri, the Writers Festival is introduced, creating a factual timeline from how the festival began to how it has flourished today.
Leading into the festival, people attending share where they are from and their connections with the festival, describing their personal journey from when they had first heard about the festival or a writer to the moment they arrive at the event.
Featured interviews from the writers that the people have come to see make the heart of the festival and the film. Writers like Tracy Farr, Thomas Keneally, Eileen Chong and Alexis Wright spell out the beginning of their careers as writers, their struggles and successes, down to the very moment they have found themselves homed at Mildura delivering an interview to young filmmakers at the Writers Festival.
We conclude with the enlightening and inspiring energy emitted from these journeys, taking away the notion that the adventure is never over. The festival will keep on celebrating, the writers will keep on writing and we will keep on reading or aspiring to be like our writer idols.
The big question:
How have the people; writers, festival community and the event of the
Mildura Writers Festival progressed over time.
Themes:
- People/ Writers, festival community.
- Event/ Mildura Writers Festival.
- World/ Mildura.
We endeavor to answer our big question, which is how exactly have the people; the writers, festival community and the event itself progressed over time. This documentary encapsulates the adventure or more so the journey to the Mildura Writers festival.
Target Audience:
Lovers of literature and writing enthusiasts.
Synopsis:
Beginning with the small city of Mildura, we move into the heart of the action, the festival. Narrated by Stefano de Pieri, the Writers Festival is introduced, creating a factual timeline from how the festival began to how it has flourished today.
Leading into the festival, people attending share where they are from and their connections with the festival, describing their personal journey from when they had first heard about the festival or a writer to the moment they arrive at the event.
Featured interviews from the writers that the people have come to see make the heart of the festival and the film. Writers like Tracy Farr, Thomas Keneally, Eileen Chong and Alexis Wright spell out the beginning of their careers as writers, their struggles and successes, down to the very moment they have found themselves homed at Mildura delivering an interview to young filmmakers at the Writers Festival.
We conclude with the enlightening and inspiring energy emitted from these journeys, taking away the notion that the adventure is never over. The festival will keep on celebrating, the writers will keep on writing and we will keep on reading or aspiring to be like our writer idols.
Interview Questions:
Stefano de Pieri
1. How/When did the Mildura writers festival begin?
2. How has the festival progressed since it started in your restaurant in the early 90’S
3. Did you predict that the festival would expand like it has?
4. What inspired you to start the festival in the first place? Did you have help from other people?
5. Are you a fan of literature? Do you have a preferred genre?
6. What is your connection with Mildura? Is there something that keeps you here?
7. What makes Mildura special to you?
8. What makes Mildura a prime location to host a writer’s festival?
9. What do you think makes a successful festival?
10. What do you like the most about the festival?
11. Do you see the festival expanding or changing in the near future?
12. Which writers can we expect to see at the festival?
13. What do you think about the journey that the festival has taken from begging (first idea) till now?
14. What kind of people have you come to expect at the festival? 15. What kind of audience is attracted to the Mildura festival?
16. Are most of the audience locals or do they travel from further places to get here?
Public (Festival Goers)
1. What is your name and do we have permission to use you in this documentary?
Stefano de Pieri
1. How/When did the Mildura writers festival begin?
2. How has the festival progressed since it started in your restaurant in the early 90’S
3. Did you predict that the festival would expand like it has?
4. What inspired you to start the festival in the first place? Did you have help from other people?
5. Are you a fan of literature? Do you have a preferred genre?
6. What is your connection with Mildura? Is there something that keeps you here?
7. What makes Mildura special to you?
8. What makes Mildura a prime location to host a writer’s festival?
9. What do you think makes a successful festival?
10. What do you like the most about the festival?
11. Do you see the festival expanding or changing in the near future?
12. Which writers can we expect to see at the festival?
13. What do you think about the journey that the festival has taken from begging (first idea) till now?
14. What kind of people have you come to expect at the festival? 15. What kind of audience is attracted to the Mildura festival?
16. Are most of the audience locals or do they travel from further places to get here?
Public (Festival Goers)
1. What is your name and do we have permission to use you in this documentary?
2. Are you a local or did you travel to get here?
(If you have travelled where did you come from?)
3. Where did you first hear of the Mildura’s writer’s festival?
4. Have you attended the festival before? (If not is it what you expected?)
5. Have you noticed the festival changing, as it gets older? (If so what has changed about it? What is still the same?)
6. What is it about the festival that draws you too it?
7. Why did you want to go to the Mildura’s writer’s festival? 8. How has the atmosphere of the festival been so far?
9. Do you have a highlight experience from the festival?
10. Which writers are you excited to see?
11. What do you think attracts renowned writers to Mildura?
Writers
1. What attracted you to the Mildura’s writers festival?
2. How did you get here? Where have you travelled from?
3. When did you first decide become a writer?
4. What were you before you were a writer? Student/Working?
5. Did you ever have doubt that you would succeed as a writer?
6. How do you know if you have made it as a writer?
7. How has writing shaped you through the years?
8. Have you changed since becoming a writer?
9. How have you managed to make writing a career?
10. What is the relationship between your personal experiences and the world and your writing?
11. What have you learnt about yourself as you have progressed as a writer?
(If you have travelled where did you come from?)
3. Where did you first hear of the Mildura’s writer’s festival?
4. Have you attended the festival before? (If not is it what you expected?)
5. Have you noticed the festival changing, as it gets older? (If so what has changed about it? What is still the same?)
6. What is it about the festival that draws you too it?
7. Why did you want to go to the Mildura’s writer’s festival? 8. How has the atmosphere of the festival been so far?
9. Do you have a highlight experience from the festival?
10. Which writers are you excited to see?
11. What do you think attracts renowned writers to Mildura?
Writers
1. What attracted you to the Mildura’s writers festival?
2. How did you get here? Where have you travelled from?
3. When did you first decide become a writer?
4. What were you before you were a writer? Student/Working?
5. Did you ever have doubt that you would succeed as a writer?
6. How do you know if you have made it as a writer?
7. How has writing shaped you through the years?
8. Have you changed since becoming a writer?
9. How have you managed to make writing a career?
10. What is the relationship between your personal experiences and the world and your writing?
11. What have you learnt about yourself as you have progressed as a writer?
12. Do you enjoy festivals as a non-‐writer, being a writer?
13. How does this festival compare to others?
14. What is unique about the Mildura Writers Festival? People, location ambience?
14. What is unique about the Mildura Writers Festival? People, location ambience?
