Wagga WaggaFest Film Festival
In a bid to raise awareness about mental health issues in the Riverina, local business woman Simone Dowding from The Blessed Bean has teamed up with Alexis and Steve from Mayfly Media to create a short film about a local sportsman and his battles with depression and suicide.
“The Enemy Within” is inspired by Wagga’s world champion boxer and ex rugby league player Joe Williams, who has, despite his achievements and success, fought his greatest battles with depression and suicide.
The film has been developed for entry in the Wagga Wagga City Council’s WaggaFest short film competition. It takes a documentary style approach to exploring Joe’s experiences and it is peppered with inspiring and hopeful messages designed to reach out to young sports fans.
Ms Dowding said she wanted to do something to try to stem the tragedy and suffering caused by depression and other mental health problems in the Riverina.
“More than six people commit suicide every day in Australia and a further 30 attempt to take their own life,” she said.
Mayfly Media has volunteered time, equipment and other resources to manage the production of the film, which was written and conceived by Ms Dowding. Joe Williams is also a volunteer as the major subject of the documentary style production.
As a finalist for the waggafilm fest competition we are nominated for the peoples choice award. vote now!!!!
click here to vote - http://www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/city-of-wagga-wagga/wagga-wagga/wagga-waggafest/vote-for-the-2013-waggafest-peoples-choice-award
We hope to inspire and challenge our community with a story of choice and hope.
Written and directed by Simone Dowding - jason@theblessedbean.com.au 0416 263 554
http://www.theblessedbean.com.au/make-a-difference/
Produced by Mayfly Media - info@mayflymedia.com.au 0417 484 976
http://www.mayflymedia.com.au
Joe Williams - williamsj7@ww.catholic.edu.au 0406 308 093
www.joewilliamsboxing.com.au
Well, WaggaFest Film Festival was a lot of fun.
With our film “The Enemy Within” being a finalist, we were very excited to see it, along with everyone else’s films, up on the big screen.
Well done to everyone who submitted their films.
If you still haven’t had a chance to see it, have a look at our film The Enemy Within. At the time of submitting this blog we have had over 4200 views on Vimeo, and counting, as well as having features in both The Daily Advertiser newspaper and on the NRL website.
Click here to vote for it in the WaggaFest People’s Choice award.