Very short film festival launches mentorship for Tasmanian filmmakers

Aimed at nurturing the talent of emerging Tassie filmmakers, The Very Short Film Festival's inaugural mentorships began in July and will run for six months before opening once more for statewide applicants.

The annual film festival provides a "chance for experienced, new or emerging filmmakers to be discovered", and has launched its first mentoring program as a "tailored workshop for young artists".

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Artology and Very Short Film Festival general manager Terese Casu said the program would support the development of local Tasmanian artists amidst the "thriving growth of the Tasmanian film industry".

"Our motive is to invest in brilliant new artists, who will be the bold new game-changers of the Australian film industry," Ms Casu said.

"We believe that well-matched, bespoke mentoring models that sit outside of tertiary or institutional training programs, have the ability to propel new artists into the industry equipped with the skills and the conviction to make impactful films that bring positive social change."

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The Mentoring Program pairs five promising filmmakers with established industry mentors for a six-month period.

The artists - many of whom for the first round are based in Hobart - have been matched with experienced mentors like international producer Ben Latham-Jones and renowned Australian actor and producer Marta Dusseldorp, among others.

Dusseldorp most recently appeared in ABC's Bay of Fires television series.

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Mentees will receive support, engage in collaborative idea generation, gain industry insights and navigate creative and professional obstacles, with the ultimate goal of inspiring a new generation in the Australian film industry.

The company plans to continue the mentoring program - which is supported by Screen Tasmania and non-for-profit independent arts organisation Artology - next year in a "good news story for Tasmanian artists".

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