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Betoota’s iconic film and TV college has finally begun classes again this week, after taking a few months off at the stern request of the Queensland state government.
As social distancing measures begin to unwind in the North, tertiary institutions are the last in the education sector to return to business.
In Betoota’s edgy university precinct, The Old City District, some of the nation’s greatest thinkers are returning to the classrooms with experiences that have moulded what they believe will result in them becoming this generation’s answer to Gus Van Sant.
Professor Cate Pearce is one of the leading educators at BIFF (Betoota Institute of Film and Filmmaking), she says this time outside of the classroom has been great for the students to work on their own projects.
“The isolation period had an unexpected affect on our students” said Professor Pearce.
“I would have never predicted some of the work it would have inspired in these up and comers”
Prominent film student and outspoken climate striker, Kirra (23), is one of these students.
She says by week three of Iso, she had no option but to sit down with her Macbook and write the next King Lear.
“So basically…” says Kirra.
“It’s about like a single millennial who gets trapped on her first Tinder date with a guy she’s never met during a lockdown because of dangerous rays coming from in the sky that can kill you if they touch your skin and the only way to go outside is to wear protective latex outfits but they are so expensive so basically the only people who are issued them are UberEats drivers and Woolworths delivery guys”
“Oh, and police. But only the racist police”
“It’s like a thriller romance I guess. Like Lena Dunham meets Saw II”
Kirra’s lecturer says the screenplay is very exciting, and one of her favourites out of the 500 other isolation-related screenplays she has read this week.
Kirra says the initially positive feedback hasn’t really surprised her, but yeah, she’s still got to tweak it a bit.
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about writing something for a while. No idea where this came from, though.”
“The moment I sat down to write, it just flowed out of me. I’m kind of picturing Margot in this one. Or like, Jennifer Lawrence”
