Brisbane Independent Filmmakers

History

Back in 1979 a group of Film enthusiasts formed a club to help educate and inform other like minded people- this was not an exclusive group all you had to do was be interested in 8 and 16mm production, most were amateurs who enjoyed filming family and friends and some had dreams of story telling using the medium. Brisbane Independent Filmmakers became part of the underground Arts culture in Brisbane.
I first met the group while I was a film and television high school student back in 1986; I had just graduated as the youngest to ever receive a "Diploma of Cinematography" from the Brisbane School of Cinematography - run Camera men from local television networks. I had been saving for the latest and greatest Hi-8 Sony video camera, I was to be the recipient of the fourth AF unit sold in the city. I demonstrated the camera and tape format and explained to the group how it could shave costs off productions currently using the 16mm format.

After graduating from Queensland University of Technology with and Associate Diploma in Film and Television Production in 1989 and having traveled to teach media in an american summer camp I returned to Queensland and reacquainted myself with Brisbane Independent filmmakers, now under the enthusiastic Sheppardom of David Letch (president) and Defrim Isai (Vice-President) - these gentlemen had refocused the group into a filmmakers support center which assisted students and independent filmmakers with; budgets, script development, equipment loans, office facilities, newsletters and informative presentations.This was in my opinion the heyday of B.I.F. it became a political power - influencing government into changing policy towards supporting the cultural development of local filmmakers and B.I.F. even ran its own "Exposure Short Film Festival".

During this time so many productions were being shot in Queensland both amateur and studio - it was an exciting time.As part of the government film office's evolution into the Pacific Film and Television Corporation they hired Defrim to head up short film funding and David moved on to teach film at the Southern Cross University. I was part of the group who took over next.

B.I.F. continued to assist the new filmmakers but due to the much larger Youth Filmmakers Awards run by the Brisbane International Film Festival's decision to accept youth aged up to 30 - an additional festival seemed superfluous.
The Arts Groups in Queensland were all special interest, Women in Film and Television, Documentary Queensland, Queensland Animators and many others all claiming to be the cultural voice and requesting funding to support them, B.I.F. the Queensland

Cinematographers Society and Australian School Of Film and Television (QLD Branch) all began working together to form Qpix a group who could support all the media arts fields and share administration and facilities, the other groups joined and in 1997. QPIX was formed.

Just prior to this B.I.F. decided to change its name to State of the Arts, and began heading down the path to merger with Qpix. As a government employee producing educational media at the time, I choose to leave State of the Arts so as not to have any conflict of interests (the new Qpix organization could call for a closure of independent government production units - as a cost cutting and streamlining approach).

In 1998 I was looking for a company name - many I desired were already taken and on a whim, with such fond memories of the years both as a member and vice president, I queried Brisbane Independent Filmmakers, to my surprise it was available (obviously an over site by the directors at Qpix) so I registered it and have been producing educational and entertainment media ever since. My goal will be for the site to eventually become a resource online similar to the heyday of B.I.F. educating a new generation of filmmakers.

(Please note these are the direct recollections and opinions as recited by James Thompson - to which it is believe to be accurate, please feel free to update or correct any errors or omissions regarding the development of Brisbane Independent Filmmakers.)

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Back in 1979 a group of Film enthusiasts formed a club to help educate and inform other like minded people- this was not an exclusive group all you had to do was be interested in 8 and 16mm production, most were amateurs who enjoyed filming family and friends and some had dreams of story telling using the medium. Brisbane Independent Filmmakers became part of the underground Arts culture in Brisbane. I first met the group while I was a film and television high school student back in 1986; I had just graduated as the youngest to ever receive a "Diploma of Cinematography" from the Brisbane School of Cinematography - run Camera men from local television networks. I had been saving for the latest and greatest Hi-8 Sony video camera, I was to be the recipient of the fourth AF unit sold in the city. I demonstrated the camera and tape format and explained to the group how it could shave costs off productions currently using the 16mm format.	After graduating from Queensland University of Technology with and Associate Diploma in Film and Television Production in 1989 and having traveled to teach media in an american summer camp I returned to Queensland and reacquainted myself with Brisbane Independent filmmakers, now under the enthusiastic Sheppardom of David Letch (president) and Defrim Isai (Vice-President) - these gentlemen had refocused the group into a filmmakers support center which assisted students and independent filmmakers with; budgets, script development, equipment loans, office facilities, newsletters and informative presentations.This was in my opinion the heyday of B.I.F. it became a political power - influencing government into changing policy towards supporting the cultural development of local filmmakers and B.I.F. even ran its own "Exposure Short Film Festival".	During this time so many productions were being shot in Queensland both amateur and studio - it was an exciting time.As part of the government film office's evolution into the Pacific Film and Television Corporation they hired Defrim to head up short film funding and David moved on to teach film at the Southern Cross University. I was part of the group who took over next. B.I.F. continued to assist the new filmmakers but due to the much larger Youth Filmmakers Awards run by the Brisbane International Film Festival's decision to accept youth aged up to 30 - an additional festival seemed superfluous. The Arts Groups in Queensland were all special interest, Women in Film and Television, Documentary Queensland, Queensland Animators and many others all claiming to be the cultural voice and requesting funding to support them, B.I.F. the Queensland Cinematographers Society and Australian School Of Film and Television (QLD Branch) all began working together to form Qpix a group who could support all the media arts fields and share administration and facilities, the other groups joined and in 1997. QPIX was formed. Just prior to this B.I.F. decided to change its name to State of the Arts, and began heading down the path to merger with Qpix. As a government employee producing educational media at the time, I choose to leave State of the Arts so as not to have any conflict of interests (the new Qpix organization could call for a closure of independent government production units - as a cost cutting and streamlining approach). In 1998 I was looking for a company name - many I desired were already taken and on a whim, with such fond memories of the years both as a member and vice president, I queried Brisbane Independent Filmmakers, to my surprise it was available (obviously an over site by the directors at Qpix) so I registered it and have been producing educational and entertainment media ever since. My goal will be for the site to eventually become a resource online similar to the heyday of B.I.F. educating a new generation of filmmakers. (Please note these are the direct recollections and opinions as recited by James Thompson - to which it is believe to be accurate, please feel free to update or correct any errors or omissions regarding the development of Brisbane Independent Filmmakers.)