This City Speaks | Documentary Film Publicity

I spearheaded a communications campaign to promote This City Speaks, an online documentary series capturing video portraits of artists’ lives. The lovechild of filmmakers Emma Morris and SXSW award-winning Darius Devas, This City Speaks is both documentary series and arts platform. I penned press releases promoting the project’s Melbourne launch, generating coverage in Time Out, Metro Screen, Film Ink, Beat Magazine, SYN Media, 3CR, Everguide and more.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12 October 2012

Interactive Documentary This City Speaks to Launch at Melbourne’s GoodTime Studios on Thursday 25 October 2012

This City Speaks, an online documentary series capturing intimate video portraits of artists’ lives and inviting audiences to examine how art shapes cities and cities influence artists, is launching with a multidisciplinary event and launch party featuring short screenings, discussions and performances on Thursday 25 October at Melbourne’s GoodTime Studios.

Equal parts online documentary series and interactive arts platform, This City Speaks is the lovechild of interactive filmmakers Darius Devas and Emma Morris. Devas’ interactive documentary Goa Hippy Tribe (2011) won the 2012 SXSW Interactive award for Film & TV, and Morris worked as Multiplatform Producer on award-winning documentaries Storm Surfers & Rocket Compulsion for Discovery Channel.

Devas and Morris first met at the Dungog Film Festival in NSW and it was only a matter of time before Morris upped sticks and moved to Melbourne to collaborate with Devas on This City Speaks. Morris says that both filmmakers came to Melbourne “to find our creative freedom. There was no other choice in our minds but to start the project here. Melbourne has this sense about it and you feel so supported and encouraged by the people around you, that creatively things just naturally come together.”

With a soon-to-be-launched website combining video portraits and content from the project’s various platforms and social networks, This City Speaks will exist online, in the real world and on mobile platforms, with a focus on connecting communities, creating networks and inspiring and enabling creativity and connectivity. Live events will be a major part of the project, with Morris hoping to “foster artistic collaboration both online and through regular live events.”

Devas reveals that “the ethos of the project evolved out of this particular community that I was part of in Melbourne. My friend Si captured the essence of those times in his poem: This City Speaks to Me. At the same time my friend, photographer Luke David Kellett, was developing a book about this creative community which he named after Si’s poem. I was helping out with the book, had made a film about the poem, and it was just a natural progression to start profiling the interesting and inspiring characters we were surrounded by.”

Although the burgeoning project started with this community it has now expanded to include a wide array of Melbourne-based artists, musicians and creatives so far including musicians Jordie Lane, Mojo Juju and artist/studio founder Belinda Wiltshire. That said, This City Speaks has a truly international focus with Devas and Morris planning to roll the project out in focus cities across the world in the near future.

“Every city has its own character” says Morris. “Being an artist in Berlin or Toronto is different to being an artist in Melbourne. This City Speaks is such an exciting project and we’re fascinated by how cities differ globally and by revealing what connects them. Inevitably it’s the stories of the people that live in cities that makes them what they are.”

Part-funded by the City of Melbourne, the This City Speaks launch event on 25 October 2012, which Morris describes as a ‘mini-festival’, will be the first of many, with the groundbreaking project encouraging audiences to participate with its themes through regular live events which celebrate and inspire creativity and invite critical debate with TED style talks.

Themed around the concept of ‘Creative Space’ This City Speaks’ first event will feature a talk by keynote speaker Marcus Westbury – a celebrated broadcaster, writer, media maker and festival director whose Renew Newcastle scheme has garnered international praise.

The launch event at GoodTime Studios will also premiere an exclusive artist portrait and unveil a short video introduction to the project, followed by presentations, panel discussions, live acts, exhibitions, interactive art installations and performances by a musical lineup which Morris likens to “one big musical family. We’re continuing the ethos of collaboration and family with the event’s incredible musical line-up.”

Bands and DJs slated to perform include songstress Hailey Cramer, electronic hip hop collective RunForYourLife, Cazeaux Oslo, Silent Jay, Billy Hoyle and up-and-coming Melbourne lyricist Remi ‘REMi’ Kolawole who caused such a commotion over at Triple J that he was named a Triple J Unearthed feature artist earlier this year.

For those who can’t make it along to GoodTime Studios on the 25th there are still plenty of ways to engage with the event. With Devas and Morris planning to use Twitter & Facebook, and lining up a live feed of the event, where audiences will be invited to participate in what is shaping up to be a uniquely interactive event.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

This City Speaks, Producer | Emma Morris

+61 415 967 525 | emma@thiscityspeaks.com

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT? This City Speaks Launch Party with Keynote Speaker Marcus Westbury
WHEN? Thursday 25 October, 7pm until late (screening starts at 7.30pm sharp)
WHERE? GoodTime Studios, Basement, 746 Swanston Street, Carlton, VIC 3053
HOW MUCH? Tickets are $15 on the door or $10 if you RSVP via facebook or email

www.thiscityspeaks.com