Last year my friend Anna Brownfield began making a film. It’s called ‘Making It Handmade’. It’s Anna’s unique view of the Melbourne Contemporary Craft scene, kind of a peep through the keyhole of a few local crafty communities (which are quite intertwined)…. and into the lives of a few crafty gals (including me!)
Anna is such a lovely lass. Not only did she make this great film, she managed to pop out a wee baby (Royce) in the midst of the whole thing. And win some awards and stuff too. Anna’s film is so good that it will premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 1, 2010. You can buy tickets here : and you really should.
Anna came to my house and interviewed me about what craft means to me. And she came to Brown Owls too, and filmed some stuff there. And then she came back to my house and interviewed me again because I was SO SICK and COUGHED through the entire first interview, (and also Ari was popping in and out and making himself known during the first interview). And amidst all that she was talking to other great gals too. Gals like Faythe Levine, Gemma Jones, Casey Jenkins and Rayna Fahey. Those are some gals, right?! We all like each other a lot. We use the same kinds of crafty skills to interpret craft in our own ways within our own little communities. It’s pretty interesting stuff, I think. I think you will think so too.
If you come to the premiere, you can see the film and then hang about and participate in a Q&A session after the screening with Gemma, Rayna, Anna, Casey and myself.
How fantastic that Anna has made this film. An awesome film, I might add. How amazing that she managed to get it finished, even though she had pregnancy, labour and a newborn to contend with, as well as trips overseas and things like that. How fantastic that she took the time to document what is going on in the Australian Craft scene. Thank you, Ms Anna. Just goes to show you that you CAN do the things you really want to do, if you push yourself hard enough. Anna did. Yes she did. Go Anna.
xx Pip
PS : Did you know that Anna usually makes award-winning Feminist Erotica films?! (But not this film, fear not! : or sorry, whichever the case may be!)
PPS : You can find an interview with Anna in the latest issue of Frankie, too