About the Course

Exciting New Filmmaker Scores Funding With First Script

Inala resident and exciting new filmmaker, Benjamin Southwell, is having a baptism of fire this week juggling both the pre-production of his short film, Billabong and his full-time film studies in QPIX’s Black Pearls course.

Benjamin travelled all the way from Townsville to Brisbane to pursue his film career when he was selected for two amazing opportunities: the development of his short film, Billabong, through the Pacific Film and Television Commission’s Short Drama Development and Production Program, in association with QPIX and also to study film and TV through QPIX’s Black Pearls course.

Billabong is Benjamin’s first ever script.  Benjamin says  ‘As an aspiring Writer/Director, having my film produced by QPIX is a fantastic chance to experience the filmmaking process and showcase my brand of fun, adventurous story telling.  It also gives me the recognition I need to start a successful career in the industry. I can’t wait.’

Kerry O’Rourke, Executive Director of QPIX says ‘We’re very pleased with Benjamin’s progress in the course.  He is on the road to being a fantastic filmmaker.’

The Black Pearls course has been a great success. Kerry says ‘QPIX has now struck a deal with NITV the National Indigenous Television content aggregator.  This will mean that a selection of the best of the work of the BLACK PEARLS students will now be packaged into 3 television hours and broadcast. It's a big ask for anyone, especially students, but this first BLACK PEARLS mob are already doing great work!’

Benjamin says ‘The course (Black Pearls) is very hectic but it’s a great baptism of fire.  QPIX is a great backbone to contact people and get taken seriously in the industry.’

Benjamin says the move from Townsville to Inala in Brisbane was worth it ‘to gain experience in film production and to develop industry contacts.’

Benjamin’s advice for aspiring filmmakers is ‘Don’t wait for an opportunity. Make/Write your own films now. You (have to) need to be a filmmaker – not want to be a filmmaker.’

Kerry says that ‘Black Pearls is the first Queensland Indigenous filmmaking course. We are hoping to run Black Pearls again in 2010 and beyond.  In the meantime we have a fantastic industrially-focused TV course starting at the end of May called GEN TV which is open to everyone.  It’s for people who are excited about creating TV and digital content for the new media world.’

Black Pearls

Black Pearls is a nationally recognised film and TV course (Certificate IV in Screen and Media (CUF40107)) for indigenous students only.  QPIX runs Black Pearls from Woolloongabba in Brisbane.  Black Pearls is subsidised by the Queensland Department of Education and Training.

QPIX 

QPIX runs the Black Pearls and GEN TV training courses amongst many other things ... QPIX Ltd is a leading Australian centre for the development of the national screen and media industry. The company develops and assists in the production of film and TV content. It is focused on the development of independent screen production and professionals. QPIX also operates the film and television school QPIX Training.  QPIX chairs the national industry network Screen Development Australia (SDA), comprised of 6 development centres nationally.  QPIX's goal is to build an innovative and globally competitive Australian screen industry.