Rocky Russell brothers to be on the screen at film festival

The annual CAPS festival received 26 nominations from local filmakers, 10 of which will be screened on Saturday

Dominic Russelll. Picture: a still from Come Correct

"YOU can tell a lot about a man by what he drinks... and you, my sweet, chocolate-covered bogan, have told me everything that I need to know."

So begins the battle of the Ardent Bar in the Russell brothers' gem of a short film, Come Correct, which will be screened in the open category of the CAPS Short Film Festival this weekend.

Filmed over three days at the Giddy Goat in January last year, the short features a blend of local and international talent.

"My brother Alex, who is currently based in Los Angeles filming SWATS, co-directed the film and we produced it with Zac Garven from Rockhampton," Dominic Russell said.

"We flew in costumers and actors from around Australia but lots of our talent came from around Central Queensland; our amazing director of photography comes from Yeppoon."

This year, the annual CAPS festival received 26 nominations from local filmmakers, of which 10 will be screened on Saturday, and more than 200 submissions came from around the globe.

Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kushida sent in his short film Koe, a poetic visual journey in which a lonely man falls in love with the shadow of a woman that appeared on his apartment's wall.

French filmmaker Maxime-Claude L'Ecuyer brings his second film to Central Queensland with Squad Leader, in which Hamlet's famous soliloquy is presented as the inner voice of a Stormtrooper in a galaxy far, far away.

2018 CAPS Short Film Festival Finalists

CAPS Junior: Tick Tock - Kasey Deeth, The Shelvador - Jordan Muller, The Ghost in the air - Alex Milios, Image En Mouvement - Jamisyn Chapman

CAPS Open: The Phone Call - Ian Westley, Rosemary - Jerry McGiffin, Come Correct - Dominic Russell, Please Don't Feed the Ducks - Tim Goodwin, Give and Take - Tylah Kinbacher, Nostalgia - Brad Marsellos

CAPS World: KOE - Takeshi Kushida, Just Molly and Me - Mary Lee-Wolf, Cut Off - Ryan Cauchi, Wingman - Ben McCulough, Round Trip - Ren Thackham, Dying Art - Brendan Kelly, Squad Leader - Maxime-Claude 'Ecuyer, Post Mortem Mary - Daniel Schultz　

HOMEGROWN SHORT: Cameron Pascoe and Dominic Russell star in Come Correct which will screen this Saturday at the CAPS Film Festival. Picture: from the film Come Correct

Other locals in the open section include Jerry McGiffin, Ian Westley and Brad Marsella, and the junior section features Jamisyn Chapman, Alex Milios, Jordan Muller and last year's winner Kasey Deeth.

"We watched films from all over the world and though it was a very hard process, we are very excited to bring the community some amazing films by some very inspiring and talented filmmakers," festival co-ordinator Peter Szilveszter said.

Those who saw Come Correct when it premiered at the local cinema in January know it will stack up against the best in show with its superb production values and "crazy, wild but with a grain of truth" storytelling.

"Our family was in a swanky bar in Sydney over 10 years ago and my dad ordered a Queensland-brand rum with coke," Mr Russell said.

"The bartender looked down his nose at him and said 'Sir, we don't have that... but we have everything else'."

The family anecdote grew into a script around 2015 during the years Mr Russell worked in hospitality while continuing to explore commercial film opportunities.

With its sumptuous lighting and amazing original soundtrack, the film transcends realism with its gladiator-style combat scenes and a cameo from one of Rockhampton's better known bearded talents.

The film festival will draw filmmakers from Northern Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne as well as the regional attendees, all touching down in Central Queensland to meet, mingle and see who will win Central Queensland's Capricorn Film Festival.

"We are very excited to have so many well-made entries from Central Queensland filmmakers,'' festival director Luke Graham said.

"It really shows that CQ artists have a voice on the Australian film landscape and a career in filmmaking can be achieved in our region."

The festival program including education through workshops, mentorship through networking activities and the film festival events from Friday to Sunday.

Originally published as Rocky Russell brothers to be on the screen at film festival