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Lights, Camera, Environment
9am-10.30am | Saturday 6 June - POSTPONED
Join the Hunter Wetlands Centre's Media Coordinator, Linda Rowan, for this special filmmakers workshop walking tour at the Ramsar Listed Hunter Wetlands Centre. Whether you're a seasoned documentary filmmaker or social media content creator or are newly transitioning from photography you will enjoy this walking workshop. Discover how to get the most out of your gear by using the correct settings and equipment for wildlife, learn to locate and track birds in flight, understand how to use obscured vantage points such as hides, capture audio and find eye-catching ways to frame shots and deliver narratives. By the end of this tour you will be able to turn your videos from or boring to brilliant by bringing movement, life, colour and messaging into your films.
The Ramsar Listed Hunter Wetlands Centre is a hotspot for Australian native birds with almost 200 avian species arriving annually. Our 5 dedicated hides and numerous seated spots by ponds and bush tucker gardens allow close observation of water and bush birds offering some of the best birdwatching and photography opportunities in the Hunter Estuary.
Spots are limited so book early!
2pm-4pm | Saturday 6 June - POSTPONED
THE HUNTER ESTUARY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Step into the story of the Hunter River where history, current action and climate futures converge. Featuring historical footage and archive images and a live panel of experts in environmental science, disaster management and audiovisual archiving, this special Q&A explores the legacy of the devastating 1955 Maitland Flood, the social and environmental changes it shaped across the Hunter region and what a changing climate may mean for the future of our coasts and waterways.
Held in our newly refurbished Theatrette, this is a compelling afternoon for anyone interested in local history, environmental issues, documentary storytelling or simply connected to life in the Newcastle-Hunter region.
Panelists:
Pam Dean-Jones - Currently a Director at the Hunter Wetlands Centre and former member of the NSW Coastal Council.
Chas Keys - Former academic and Deputy Director General of the New South Wales State Emergency Service.
Peggy Svoboda - Currently with the Hexham Swamp Rehabilitation Project which is being managed by Local Land Services through the Hunter Catchment Program.
Dr Ann Hardy - Coordinates the GLAMx Living Histories Digitisation Lab at the University of Newcastle (Australia).
10am-12pm | Sunday 7th June
Kids can have fun creating their own animations and holograms at this creative drop-in session. Then head outside and follow our Storyboard Trail around our Wetlands Centre to make your own documentary reel.
2pm-4pm | Sunday 7 June
Short Films : BIG Impact ! A cinematic celebration of the Hunter's wetlands, wildlife and wild beauty.
Held in our newly refurbished Theatrette, this specially curated afternoon screening showcases a diverse collection of locally produced short films and footage with an environmental focus, ranging from rare wildlife moments to animated visual storytelling. While all films in this Short Film showcase are under 10min, we also have a special category of ultra short "Swamp Clips" where special wildlife moments and striking natural details have been captured on film by local filmmakers and nature enthusiasts.
Presented to coincide with World Environment Day, the festival program invites audience to experience the beauty, atmosphere and ecological importance of the Hunter region through the power of film.
