Savoy Ladies Group Wins a Sunny Award

The 10 minute documentary film The Savoy Ladies Group follows Rosa, President of the Savoy Ladies Group, as she tells the story of Italians in the North-East, tobacco farming, women, family and friendship. The film was shortlisted as a finalist for four Sunny awards: Best Documentary Metropolitan, the Dressmaker Award for Female Filmmakers, Best Film Overall Metropolitan, and Best Cultural Diversity.

The film’s producers Samantha Dinning, Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo were delighted to win the Best Cultural Diversity award, which was sponsored by Maribyrnong City Council and was one of the most prestigious of the festival. Producer and writer Lucinda Horrocks accepted the award on behalf of the film making team. ‘It was a surprise, I didn’t expect us to win it,’ she said. ‘I’m really pleased that the award judging panel liked our quietly gentle film.’ In her acceptance speech Lucinda thanked festival director Anna Bourozikas for sending out a call to women filmmakers to apply to the festival. She also congratulated all the filmmakers who participated in the festival, telling them to ‘keep going, keep working.’

The short films on offer during the festival were of very high standard. Highlights of the festival included ‘Last House Till Ballarat’ dir. Drew Hair, which won Best Film Western Suburbs, Best Screenplay and Best Short Feature West, ‘Millennium Man’ by Andrew Robb, winner of the People’s Choice award, ‘Sweet Dreams’ directed by Roman Meyer, winner of Best Film Metropolitan, Best Comedy and Best Short Feature Metropolitan, ‘Home Song’ by director Natalie Cunningham, winner of the Dressmaker Award, ‘Why Do People Hate Us?’ by Mark Bakiatis, winner Best Documentary West and Best Director, ‘Mothers and Daughters’, by Janet Dimelow, winner Best Documentary Metropolitan, ‘The Right’ by Andrew C Formosa, winner Best Animation, ‘Catfood’ by Benjamin Laut, winner Best Tertiary and Best Actor (Leigh Carr), and ‘Introspection’ by Lara Nguyen, winner Best Secondary.

More about the Savoy Ladies Group

Every fortnight for thirty years members of the Myrtleford Savoy Ladies Group have met to play tombola, create plays, go on excursions and maintain their Italian heritage. The group was founded in 1983 to combat the social isolation of Italian women tobacco farmers in the Ovens Valley. This film takes an observational look at the group’s modern day activities, through the eyes of Rosa, the group president. In the process the film sheds light on the difficulties faced by post-war Italian women migrants in North-East Victoria, their part in the local agricultural industry and their contribution to a distinctive and unique culture.

Director: Jary Nemo.

Producers: Samantha Dinning, Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo.

Written by Samantha Dinning and Lucinda Horrocks.

Produced by Wind & Sky Productions, 2014.

The film is freely available to watch online at https://windsky.com.au/savoy-ladies-group/

The full film with interpretative essays and a curated digital gallery of images is also available on Culture Victoria at http://www.culturevictoria.com/stories/immigrants-and-emigrants/savoy-ladies-group/

The Savoy Ladies Group documentary film was supported through funding from the Australian Government’s Your Community Heritage Program.