The Home Brewed International Film Festival consists of both a short film and feature film competition. Entry to the 2007 festival is closed and out finalist films have been selected. Make sure you check them out - details below on screening times and dates or have a look at our Program page for a calender view. The 2007 criteria at the bottom of the page can be used for those looking to enter in 2008 (entries will open shortly after completion of the 2007 festival).

Congratulations to our films selected for 2007 screening, which are set out below, make sure you check them out! In addition to the synposes below, there are details of screening times and dates or you can have a look at our Program page for a calender format. The selected feature films were chosen from our most competitive group of entries ever, and all our entrants are to be congratulated on the fantastic quality that our selection committee had the pleasure to wade through! We will be looking for opportunities for our non-finalist films to screen out of competition in early 2008 and will be in touch soon to discuss options.

Follow the links to the official home pages of each of our Feature Film Finalists, or have a look at the synopsis and an image or two from the films themselves below.

VANAJA (111 min)
Directed by Rajnesh Domalpalli, Produced by Latha R. Domalapalli
Cinema Paris (EQ) Sydney, 7.00PM FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER
Cost: $13.50 / $10.00

Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than fort
walls, VANAJA explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles to
come of age. Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) is the 14 year-old daughter of a poor, low
caste fisherman, struggling with dwindling catches and mounting debt. When a
sooth-sayer predicts that she will be a great dancer one day, she goes to work in
the house of the local landlady, Rama Devi (Urmila Dammannagari), in hopes of
learning Kuchipudi dance while earning a keep.

She is hired as a farmhand, and her vivacious ways and spunk soon catch the
landlady’s eye: to keep her out of trouble, Rama Devi promotes her to a kitchen
underhand, where she comes up against the old, crusty and extremely loyal
Radhamma (Krishnamma Gundimalla) – Rama Devi’s cook.

Eventually Vanaja secures her the landlady’s mentorship – first in music, and then
in dance. Vanaja excels at the art, and seems to be on a steadily ascending path
when Shekhar (Karan Singh), Rama Devi’s 23 year old son – handsome, muscular
and rather insecure, returns from the US to run for local political elections.

Sexual chemistry is ignited between Shekhar and Vanaja (still a minor at 15), as
flirtation and innuendo bloom. But, the situation suddenly turns ugly when
Vanaja’s superior intellect pits her against Shekhar in a public incident which
ultimately humiliates him in front of his mother. Matters escalate, spiraling
downwards and she is pitched into a tale of class, family and animus from which
there is only one escape.

COMIC EVANGELISTS (88 min)
Directed by Daniel Jones, Dann Sytsma
Produced by Daniel Jones
Cinema Paris (EQ) Sydney, 7.00PM THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER
Cost: $13.50 / $10.00

In the small mid-western town of Kalamazoo, Michigan, we meet the Comic
Evangelists, the world’s first improv troupe on a mission from God. We follow the
team’s rise from obscurity through the eyes of three longtime friends – Rick
Stevenson, a control freak with a Messiah complex, Noah Fillobien, his dopey
sidekick, and Nigel Karuthers, a theater geek with a secret. When Nigel suggests
that Comic Evangelists enter the Toronto International Improv Festival, the group
immediately leaps at the chance to spread the word of the Lord to a wider audience.

Joining the trio are a motley but spirited cast of characters including Beth Winters,
a nurturing mother figure; Hillary Anderson, the group’s naïve, guitar-toting
minstrel; Boniva Brown, a newcomer trying to find her place in the group; and the
Gautiers, Sabrina and Jerry, a father and daughter with their own set of issues.
Along for the ride is the Gautier’s neighbor, atheist divorcé Blane Edwards, who
has no idea of the team’s agenda for him.

Despite Nigel’s insistence that the group follow the festival rules and submit a
formal application, team leader Rick decides to just “let them know we’re coming”
and assume they are welcome to perform. Their trip goes downhill from there.

COMIC EVANGELISTS will leave audiences roaring with laughter and praising the comedic powers that be.

ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE? (88 min)
Directed by Helen Grace
Produced by Trudy Sargent
Cinema Paris (EQ) Sydney, 7.00PM WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER
Cost: $13.50 / $10.00

When Candy Connor and Randy Bush, celebrated Californian self-help gurus, come
to London to launch their bestselling book ‘Are You Ready For Love? How To
Find Love in Three Days’, they choose three single Brits for a publicity stunt to
prove that their advice works. Luke, Barry and Melanie are the three unlucky-in
love hopefuls who pay good money to take part in Candy and Randy’s promotional
promise.

Luke, a self-confessed ‘Monster Lover’, is a 38 year old ageing pop star who relies
on his status as a one hit wonder to attract one night stands. He is in desperate
need of help to find a real relationship. Barry, a 35 year old Jewish dentist is a
perfectionist with high expectations for his perfect partner. He turns to Candy and
Randy in a last attempt to avoid his domineering mother’s match-making scheme.
Melanie, a 32 year old photographer, is a hopeless romantic looking for ‘The One’.
Always seeming to find the wrong one, she believes that Candy and Randy will
help her to find true love.

These three single Brits have just 72 hours to find love by following the advice
given to them by the Californian gurus and their new book. Throughout this three
day period, their every move is filmed by roving cameras who are documenting their
success for a promotional tv programme to be shown at a press conference after the
three days are up.

‘Are You Ready For Love?’ is an exciting and original British comedy which takes
us on a roller-coaster ride through the vibrant London dating scene. In this
beautiful city, we witness the hilarious consequences which result from Luke, Barry
and Melanie’s quest for love following Candy and Randy’s dubious ‘fail-safe guide
to instant romance’.

With stunning locations, endearing characters and a truly feel-good spirit ‘Are You
Ready For Love?’ is a film you can’t help falling for...

MIDLOTHIA (89 min)
Directed by Bill Sebastian
Produced by Randal Scott
Gala Cinemas Warrawong, 7.00PM THURSDAY 25 OCTOBER
Cost: $10 / $5

After a long night of wandering, Fred wakes up in the middle of nowhere, baked by
the Texas sun. Stumbling home, he finds his friends Bill and Duck are none too
happy that he missed his own going away party. But something mysterious
happened the night before. Fred is ready to tackle his demons and stay in town-to
face the mistakes of his life and make them right.

Little does he know that his announced departure has created a maelstrom of unrest
amongst his friends-a breeding ground for truth. Walking into a hornet's nest of
revelations, the friends he thought he knew turn Fred's world upside down. In the
wake of this extraordinary day, four life-long friends say the words they've never
had the courage to say, and learn truths about themselves and each other that will
change the nature of their relationships forever. "It's kind of like therapy, only with
guns and booze."

A genuine story about finding truth and self-worth by any means necessary,
Midlothia was adapted from the play Pluck the Day by Steven Walters. In this
original interpretation of an unusual love rectangle, Midlothia takes viewers into the
depths of a small town in Texas, where on the surface values appear simple. The
paths of four friends overlook different, but intersecting horizons. Eyes are opened
and one is left on the road to an uncertain destiny.

Midlothia was shot on location in Midlothian, TX, a small town south of Dallas
known as the cement capitol of Texas. The film stars James Thomas Gilbert, Jessica
McClendon, Eric Reeves and Bill Sebastian.

THE GARAGE (93 min)
Directed and Produced by Carl Thibault
Gala Cinemas Warrawong, 7.00PM FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER
Cost: $10 / $5

A coming-of-age drama set in small town America circa 1977, The Garage stars Gabriel Marantz as the central character Matt Ruppert, a smart and sensitive young garage mechanic searching for a better life. Shot in 18 days around Austin, Texas during the fall of 2004, The Garage co-stars veteran character actor Xander Berkeley as Matt's father, a taciturn, hard-drinking, yet sympathetic garage owner.

A mechanic at his father's garage, Matt dreams about leaving his small town existence and pursuing grander ambitions. But strong feelings for a new girlfriend and deep family bond's may prevent Matt's ultimate escape, despite pressure from best friend Schultz to take off immediately.

"The Garage" offers much more than the average coming-of-age story, adding a poignant sense of reality to life in a small town and the bonds that form there.

The call for entries for the 2007 competition opened in December 2006. All entries into the Home Brewed International Film Festival must comply with the Terms and Conditions of entry set out on our entry form and the Withoutabox entry pages. Additional information can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

To qualify for the Feature Film competition in 2007, the minimum criteria for an is:

  • Minimum 60 minutes in length;
  • Produced since 1 January 2004;
  • Accompanied by a completed official Feature Film Entry Form and the entry fee (varies according to whether payment is in the early or late periods for submission and whether you receive any discounts if entering via Withoutabox, but standard entry fee is around A$50); and
  • Supplied on VHS (PAL/NTSC) cassette or DVD only (although winners may be asked to provide a higher quality version for screening if available, DVD at a minimum).

All entries to be posted to "Home Brewed", PO Box 130, Dapto NSW 2530, Australia. Entries cannot be returned unless a stamped and self-addressed envelope is included with the entry for these purposes.