Entertainment
3 October, 2025
Pocket films on show
ENTRIES are now being invited for this year’s Herberton Pocket Film Festival, where short films shot on a smartphone will be shown on the big screen.
Now in its fourth year, the Pocket Film Festival has become an integral part of the Tablelands community, sharing stories of how life is lived, and inspiring the imagination of young and old.
“Anyone can enter. You can choose any topic, and any genre,” festival organiser Peter Whalley-Thompson said.
“If you can imagine it, then it’s your story, and we want to see it on the big screen.”
Films can be between 3-10 minutes long. Screenings will be held in the Herberton Hall on 18 October, during the Jacaranda Festival, and cash prizes will be awarded for the three best entries from school-aged filmmakers.
“We are particularly keen to get the school community engaged, as this digital medium is their communication channel,” he said.
“We’ve run workshops in making pocket films for the past four years and have just completed a full run of skills workshops in August this year.”
He said the group had also received funding from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal this year, which was used to teach interviewing skills for a project with Tablelanders going into aged care.
The project had been endorsed by Carinya Home for the Aged and the Herberton Hospital.
“We make these films with them before they leave home so that they bring a short story of their lives with them as an introduction at the care facility,” Mr Whalley-Thomson said.
“We also leave a copy with their family as a record. We will be showing a couple of the interviews we made during the workshops as part of this year’s festival.”
To upload short films for the festival, go to https://herbertonpocketfilms.org.au/ The closing date for entries is 13 October.
