A Good Mind Grows in Thorny Places (2024)

The Gordon Affair

As a small liberal arts college on the North Shore, Gordon College has not been without its issues. Budget cuts in 2019 resulted in the downsizing of several departments which impacted students' college career. In 2020 during the heat of the pandemic, racial tensions rise after hate crimes are committed on campus. This is the story of the class of 2022.

A-Okay

Sex. Something that is part of human nature. Everyone does it and strives to have their happily ever after… Right? In a society where intimacy and romance are constantly everywhere, someone breaks from the mould after years of self-discovery. They send a letter to their past self full of their experiences and lessons learned, in the form of a short documentary. A-Okay brings attention to the hyper-sexualized and romanticized society we live in and how it’s expectations, stigmas, and stereotypes can be harmful to individuals on the aromantic and asexual spectrums.

Regulars

Regulars invites you into the eclectic, unique and personal stories of the characters who frequent the local pub, whilst exploring how a place can become a hub of connection, community and comfort.

Litter Pickin' Punks

Feeling disgruntled, a group of punks start a litter picking group to counter the amount of litter their community faces.

Day Sleeper

A short documentary about a female truck driver in the United Kingdom.

A Little Love

Through interspersed conversation and prose, this experimental documentary follows a poet and a neuroscientist as they explore the definition of love, what it means, and why it matters.

Simply Girl

Denise, Hannah and Leticia are three ordinary women with extraordinary stories to tell. As transgender people, they talk about the challenges of finding their true identities within an intolerant and prejudiced society.

Off the Record

RPM music is a small shop in the centre of Newcastle selling vinyl records. Founded by former students, the shop has become a place for people with love of music to come, browse, chat and share their stories. These are some of them.

One Way Trip

Two young women try to adapt to a new city: nostalgia, loneliness, friendship and family are mixed throughout the emotional process of both characters. A reflection on the sense of belonging and the experience of being a foreigner.

99 days

Two instants separated by 99 days conflict with each other.

Chernobyl

With the good of the people in mind, Valery Legasov, a Soviet scientist called to the scene of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, stands up to censorship behind the iron curtain.

Planet of the Tapes

A Deep Dive into the life of Stephen Zivkovic, the owner of the last DVD rental store in Adelaide.