A young filmmaker had his work premiered on the silver screen as part of a film competition highlighting the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone.
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) partnered with Village Cinemas for the third annual Split Second youth film competition which challenges budding Victorian filmmakers aged between 18 and 25 to create a 45-second film that gets young drivers thinking about their attitudes and behaviours around using phones while driving.
Alex Lowes’ winning short-film concept was brought to life. The fantasy-themed film, A Trial Before the King, was picked as the winning script from more than 200 entrants and stars Logie-winning Australian actor Firass Dirani as King Elmore.
“Split Second is all about giving Victoria’s young people a voice and empowering them to have conversations with their friends about making safe choices when they’re behind the wheel,” said Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ben Carroll.
“Road safety should be everyone’s priority when they’re using the roads; we’re hoping this clever short film will really cut through to audiences and make them think about the dangers they face when driving.”
According to TAC data, drivers between the age 18 and 25 are twice as likely to make a phone call than older drivers, four times more likely to text and they are more likely to read emails or use the internet while driving.
Alex received $5000 in prize money and a $50,000-budget to work with award-winning production company AirBag to create his film.
The real-world experience has helped previous Split Second winners get a foot in the door to the film industry.
