Romance Rules Film Festival 2025 – A Fantastic Night of Film
The Romance Rules Film Festival at Studio 138 was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night of short films exploring romance in all its forms. There were plenty of laughs, moments of reflection, and a great sense of community as we enjoyed films from around the world.
The audience favourite ended in a three-way tie:
• Little Issues – Directed by Jerah Milligan (USA)
• The Meaning Of No – Directed by Reid McGowan, Mik Gojic (Australia)
• 26 eXes – Directed by Tess Lafia (USA)
Congratulations to these filmmakers for their outstanding work.
Thank you for being part of this celebration of storytelling. We look forward to welcoming you to our next event.
Join us for the 2025 screening of the Romance Rules Film Festival. We have a great line-up of short films from around the world all about romance – the good, the bad and the ugly!
When: February 21, 2025 @ 7.30 pm
Venue: Studio 138, 54 Mountbatten Drive, Dubbo, 2830
BYO: Drinks & snacks
Some films include adult themes, sexual references and occasional coarse language
Tickets: $15 (inc GST) at the door and online (see secure ticket link below)
Little Issues, dir – Jerah Milligan, United States FOTOAUTOMAT, dir – Rémy Mégard, Australia Reflexion, dir – Alan Bidard, France My Darling Helen, dir – Joy Mc Keon, Ireland The Meaning Of No, dir – Reid McGowan, Mik Gojic, Australia 26 eXes, dir – Tess Lafia, United States TALK, dir – Dario Nadile, Australia VILLETTA CON PISCINA (Villa with pool), dir – Karma Gava, Italy Sidewalk Serendipity, dir – Elvia Hill, Blake Cortes, United States INDOOR, dir – DHAWAL POKLE, India Sticky Buns, Ravioli, and White Cake, dir – Nicole Pouchet, United States
Finalist
These films will not be screened and were finalists in the selection process.
Last Night, dir – Patrick Nevian, Alice Schmidt, Germany Yohiro, dir – Luigi Di Domenico, Italy People Come and People Go, dir – Jess Milne, Australia Dinner Parties, dir – Jess Milne, Australia Bacon Sundae, dir – Leon Braun, Australia A Night’s Chemistry, dir – Jamal Thomas, United States The Perfect Stranger , dir – Jack Davies, United Kingdom CAKE, dir – Isaiah Sturge, Not Specified Someday Soon, dir – Amanda Romero, United States I am not alone, dir – Michael Parks, Singapore Al Revés, dir – Luis Figeuredo, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of The Patricia Party, dir – Jonathan Frey, United States Julienne of Light Bulbs, dir – Dave Lojek, Germany La Conquista, dir – Julen Laburu, Argentina You’re My Kind, dir – Joseph Gerges, Australia The Cut After The First, dir – Matthew Shadbolt, Australia Trip Down Memory Lake, dir – Nick Bolton, Australia
We’re excited to announce our September 2024 monthly semi-finalists of our Thrills and Chills Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror Fest. Our semi-finalist films will be in consideration to be selected for our live screening in October 2024, where the annual winners for each category will be announced.
We have changed the shape of this event in response to the community.
Studio 138 is thrilled to once again partner with Voices of Women to bring story telling workshops and a live event to Dubbo.
The storymaking workshops
Come and have a yarn, share or create a new story.
If you can speak you can write. If you have a story to tell, you are welcome to these storytelling sessions (of course, writers are also welcome!) During the workshops, we will work together to share ideas and stories, with the aim of developing them into monologues that may be performed by actors and musicians at a live reading event on Sunday in Dubbo.
Maybe the stories are inspired by your real-life experiences – with relationships, climate change, drought or other issues that you are facing. Maybe the stories come completely from your imagination! Our workshops bring women together in a safe, friendly space to collaborate and create magic from ideas and words.
You’ll be surprised what happens when we get together and get creative. There’s a lot of laughter, but also stories that inspire us about how we live our lives, about how we navigate the people and the place around us, and how sharing can make all the difference as we face the future.
The workshops are in small groups (maximum of 15). They begin with a focus on the place where we live, collecting sounds and colours, conversations and experiences from our area. Then we turn to storymaking and shaping a short piece. In the middle of it all we share refreshments, jokes, and connections.
We will work together to share ideas and stories, with the aim of developing or recording them into monologues that may be performed by actors and musicians at a live event on Saturday.
The workshops are fun and inclusive, facilitated by Voices of Women Artistic Director Lliane Clarke and Dubbo writer and performer Kalina Davis, supported by Studio 138 Dubbo producer and director Erifili Davis. We walk alongside First Nations women and welcome women from diverse communities, including women from LGBTQI+ communities.
Choose your session or come to both! The most important thing is to register.
There will be 2 workshops to be held:
Fri 15th Mar 2024, 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm
Sat 16th Mar 2024, 10.00 am to 12.00 pm
The workshops are facilitated but because of their flexible nature, each workshop will be completely different!
Single workshop including refreshments – $15 +bf
Two workshops including refreshments – $25 + bf
Location:
Art Club Dubbo Studio, 13b Bultje Street, Dubbo (next to FastLane drive through coffee)
Hear the stories read live by trained performers, wrapped in live music by award-winning composer in residence Elizabeth Jigalin. Watch short films made by local women, hear from local creative Shannon Barnes, a proud Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan woman and Managing Director of Boomalli Consulting, and watch the award-winning Entanglement film, screened around the world including at the United Nations Women’s Conference in Rwanda 2023.
Includes refreshments.
Sat 16th Mar 2024, 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
Tickets – $25 + bf
Art Club Dubbo Studio, 13b Bultje Street, Dubbo (next to FastLane drive through coffee)
The official selections of the 2024 Romance Rules Film Festival were screened at the Black Box Theatre Theatre at the Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, on February 16, 2024.
What a fantastic night of diverse films!
Film screeningFilm screeningFilm screeningFilm screening2024 Screening of the Romance Rules Film Festival
Program
Official selections
Slow Dating, dir Adam Szudrich (Australia)
For a Moment, dir Coco Tolentino (United States)
A Rose in the Mud, dir Kailey McComas (United States)
Dear Heartbreak, dir Ffion Pritchard (United Kingdom)
TutuTango, dir Dorothee Elfring, Michael Finbar Sheehan (United States)
Bud, dir Jamie Martinez (United States)
Beta Days, dir Dan Walls (Australia)
The Holidaze of Noelle Snow, dir Courtney Anne McLaren (United States)
Featured film (non-competition)
Greek Philosophia And Chickens, dir Aimiende Negbenebor Sela (United States)
Nominees and award winners
Audience Favourite Award Winner
Winner:
TutuTango, dir Dorothee Elfring, Michael Finbar Sheehan (United States)
Equal second:
The Holidaze of Noelle Snow, dir Courtney Anne McLaren (United States)
Join us for the 2024 screening of the Romance Rules Film Festival. We have a great line-up of short films from around the world all about romance – the good, the bad and the ugly!
When: February 16, 2024 @ 7.30 pm Venue: Black Box Theatre, Western Plains Cultural Centre, 76 Wingewarra Street, Dubbo, New South Wales, 2830 BYO: Drinks & snacks Some films include adult themes, sexual references and occasional coarse language
Tickets: $12 each (including GST) online and at the door
Featured film (non-competition) “Greek Philosophia And Chickens”
We are so excited to present the award winning short Greek Philosophia And Chickens, written by Despina Moraitu Politzi, directed by Aimiende Negbenebor Sela and starring Germaine Gaudet (How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood, River of Ghosts), Brian D Cohen (Nash Bridges, The Rookie), Lukas Hassel (Blacklist, Slapface, Limitless) and Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Gigli, Tango Shalom).
Part drama, part comedy with a hint of romance, Greek Philosophia and Chickens follows a sixty-something best-selling romance author who, feeling invisible as woman, hires an assassin to take her out. An encounter with chef/restaurant owner, Niko, and his vivacious waitress mother, Katina, from whom she learns a Greek philosophy/saying that really gets her thinking maybe…?
Official Selections
Beta Days, dir Dan Walls (Australia)
A Rose in the Mud, dir Kailey McComas (United States)
Bud, dir Jamie Martinez (United States)
For a Moment, dir Coco Tolentino (United States)
Dear Heartbreak, dir Ffion Pritchard (United Kingdom)
The Holidaze of Noelle Snow, dir Courtney Anne McLaren (United States)
Slow Dating, dir Adam Szudrich (Australia)
TutuTango, dir Dorothee Elfring, Michael Finbar Sheehan (United States)
All official selections will be eligible to be voted as “Audience Favourite”.
Finalists
Category winners will be announced at the end of the screening.
We’re excited to be announcing our December 2023 monthly semi-finalists of our Thrills and Chills Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror Fest. Our semi-finalist films will be in consideration to be selected for our live screening in October 2024, where the annual winners for each category will be announced.
After their hit show Entanglement during the inaugural Dubbo Fringe Festival in 2021, Voices of Women returns with Amplify, a wild hour of stories and music that reveal our true selves and what we can become, of beauty, incisive reality, hilarity and inspiration.
Amplify is written and performed by Australian women, including diverse and First Nations women from Dubbo.
Voices of Women “Entanglement”, May 2021
Voices of Women “Entanglement”, May 2021
Voices of Women “Entanglement”, May 2021
Voices of Women “Entanglement”, May 2021
Images from Voices of Women “Entanglement”
When: Fri 4th Mar 2022, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm AEDT
Where: Studio 138, Dubbo (access via Myer car Park, Brisbane Street)
You may choose either live or live stream ticket options. Please note: all live ticket holders will receive live stream links in case their circumstances change and they are unable to attend on the night. Live seating is strictly limited.
6.30 Short film ENTANGLEMENT and artists talk
7 – 8pm Live performance
In collaboration with Outback Writers Centre, Studio 138 Dubbo and supported by Dubbo Council as part of International Women’s Day 2022.
Find out about Voices of Women and the writers and performers involved: https://voiceswomen.com
