Pop the champagne and get out the good China!

Congratulations to the team at David Gould Studios (above) in Burleigh Heads, whose animated short film Awaken has been selected to compete at the prestigious Cannes film festival next month.

Filmmaker David Gould wrote and directed the 15-minute movie and says he is `honoured' to have it involved in the iconic festival.
``The festival only allows films that they consider to have artistic merit be a part of the Short Film Corner,'' he says.
``With thousands of filmmakers throughout the world it is great to know that we're producing films that are of an international quality and can compete with the best out there.
``It's fantastic.''

It will compete in the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner which was established by to assist filmmakers making the move from short films to feature films.
Gould says it gives them the opportunity to present their projects to potential feature film producers and distributors.
``So much about making a break in this industry is about making a name for yourself with good quality work,'' he says.
``Awaken's selection into this prestigious festival is another feather to our bow and will help garner interest for our other projects.
``Once we have our foot in the door we can blow them away with our other projects.''

Above: a scene from Awaken.

One such project his studio is working on is their debut feature film Stolen Senses, an action/thriller which is already gathering interest from Hollywood heavyweights.
``We're currently in negotiations with two Australian actors that have had considerable success in the US to play the lead roles,'' says Gould.
``They absolutely love the script.
``This is the key: if you have a great script then the actors will want a part in your film.''

Having worked with Peter Jackson as the technical whizz on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and King Kong, Gould says he is taking his experience and making the film in stereoscopic 3D.
``There is a huge amount of interest in 3D films right now and we have the technical expertise to make this happen,'' he says.
``I was CG supervisor working on stereoscopic films back in Paris over fifteen years ago.
``We will be using the same 3D technology that George Miller is using on his next Mad Max movie Fury Road.
``We're looking forward to the challenges of making an awesome 3D film.''

Gould (above)leaves for Cannes on May 8 and Awaken competes throughout the festivals duration from May 12 - 22. David Gould Studios is still looking for people to invest in Stolen Senses and if you have the moolah handy, unlike myself, this could be a great investment opportunity. For more information contact davidgould@davidgould.com. Alternatively you can visit their website here.

I also recommend my previous post on Gould and co here.