Seeking silver screen

By Casey Neill
BELGRAVE’S Tim Dean has Hollywood in his sights.
The director was one 16 finalists in this year’s Tropfest short film festival for his work on Fences.
The film features an eight-year-old boy whose parents have separated.
He’s sleeping at his father’s house when his dad gets called in to work and decides to take him along.
“It turns out he’s a detective and is taking his son to a crime scene,” Mr Dean said.
Left on his own in the back seat of a car, curiosity gets the better of him.
Writer Chris Corbett presented the idea to Mr Dean in November last year.
They shot the film during the first week of January and spent just nine days in post production. They submitted Fences the day before entries closed.
“It was very quick,” Mr Dean said.
The pair fine-tuned their short film skills making trailers for their feature film Tiny Town.
They’re now trying to secure finance and hope to be filming by year’s end.
“We’ve had lots of interest but no-one wants to take the first step,” Mr Dean said.
“I think if we get that one, yes it will go pretty quickly.”
Mr Dean has entered Tropfest three times before, twice making the final cut. He was in an emergency room with an inner ear infection when he got the news this time around.
He said it was great to be shortlisted again but wasn’t sure of his chances.
“I think it was the best film I’ve made,” he said.
“You just hope the people at the other end like what you’re doing.”
His passion for film began in media studies at high school, although his grades did not reflect his enthusiasm.
“I got an E-minus,” he said.
“I just remember watching Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. It was the first time I’d watched a film that kind of captivated me.”
He worked as a tram conductor and travelled overseas before completing a TAFE course. His goal is to direct feature films.
Tropfest is the world’s largest short film festival.
Organisers receive about 650 entries and award more than $100,000 in prizes.
A panel featuring industry and celebrity judges selected the winner on Sunday (22 February).