Iain Bonner - Bio
After working in short fiction, film, dance video, video installation and photography, Iain decided to further his filmic ambitions through a masters degree in filmmaking at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts. The Comedian in his major project from the two year course. Iain’s films previously have shown in the US, India, and Australia, and he has upcoming screenings in Korea, US and France. His work always seeks to find new ways of expressing narrative, and to link experimental and improvisational methodologies with narrative filmmaking. In 2012 Iain was part of the video art festival, Everywhere But Here at Blindside gallery in Melbourne, and also travelled to Ghana with Asanti Dance Theatre to film African music and dance. Iain’s work on The Comedian resulted in him winning ‘Best Achievement in Directing’ at the 2013 VCA Awards.
Director's Statement
The Comedian is a story I’ve wanted to tell for some time. The stand up comedian’s task is so knife-edged. Failure is always so close. My setting and inspiration for this film was the Docklands. An area of Melbourne that is well known for its failure as a new suburb. Built to be a capitalist dream: somewhere you can shop and live, a ready-made futuristic suburb; the place is often empty. There is a feeling, something in your chest, as you walk around it that doesn’t sit right. As if the ghosts of all the tiny failures that created this one big failure are there with you. My character and the setting then, are connected. Wanting to make someone laugh is a beautiful thing. But what happens if you want it a little too much and you don’t have the skill? To be authentic is also a skill, and can be very hard. Failure, then, is often the most authentic act, and so terribly, utterly human, a direct window to our vulnerability. And there is something beautiful in that. I wanted to imbue the film with this feeling, so it may just sit there and slowly make its way into your consciousness as you witness the unfolding of events. A film just as a piece of music, that sets up a world, riffs and flows and then resolves itself just enough so it may end.
Come and join us for a screening of the short film, The Comedian. The film was shot in Docklands, right next to The Food Court, and what better place to have a little party.
The money raised will be used to send the film on little international journeys into the hands of festival cronies, who hopefully will choose this film. Any extra money raised will go towards a webseries. On this night there will be stand up comedy, a wild percussion extravaganza from Groovy G and guest/s, and I will screen The Comedian, and perhaps Hot Chicken.
