By Nicholas McCarvel<\/p>\n
The young boy has a look of dejection on his face, his arm weary from a day of hitting tennis balls at a single orange cone. But then the lights flicker on above the courts, and so too does his determination to be the tennis star he\u2019d always dreamed of being.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not an actual story being played out at this year\u2019s Australian Open, but rather the winning entry in the third annual ‘Changing Ends’ film festival that accompanies the first Grand Slam of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted something for people who liked tennis and who liked films and created this film festival centred around 90 seconds, which is the length of time of a change in ends in tennis,\u201d explained Kim Trengove, who helped establish the festival in 2010.<\/p>\n
Film-makers submitted their entries on the festival\u2019s site and a panel of judges, including tournament director Craig Tiley, wheelchair star Daniela Di Toro and Face to Face actor Vince Colosimo, that reviewed them and chose ten finalists, with films ranging from gut busting to tear jerking and heart warming.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I would have entered a film,\u201d Colosimo told a crowd on Australia Day on the grounds at Melbourne Park. \u201cThese people are really talented.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colosimo was on hand to share four of the films \u2013 \u201cTennis Lessons,\u201d \u201cCourting,\u201d \u201cPower Serve\u201d and \u201cRally\u201d \u2013 at Grand Slam Oval before the winner, \u201cTennis Lessons\u201d, was announced.<\/p>\n
Each of the films entered followed the theme of \u201cTennis Essence\u201d to \u201cserve up and distil\u201d different stories in the 90-second time limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cTennis lends itself to a lot of quirky story lines, it\u2019s goofy sport,\u201d Trengove said. \u201cYou\u2019ve had Match Point and Wimbledon and The Royal Tennenbaums that have all been mainstream successes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott Holgate, a freelance cinematographer, was the director of the first-place winning \u201cTennis Lessons\u201d entry that featured the young boy coming of age.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to tell a positive story about determination and not giving up,\u201d Holgate said. \u201cWe wanted the film to be something that promoted tennis as a sport that everyone could enjoy. Not just having to be a world-beater.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holgate will enjoy a $5,000 first-prize reward for his winning film. Five runner-ups received a $500 prize each.<\/p>\n
Among the ten finalists, seven claimed cash prizes. \u201cPower Serve,\u201d a creative film that showed a tennis racquet and balls being churned up into a video game claimed third place. \u201cThe Book of Essence,\u201d featuring two young kids hitting thousands of practice shots as \u201cingredients\u201d was second.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is another form of entertainment for the Australian Open,\u201d Trengove said. \u201cWe\u2019re able to show the films year-round on YouTube and on our website. This is another opportunity for our fans to engage with the Grand Slam, which we try to cover a whole lot of different ways on our web site. This is taking tennis as an entertainment over into the arts community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holgate\u2019s film was just artsy enough: he filmed it in Canberra at the Turner Tennis Club with his brother in a shoot that took an entire day.<\/p>\n
\u201cCombining tennis and film-making was a no brainer,\u201d Holgate said. \u201c[Everyone around us] was encouraging towards the project.\u201d<\/p>\n
And how will he spend that $5,000?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have another short film that we\u2019ve written that we\u2019ll put the prize money toward that. It\u2019s still in it\u2019s early stages.”<\/p>\n