Originally published in RealTime magazine, September, 2009.
I began writing about Australian animation in 2003, but only by default. I was in the queues for the Melbourne International Film Festival waiting to see various short film programs, which is what I intended to review. I kept overhearing the names ‘Adam Elliot’ and ‘Harvie Krumpet’ in conversations [...]

Carmen Torero.
Originally published in RealTime issue #92 Aug-Sept 2009 pg. 31.
IN ITS 9TH ITERATION, THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING POLICY CONTINUES TO BE BRAVE AND ADVENTUROUS, AND THIS RESULTED IN ANOTHER DIVERSE SET OF PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR, THE BOAST WAS THAT MIAF SCREENED OVER 400 FILMS SELECTED FROM OVER 2,000 ENTRIES, SPREAD OVER 40 [...]

Originally published on ballardian.com, 27 May 2009.
by SIMON SELLARS & STEVEN from MELB PSY
Soundwalk by MELANIE CHILIANIS; photography by Simon Sellars.

“The consumer society is a kind of soft police state. We think we have choice, but everything is compulsory. We have to keep buying or we fail as citizens. Consumerism creates huge unconscious needs that [...]

PeursDuNoir [Fear(s) of the Dark] – Burns 06, Charles Burns.
Originally published in RealTime issue #86 Aug-Sept 2008 pg. 24.
THIS YEAR’S MIAF WAS FLUSH WITH RICHES. SELECTED FROM OVER 2000 ENTRIES, THERE WERE 150 FILMS IN COMPETITION AND 150 OUTSIDE OF IT. THERE WAS AN EIGHT-PROGRAM INTERNATIONAL SELECTION, MUSIC VIDEOS, DIGITAL ANIMATION, STUDIO AND PRODUCER SHOWCASES, [...]

Ward 13.
Originally published in RealTime issue #84 April-May 2008 pg. 25
IN COMPILING A PROGRAM OF AUSTRALIA’S BEST ANIMATION SHORTS FOR FLICKERFEST, CURATOR ANTHONY LUCAS CHOSE FILMS THAT INSPIRED HIS OWN ANIMATION CAREER, INCLUDING TV COMMERCIALS. LUCAS DESCRIBES THE PROGRAM AS “A RETRO VIEW JUMPED UP ON TANG, WEARING GOLDEN BREED STUBBIES, RIDING A MALVERN STAR, [...]

Still from The Boy Who Loved Rain.
by Simon Sellars

Originally published in RealTime issue #81 Oct-Nov 2007.

RECENTLY IN REALTIME AND ELSEWHERE I’VE BEEN CRITICAL OF AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILM AND ANIMATION, SO MUCH SO I’M BEGINNING TO BORE MYSELF (AND DOUBTLESS OTHERS) WITH THE OLD REFRAIN. STILL, I VOICE THESE CRITICISMS FROM A POSITION OF RESPECT FOR [...]

In 2005 I updated and rewrote the introductory chapters for LP’s Northern Territory & Central Australia guidebook: 10,000 words all up. Here are some excerpts.

Selected material by Simon Sellars from Northern Territory 4, Lonely Planet Publications, March 2006.

NORTHERN TERRITORY: HISTORY
Rock Art, Sea Slug & Eunuchs: Early Settlement
The first human contact with Australia began around [...]

Early in 2005 I travelled up and down Australia’s east coast on assignment for Lonely Planet. This was for LP’s Australia book. I wrote the introduction to the NSW chapter, the NSW North and South Coast sections, and the Far North Coast Hinterland section. All up, my contributions totalled 35,000 words.
I’m only including excerpts [...]

Early in 2005 I travelled up and down Australia’s east coast on assignment for Lonely Planet. This was for LP’s East Coast Australia book and I ended up writing the introductory chapters for the book,a s well as the Central Coast New South Wales section. All up, my contributions totalled 18,000 words.
I’m only including [...]