Swinburne alumnus Josh Farmelo awarded national cinematography award
In Summary
A prestigious Australian film industry award has been presented to Swinburne Bachelor of Film and Television alumnus, Josh Farmelo, which recognises him as a stand out early-career cinematographer.
Being awarded the 2015 John Leake Award for Emerging Cinematographer, Josh has received a $3000 cash prize, which will be used to further his cinematography career.
Announced during the recent Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) national awards, in Hobart, Josh said that the award was something he was honoured to receive.
“It’s incredibly encouraging and validating, to receive that kind of reassurance, that you’re on the right track. It’s a massive confidence boost when you’re starting out,” Josh said.
Josh plans to use the prize money to attend the American Society of Cinematographers masterclass in Los Angeles, where he says he would be learning from the best.
"The ASC masterclass is taught by some of the most pre-eminent and inspiring cinematographers in the industry, and to be able to tap into their wealth of knowledge and experience will be amazing.”
Josh credits his time at Swinburne as invaluable, citing the strong industry connections and structure of the three year course as beneficial to his skill development.
“Swinburne allowed me to meet some really talented filmmakers that I continue to work and collaborate with.
“The flexible nature of the course meant that I was able to concentrate on what I was really interested in; cinematography.
“During my time at Swinburne I shot as many student short films as I could, which gave me a great deal of experience, working on film sets and around cameras in general.
“The university also has a lot of top of the line gear that I got to use, which is pretty great when you’re a student.”
Swinburne Film and Television Lecturer, Dr Jeff Bird, said that Josh was a deserving recipient of the award.
“Josh was an outstanding cinematography student with a keen eye for striking imagery. He had a well- developed sense of visual storytelling,” Dr Bird said.
“His work across multiple formats, genres and program types made him a clear contender for this prestigious award.”
When asked about what his future plans are, Josh doesn’t have anything set in stone, but rather is eager to continue doing what he loves - creating great films.
“Right now I’m in New York, hanging out and getting some preproduction done for a little short I’m shooting here with a Director friend in about a weeks’ time. More generally though, I’m just plugging away, trying to shoot as much good, interesting stuff as I can get the opportunity to do.”
This is the third time in the last five years that a Swinburne alumnus has been presented with this award, with previous winners including Thom Neal and Edward Goldner.
Find out more about Josh Farmelo’s work.
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