News Release: School documentaries link classrooms with communities

News Release
For immediate release 26 October 2011

An unlikely union between the film industry and the classroom is providing a powerful tool to help schools engage and connect with their communities.

In an interview in the latest edition of Professional Educator, the journal of the Australian College of Educators, Class Movies founder Phillip Lewis explains the origins and developments of a project that has to date seen more than 3,000 documentary films produced by classroom teachers across Australia in Government, Independent, Catholic and remote Aboriginal schools.

"These movies get to the heart of the teacher's relationship with the students and in their role as people maker," Lewis says in the interview. "By creating documentaries in their classrooms, teachers are empowered to tell their story, to connect and to engage with parents and with each other." 

Lewis has developed a 'Starter Pack' that enables teachers, regardless of filming experience, to take the role of cinematographer and gather the video footage required to create a documentary film. Footage is then professionally edited and produced in the ClassMovies Sydney studio.

Lewis has formed partnerships with leading Australian film schools, beginning with the Sydney Film School, which is generating invaluable career starting training and employment opportunities for graduates as they take on editing and production roles.

The Class Movies project has been used on a system wide basis by the Catholic Education Office, Western Australia since 2009. More than 400 teachers from 120 primary schools have produced a documentary of their classroom.

The Department of Education and Children's Services, South Australia intends to launch the Class Movies program in 2012 following a successful pilot in 2010.

ENDS

Professional Educator is available through membership with the Australian College of Educators. http://austcolled.com.au/publication/professional-educator

Media enquiries:

Louise Reynolds, ACE national office, Tel: 03 9035 5002 or 0431 001 773

Philip Lewis, Class Movies, Toll Free 1300 881 369