In 2008 a small film with no budget and no stars had its Australian premiere at Possible Worlds. ONLY was co-directed by Simon Reynolds (a guest of the festival) and Ingrid Veninger. The film invited the viewer to spend a day in Northern Ontario with two-unlikely 12-year-olds, Daniel and Vera, in an utterly charming boy-meets-girl movie.
Despite its low budget and non-professional actors, ONLY won over the crowds here in Sydney, taking home the Audience Award for Best Film.
This year, filmmaker Ingrid Veninger returns with MODRA, another engaging, lyrical snapshot of youth, bolstered by honesty and unaffected charm. ONLY starred Ingrid's son Jacob Switzer, MODRA stars her daughter Hallie.
Made on a shoe-string budget, the film finds its strength not in big name stars or special effects, but in authenticity. Born in Slovakia, Ingrid writes a role for her daughter in which she travels to small Slovak town of Modra for the summer, to meet her distant relatives and find out about her roots. Like ONLY, MODRA is a coming-of-age story about growing up and finding out who you are. It's a sun-drenched, naturalistic, sharply observed tale of family, identity and teenage desire.
Her excellency Mrs Eva PONOMARENKOVÁ, Slovak ambassador to Australia, will introduce the screening in Sydney.
MODRA has its Australian premiere at Dendy Opera Quays on Sunday 14th August.