Made in the West MAGAZINE launches this week!
Throughout 2021, we’ve been collaborating with students from Burrow, the award-winning design studio at Western Sydney University, on a project that is very dear to our hearts.
Have you heard? We’re celebrating a decade of Made in the West Film Festivals!
To mark this milestone, we’ve created a LIMITED EDITION anniversary magazine that traces our journey from a humble student screening night to becoming one of the best festivals in town -- and what a magical journey it has been, showcasing the breathtaking talents of Western Sydney filmmakers!
We’ve worked so hard over so many years to elevate the amazing work of Western Sydney filmmakers and shine a spotlight on our region and the creative work happening here right now.
This magazine is our chance to put into words what we stand for -- Made in the West Film Festival was born of rebellion and we’re proud to tell you all about it!
ORDER YOUR COPY of our 10th anniversary Magazine and you can read about the beginnings of Made in the West, our journey over ten years of festival-making and the award-winning friends and filmmakers we have met along the way.
We’re excited to have been working with a team of WSU design students (under the guidance of their amazing instructor Katrina Sandbach!) to bring you this eye-popping limited edition magazine, complete with AR elements that come to life on the page --- we adore it and we can’t wait to share this special project with you this week!
Shout out to student designers Brenden Schmitz, Thomas Baldwin, Erin Barnes, Annabel Crawford, Alex Foy, Kai Huang, Angela Tao and Ethan White for your incredible work on Made in the West Magazine -- what an amazing feat!!
So, we thought we’d introduce you to a few of the designers before we launch this week.
Ethan White is a graphic designer who specialises in illustration. He thinks it’s rad that he got to be a part of this milestone project all about uplifting other creatives. Ethan let his illustrative talents run wild, working closely with the team to create the early grid structures and layout plan. Proud of the outcome, his ‘clash of styles’ approach to the brief really stands out -- we love it!
Ethan’s advice to other aspiring graphic designers is to establish your own style by ensuring you intertwine your self-expression and intentions into every creative decision. You can follow Ethan’s work here on Insta: @eefy.draws
Annabel Crawford finds joy in expressing herself through art and says the look and feel of Made in the West Magazine aligns perfectly with her design style. We love her filmmaker illustrations in our spotlight interview spread that showcase the unique cartoony style that she has developed over the years.
We’re so inspired that Annabel is determined to continue designing and creating as a Western Sydney illustrator and graphic designer. She says that as a designer, you should be confident in the work you produce and never force your style – it develops naturally. You can follow Annabel and her work here on Insta @sincerely_crawfishh
Erin Barnes says that graphic design has always been a part of who she is as a person. She believes that every brief is "an opportunity to create something unexpected and exciting” and that is exactly what she helped to deliver in this magazine!
Erin spearheaded the team working on the AR elements in the magazine and says that even though it was daunting trying something new, it was also exciting to explore this new mode of communication and bring this extra layer of depth to the project. We love the way that the team has found ways to bring pages to life with in 2D and 3D animations!
When reflecting on the challenging aspects of the design brief, Erin looks back on the process with a sense of pride, exclaiming “I was a part of that!” You can check out more of Erin’s work here on Insta: @eriin.bee
Erin just launched her own magazine called f#m magazine that targets the gender gap in the music industry - be sure to check it out!
“This magazine is a true creative reflection of everything the festival has accomplished, the talent it has encouraged and the mark it’s left in the hearts of so many” Erin says.
Bravo to the entire design team!
Thank you so much for helping us bring our vision to life -- we couldn’t have done it without you and your amazing talent and dedication. We’re so proud of this wonderful collectors edition magazine celebrating the Western Sydney Film community.
BIG THANKS to everyone involved in an incredible ten years of Made in the West! Whether you have submitted a film, screened as a finalist or come along to the festival, however you have celebrated Western Sydney filmmakers with us over the years, we are truly grateful for your support.
We should also extend a big thanks to WSU as our Gold+ Screen Sponsor for making these kinds of collaborations possible.
We love working with students from WSU, like Tia who recently designed our cyberpunk festival poster and Emily and Chiara who worked with us in 2020.
Right now in fact, we’re recruiting! Did you see our call out for WSU students to join us on the set of Made in the West TV? If you want to work with us, get in touch!
We love coming together with our community each year to celebrate the excellent work of our peers and this year, our 10th birthday, is going to be bigger and better than ever.
Join us on the red carpet on Saturday 4 December from 6pm as we celebrate the best short films Western Sydney has to offer!
We hope to see you there.