WASTE NOT
Monday, 04 April 2011 12:01
Waste Not is TEC's 26min documentary film about recycling and green living - Winner Best Documentary Film, St Kilda Film Festival 2011;
'Highly Commended' at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival 2011;
accepted into Film Festivals from Dungog to Paris, Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Costa Rica.
ABC News report on Waste Not (8 April 2011)
About Waste Not, Recycling Hints and TEC's work [1.3mb, 2011]
Contact TEC if you wish to purchase (unlimited showings - fees vary for business, government, councils and schools) or hire (fees vary according to number of showings). Ph: 02 9211 5022 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
TEC's award winning documentary film, Waste Not, was funded by a City of Sydney Environment Grant in 2010, to explore how recycling will play a big role in transitioning Australians to a sustainable future. It has been described as "the first environment film I’ve seen which hasn’t made me want to run from the cinema screaming “We are all going to die!”" (Carla Khoo, Manager of Environmental Communications and Engagement, National Australia Bank.)
The response to Waste Not has been phenomenal. It won Best Documentary at the St Kilda Film Festival 2011, and was Highly Commmended by Flickerfest International Film Festival. The sheer beauty of the film, along with its emotional punch has caught the recycling and waste communities by surprise and has elicited a strong response from people outside the industry. The film has been acquired by Qantas for both its domestic and international inflight program, and corporations such as the NAB and Fujitsu are using the film for staff engagement. Waste Not has been picked up by Ronin Films for distribution to the education sector, and TEC is now pushing it out into the community through local councils. TEC has also been funded through the Documentary Australia Foundation by the Pratt and Myer Foundations to develop an interasctive website for Back To School 2012.
Waste Not was written and directed by TEC’s Communication Director, Ruth Hessey. The film was developed in consultation with City of Sydney waste unit staff. TEC engaged Sophie Alstergren to produce the film which was executive produced by Jeff Angel, with Associate Producer Jane Castle (TEC’s senior campaigner). Ruth and Sophie liaised with Helen Bradley at City of Sydney to ensure the concept for Waste Not developed according to CoS guidelines. The film was shot on location in Sydney at Global Renewables, two VISY depots, and Simms, the South Sydney Waste Depot in Zetland, and the CSIRO. High production values, and feature film creatives were employed, with the talented composer Peter Fenton providing the original soundscore. Bonnie Elliott shot the film, which was edited by Aden Young (with additional editing by Lindi Harrison). Subsequent to the completion of the documentary, City of Sydney commissioned several ‘webisodes” amplifying key themes in Waste Not, which were delivered in March 2011.
Waste Not has been accepted into 14 film festivals this year, from Dungog to Paris to Los Angeles, and most recently Costa Rica. Waste Not was also accepted into the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner.
City of Sydney Mayor Clover Moore officially launched Waste Not at Parliament House on April 7th, 2011. Refreshments for the evening, in the form of individual boxes of edible flowers, herbs and carob, were generously provided by Tetsuya’s head chef Luke Powell, one of the heroes of Waste Not. In keeping with the theme of sustainbility TEC served tea made with sprigs of Lemon Scented tea Tree, Rosemary, tied with Lemon Grass leaves, which were made by TEC staff.
A bouquet of lemon tea tree and other Australian natives, some of it supplied by Michael Mobbs from his Chippendale street gardens, was presented to the Lord Mayor, and the new state Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, who changed her schedule to attend the launch. Several members of cast and crew attended, including the composer Peter Fenton, editor Aden Young, and stars of the film Bianca Nogrady, Ben Kusto, and Bisso Rebigo. Artists such as Jenny Kee, Louise Fowler-Smith, Anne Zahalka, Olivia Martin-Maguire, and Janet Laurence, also attended.
An ABC news crew covered the launch and the ABC’s award winning environment reporter filed a news piece which ran on ABC News, ABC midday, and 24 News.
“Waste Not is not a romance or a thriller, but this film has a powerful message!” Sarah Clarke, ABC TV Environment Reporter.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, has said that this documentary gives a real insight into what happens to the things we throw away, and how we can start reducing our waste.
“Imagine what it will be like in five years when Sydney’s rubbish tips reach capacity - all our rubbish will have to be freighted two hundred and fifty kilometers to a new tip, which will cost more and produce more carbon pollution.”
“We all need to come up with new ways to recycle and reuse goods, so we can stop them going into landfill,” she said.
“We are all in this together,” TEC director Jeff Angel said. “And luckily there is already an army of truck drivers, scientists, environmentalists, gardeners and even a famous chef, working to transform the mountains of stuff we throw away into something valuable again.”
The film includes interviews with Sustainable House author and expert, Michael Mobbs, Bianca Nogrady (co-author the Sixth Wave), James Bradfield Moody (Director Creative Development, CSIRO), Narelle Mantle (General Manager, Reverse Garbage), Kumar Radhakrishnan (CEO Simms), and nine others working in waste.
“WASTE NOT was designed to inspire people to feel very hopeful about the future and how we can all save the planet by starting in our backyards,” said Waste Not director, Ruth Hessey (Communications Director TEC).
