Baz Luhrmann Helps Ten Aspiring Australian Filmmakers Realize their Dreams at Sydney Opera House 40th Anniversary Celebration

Ten aspiring Australian filmmakers selected by Samsung Mobile to create a short film with director Baz Luhrmann will come one-step closer to realizing their dreams tonight as their film debuts at the Sydney Opera House as part of its 40th Anniversary celebrations.

The film, entitled “The Pilgrim Report” is the product of “The Shoot,” a national competition offering creative young people the opportunity to win the ultimate filmmaking experience with some of the industry’s best, leveraging Samsung Mobile’s technology. The program is part of Samsung Mobile’s global efforts to support and encourage the pursuit of individual passions by creating unique opportunities to use mobile technology as a catalyst for creativity.

To create the film the 10 winners, among them writers, directors, actors, designers and cinematographers, spent six days – from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, 2013 – participating in an intensive workshop with top industry professionals at the National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA), including a master class with Luhrmann. Each used Samsung devices, including the GALAXY Note 3 and GALAXY Gear, to execute their role in the filmmaking process, and received full access to the full range of NIDA’s award-winning facilities.

“At Samsung, we create technologies that open worlds of creative possibility for individuals who share our imaginative spirit,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice president of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics.

‘The Shoot’ is the most recent initiative in a long-term partnership between Samsung Electronics with Luhrmann, which started in 2010 with the introduction of GALAXY Note 10.1. Developed to bring passion to life through innovation and technology, Samsung’s partnership with Luhrmann began with the unveiling of a short film created by the visionary director, which highlighted his artistic inspirations and illustrated how technology has enhanced his creative process. Appropriately, Samsung and Luhrmann also share a deep interest in and commitment to fostering creativity among youth with technology and education. Luhrmann will present the film this evening.

Luhrmann added, “As an artist that once benefitted from the education offered at NIDA, ‘The Shoot’ has been a particularly rewarding evolution of my ongoing relationship with Samsung.”

Following tonight’s premiere, audiences around the world will be able to view “The Pilgrim Report” online at theshoot.com.au/. In addition to providing winners of ‘The Shoot’ with this once-in-a-lifetime creative opportunity, Samsung will also announce this evening that it will make a charitable donation to the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) which will fund its IMPACT program. FYA’s IMPACT initiative is a three-year program that supports the next generation of young Indigenous people by motivating students who have a commitment to education and the desire and capacity for leadership. In addition to the provision of various Samsung electronics – televisions, tablets, cameras and laptops, among others – Samsung’s donation will enable 15 young Indigenous leaders from remote areas of Arnhem Land to participate in IMPACT over the next three years.

Details of projects by Luhrmann in partnership with Samsung Electronics are available at www.samsungmobilepress.com. For additional detail and content related to “The Shoot,” please visit theshoot.com.au/.