Gef Senz Biography(Film)

BIOGRAPHY - GEF SENZ Gef Senz is a Melbourne-based video editor and freelance documentary filmmaker. Gef has range of tertiary qualifications, including a Bachelor of Commerce/Law, a Certificate IV in Sound Production and most recently, a Graduate Diploma in Film & Television (Documentary) from the Victorian College of the Arts. Gef has a unique combination of filmmaking skills at his disposal, including writing, directing, producing, editing and cinematography. Gef’s broad range of training and experience enables him to tackle a wide range of documentary subjects, from deeply political and emotional human rights stories to quirky subculture films. Above all, Gef has a passion for bringing new and interesting stories to life through video production, whether it be patiently toiling away in an edit suite or getting amongst it with a camera on location; a ‘hands-on’ approach that also sees him actively involved with the on-location sound recording, sound editing and sound design. Gef has also produced the music, visual effects and animations for some of his projects. Gef is an experienced user of industry standard film production software such us Final Cut Pro Studio, DVD Studio Pro and Adobe After Effects. Proficiency, attention to detail and professionalism are integral features of his filmmaking work ethic. Innovative uses of digital technology and the D.I.Y aesthetic are also key elements of Gef’s overall style. Gef has also enjoyed a distinguished career as a freelance audio professional and musician. Specialising in drum-kit, Asian percussion and electronic sample-based percussion, Gef has performed at many high profile festivals and events including the Big Day Out, The Australian Opera House and Womadelaide. Gef also has a host of recording and studio credits to his name, including an Aria award for music production in 2005. Not surprisingly, a distinct emphasis on rhythm and tone has emerged as a feature Gef’s filmic and editing style. Gef has been self-employed since 1996, initially as a professional musician and subsequently as a music producer/manager and independent filmmaker. In 2006 he established his production company, Auxiliary Productions. Throughout his career Gef has acquired invaluable industry-specific experience and developed an extensive and trusted network of contacts and colleagues. As an emerging filmmaker, Gef has been asked to speak on various panels at film industry events such as the 2007 Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) and the 2007 Australian Director’s Guild Conference (ADG). Gef has had three projects selected for showcasing at the AIDC 2007 and 2008 ‘Meetmarket’ initiatives. In 2007 and 2009, Gef was invited to attend the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) as a guest filmmaker. In 2007, Gef completed the short, ‘Virtual Freedom (Podlove version)’ (5 Min), a digital ‘documation’ for the Podlove series commissioned by SBSi and the Australian Film Commission. Since completion, it has screened around the world to wide acclaim, including invitations to screen at prestigious contemporary art galleries, the Museum of Modern Art (M.O.M.A) in New York and the Pompidou in Paris, as well as selection for international film festivals such as the Human Rights Watch Film Festival (New York and London), Silverdocs (Washington DC) and the Hiroshima Animation Festival to name but a few. In 2008, the film was awarded ‘Best Documentary Short’ at the Thin Line Film Festival in Texas. A feature length version of ‘Virtual Freedom’ is currently in production with investment in place from Screen Australia and the Sundance Film Institute. Another of Gef’s films, ‘Transformers: The Art of Circuit Bending’ (7 min) premiered at the 2006 Melbourne International Film Festival in the documentary shorts program. This is also being made into a feature length documentary film entitled, ‘Getting to Bent’ in partnership with the Finnish broadcaster YLE. In July 2007, Gef was commissioned by ITVS (USA), in partnership with iThentic (USA), to direct and produce a short documentary for the ‘International Global Mobile Project’, a project which premiered at the 2008 Berlinale Film Festival (Germany). Also, Gef currently has the following feature-length documentary projects in development: the Screen Australia funded ‘Bai Daeng, Bai Dam (Red Card, Black Card)’, a film about Thai ladyboys conscripted into the army and ‘Roaring Down the Regime’, the story of Hip-Hop in Burma.