Pawn shop story wins CRC award

(left to right) Director John Evagora, CRC Chair Stepan Kerkyasharian and Producer Jorge Tsadilas

The Community Relations Commission's 2008 Dendy Short Film Award at the Sydney film Festival has gone to "296 Smith Street" directed by John Evagora - a slice of life on a suburban shopping street which reflects the day-to-day reality of cultural diversity.

Congratulating the winner, the Chair of the Commission, Stepan Kerkyasharian, said: "The film ignores the stereotypical attitudes towards the various races depicted and whilst it works through conflict between people of different backgrounds it also neatly portrays positive human qualities, demonstrating that both the good and bad in people transcend cultural difference.

"It is a powerful little film with very strong characterisations of normal Aussies who, because of our cultural diversity, all look and sound different.

"The story is centred on a pawn shop during one day's trading where all sorts of people with all sorts of issues might find themselves, perhaps especially recently-arrived immigrants who may be finding it hard to make ends meet, and where all sorts of things can happen in one day's trading.

"Calmly and kindly the shop owner deals with the issues that routinely arise in his line of business. It is an interesting lesson in intra-community relations.

"The Community Relations Commission (For a multicultural NSW) believes that every migrant has a story to tell. It encourages film makers to tell the stories of migration and the multicultural experience in Australia whether it's part of the settlement process, the interaction of cultures or the working out of community issues in cross-cultural settings.

"The CRC Award has been part of the Dendy Short Film competition since 1992 and has continued to attract films which become classic records of Australian social history and even box-office hits, as in the case of Safina Oberoi's My Mother India in 2002", Mr Kerkyasharian said.

The award was presented to the Director, John Evagora, and the Producer, Jorge Tsadilas, by Mr Kerkyasharian at the Grand Awards Presentation night at the Sydney Opera House.