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Brendan Smith and Imelda Cooney

NFSA Connects: Bringing screen education alive for regional school students

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA)’s School Screen program has traditionally provided engaging learning experiences for primary and secondary students in regional and remote areas, delivering free screenings of new, classic and archival Australian films in local cinemas for students and teachers and access to study guides and other teaching materials where available.

Over the past two years, the NFSA has been working with state Departments of Education and Training to use newly implemented teleconferencing and electronic whiteboard facilities in most schools to deliver innovative and engaging Q&A-style sessions with Australia’s screen practitioners - directors, producers, actors, musicians and writers. These NFSA Connects events provide students with direct and unprecedented access to screen practitioners, supplementing and deepening the learning experience for these students and inspiration for our next generation of screen practitioners. The next NFSA Connects session is due to held in Queensland for regional schools in August/September 2011.

This session will provide an overview of the development of this project with an examination of the events to date, challenges and achievements so far, and the outcomes for participating schools, teachers and students.

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Brendan Smith's Biography
Brendan Smith is the Manager, Education and Touring Programs for the National Film and Sound Archive. He is the producer and tour manager for the Archive’s new touring theatre show, the Cooee Cabaret. Brendan has previously worked for the NSW Film and Television Office, the NSW Ombudsman’s Office, the NSW Attorney General’s Office and the NSW Police Service, and has been the Cultural Development Coordinator for both urban and regional local Councils.

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Imelda Cooney's Biography Imelda Cooney is the School Screen Coordinator for the National Film and Sound Archive. She is a film and documentary editor who has also run filmmaking workshops for schools with the NSW Department of Education and Training and coordinated the short course program for the Australian Film Television and Radio School.