A short film created by Deniliquin High School student Jay Bennett has been selected to be shown at the 2025 NSW Public Schools State Drama Festival next week.
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The Year 10 student’s short film ‘Returning to Me’ will be shown as part of the Aspire State Drama Festival.
Jay wrote, performed in and directed the piece during the recent Pulse Deniliquin arts event for public schools last term, and was keen to use her other creative outlets in the work.
“I just recently picked up poetry and I love it.
“I started watching poetry videos online and I thought, ‘I could do that’.
“(My poetry) is just about who I am and who I want to be.
“I think it (poetry and short film making) is more of a hobby than a career for me. I want to go through to Year 12, to university and become a nurse.
“But things like this definitely help with an interest in schooling.”
Jay said she did not expect being involved in a creative project in Deniliquin would lead to being involved in the state event.
“The filming was during Pulse, which I did with four or five people in my year, and two girls from the year below.
“I then got called into the art rooms a few weeks later and was told it had been selected for the state festival.
“It feels pretty exciting and nerve wracking. I haven’t really done anything like this before.
“I’ve had a lot of random people come up to me and congratulate me.
“Art teacher Mandi Hatton nominated me. I signed a form saying it would be okay to submit, but I didn’t think it would turn into something this big.”
Jay was quick to point out that she had help to produce her short film from a number of people, but specifically thanked Brittany De Travers, who did the cinematography.
A photo from Jay Bennett's 'Returning to Me' short film.
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