Since its debut in 2006 at the McMurdo and Scott Bases, the competition has evolved across the international Antarctic community, with 18 different stations competing in this year’s 2024 WIFFA.
The rules are simple - each team is given 48 hours to produce a short, 5-minute film. All filming, editing and production must be completed within the 48-hour window, and the film must incorporate five surprise elements – a sound, an object, a quote, a character, and an action – revealed only at the start of the 48hr countdown.
Once all films are submitted, they are shared across the Antarctic community, and the voting begins. Seven awards are up for grabs:
- Best 48-Hour Film
- Best Acting
- Best Editing
- Best Cinematography
- Best Use of the 5 Elements
- Best Costume
- Best Sound
This year, the top honour for Best 48-Hour Short Film – along with awards for Best Acting, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume – went to cue drum roll Casey Station!
So, what does it take to make a 48-hour film in the heart of an Antarctic winter? Here’s a glimpse behind the scenes:
Pre-planning: Before the timer starts, it’s essential to brainstorm ideas. From plot and characters to potential filming locations, having a concept in mind makes all the difference. There will be a million and one excellent ideas from across the station – but you have to pick one firm direction and go with it. Once the clock begins, everyone needs to be ready to hit the ground running.
Call sheets and storyboards: In Antarctica, wrangling expeditioners to turn up on time anywhere can be a challenge (with the possible exception of smoko…). We set a goal to feature every single expeditioner somewhere in the film…and with the clock ticking, we need to run a tight ship. Call sheets are distributed, with firm verbal guidance about arriving prepared and on time.
We also assign leads to storyboard and coordinate specific scenes, which makes a huge difference when it comes to filming. Our Search and Rescue scene had to be precisely 45 seconds long - Andy and Billy spent an entire day rehearsing and re-rehearsing their scene with the actors, which was entirely filmed in a single take. An editor’s dream.
Editing team: Editing is arguably the hardest part to get right – making the transitions look seamless, correcting any sloppy camera work, overlaying all the sound etc. It took about 4-5 hours of editing per minute of film to make the final cut. Our editing team converted the library into a makeshift editing suite, where Daniel Godlevsky, our comms operator, pulled two consecutive all-nighters to make sure the final product was flawless (with the help of production assistance and editor-in-training Mitch Tredenick)
Good cameras and lighting: Today’s technology makes access to good quality cameras relatively easy. Almost every expeditioner has a high-powered camera in their pocket…certainly a luxury the expeditioners back in 2006 wouldn’t have had! Fortunately for us there were quite a few enthusiastic photographers on station, and we were able to source two excellent 4K cameras to shoot with – a Fuji XT-5, and an Olympus EM-1X. Our resident ‘Carpenter in Antarctica’ Connor Gordon coordinated everything behind-the-camera, to make sure everything was consistent and beautifully framed.
Good lighting is also critical; in order to create those natural oblique shadows, a halogen floodlight was rigged up with a bedsheet diffuser. It made close up shots look much crisper, but most importantly made us feel a little bit more ‘hollywood’.
Last but not least: what happens on station…doesn’t necessarily stay on station! Once the cameras come out, it usually doesn’t take long before someone will try to take some clothes off in the name of art.
Enter our local boilermaker/welder. Having gallantly (and enthusiastically) volunteered to take one for the team, he accomplished his acting debut beautifully, performing a subtle background cameo in one of the scenes.
We called a wrap on the day's filming, packed up the workshop and proceeded back to the editing suite. Not half an hour later, our Station Leader Dave bursts into the room. “What have you guys been up too?” he asks, and shows us his phone. It turns out one of our team had taken an artistic ‘behind-the-scenes’ photo and uploaded it to his Instagram. Oh dear. Our guise was discovered, and firmly squashed.
After a robust debate between the Director and Station Leader about ‘not compromising on artistic integrity’, it was agreed that with a significant amount of editing, we could take our MA rating back down to a family friendly PG.
The Premiere: There is nothing quite like the buzz of premiering the final cut of the movie to the station in the Odeon Cinema. Station Leader broke out some champagne, and many people opted for black-tie attire. 30 members of the 77th ANARE feature in the film, which made for a significant amount of whooping and cheers during the premiere - and during several encore viewings.
***
For expeditioners enduring the long Antarctic winter, WIFFA offers a much-needed escape from the routine and isolation that comes with living down South.
Beyond entertainment, it’s a way to bond, relieve stress, and foster creativity. The festival strengthens relationships among the team and provides an incredible way to share their unique experiences with friends, family, and the global Antarctic community.
WIFFA remains a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of those living and working in one of the world’s harshest environments. It reminds us of the human need for art, laughter, and connection, even in the most isolated corners of the world.
Owen Horton - Casey Station Supply Officer, and unofficial Director of Hard Yakka Down, Down Under
To watch Hard Yakka (Down) Down Under, search “WIFFA Casey” on YouTube, or via this link:
