By Angela Blake, founder and director of SF3
SF3 – aka the SmartFone Flick Fest – is one of the biggest smartphone film festivals in the world.
2025 is our 11th season and we are a huge celebration of indie filmmaking and our filmmakers range each year from five years old to their 70s. We have a huge awards show annually up in Sydney and Melbourne and our film festival attracts films from over 70 countries each year.
Our ambassadors include Phillip Noyce, Nicole da Silva, Christopher Stollery, Kerry Armstrong and Kriv Stenders and we have some incredible local filmmakers from the Illawarra each year.
We have just received a grant from Sydney Water to put on a series of smartphone filmmaking masterclasses in the Illawarra.
These are FREE and open to everyone to attend and we want to get our local young and creative community involved. We have classes for both under 18s and adults, all at the Coledale Community Hall.
We've partnered with both the South Coast Writers Centre and Screen Illawarra to put on five free workshops, plus a public screening of films made during the classes by locals. The classes are March 22, April 5 and June 14, and the screening is after the June 14 class.
Sign up for free workshops
Join the world leaders in smartphone filmmaking, SF3, plus award winning Screen Illawarra filmmakers, Jess Milne, Holly Trenaman and Nick Bolton in this FREE smartphone filmmaking masterclass series and screening for all ages. Over 3 free sessions you'll learn cinematography from acclaimed DP, Jess Milne; screenwriting and refining your film idea from Director/Writer, Holly Trenaman; film festival strategy with Producer and Screen Illawarra Chair, Nick Bolton; and advanced smartphone filmmaking with Founder & Director of SF3, Angela Blake. Participants will write and shoot their own short films on the theme of water which will screen in our free screening event on June 14. All ages and abilities are welcome and we have classes for both under 18s and adults. Happening Saturday afternoons March 22nd, April 5th and then June 14th. Reserve your free spot now.
About the writer
Angela Blake is the Founder and Director of SF3, one of the biggest smartphone film festivals in the world. She is a passionate advocate for accessible and affordable filmmaking and she teaches smartphone filmmaking and screenwriting to students from age 5 through to their 70s all around Australia and the world for SF3, NIDA, Bus Stop Films, Milk Crate Theatre and more. She is also a writer/director/producer/actor and has an obsession with reading and cafes.
