Inverell’s answer to Baz Luhrmann could be unearthed when a free pop-up smartphone film making school for youth is held on 8 September.

The four-hour workshop will be led by award winning film maker Jason van Genderen; whose short films have been internationally awarded.

The workshop explores how to take an idea from script to screen and participants will be able to make their first short film under the expert eye of van Genderen.

Inverell Shire Council mayor Paul Harmon encourages youth between the ages of 12-20 to sign up.

“Council has joined forces with North West Film Festival organisers to offer the workshop for free and Mr van Genderen comes with a long list of international awards to his name,” he said.

The North West Film Festival will be held in Inverell for the first time this year, on November 16-17.

A storyteller since his teens, Van Genderen’s career as a smartphone film maker started in 2008 when he filmed a short film success that won the hearts of festivals the world over.

Regarded as a pioneer of film making, his work has continued to flourish and he has won major awards at prestigious festivals such as Tropfest New York, Tropfest Sydney and Sundance London.

Cr Harmon said it was an exciting opportunity for young people to unleash their creativity and learn the art of storytelling from an experienced film maker.

“So many young people have their own smartphone these days and they are really a technology powerhouse – Oscar winning films and film makers are shooting on smartphones, so the quality is exceptional,” he said.

“With Smartphone cameras are getting better and better, the technology also means films can now be produced without the need for expensive equipment or big budgets.”

Mr van Genderen will help participants explore their smartphone’s capacity and also demonstrate apps and editing software to create a short film.

The workshop will be held Saturday 8 September, 1-5pm at Inverell Library. Registration is essential - call Stephanie on 0418 659 410.