PARISH MALFITANO
On Australian Cinema, The Randwick Ritz, The Film Industry, and his own experience within it
It is no secret that the way we watch movies has drastically transformed over the past decade. Today, 70 percent of Australian households are subscribed to at least one ‘video on demand’ streaming service, and in the past decade alone, cinema attendance across the nation has pretty much halved. Considering the convenience and incomparable accessibility these services offer, this shift is hardly surprising, but it still feels a bit sad. Half jokingly I began to wonder, “is cinema becoming underground?”, honestly the answer is probably no - but it still lead me to think about the futures of Sydney’s cinemas. The cinema of my childhood, the Randwick Ritz felt like the natural starting point for this enquiry.
When I asked a friend and ex-Ritz-employee if he knew anyone associated with the Ritz that was passionate about film, he pointed me in the direction of Parish. The outcome was far more interesting than I had anticipated. Parish Malfitano is a Sydney based writer, director and producer who has a lot of thoughts about the future of Australian film and the Ritz. His work, which he independently funds, has been screened at film festivals worldwide and his talent and enthusiasm for the craft of cinema speaks for itself in our conversation below.
so without further ado;
Outside of the Ritz, what do you do and how did you get into it?
I’m a filmmaker first and foremost. Working at the Ritz gives me flexibility, and allows me to pay the rent so that I can focus on what really matters to me, which is telling stories. I’ve always been afraid of the 9 to 5 job because then there’s the risk I’ll stop dreaming, but you have to always be aware of your own reality, and what you want from your life, and what I want is to continue to make movies!
Can you tell us about your own work?
I don’t really know what to say. I probably won’t know what my work is and what it’s all about until I’m 80 years old, but maybe even then I really won’t know (if I make it that far). But I do think that so far my work is always concerning the subject of ’Truth’ - I feel like I’ll always be exploring this through my work, grappling with it.
What are you working on?
I’m currently working on my next Independent feature film titled, 'Salt Along the Tongue.'
We’re currently in pre-production and filming from June into July. The story follows a young woman who is possessed by the spirit of her dead mother as a means of protection against a malevolent manifestation of past trauma. It’s a love letter to mothers, told by way of food, possession, and ghosts.
Do you think that your involvement with the Ritz has influenced your work in film (or vice versa)?
No, it hasn’t. But it has reiterated to me that there are audiences out there still hungry for the theatrical experience.
What most disappoints you about film in Sydney (or Australia) right now?
The industry in Australia is quite small and it’s mostly all dependent on government funding and approval, which is limiting to the stories we tell. It’s not like in America or Europe which has a more independent mindset, with many different production companies, focused on telling singular stories, rather than just a focus on representing an entire country as a whole - the only way you can provide a true, real perspective on what it means to be Australian, or just human, is by providing more funding for individual voices to tell their stories. Call me cynical, but the best way to do this is to give less towards that dirty word ‘content’ - less towards TikTok and crap for phone devices - and instead more money towards stories that will actually last rather than get lost within all the rubbish. This is why I’ve had to go through the path of independently funding my next feature, the same way I made my first; filmmaking is already difficult enough, but this path is even harder because there is less of a support system. I’m wanting to tell a deeply personal story concerning universal themes but getting ‘proper’ funding for it has proven arduous, which is why I have had to save my own money as well as source private investment with the help of my producing partner, Daniel Pollock. I could have just given up, but instead, I surrounded myself with some brilliant, creatives that exist in this country and said let’s just make this film because we have to, we need to. It’s another reason that I will be moving overseas to Europe next year because there are more opportunities, or at least there appear to be, but also that’s mostly to just grow as an individual and have more perspective on the world around me, to help make more informed art.
Do you think the overwhelming shift to streaming has been a net positive or negative for the film industry?
There is nothing greater than sitting in a cinema with a bunch of strangers and watching a film together. Streaming can never supersede this experience. I will say that streaming has allowed for the proliferation of stories being told, but it’s mostly just junk that you have to sift through to find the genuine…true...ones. I think that the theatrical experience will become more like theatre, in the sense that tickets will be more expensive and only tentpole films will be prioritised - well, actually, this is already happening - but at the same time, maybe more boutique cinemas will spring up, and that’s where I’ll be.
What's something you think people should see at the Ritz soon?
Well, the Sydney film festival begins soon and I know the Ritz will be showing films there. I would have loved to have seen a bunch of different films but I’ll be making my own! If I could have gone to see anything, then it would be ‘Afire’, ‘Fallen Leaves’, ‘Late Night with the Devil’, ‘Passages’, ‘Pianoforte’ and the retrospective I would encourage anyone to go is what I think is Jane Campion's best film, 'An Angel at My Table’.
Where can we see your work?
My debut feature ‘Bloodshot Heart’ is currently streaming on SBS On Demand, my recent short film, ‘Worm’ is playing at Cinequest in California in August. Otherwise, most of my work is online, but I don’t really like my shorts! But it’s all a process of learning, making mistakes, getting better. You never stop learning.
You can find out more about Parish and his work on his instagram @parishmalfitano or his website
Words and graphics by Ella Foster
Photograph and video courtesy of Parish Malfitano
I really enjoyed this insight into the world of cinematic expression in Sydney, fun and interesting to read. Excited for the next!