Youth road safety film set to make a difference

09 Dec 2011

MEDIA RELEASE: 9th December 2011

Premier Ted Baillieu today unveiled a short film that tackles youth road safety issues and will play in cinemas from Boxing Day.
The film, made by 24-year-old Melbourne filmmaker Tom Campbell, was one of two winners from the Transport Accident Commission's Make a Film, Make a Difference (MAFMAD) competition.

Mr Baillieu said the film conveyed a serious road safety message in a unique way.

"Recently we have seen a number of young people killed in devastating crashes on Victorian roads, and this film is part of our ongoing strategy to cut through to this high-risk demographic," Mr Baillieu said.

"We know that for young people, messages from mates resonate more than messages coming from authorities, and that is what MAFMAD is all about."

Tom's film, Room for One More, looks at what can happen when young people are distracted in a car, and uses the ghosts of road trauma victims to demonstrate the reality of a moment's lapse in concentration.

The film will play in cinemas across the state, as well as on MTV and via social media channels including YouTube.

The second winning film, made by high school student Tess Fisher, is in production and will be ready for cinemas at the end of February.

Mr Baillieu said Tom's short film was a creative concept that had the power to create change in young drivers' attitudes.

"This film shows that young Victorians really want to make a difference to road trauma," Mr Baillieu said.

The winners were awarded a $20,000 production budget to create their films as well as $5000 prize money.