Friday, February 17, 2017 « the western weekender
Arts
Daniel returns home to find some inspiration EMILY NEWTON
t Clair’s Daniel DiMarco has returned home for the first time in nine years to write his follow-up script after completing his first major film. After spending time in Los Angeles, New York and Canada, Mr DiMarco is excited to be home for at least a few months to begin work on his second film. “I hadn’t been home in nine years due to work, and it’s really important to get home and back to my parents’ place and my old friends, and get in that place where I can start from scratch,” Mr DiMarco said. “I think I write best in the environment that I grew up around... I don’t know how I went nine years.” He said it’s great to see that western Sydney still has that welcoming and comfortable feel. “It all seems really homely and comforting,” he said. “It’s really great to come back to the west, people treat each other better out here.” Mr DiMarco is already an award-winning Australian-Canadian writer and director, with two internationally recognised short films, ‘Spoon Man’ and ‘Bella’. His newly finished feature film, ‘Juggernaut’, was born out of frustration and
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explores a modern version of Cain and Abel. “I had a failed project that I had been working on for three years and I decided to cut the cord on that,” he said. “Some people are fated to love each other and some people are fated to hate each other, and I wanted to explore that.” The aid of the Australian and Canadian co-production treaty allowed him to create a film he could be proud of. “I am an Australian film maker, so it’s really weird hearing the Canadian and American accents on my film,” Mr DiMarco said. “I really want to make an Australian film, whether it’s this one, or the next one or the next one, I’ve always planned to make a film in Australia.” Mr DiMarco was overwhelmed at the support from cast and crew, and humbled to have worked alongside rising star Jack Kesy. “Right after I used him, he got one of the leads in ‘Baywatch’ with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron... and right as we speak he’s riding across the desert with Chris Hemsworth,” Mr DiMarco said. His current script, titled ‘The Bigamist’ will focus on strong female characters, a sharp contrast to the male oriented film of ‘Juggernaut’.
St Clair writer and director Daniel DiMarco has returned home after finishing his first feature film. Photo: Megan Dunn
Mayor’s News The weekly views of Penrith’s Mayor
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Council’s free Electronic Waste DropOff Day is back this Sunday, February 19 at Jamison Park, South Penrith from 9am – 3.30pm. Entry is via Jamison Road. Simply pack old televisions, computers, small kitchen appliances, stereos, mobile phones and other electronic waste in your car or trailer. The friendly staff will unload the items for you. You can bring electronic household items such as televisions, computers, printers, DVD players, mobile phones and microwaves. It’s vital that we recycle these items responsibly as sending them to landfill takes up a huge amount of unnecessary space, and some components can be toxic to the environment if not disposed of correctly. Did you know, for example, that 99 per cent of the components that make up a computer can be recycled? The metal and plastic is 100 per cent recyclable, and the glass is 99 per cent recyclable.
I’m proud of the initiatives and hard work of our community, whose ongoing commitment to sustainable waste management has made us a recognised leader in this area. Last year alone we diverted over 49,500 tonnes of organic and recyclable waste away from landfill. Whitegoods, gas bottles, batteries and paints cannot be accepted at the Electronic Waste Drop-Off Day. To receive a free SMS about our next Electronic Waste Drop-Off Day, Chemical Drop-Off Day and other waste and recycling initiatives send your name, home address and mobile phone number to rrr@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au or call 4732 7615 to register for this free service. You can also download Council’s Waste Info app for your smartphone by searching for Penrith Waste Champion in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
CR JOHN THAIN Mayor of Penrith
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