Wearing its heart and intentions very much on its sleeve, this raw and utterly unique new Australian film is a labour of love for cinematographer and director Tom Cowan.

In the NSW town of Orange, Cowan held open 'auditions' for local people to tell stories of love'Their own experiences, rumours they had heard. From that basis, Cowan, and writer Adam Bowen, fashioned a series of rough stories, from which the actors would improvise during filming. The non-professional actors played versions of themselves, achieving a level of realism that is testament to Cowan's vision. Unpolished and often clumsy'just like real life'Orange Love Story is peppered with moments of such poignancy that it makes you draw breath at its frank depiction of love.

'For all its experimental nature, Orange Love Story is gripping in its drama and profoundly moving in its effect. Stripped of the 'artificial' highs and lows of the conventional romantic film' Cowan's 'local emotion picture' is quietly hopeful. The film's idiosyncratic ambience (the very human awkwardness of the central performances) is ultimately very seductive. 'I'm very interested in trying to photograph that moment of truth people have,- Cowan says.' -Inside Film

Tom Cowan is a guest of the Festival.

D Tom Cowan P Tom Cowan, Murray Inglis S Adam Bowen, Tom Cowan WS Local Emotion Pictures TD Video/Col/2003/83mins

Tom Cowan was born in Victoria in 1972. Films include: The Office Panic (1973), Promised Woman (1975), Sweet Dreamers (1982).