Standing There Productions members have so far had a very busy year. 

Stewart continues his work in production and Lorin is currently at an intensive critical writing residency at Varuna, The Writers' House in the Blue Mountains. The residency is run by Geordie Williamson, chief literary critic at The Australian. The following week, she returns to Melbourne to take up her Hot Desk Fellowship at the Wheeler Centre. Her new website is here.

Rita has continued her work at Warp Films Australia including on their feature film Shopping which was shooting in the Kapiti Coast of NZ during March and April. Meanwhile the short she produced last year, Billie Pleffer's B I N O has continued its festival success after the two awards at the Berlinale, screening as a Dendy Finalist at the Sydney Film Festival and now, as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. 

Standing There Productions is working on a few other projects, which we can update you about in a few months. Thanks for those who have made contact recently through the website. We've been a bit snowed under but we'll be updating you here as often as we can.

 Well, this is exciting. Rita Walsh, who is currently in Berlin for the screening of B I N O at the Berlinale, has battled through exhaustion and the flu in order to attend the festival alongside one or two other people you may have heard of and the results are in.

B I N O has been awarded the Special Prize for the Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk for the Best Short Film from the Generation Kplus International Jury. 

It was also awarded a Special Mention from the Generation KPlus Children's Jury.

To be recognised by one jury is outstanding. To get a special mention from another seems outrageously talented of everyone involved.

You can read about it all here.

It should be said that B I N O is not a Standing There Productions film. We're just basking in the glory of having one of our key players on the ground. And we are purring with pride. The hard work of the B I N O cast and crew has been justly rewarded and we take our hats off to them all. Rita: you are an internationally-recognised champ. About time.

Happy new year! Can you still say that in February? We just did.

Standing There is reluctantly preparing to head back to Melbourne after three weeks as artists in residence at Bundanon. Standing There Productions has been to Bundanon before - in 2008 - and Bundanon has now taken on the mythical proportions of the Arthur Boyd paintings of the rocks and the river that surround the property. Bundanon has been vital to the development of our ideas and of us as a company and we're grateful to be able to read, write and talk about our ideas and projects. A huge thanks to all at Bundanon for allowing us this opportunity (*cough* and for not evicting us when we set the fire alarm off on a Saturday *cough*). Thanks also to the wombats, wallabies and Albert's Lyrebirds who graciously offered their consulting services when needed. For further reading head over to the Diary page where Lorin has been providing almost weekly updates.<

Standing There is thrilled to announce that we've been selected again as Artists in Residence at Bundanon in August-September this year. The work we did on our last residency still forms a major part of what Standing There does and we wouldn't be the same without it. If you're an artist, we recommend you apply.

Another year is well and truly underway at Standing There Productions. It's going to be a big one!

Lorin has recently returned to the Diary so check in to see what she has been up to (lots). Her article about Australian theatre is currently in Meanjin and she is now the regular TV columnist for The Big Issue. She is also working at the comedy festival with Colin Lane.

The Little Stevies, our favourite band whose Sunshower video was directed by Robin Geradts-Gill and shot by Stewart Thorn, have just toured America. Watch the videos for some amazing footage of their adventures.

Rita has moved back to Melbourne and is gradually getting used to the weather. She has been selected to participate in Screen Australia's Script Factory program in March and is also continuing to work long distance for Jan Chapman for her new development company Waking Dream Productions. Most importantly, she is being reintroduced to the finest Melbourne coffee bars by Lorin and Stewart.

Some of you may remember Chris Buchanan (the press secretary from our 2008 comedy festival show Greatness Thrust Upon Them). Chris is currently starring in a teensy little independent production called Mama Mia at Her Majesty's theatre in Melbourne. He is a cracker and we can't wait to see the show.

Standing There Productions original founder Tim Stitz has also been gracing the stage telling his own family's story in Lloyd Beckman, Beekeeper, which was a delicate, funny, nuanced production and which you should look out for, because it's sure to get another run.