Talented Central Queensland University multimedia student, Skye Olde has recently won the award for the extreme sports category at AUSFEST 2002, the Australian Digital and Video Film Festival.

AUSFEST is the first digital festival in Australia and aims to showcase innovative and emerging filmmakers. In the festival’s inaugural year, organisers received in excess of 450 submissions from 25 countries.

Skye Olde's movie “MESMERIZE” wooed audiences and judges with her extreme sport music submission, featuring a collage of breathtaking images that capture the rush and excitement of extreme sports culture.

“I didn’t want to produce a run-of-the-mill digital video. Fast-paced, exciting topics are more appealing and I know locals that enjoy extreme sports so I thought why not,” she said. Skate boarding, surfing, fire dancing, skydiving, roller blading, motorcycling and mountain-bike riding were among the daring athleticisms filmed.

“I wasn’t expecting my entry to be screened at the Festival so you could imagine how ecstatic I was to win the award – the audience went wild for it.

According to Dr Liz Hills, Digital Moviemaking Coordinator: “This is a wonderful achievement from one of our undergrad students and a marker of the creativity and talent we have in our Faculty.

Ms Olde would like to pursue a career in digital moviemaking and will undertake a multimedia honours degree in 2003 working on a project called Crown of Thorn Starfish at the Great Barrier Reef.

For further details about AUSFEST 2002 please visit: http://www.ausfest.com.